NSW · Byron Council
Broken Head, 2481
Current weather
18.5°COvercast
86% humidity · 6.2 km/h wind · 21.1° / 15.2° today · 0.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Coastal
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Life in Broken Head revolves around the coast, with the feel of a smaller community that never strays far from the water. Coastal living here comes with genuine distance from the capital, a self-contained pace with the sea at its heart. Sea breezes and coastal air are part of everyday life, especially on warmer evenings.
The area suits established families and long-term locals, with family life visible on every street. Reasonable public transport access helps with commuting and getting around locally. Housing carries a premium, but residents tend to feel the lifestyle justifies the commitment.
Active development is adding new homes and refreshed pockets throughout the suburb.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, with local dining and lifestyle amenities and parks and green space the main drags compared with similar coastal suburbs. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 385
- Median age
- 43
- Median household income / week
- $1,687
- Dwelling vacancy
- 28.1%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 54 of 192
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,600
- Employment rate
- 53.5%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 6 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $785
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $1,200
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $990
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 127
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 48
- Against the person
- 10
- Against property
- 22
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 124.7
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 38 residents
- State safety percentile
- 84.2th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -7.4%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Bail Conditions114
- Fraud133
- Malicious Damage To Property147
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault159
- Other Theft152
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Public transport
13 public transport stops in this suburb
- Broken Head Rd After Bundaleer Rd
- Broken Head Rd Before Midgen Flat Rd
- Broken Head Rd Opp Broken Head Community Hall
- Broken Head Rd Opp Rose Apple Pl
- Byron Bay Rd At Butter Factory Rd (Ross Ln 2)
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
49 planning-related records
2026· 4 proposals
June 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)83 BROKEN HEAD RESERVE ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Under Assessment
May 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure18 ARMSTRONG LANE BROKEN HEAD 2481Under Assessment
February 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)14 ARMSTRONG LANE BROKEN HEAD 2481Under Assessment
January 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Garage, carport or carparking space; Swimming pool80 MIDGEN FLAT ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
2025· 5 proposals
November 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Tourist and visitor accommodationU 2 137 BROKEN HEAD RESERVE ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
October 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool13 64 BLACKBUTT LANE BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
June 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure18 ARMSTRONG LANE BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)865 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
January 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Garage, carport or carparking space; Swimming pool80 MIDGEN FLAT ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
2024· 6 proposals
November 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Rural worker's dwelling85 ARMSTRONG LANE BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
August 2024
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)92 MIDGEN FLAT ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Deferred Commencement
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation142 BROKEN HEAD RESERVE ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
June 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Serviced apartmentU 1 137 BROKEN HEAD RESERVE ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)865 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
April 2024
- Subdivision56 ARMSTRONG LANE BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
2023· 6 proposals
November 2023
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure142 BROKEN HEAD RESERVE ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
October 2023
- Dual occupancy; Other92 MIDGEN FLAT ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Withdrawn
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure95 BLACKBUTT LANE BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
May 2023
- Alterations and additions to residential development13 591 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
March 2023
- Farm buildings801 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
- Pools / decks / fencingU 7 137 BROKEN HEAD RESERVE ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
2022· 12 proposals
December 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing; Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs; Alterations and additions to residential development2/64 Blackbutt Lane, Broken Head NSWOperational consent issued
November 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development140 BROKEN HEAD RESERVE ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
October 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing64 MIDGEN FLAT ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
September 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development3 591 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
- Other865 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
- Stratum / community title subdivision139 BROKEN HEAD RESERVE ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
August 2022
- Dwelling; Pools / decks / fencing; Shed18 ARMSTRONG LANE BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
July 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing; Alterations and additions to residential development142 BROKEN HEAD RESERVE ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
- Dual occupancy672 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
May 2022
- Dwelling95 BLACKBUTT LANE BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
- Other657B BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
January 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development13 591 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
2021· 7 proposals
November 2021
- Farm buildings; Shed672 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
September 2021
- Dwelling95 BLACKBUTT LANE BROKEN HEAD 2481Withdrawn
August 2021
- Dwelling; Secondary dwelling; Pools / decks / fencing; Earthworks / change in levels; Garages, carports and car parking spaces865 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
July 2021
- Stratum / community title subdivision139 BROKEN HEAD RESERVE ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
- Farm buildings801 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
May 2021
- Farm buildings; Shed672 BROKEN HEAD ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
April 2021
- Dual occupancy176 MIDGEN FLAT ROAD BROKEN HEAD 2481Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
2 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Broken Head Rd after Bundaleer RdBus stop
- Broken Head Rd opp Rose Apple PlBus stop
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 7/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 1
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 18.2/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6679th in Australia
- State rank
- 2074th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #64 among Coastal & beach · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #197 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 70%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Broken Head Rd after Bundaleer Rdamenitiesbus_stop
- Broken Head Rd opp Rose Apple Plamenitiesbus_stop
- Breach Bail Conditionscrime114
- Fraudcrime133
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime147
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime159
- Other Theftcrime152
- Broken Head Rd After Bundaleer Rdtransport
- Broken Head Rd Before Midgen Flat Rdtransport
- Broken Head Rd Opp Broken Head Community Halltransport
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Byron Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.