Hillsborough NSW Property Investment
Lake Macquarie · 2290 · Score: 53/100 · Hold
Hillsborough Short-Term Rental (Airbnb) Market
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.
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
Growth Forecast
high confidenceBasis: 5yr CAGR 6.5% + 10yr CAGR 6.2%
- −High supply pipeline (6746 new approvals) — may cap price growth
Suburb Metric Thresholds
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 2021SEIFA Index · Postcode 2290
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
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.
Nearby Suburbs
Analyse a Property in Hillsborough
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Analyse a Property →Data sourced from ABS, state government property sales, and Airbnb market analytics. For informational purposes only — not financial advice.