Hargraves NSW Property Investment

Lithgow · 2850 · Score: 46/100 · Caution

Median House Price
$649K
Rental Yield
4.8%
Vacancy Rate
3.0%
Median Weekly Rent
$600/wk
Median Unit Price
N/A
Population
300
Days on Market
113 days
Annual Growth
-31.9%

Hargraves Short-Term Rental (Airbnb) Market

Avg Nightly Rate
$685/night
Occupancy Rate
40%
Est. Annual Revenue
$100K

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

Hargraves NSW Investment Brief

## 1. Investment Verdict Avoid – the 1‑year price change of ‑31.9 % signals a steep decline in capital value and outweighs the modest 4.8 % gross yield.

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## 2. Market Overview - Median house price: $648,659 - 1‑yr price growth: ‑31.9 % - 5‑yr CAGR: ‑15.3 % per year - 3‑yr growth forecast: +13.5 % - Days on market: not provided

The sharp 1‑year drop and negative 5‑year CAGR put the market firmly in buyer‑land. Sellers must price aggressively to attract offers. Buyers can negotiate hard, but they should expect further price volatility until the market stabilises.

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## 3. Rental Market - Median weekly rent: $600 / wk - Gross rental yield: 4.8 % - Vacancy rate: not provided - Demand rating: not provided

A 4.8 % gross yield sits near the lower end of attractive long‑term returns for regional NSW. Without vacancy data we cannot gauge rental pressure, but the yield alone does not offset the capital loss risk.

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## 4. Short‑Term Rental Opportunity - STR nightly rate: not provided - Occupancy: not provided - Estimated annual STR revenue: not provided

Because STR metrics are missing, we cannot model short‑term returns. With limited data, long‑term rental remains the only assessable option.

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## 5. Infrastructure & Growth Drivers - Known projects: not provided - Transport links: not provided - Employment base: not provided

The absence of concrete infrastructure or employment information limits confidence in demand drivers. The only forward‑looking figure is the 3‑year forecast of +13.5 % growth, which suggests potential upside if new projects or job opportunities materialise.

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## 6. Bull Case If the 3‑year forecast of +13.5 % materialises and price decline halts, the median house price could rise from $648,659 to roughly $735,000 (13.5 % increase). Coupled with the existing 4.8 % gross yield, an investor who entered at the current median could see a combined capital‑gain plus rental return of around 9 % per annum in the best‑case scenario.

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## 7. Risks - Capital‑loss risk: ‑31.9 % price change over the past year. - Vacancy risk: no vacancy data, so the rental market could be softer than the 4.8 % yield suggests. - Employment concentration risk: employment data not supplied; a single large employer could dominate the local labour market, increasing exposure if that employer contracts. - Supply pipeline risk: no information on new housing supply; an unexpected influx of dwellings could push rents and prices lower. - Interest‑rate sensitivity: with falling prices, owners may have negative equity, making them vulnerable to rate hikes, but exact exposure cannot be quantified without loan data.

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## 8. The Play - Entry range: around the median house price of $648,659. - Minimum yield target: aim for ≥5 % gross yield to compensate for capital‑loss risk. - Watch signals: stabilization or modest rise in median price, release of vacancy statistics, announcement of new infrastructure or major employer projects, and any slowdown in price decline. - Recommended strategy: stay out for now. Monitor the market for price floor formation and for any concrete infrastructure or employment announcements that could lift demand. Re‑enter only when the price decline halts and the gross yield meets or exceeds the 5 % threshold.

Gentrification Index

Pre-gentrification2.5/10
—Middle-tier SEIFA — moderate gentrification pressure
▲Active development pipeline (346 approvals) — supply attracting new residents

Growth Forecast

low confidence
1yr Forecast
2.0%
p.a.
2yr Forecast
1.8%
p.a.
5yr Forecast
1.6%
p.a.

Basis: National long-run average (no local data)

Growth drivers
  • +Above-average population growth (1.6%/yr)
Headwinds
  • −Slow market (113 days avg) — buyer hesitancy
  • −High supply pipeline (346 new approvals) — may cap price growth

Suburb Metric Thresholds

2 green7 yellow7 red
Rental Vacancy Rate
3 high impact
Days on Market
113 high impact
Weekly Rent (house)
600 medium impact
5yr Price CAGR
-15.31 high impact
10yr Price CAGR
-6.65 high impact
1yr Price Growth
-31.9 medium impact
Population Growth
1.65 high impact
Median Household Income
1671 medium impact
Unemployment Rate
3.6 medium impact
Public Transport Score
0 medium impact
School Zone Quality
2.8 medium impact
Distance to CBD
203.08 medium impact
SEIFA Advantage/Disadvantage
5 medium impact
Owner Occupier Rate
70.3 medium impact
Gross Rental Yield (%)
4.81 high impact
Net Rental Yield (%)
3.31 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

61

2020

84

2021

86

2022

83

2023

32

2025

New dwelling approvals — higher numbers mean more future supply

Socio-Economic Profile

Source: ABS Census 2021

SEIFA Index · Postcode 2850

Most disadvantagedLeast disadvantaged

Decile 5 of 10 — Average

Population

19,146

Education (IEO)

3/10

Econ. Resources (IER)

6/10

10-Year Investment Projection

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

Pre-filled: $600/wk median rent for Hargraves. Capital growth and rent increase are editable assumptions.

Schools

In your catchment

Hargraves PS
PrimaryGovernment
3/10
Mudgee HS
SecondaryGovernment
4.8/10

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.