Avoca Beach is a coastal town in New South Wales, in Central Coast Council. The Avoca Beach is part of the surrounding geography.
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median, well above typical levels for coastal towns. Reported crime is exceptionally low against comparable places, and socio-economic advantage is among the highest in the peer group. The main trade-offs are weaker population growth and higher rents, with population growth 110% below the peer median.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising lower crime and socio-economic advantage over population growth.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Coastal town · compared with coastal towns in New South Wales (162)
Strengths
Reported crime is exceptionally low against comparable places
Socio-economic advantage is among the highest in the peer group
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
Local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median
Weaknesses
Population growth is a relative weakness
Rents run above those in comparable places
What stands out
Avoca Beach
North Avoca Beach
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★★★☆
Professionals★★★★☆
Retirees★★★☆☆
Students★★☆☆☆
Budget buyers★☆☆☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Avoca Beach compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$1.38M
+8.0% change
Median rent
$778/wk
Houses $850 · Units $550
Population (ERP)
4,763
-0.0% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
27.4%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#2
among Coastal & beach · Emerging
Crime rate
7th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
8th
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
17%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
76th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
61.8/100 — Good
State standing
Top 8% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
347th in Australia
State rank
152nd in NSW
Peer rank
#2 among Coastal & beach · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#21 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence
94%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$550
Houses (January to March 2026)
$850
All types (January to March 2026)
$778
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
142
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$1,380,000
Median price change
+8%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
-0.0% annual · -0.4% over 5 years · 8th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
-0.0%
5-year growth
-0.4%
Change in 1 year
-1
Change in 5 years
-19
Growth rank in NSW
8th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~4,850), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
4,708
Median age
43
Median household income / week
$2,358
Dwelling vacancy
27.4%
Unoccupied private dwellings
582 of 2,126
Median monthly mortgage
$2,508
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$530
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
38.9% / 44% / 17.1%
Employment rate
62%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
35.2% / 0.6% / 45.9%
Walked or cycled to work
1.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,335 / 88 / 112 (+ 4 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
31.5% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 16.9% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified31.5% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified13.1% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational16.9% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below38.5% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce22.4%
Health14.2%
Education13.5%
Society and culture12.2%
Engineering and related technologies11.1%
Architecture and building9.2%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Tax & income
Median taxable income (2023–24)
$57,262
55th percentile in NSW · -2% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$64,963
58th percentile in NSW · 0% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
16.0%
66th percentile in NSW · +16% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$105,086
83rd percentile in NSW · +66% vs Australia
Residents with business income
11.0%
64th percentile in NSW · +6% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2251 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
20,119
Taxpayers reporting net rent
3,132
Median net rent
-$151
Taxpayers reporting business income
2,190
Taxable income vs state median
+2%
Salary / wages vs state median
+4%
Rental investment vs state median
+14%
Super vs state median
+49%
Business income vs state median
+10%
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary
Community & culture
4.5% speak a language other than English at home; 20.3% born overseas
Language at home
4,336 English only · 202 other
Non-English at home
4.5%
Born overseas
920 (20.3%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
109 (2.3%)
Australian citizens
4,290
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
13
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
German15 · 17%
Afrikaans11 · 12.5%
Italian11 · 12.5%
French9 · 10.2%
Japanese9 · 10.2%
Portuguese8 · 9.1%
Arabic4 · 4.5%
Cantonese4 · 4.5%
Religion
46.6%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 46.6%, while Christianity accounts for 45.8%.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
46.6%
32.8%
Christianity
45.8%
47.6%
Other / not stated
7.6%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
19.3%
22.4%
Anglican
14.4%
11.9%
Uniting Church
2.7%
2.1%
Christian (not further defined)
2.5%
2.4%
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2251, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
132
Against the person
42
Against property
60
Rate per 1,000 residents
27.7
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 112 residents
State crime-rate percentile
7.4th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-3.4%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
28
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
5.88
Most common offence types
Breach Apprehended Violence Order11
Domestic Violence Related Assault11
Fraud10
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment16
Malicious Damage To Property15
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
Schools within 2 km
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
1,072.5
Median ICSEA percentile
76th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
3
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
2
School list
Avoca Beach Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1081 · 79th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 455 students · Top SEA quarter 33% · 0.3 km awayView on My School →
Copacabana Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1064 · 73th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 259 students · Top SEA quarter 29% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Avoca Beach PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Copacabana PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Kincumber HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Terrigal HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Terrigal PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
NSW government school intake zones — NSW Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published
3 restaurants · 7 cafes · 1 fast food · 4 playgrounds · 5 swimming pools · 2 beaches · 1 caravan parks · 1 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
Reasonably walkable — many shops and services reachable on foot or by bus
Great for outdoor family life — 5 parks mapped in suburb, 4 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 97 public transport stops
Strong local sport and recreation — 10 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
52/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
1.49
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
2.34
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.06
Food & drink(11)
Avoca Sands CafeCafe
Bakehouse CafeCafe
Cafe
Like MindsCafe
Social JunctionCafe
The Point CafeCafe
WavesCafe
Hi Tide Takeaway Avoca BeachFast food
Avoca Beach SeafoodsRestaurant
Avoca ThaiRestaurant
ChopstixRestaurant
Shopping(2)
Avoca Beach ButcheryButcher
Avoca Beach Friendly GrocerConvenience store
Everyday services(3)
ANZ ATMATM
177 Avoca Drive
Avoca FuelPetrol station
Avoca Beach Post OfficePost office
179 Avoca Drive
Community(1)
Avoca Beach Public SchoolSchool
Avoca Beach
Health & services(2)
Avoca Beach DentalDentist
Avoca Beach Medical CentreMedical clinic
Unit 4 179 Avoca Drive
Sport & outdoors(23)
Avoca BeachBeach
North Avoca BeachBeach
Drinking water (2)
Walder Crescent Bush ReserveNature reserve
Avoca Lions ParkPark
Haezlett ParkPark
Avoca Drive
Hunter ParkPark
73 Avoca Drive
Jack Muller Picnic AreaPark
1 Ficus Avenue, Avoca Beach
South End Point ParkPark
Playground (2)
Ross ParkPlayground
10 Vine Street
Walder Crescent PlaygroundPlayground
Public Toilet Avoca BeachPublic toilets
Avoca Drive
Public Toilet Heazlett Park, Avoca BeachPublic toilets
Avoca Drive
Public Toilet Ross Park, Avoca BeachPublic toilets
Avoca Drive, Avoca Beach
Sports field
Swimming pool (5)
Camping & holiday parks(1)
The Palms at AvocaCaravan park
Places to stay(1)
High TideGuest house
92 Avoca Drive
Entertainment(2)
Avoca TheatreCinema
Viewpoint
Transport(49)
49 bus stops
Other(19)
ABA AntiquesAntiques
Avoca Beach Rural Fire BrigadeFire station
343 The Round Drive, Avoca Beach
Garden (3)
Weekends StoreHouseware
Information
Parking (11)
Parking Entrance
Parking Space
Picnic Table (5)
Avoca Palms ResortResort
Resort
Shelter (2)
Beach ShowerShower
Shower (2)
Avoca Beach Rock PoolSwimming Area
TelstraTelephone
Waste Basket (2)
Simply Better WineWine
Three Points Surf ShopYes
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries
Health access
Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
2
Nearest hospital
Central Coast Day Hospital (5.3 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
GP clinics in suburb
1
GPs tagged bulk billing (OSM)
0 of 1
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Avoca Beach DentalDentist
Avoca Beach Medical CentreAvoca DriveGP
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
Usual max / min
26° / 18°
Rainfall
386 mm · ~48 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
22° / 14°
Rainfall
394 mm · ~49 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
17° / 8°
Rainfall
266 mm · ~33 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
22° / 13°
Rainfall
253 mm · ~32 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
16 WARREN AVENUE AVOCA BEACH 2251Under Assessment
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Supporting Development
295A THE ROUND DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
15 ASCOT AVENUE AVOCA BEACH 2251Under Assessment
August 2026
Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
103 AVOCA DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Under Assessment
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space
123 AVOCA DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Rainwater tanks; Swimming pool
5 ASCOT AVENUE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Advertising and signage; Swimming pool
306 THE ROUND DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
72A AVOCA DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
17 KARANI AVENUE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
July 2026
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
59B THE ROUND DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
188 THE ROUND DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
24 MATONG LANE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Erection of a new structure; Moveable dwelling
15 1 BOWTELLS DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Additional Information Requested
June 2026
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
290 HILLSIDE ROAD AVOCA BEACH 2251Additional Information Requested
Subdivision
15 ASCOT AVENUE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Residential Accommodation
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
12 KARANI AVENUE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Erection of a new structure; Privacy screens; Stairway; Swimming pool
32 FAIRSCENE CRESCENT AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Restaurant or cafe; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Food and drink premise; Hours of operation and trading
10 VINE STREET AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
59C THE ROUND DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
1 KUMALI CLOSE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
February 2026
Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
51 ASCOT AVENUE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
138 THE ROUND DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home; Non-standard Housing; Residential Accommodation
1 Bowtells Drive, Avoca BeachWithdrawn
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
100 AVOCA DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
7 WARREN AVENUE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Restaurant or cafe; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Food and drink premise
10 VINE STREET AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
January 2026
Demolition; Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Medium Density Housing; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
9 AVOCA DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
2025· 7 proposals
December 2025
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Swimming pool; Supporting Development
11 FRANKLIN AVENUE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
6 AUSTRAL AVENUE AVOCA BEACH 2251Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure
39 Cape Three Points Road, Avoca Beach NSW 2251Determined
Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
86 AVOCA DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
91 CAPE THREE POINTS ROAD AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
November 2025
Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Shop; Neighbourhood shop
1 200 AVOCA DRIVE AVOCA BEACH 2251Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
Federal electorate
Robertson
Member of Parliament
Gordon REID (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
114,922
Turnout (2025)
92.5%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+7.1 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 40.6%Labor 59.4%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 3.9 km away).
Coalition 34.8%Labor 65.2%
5.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +12.0 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
Avoca BeachLabor 68.0% · Coalition 32.0% TPP (2025)0.7 km away
CopacabanaLabor 66.9% · Coalition 33.1% TPP (2025)2.3 km away
Terrigal SouthLabor 53.1% · Coalition 46.9% TPP (2025)2.6 km away
KincumberLabor 62.1% · Coalition 37.9% TPP (2025)2.8 km away
Terrigal WestLabor 52.7% · Coalition 47.3% TPP (2025)2.9 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)