Hillsborough NSW Property Investment

Lake Macquarie · 2290 · Score: 53/100 · Hold

Median House Price
$993K
Rental Yield
3.2%
Vacancy Rate
2.9%
Median Weekly Rent
$615/wk
Median Unit Price
$829K
Population
34,912
Days on Market
35 days
Annual Growth
5.5%

Hillsborough Short-Term Rental (Airbnb) Market

Avg Nightly Rate
$499/night
Occupancy Rate
40%
Est. Annual Revenue
$73K

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

Hillsborough NSW Investment Brief

## 1. Investment Verdict Hold – the key figure is the 3.2 % gross rental yield, which sits at the low‑end of what most investors consider cash‑flow positive in a stable market.

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## 2. Market Overview | Metric | Figure | |--------|--------| | Median house price | $992,573 | | Median unit price | $829,432 | | 1‑year price growth | 5.5 % | | 5‑year CAGR | 6.5 % / yr | | 3‑year growth forecast | 13.5 % | | Days on market | *Data not provided* |

What it signals - Buyers face modest price appreciation (5.5 % over the past year) and a forecast of 13.5 % over the next three years, suggesting there is still upside but no rush to lock in a bargain. - Sellers can price competitively; the growth trend is positive but not explosive, so buyer demand remains steady.

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## 3. Rental Market | Metric | Figure | |--------|--------| | Median weekly rent | $615 / wk | | Gross rental yield | 3.2 % | | Vacancy rate | *Data not provided* | | Demand rating | *Data not provided* |

Implication for investors A 3.2 % yield indicates a neutral cash‑flow position after typical financing costs. Without vacancy data we cannot quantify risk, but the yield suggests the market is neither highly attractive nor unattractive for long‑term rental (LTR) investors.

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## 4. Short‑Term Rental (STR) Opportunity | Metric | Figure | |--------|--------| | Nightly STR rate | *Data not provided* | | Occupancy (average %) | *Data not provided* | | Estimated annual STR revenue | *Data not provided* |

Conclusion Because STR metrics are unavailable, we cannot model an STR cash‑flow scenario. With a modest 3.2 % LTR yield, the default recommendation is to focus on long‑term rental until STR data becomes available.

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## 5. Infrastructure & Growth Drivers *No specific infrastructure, transport projects, or employment‑base data were supplied.*

The 13.5 % 3‑year growth forecast implies that some combination of local amenity upgrades, population inflow, or employment growth is expected, but the exact drivers cannot be identified from the provided data.

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## 6. Bull Case Assume the 3‑year forecast of 13.5 % materialises and rental fundamentals stay unchanged.

  • House price upside: $992,573 × 1.135 ≈ $1,126,600 (≈ + $134,000).
  • Unit price upside: $829,432 × 1.135 ≈ $941,000 (≈ + $112,000).

If the gross yield remains at 3.2 % and rent rises in line with price growth, annual rental income could increase from $31,980 (615 × 52) to roughly $36,300, pushing the yield to about 3.2 % (still modest but with higher capital gains).

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## 7. Risks | Risk | Detail (numbers where available) | |------|-----------------------------------| | Vacancy risk | No vacancy rate supplied; a rise above the norm could push net yield below 3 %. | | Single‑employer dependency | No employment‑base data; if the suburb relies heavily on one large employer, any downsizing would affect both price and rent growth. | | Supply pipeline | No data on upcoming developments; a surge in new housing could dilute price growth and increase vacancy. | | Rate sensitivity | With a 3.2 % gross yield, a 1 % increase in borrowing cost could erode cash flow, especially if vacancy rises. |

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## 8. The Play - Entry price range: - Houses: $900,000 – $1,000,000 (around the median). - Units: $750,000 – $850,000 (around the median).

  • Minimum yield target: ≥ 3.2 % gross to stay cash‑flow neutral under current financing assumptions.
  • Watch signals:
  • Recommended strategy:
  • - Hold existing positions and consider incremental acquisition if prices dip into the lower end of the entry range while the 3.2 % yield is maintained.
  • - Prioritise properties with strong tenant histories to mitigate unknown vacancy risk.
  • - Re‑evaluate the suburb if STR data emerges that suggests a higher net return than LTR.

Gentrification Index

Pre-gentrification2.0/10
▼High SEIFA decile — already upgraded or established affluent area
—Moderate capital growth (6.5% CAGR)
▲Active development pipeline (6746 approvals) — supply attracting new residents

Growth Forecast

high confidence
1yr Forecast
5.6%
p.a.
2yr Forecast
5.2%
p.a.
5yr Forecast
4.5%
p.a.

Basis: 5yr CAGR 6.5% + 10yr CAGR 6.2%

Headwinds
  • −High supply pipeline (6746 new approvals) — may cap price growth

Suburb Metric Thresholds

4 green8 yellow4 red
Rental Vacancy Rate
2.9 high impact
Days on Market
35 high impact
Weekly Rent (house)
615 medium impact
5yr Price CAGR
6.53 high impact
10yr Price CAGR
6.19 high impact
1yr Price Growth
5.5 medium impact
Population Growth
0.87 high impact
Median Household Income
1771 medium impact
Unemployment Rate
4.1 medium impact
Public Transport Score
0 medium impact
School Zone Quality
5.4 medium impact
Distance to CBD
123.76 medium impact
SEIFA Advantage/Disadvantage
7 medium impact
Owner Occupier Rate
73.6 medium impact
Gross Rental Yield (%)
3.22 high impact
Net Rental Yield (%)
1.72 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

1,253

2020

1,328

2021

1,498

2022

1,359

2023

1,308

2025

New dwelling approvals — higher numbers mean more future supply

Socio-Economic Profile

Source: ABS Census 2021

SEIFA Index · Postcode 2290

Most disadvantagedLeast disadvantaged

Decile 7 of 10 — Average

Population

34,912

Education (IEO)

6/10

Econ. Resources (IER)

6/10

10-Year Investment Projection

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

Pre-filled: $615/wk median rent for Hillsborough. Capital growth and rent increase are editable assumptions.

Schools

In your catchment

Beresfield PS
PrimaryGovernment
4.2/10
Francis Greenway HS
SecondaryGovernment
4.3/10

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.