Forresters Beach vs Bateau Bay

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Forresters Beach, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Forresters Beach: a median of $1.47 million, against $1.23 million in Bateau Bay, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Bateau Bay tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Bateau Bay

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (12 vs 4)
  • But Forresters Beach carries lower crime risk (42/100 vs 72/100)

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

First-home buyers

Bateau Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,228,000 vs $1,470,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Bateau Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($400/wk vs $470/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Forresters Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (89.9 km vs 97 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Forresters Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (42/100 vs 72/100)

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

Investors

Forresters Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.7% vs 3.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
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.

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Walkability 58 / 64
Forresters Beach — Walkability: 58/100 Bateau Bay — Walkability: 64/100
Safety 58 / 28
Forresters Beach — Safety: 58/100 Bateau Bay — Safety: 28/100
Low fire risk 50 / 30
Forresters Beach — Low fire risk: 50/100 Bateau Bay — Low fire risk: 30/100

Demographics

Bateau Bay has more residents (12,516 vs 3,354); Forresters Beach has higher household incomes ($91,416 vs $76,700).

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Population 3,354 12,516
+273% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.7% +3.0%
Median age 44 42
Median household income $91,416/yr
+16% vs other
 $76,700/yr
Median weekly rent $470/wk
+15% vs other
 $400/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
0-4 5.3% / 5.9%
Forresters Beach — 0-4: 5.3% Bateau Bay — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 13.8% / 13.3%
Forresters Beach — 5-14: 13.8% Bateau Bay — 5-14: 13.3%
15-19 5.4% / 5.3%
Forresters Beach — 15-19: 5.4% Bateau Bay — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 4.9% / 4.4%
Forresters Beach — 20-24: 4.9% Bateau Bay — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 8.8% / 10.8%
Forresters Beach — 25-34: 8.8% Bateau Bay — 25-34: 10.8%
35-44 12.1% / 12.5%
Forresters Beach — 35-44: 12.1% Bateau Bay — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 12.6% / 11.0%
Forresters Beach — 45-54: 12.6% Bateau Bay — 45-54: 11.0%
55-64 11.4% / 12.2%
Forresters Beach — 55-64: 11.4% Bateau Bay — 55-64: 12.2%
65-74 13.8% / 11.8%
Forresters Beach — 65-74: 13.8% Bateau Bay — 65-74: 11.8%
75-84 9.4% / 7.9%
Forresters Beach — 75-84: 9.4% Bateau Bay — 75-84: 7.9%
85+ 2.4% / 4.9%
Forresters Beach — 85+: 2.4% Bateau Bay — 85+: 4.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Forresters Beach 49.4% couple families
Forresters Beach — Couple Families: 49.4% Forresters Beach — Lone Person: 33.6% Forresters Beach — One Parent Families: 12.8% Forresters Beach — Group Household: 3.1% Forresters Beach — Other Families: 1.2%
Bateau Bay 40.6% couple families
Bateau Bay — Couple Families: 40.6% Bateau Bay — Lone Person: 36.8% Bateau Bay — One Parent Families: 18.9% Bateau Bay — Group Household: 2.6% Bateau Bay — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Forresters Beach 17.1% renting
Forresters Beach — Owned Outright: 41.0% Forresters Beach — Mortgage: 41.9% Forresters Beach — Renting: 17.1%
Bateau Bay 25.2% renting
Bateau Bay — Owned Outright: 37.7% Bateau Bay — Mortgage: 37.1% Bateau Bay — Renting: 25.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Certificate III & IV 16.0% / 17.6%
Forresters Beach — Certificate III & IV: 16.0% Bateau Bay — Certificate III & IV: 17.6%
Bachelor Degree 13.0% / 10.3%
Forresters Beach — Bachelor Degree: 13.0% Bateau Bay — Bachelor Degree: 10.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 7.4%
Forresters Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Bateau Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Postgraduate Degree 4.1% / 2.2%
Forresters Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 4.1% Bateau Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 1.4%
Forresters Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Bateau Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

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.

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
England 5.2% / 4.0%
Forresters Beach — England: 5.2% Bateau Bay — England: 4.0%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.5%
Forresters Beach — New Zealand: 1.3% Bateau Bay — New Zealand: 1.5%
South Africa 0.7% / 0.4%
Forresters Beach — South Africa: 0.7% Bateau Bay — South Africa: 0.4%
Scotland 0.5% / 0.5%
Forresters Beach — Scotland: 0.5% Bateau Bay — Scotland: 0.5%
Ireland 0.5% / 0.4%
Forresters Beach — Ireland: 0.5% Bateau Bay — Ireland: 0.4%
Philippines — / 0.4%
Forresters Beach — Philippines: not among its largest Bateau Bay — Philippines: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Forresters Beach 79.8% houses
Forresters Beach — Houses: 79.8% Forresters Beach — Townhouses: 18.2% Forresters Beach — Flats / Apartments: 1.9%
Bateau Bay 79.5% houses
Bateau Bay — Houses: 79.5% Bateau Bay — Townhouses: 11.0% Bateau Bay — Flats / Apartments: 9.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Median house price $1,470,000 $1,228,000
Median unit price — $625,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 42 sales
 24 days
from 132 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.

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
3 bed $1.23M / $1.11M
Forresters Beach — 3 bed: $1.23M (26 sales) Bateau Bay — 3 bed: $1.11M (102 sales)

26 vs 102 sales

4 bed $1.47M / $1.31M
Forresters Beach — 4 bed: $1.47M (38 sales) Bateau Bay — 4 bed: $1.31M (111 sales)

38 vs 111 sales

5 bed $1.95M / $1.53M
Forresters Beach — 5 bed: $1.95M (16 sales) Bateau Bay — 5 bed: $1.53M (20 sales)

16 vs 20 sales

Zoning mix

Forresters Beach has more land zoned for conservation (42% vs 17%).

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Residential 46% 63%
Environmental 42% 17%
Parks and recreation 5% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 6%
Other and special use 4% 0%
Commercial 0% 2%
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

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
New dwellings approved 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
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.

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Houses — 3.3%
$720/wk on $1.15M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
House price Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 61% of NSW
Income Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 32% of NSW

Liveability

Forresters Beach scores higher overall (56 vs 36).

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Grade B C
Score 56/100 36/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Bateau Bay carries more crime risk (72 vs 42); Bateau Bay carries more bushfire risk (70 vs 50).

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Bushfire Moderate
50/100
 High
70/100
Crime Moderate
42/100
 High
72/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
24/100
 Low
39/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Forresters Beach

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

Schools in Bateau Bay

  • Bateau Bay Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • The Central Coast Montessori Primary School Independent · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Supermarkets 1 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 6
Parks & reserves 4 12
Childcare 2 3
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 1 4
Banks & Bank@Post 0 5
Fuel stations 1
same for both
Beaches 0 1
Waterways 0 6

Mobility

Bateau Bay sits further from the CBD (97 km vs 89.9 km).

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Walkability score 58/100 64/100
Distance to Sydney 89.9 km 97 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 85 min 86 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 57.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 315.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.4%
postcode 2260
 0.6%
postcode 2261
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 37
postcode 2260
 33
postcode 2261

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.

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Car (driver) 59.3% / 64.2%
Forresters Beach — Car (driver): 59.3% Bateau Bay — Car (driver): 64.2%
Worked from Home 35.0% / 29.6%
Forresters Beach — Worked from Home: 35.0% Bateau Bay — Worked from Home: 29.6%
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 3.9%
Forresters Beach — Car (passenger): 3.8% Bateau Bay — Car (passenger): 3.9%
Walked Only 1.0% / 1.0%
Forresters Beach — Walked Only: 1.0% Bateau Bay — Walked Only: 1.0%
Bus 0.7% / 0.5%
Forresters Beach — Bus: 0.7% Bateau Bay — Bus: 0.5%
Train 0.2% / 0.5%
Forresters Beach — Train: 0.2% Bateau Bay — Train: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.2%).

Setting

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Elevation 33 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
same for both
Distance to the ocean 392 m
535 m to a named beach
 1.0 km
1.1 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Connectivity score 73/100 97/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 51%
1,488 premises
 92%
5,768 premises

Climate

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Annual rainfall 1,272 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.36 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Division Dobell
same for both
Member Emma Mcbride
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Forresters Beach Bateau Bay
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Forresters Beach

Beach Coastal Retirees

Bateau Bay

Beach Coastal Parks Regional Centre River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Forresters Beach

Forresters Beach vs Wamberal Forresters Beach vs Tumbi Umbi

Other comparisons with Bateau Bay

Bateau Bay vs Killarney Vale Bateau Bay vs Long Jetty Bateau Bay vs Tumbi Umbi Bateau Bay vs Shelly Beach
Full data on Forresters Beach Full data on Bateau Bay
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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