Bucca vs Sapphire Beach

Bucca is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 46 in Sapphire Beach. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Sapphire Beach tends to suit people living alone.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Bucca is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 64%)
  • Sapphire Beach carries lower crime risk (48/100 vs 58/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Bucca

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($400/wk vs $475/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Sapphire Beach

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (355 min vs 362 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (536.8 km vs 547.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sapphire Beach

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 16%)
  • carries lower crime risk (48/100 vs 58/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Sapphire Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (27.6% vs 11.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Bucca and Sapphire Beach drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Walkability 10 / 10
Bucca — Walkability: 10/100 Sapphire Beach — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 42 / 52
Bucca — Safety: 42/100 Sapphire Beach — Safety: 52/100
Low fire risk 47 / 57
Bucca — Low fire risk: 47/100 Sapphire Beach — Low fire risk: 57/100

Demographics

Sapphire Beach has more residents (2,660 vs 614); Sapphire Beach rents higher ($475/wk vs $400/wk).

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Population 614 2,660
+333% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.0% +27.6%
Median age 43 46
Median household income $90,480/yr $106,912/yr
+18% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk $475/wk
+19% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bucca Sapphire Beach
0-4 4.7% / 5.8%
Bucca — 0-4: 4.7% Sapphire Beach — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 12.7% / 13.7%
Bucca — 5-14: 12.7% Sapphire Beach — 5-14: 13.7%
15-19 6.7% / 4.8%
Bucca — 15-19: 6.7% Sapphire Beach — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 7.8% / 2.5%
Bucca — 20-24: 7.8% Sapphire Beach — 20-24: 2.5%
25-34 8.6% / 8.2%
Bucca — 25-34: 8.6% Sapphire Beach — 25-34: 8.2%
35-44 12.7% / 13.2%
Bucca — 35-44: 12.7% Sapphire Beach — 35-44: 13.2%
45-54 16.3% / 13.8%
Bucca — 45-54: 16.3% Sapphire Beach — 45-54: 13.8%
55-64 16.0% / 16.1%
Bucca — 55-64: 16.0% Sapphire Beach — 55-64: 16.1%
65-74 11.6% / 14.6%
Bucca — 65-74: 11.6% Sapphire Beach — 65-74: 14.6%
75-84 3.3% / 6.2%
Bucca — 75-84: 3.3% Sapphire Beach — 75-84: 6.2%
85+ 0.8% / 1.4%
Bucca — 85+: 0.8% Sapphire Beach — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bucca 53.0% couple families
Bucca — Couple Families: 53.0% Bucca — Lone Person: 24.2% Bucca — One Parent Families: 19.7% Bucca — Group Household: 3.0% Bucca — Other Families: 0.0%
Sapphire Beach 52.6% couple families
Sapphire Beach — Couple Families: 52.6% Sapphire Beach — Lone Person: 32.6% Sapphire Beach — One Parent Families: 11.7% Sapphire Beach — Group Household: 2.6% Sapphire Beach — Other Families: 0.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bucca 23.0% renting
Bucca — Owned Outright: 37.2% Bucca — Mortgage: 39.9% Bucca — Renting: 23.0%
Sapphire Beach 17.7% renting
Sapphire Beach — Owned Outright: 45.4% Sapphire Beach — Mortgage: 36.9% Sapphire Beach — Renting: 17.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Certificate III & IV 19.1% / 15.5%
Bucca — Certificate III & IV: 19.1% Sapphire Beach — Certificate III & IV: 15.5%
Bachelor Degree 10.1% / 17.6%
Bucca — Bachelor Degree: 10.1% Sapphire Beach — Bachelor Degree: 17.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.4% / 9.2%
Bucca — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4% Sapphire Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / 5.3%
Bucca — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Sapphire Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 2.7%
Bucca — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Sapphire Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.1%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Bucca Sapphire Beach
England 1.6% / 4.2%
Bucca — England: 1.6% Sapphire Beach — England: 4.2%
New Zealand 2.0% / 1.7%
Bucca — New Zealand: 2.0% Sapphire Beach — New Zealand: 1.7%
South Africa 0.7% / 1.5%
Bucca — South Africa: 0.7% Sapphire Beach — South Africa: 1.5%
India 0.7% / 1.4%
Bucca — India: 0.7% Sapphire Beach — India: 1.4%
Malaysia 1.3% / —
Bucca — Malaysia: 1.3% Sapphire Beach — Malaysia: not among its largest
Germany 1.1% / —
Bucca — Germany: 1.1% Sapphire Beach — Germany: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.8% / —
Bucca — Netherlands: 0.8% Sapphire Beach — Netherlands: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.5%
Bucca — Scotland: not among its largest Sapphire Beach — Scotland: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bucca 89.7% houses
Bucca — Houses: 89.7% Bucca — Flats / Apartments: 10.3% Bucca — Townhouses: 0.0%
Sapphire Beach 84.0% houses
Sapphire Beach — Houses: 84.0% Sapphire Beach — Flats / Apartments: 9.4% Sapphire Beach — Townhouses: 6.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Median house price $1,135,000 $1,190,000
Median unit price — $603,500
Median land price — $734,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 36 days
from 33 sales

Zoning mix

Bucca has more rural and farming land (92% vs 67%).

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Rural and farming 92% 67%
Residential 0% 16%
Environmental 8% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 5%
Parks and recreation 0% 1%
Planning zones cover 100% of Bucca and 99% of Sapphire Beach. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Bucca Sapphire Beach
New dwellings approved 356
across Coffs Harbour
same for both
Approvals change year on year +61%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Houses — 2.7%
$750/wk on $1.43M
Units — 5.7%
$550/wk on $500K

Ranking within NSW

Bucca Sapphire Beach
House price Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Income Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 55% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 12% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 90% of NSW

Liveability

Sapphire Beach scores higher overall (44 vs 27).

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Grade D C
Score 27/100 44/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Bucca carries more bushfire risk (53 vs 43); Bucca carries more crime risk (58 vs 48).

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Bushfire Moderate
53/100
 Moderate
43/100
Crime Moderate
58/100
 Moderate
48/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Moderate
42/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 1 0
Waterways 6 5

Mobility

Bucca sits further from the CBD (547.3 km vs 536.8 km).

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Walkability score 10/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 547.3 km
+2% vs other
 536.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 362 min 355 min
Public transport score 23/100
Bus
 36/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 6.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 11.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2450
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2450
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Car (driver) 78.1% / 75.1%
Bucca — Car (driver): 78.1% Sapphire Beach — Car (driver): 75.1%
Worked from Home 16.7% / 17.6%
Bucca — Worked from Home: 16.7% Sapphire Beach — Worked from Home: 17.6%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 5.2%
Bucca — Car (passenger): 3.9% Sapphire Beach — Car (passenger): 5.2%
Walked Only 1.3% / 1.0%
Bucca — Walked Only: 1.3% Sapphire Beach — Walked Only: 1.0%
Bus — / 0.7%
Bucca — Bus: not among its largest Sapphire Beach — Bus: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.1%).

Setting

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Elevation 93 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 67 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.2 km 1.6 km
2.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Connectivity score 27/100 91/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
185 premises
 88%
1,307 premises

Climate

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Annual rainfall 1,827 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Bucca Sapphire Beach
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 10.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.22 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Average residential rate $1,437/yr
same for both
Council Coffs Harbour
same for both

Federal electorate

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bucca Sapphire Beach
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bucca

River Rural

Sapphire Beach

Coastal

More comparisons

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Bucca vs Woolgoolga Bucca vs Korora Bucca vs Emerald Beach Bucca vs Moonee Beach Bucca vs Nana Glen Bucca vs Coramba

Other comparisons with Sapphire Beach

Sapphire Beach vs Korora Sapphire Beach vs Moonee Beach
Full data on Bucca Full data on Sapphire Beach
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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