Byron Bay vs Suffolk Park

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Byron Bay, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Byron Bay: a median of $2.23 million, against $1.9 million in Suffolk Park, though rent is higher in Suffolk Park. On these figures, Byron Bay 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

  • Byron Bay has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • Suffolk Park carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 95/100)

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

First-home buyers

Suffolk Park

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($1,020,000 vs $3,125,000)
  • has cheaper units ($1,150,000 vs $1,390,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,900,000 vs $2,225,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Byron Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($600/wk vs $700/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Suffolk Park

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (56/100 vs 41/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (485 min vs 491 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (752.7 km vs 759.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Byron Bay has more GPs (8 vs 1)
  • Suffolk Park carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 95/100)

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

Investors

Suffolk Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.7% vs 3.1%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Byron Bay and Suffolk Park drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
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.

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Walkability 41 / 56
Byron Bay — Walkability: 41/100 Suffolk Park — Walkability: 56/100
Safety 5 / 53
Byron Bay — Safety: 5/100 Suffolk Park — Safety: 53/100
Low fire risk 43 / 40
Byron Bay — Low fire risk: 43/100 Suffolk Park — Low fire risk: 40/100

Demographics

Byron Bay has more residents (6,330 vs 4,222); Suffolk Park has higher household incomes ($105,040 vs $81,172).

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Population 6,330
+33% vs other
 4,222
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +14.7% +12.6%
Median age 39
same for both
Median household income $81,172/yr $105,040/yr
+29% vs other
Median weekly rent $600/wk $700/wk
+17% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
0-4 3.6% / 5.4%
Byron Bay — 0-4: 3.6% Suffolk Park — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 7.6% / 11.6%
Byron Bay — 5-14: 7.6% Suffolk Park — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 3.6% / 4.1%
Byron Bay — 15-19: 3.6% Suffolk Park — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 5.8% / 4.1%
Byron Bay — 20-24: 5.8% Suffolk Park — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 21.7% / 16.7%
Byron Bay — 25-34: 21.7% Suffolk Park — 25-34: 16.7%
35-44 15.2% / 15.9%
Byron Bay — 35-44: 15.2% Suffolk Park — 35-44: 15.9%
45-54 11.6% / 14.2%
Byron Bay — 45-54: 11.6% Suffolk Park — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 12.8% / 12.4%
Byron Bay — 55-64: 12.8% Suffolk Park — 55-64: 12.4%
65-74 12.0% / 9.6%
Byron Bay — 65-74: 12.0% Suffolk Park — 65-74: 9.6%
75-84 4.7% / 4.2%
Byron Bay — 75-84: 4.7% Suffolk Park — 75-84: 4.2%
85+ 1.5% / 1.8%
Byron Bay — 85+: 1.5% Suffolk Park — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Byron Bay 46.6% lone person
Byron Bay — Lone Person: 46.6% Byron Bay — Couple Families: 23.5% Byron Bay — Group Household: 17.6% Byron Bay — One Parent Families: 11.6% Byron Bay — Other Families: 0.7%
Suffolk Park 29.6% lone person
Suffolk Park — Lone Person: 29.6% Suffolk Park — Couple Families: 37.6% Suffolk Park — Group Household: 16.3% Suffolk Park — One Parent Families: 15.6% Suffolk Park — Other Families: 0.9%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Byron Bay 42.1% renting
Byron Bay — Owned Outright: 36.8% Byron Bay — Mortgage: 21.1% Byron Bay — Renting: 42.1%
Suffolk Park 33.8% renting
Suffolk Park — Owned Outright: 34.4% Suffolk Park — Mortgage: 31.8% Suffolk Park — Renting: 33.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Bachelor Degree 21.2% / 20.9%
Byron Bay — Bachelor Degree: 21.2% Suffolk Park — Bachelor Degree: 20.9%
Certificate III & IV 11.1% / 12.0%
Byron Bay — Certificate III & IV: 11.1% Suffolk Park — Certificate III & IV: 12.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.2% / 8.6%
Byron Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2% Suffolk Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Postgraduate Degree 5.7% / 5.9%
Byron Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 5.7% Suffolk Park — Postgraduate Degree: 5.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 1.8%
Byron Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Suffolk Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).

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.

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
England 6.1% / 5.2%
Byron Bay — England: 6.1% Suffolk Park — England: 5.2%
New Zealand 2.5% / 2.7%
Byron Bay — New Zealand: 2.5% Suffolk Park — New Zealand: 2.7%
Brazil 1.8% / 1.2%
Byron Bay — Brazil: 1.8% Suffolk Park — Brazil: 1.2%
Germany 1.5% / 1.2%
Byron Bay — Germany: 1.5% Suffolk Park — Germany: 1.2%
Italy 1.4% / 1.2%
Byron Bay — Italy: 1.4% Suffolk Park — Italy: 1.2%
France 1.4% / 1.0%
Byron Bay — France: 1.4% Suffolk Park — France: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Byron Bay 55.6% houses
Byron Bay — Houses: 55.6% Byron Bay — Townhouses: 24.7% Byron Bay — Flats / Apartments: 19.7%
Suffolk Park 68.8% houses
Suffolk Park — Houses: 68.8% Suffolk Park — Townhouses: 28.1% Suffolk Park — Flats / Apartments: 3.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Median house price $2,225,000 $1,900,000
Median unit price $1,390,000 $1,150,000
Median land price $3,125,000 $1,020,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 41 days
from 84 sales
 68 days
from 37 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
2 bed $1.17M / $984K
Byron Bay — 2 bed: $1.17M (22 sales) Suffolk Park — 2 bed: $984K (16 sales)

22 vs 16 sales

3 bed $1.54M / $1.18M
Byron Bay — 3 bed: $1.54M (23 sales) Suffolk Park — 3 bed: $1.18M (18 sales)

23 vs 18 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
3 bed $1.8M / $1.7M
Byron Bay — 3 bed: $1.8M (46 sales) Suffolk Park — 3 bed: $1.7M (37 sales)

46 vs 37 sales

4 bed $2.45M / $2.29M
Byron Bay — 4 bed: $2.45M (43 sales) Suffolk Park — 4 bed: $2.29M (34 sales)

43 vs 34 sales

5 bed $4.1M / $3.27M
Byron Bay — 5 bed: $4.1M (17 sales) Suffolk Park — 5 bed: $3.27M (10 sales)

17 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Byron Bay has more land zoned for conservation (48% vs 29%).

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Environmental 48% 29%
Residential 17% 37%
Other and special use 9% 22%
Rural and farming 12% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 1%
Parks and recreation 5% 1%
Industrial 3% 0%
Commercial 2% 0%
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

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
New dwellings approved 129
across Byron
same for both
Approvals change year on year -65%
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.

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Houses 3.1%
$1,425/wk on $2.38M
 3.7%
$1,500/wk on $2.1M
Units 3.5%
$850/wk on $1.26M
 —

Ranking within NSW

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
House price Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Income Higher than 48% of NSW —
Schools Higher than 19% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 5% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 93% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 10% of NSW —

Liveability

Suffolk Park scores higher overall (45 vs 27); Suffolk Park is more walkable (56 vs 41).

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Grade D C
Score 27/100 45/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Byron Bay carries more crime risk (95 vs 47).

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Bushfire Moderate
57/100
 Moderate
60/100
Crime High
95/100
 Moderate
47/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
61/100
 Moderate
54/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Inside the suburb 4 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 3 0

Schools in Byron Bay

  • St Finbarr's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Byron Bay High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Byron Bay Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Byron Community Primary School Independent · Primary below peers

Schools in Suffolk Park

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Supermarkets 7 1
Cafes & restaurants 74 1
Parks & reserves 15 6
Childcare 6 2
GPs 8 1
Pharmacies 4 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 6 1
Fuel stations 3 1
EV chargers 2 0
Beaches 2 0
Waterways 12 7

Mobility

Byron Bay sits further from the CBD (759.6 km vs 752.7 km).

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Walkability score 41/100 56/100
Distance to Sydney 759.6 km 752.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 491 min 485 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 68/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 68.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 21.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.9%
postcode 2481
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 2481
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.

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Car (driver) 50.0% / 59.9%
Byron Bay — Car (driver): 50.0% Suffolk Park — Car (driver): 59.9%
Worked from Home 31.1% / 31.7%
Byron Bay — Worked from Home: 31.1% Suffolk Park — Worked from Home: 31.7%
Walked Only 9.4% / 2.2%
Byron Bay — Walked Only: 9.4% Suffolk Park — Walked Only: 2.2%
Bicycle 6.1% / 3.1%
Byron Bay — Bicycle: 6.1% Suffolk Park — Bicycle: 3.1%
Car (passenger) 3.1% / 2.6%
Byron Bay — Car (passenger): 3.1% Suffolk Park — Car (passenger): 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (59.9%).

Setting

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
same for both
Distance to the ocean 1.2 km
1.5 km to a named beach
 760 m
1.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Connectivity score 62/100 66/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 31%
5,639 premises
 38%
1,893 premises

Climate

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Annual rainfall 1,569 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Average residential rate $1,577/yr
same for both
Council Byron
same for both

Federal electorate

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Byron Bay Suffolk Park
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Byron Bay

Beach Coastal Premium River Townhouses

Suffolk Park

Coastal Parks River Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Byron Bay

Byron Bay vs Ewingsdale Byron Bay vs Coopers Shoot Byron Bay vs Tyagarah Byron Bay vs Skinners Shoot

Other comparisons with Suffolk Park

Suffolk Park vs Coopers Shoot Suffolk Park vs Broken Head
Full data on Byron Bay Full data on Suffolk Park
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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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