Goonellabah NSW Property Investment

Ballina · 2480 · Score: 50/100 · Hold

Median House Price
$736K
Rental Yield
4.5%
Vacancy Rate
3.0%
Median Weekly Rent
$640/wk
Median Unit Price
$526K
Population
13,351
Days on Market
104 days
Annual Growth
14.5%

Goonellabah Short-Term Rental (Airbnb) Market

Avg Nightly Rate
$107/night
Occupancy Rate
%
Est. Annual Revenue
$25K

Estimated revenue assumes year-round availability. Non-hosted short-stays are night-capped in some councils (e.g. 60 nights across most of Byron Shire, 180 in Ballina, Muswellbrook and parts of Greater Sydney) and levied in Victoria — the legal cap can cut achievable income well below this figure. Run STR Check for the rules on a specific address.

AI Investment Analysis

Goonellabah NSW Investment Brief

## 1. Investment Verdict Hold – the decisive figure is the 4.5 % gross rental yield, which sits at the upper‑end of what many investors consider a “safe” return in regional NSW.

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## 2. Market Overview | Metric | Figure | |--------|--------| | Median house price | $736,428 | | Median unit price | $525,830 | | 1‑year price growth | +14.5 % | | 5‑year CAGR (price) | ‑7.6 % / yr | | 3‑year growth forecast | +13.5 % | | Days on market | Data not supplied |

What it signals * The +14.5 % jump over the past 12 months gives sellers short‑term leverage – buyers will face higher asking prices and may need to act quickly. * The ‑7.6 % / yr five‑year decline shows that the recent surge is a rebound rather than a new long‑term trend, so investors should temper expectations of continued rapid price appreciation. * The 13.5 % three‑year forecast suggests market participants expect growth to resume, but that outlook hinges on local economic conditions remaining stable.

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## 3. Rental Market | Metric | Figure | |--------|--------| | Median weekly rent | $640 / wk | | Gross rental yield | 4.5 % | | Vacancy rate | Data not supplied | | Demand rating | Data not supplied |

Implication for investors A 4.5 % yield indicates the rental market is still generating a respectable cash flow relative to price. Even without explicit vacancy data, the yield suggests demand is sufficient to cover most financing costs, making long‑term rental (LTR) a viable core‑plus strategy.

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## 4. Short‑Term Rental (STR) Opportunity | Metric | Figure | |--------|--------| | STR nightly rate | Data not supplied | | STR occupancy (average) | Data not supplied | | Estimated annual STR revenue | Data not supplied |

Verdict – Because no STR metrics are available, we cannot quantify the potential upside. In the absence of evidence that short‑term demand outstrips the long‑term market, the safer route is to focus on long‑term rental.

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## 5. Infrastructure & Growth Drivers Data not supplied – No specific projects, transport upgrades, or major employers are listed for Goonellabah. The 13.5 % three‑year growth forecast implies that analysts expect some underlying drivers (e.g., regional population growth or employment expansion), but without concrete details we cannot attribute the outlook to a particular source.

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## 6. Bull Case Assume the 3‑year forecast of +13.5 % materialises and rental demand stays strong:

ItemCurrentBull‑case (3 yr)
Median house price$736,428≈ $835,000 (13.5 % rise)
Median unit price$525,830≈ $597,000 (13.5 % rise)
Weekly rent (if yield holds)$640≈ $730 (4.5 % yield on higher price)
Gross yield (if rent rises with price)4.5 %≈ 4.5 % (stable)

If price appreciation and rent growth keep pace, investors could see capital gains of roughly $100k‑$120k on a median house while maintaining the 4.5 % yield.

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## 7. Risks | Risk | Quantified concern | |------|--------------------| | Price volatility – 5‑year CAGR of ‑7.6 % / yr shows the market has experienced a notable downturn, meaning a reversal is not guaranteed. | | Vacancy uncertainty – No vacancy data; if vacancy rises above 5 % the cash‑flow margin could erode the 4.5 % yield. | | Economic concentration – No employer data; if the suburb relies heavily on a single industry, a downturn there could depress both rent and price growth. | | Supply pipeline – Absence of information on new housing approvals; a surge in new units could lift vacancy and suppress yields. | | Interest‑rate sensitivity – With a 4.5 % yield, any increase in borrowing costs that pushes net cash flow below the yield could make the asset less attractive. |

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## 8. The Play * Entry price range – Target houses around $700k‑$770k and units around $500k‑$560k, i.e., within ±5 % of the current medians. * Yield target – Aim for a minimum gross yield of 4.5 %; any property offering less should be screened out. * Watch‑list signals – * Confirmation of stable or falling vacancy rates (≤4 %). * Announcement of new infrastructure or major employer projects. * Evidence of limited new supply (few planning permits). * Strategy – Acquire a median‑priced house or unit, finance with a loan that leaves a net cash‑flow margin of at least 1‑2 % after interest and expenses, and hold for 3‑5 years to capture the projected 13.5 % capital growth while collecting steady rental income. Adjust the position if vacancy climbs or if new supply floods the market.

Gentrification Index

Early gentrification signals4.0/10
▲Low socioeconomic base — classic gentrification precondition
▲Active development pipeline (1596 approvals) — supply attracting new residents
▲Strong public transport infrastructure — supports walkable gentrification

Growth Forecast

low confidence
1yr Forecast
1.0%
p.a.
2yr Forecast
0.9%
p.a.
5yr Forecast
0.8%
p.a.

Basis: 3yr growth 1.5% (discounted)

Headwinds
  • −Slow market (104 days avg) — buyer hesitancy
  • −High supply pipeline (1596 new approvals) — may cap price growth

Suburb Metric Thresholds

3 green7 yellow6 red
Rental Vacancy Rate
3 high impact
Days on Market
104 high impact
Weekly Rent (house)
640 medium impact
5yr Price CAGR
-7.6 high impact
10yr Price CAGR
4.46 high impact
1yr Price Growth
14.5 medium impact
Population Growth
0.59 high impact
Median Household Income
1326 medium impact
Unemployment Rate
5.2 medium impact
Public Transport Score
6.5 medium impact
School Zone Quality
3.4 medium impact
Distance to CBD
596.31 medium impact
SEIFA Advantage/Disadvantage
3 medium impact
Owner Occupier Rate
69.6 medium impact
Gross Rental Yield (%)
4.52 high impact
Net Rental Yield (%)
3.02 high impact

Macro Environment

Macro Indicators

Cash Rate

4.35%

▲ 0.25%

Cash rate as at 2026-05-06 · Credit data 2026-07

Suburb Supply & Demand

Suburb Supply Pipeline — New Dwelling Approvals

433

2020

361

2021

270

2022

310

2023

222

2025

New dwelling approvals — higher numbers mean more future supply

Socio-Economic Profile

Source: ABS Census 2021

SEIFA Index · Postcode 2480

Most disadvantagedLeast disadvantaged

Decile 4 of 10 — Average

Population

45,938

Education (IEO)

5/10

Econ. Resources (IER)

3/10

10-Year Investment Projection

Modelled on Goonellabah NSW data — rent, capital growth, tax, and depreciation over 10 years.

Pre-filled: $640/wk median rent for Goonellabah. Capital growth and rent increase are editable assumptions.

Schools

In your catchment

Goonellabah PS
PrimaryGovernment
3/10
TRSC Kadina
SecondaryGovernment
No data

These are the government-school zones containing this suburb centroid. Specific addresses within the suburb may fall in different catchments — confirm with the school directly.

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Data sourced from ABS, state government property sales, and Airbnb market analytics. For informational purposes only — not financial advice.