Hardys Bay vs Pretty Beach

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Hardys Bay, about half of households are 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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 5 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs schools, house stock, 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

Pretty Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($428/wk vs $525/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Investors

Hardys Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (2.6% vs -10.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Hardys Bay and Pretty 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.

Hardys Bay Pretty 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.

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Walkability 51 / 53
Hardys Bay — Walkability: 51/100 Pretty Beach — Walkability: 53/100
Low fire risk 31 / 18
Hardys Bay — Low fire risk: 31/100 Pretty Beach — Low fire risk: 18/100

Demographics

Pretty Beach has more residents (314 vs 233); Hardys Bay rents higher ($525/wk vs $428/wk).

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Population 233 314
+35% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.6% -10.8%
Median age 59 57
Median household income $107,536/yr
+12% vs other
 $94,536/yr
Median weekly rent $525/wk
+18% vs other
 $428/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
0-4 2.1% / 1.3%
Hardys Bay — 0-4: 2.1% Pretty Beach — 0-4: 1.3%
5-14 5.2% / 8.9%
Hardys Bay — 5-14: 5.2% Pretty Beach — 5-14: 8.9%
15-19 3.0% / 4.1%
Hardys Bay — 15-19: 3.0% Pretty Beach — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 6.4% / 2.2%
Hardys Bay — 20-24: 6.4% Pretty Beach — 20-24: 2.2%
25-34 8.6% / 6.7%
Hardys Bay — 25-34: 8.6% Pretty Beach — 25-34: 6.7%
35-44 5.6% / 6.1%
Hardys Bay — 35-44: 5.6% Pretty Beach — 35-44: 6.1%
45-54 11.6% / 11.8%
Hardys Bay — 45-54: 11.6% Pretty Beach — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 19.7% / 18.2%
Hardys Bay — 55-64: 19.7% Pretty Beach — 55-64: 18.2%
65-74 24.0% / 22.6%
Hardys Bay — 65-74: 24.0% Pretty Beach — 65-74: 22.6%
75-84 16.3% / 11.5%
Hardys Bay — 75-84: 16.3% Pretty Beach — 75-84: 11.5%
85+ — / 2.9%
Hardys Bay — 85+: not among its largest Pretty Beach — 85+: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hardys Bay 49.0% couple families
Hardys Bay — Couple Families: 49.0% Hardys Bay — Lone Person: 45.1% Hardys Bay — One Parent Families: 5.9% Hardys Bay — Group Household: 0.0%
Pretty Beach 39.7% couple families
Pretty Beach — Couple Families: 39.7% Pretty Beach — Lone Person: 39.7% Pretty Beach — One Parent Families: 12.3% Pretty Beach — Group Household: 8.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hardys Bay 16.0% renting
Hardys Bay — Owned Outright: 54.0% Hardys Bay — Mortgage: 30.0% Hardys Bay — Renting: 16.0%
Pretty Beach 12.7% renting
Pretty Beach — Owned Outright: 52.4% Pretty Beach — Mortgage: 34.9% Pretty Beach — Renting: 12.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
England 7.7% / 6.4%
Hardys Bay — England: 7.7% Pretty Beach — England: 6.4%
South Africa — / 2.5%
Hardys Bay — South Africa: not among its largest Pretty Beach — South Africa: 2.5%
New Zealand — / 1.9%
Hardys Bay — New Zealand: not among its largest Pretty Beach — New Zealand: 1.9%
Germany — / 1.3%
Hardys Bay — Germany: not among its largest Pretty Beach — Germany: 1.3%
Japan — / 1.0%
Hardys Bay — Japan: not among its largest Pretty Beach — Japan: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.7%).

Qualifications

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

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Bachelor Degree 22.7% / 20.1%
Hardys Bay — Bachelor Degree: 22.7% Pretty Beach — Bachelor Degree: 20.1%
Certificate III & IV 13.3% / 13.4%
Hardys Bay — Certificate III & IV: 13.3% Pretty Beach — Certificate III & IV: 13.4%
Postgraduate Degree 11.2% / 10.8%
Hardys Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 11.2% Pretty Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 10.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 12.0% / 9.2%
Hardys Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.0% Pretty Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.9% / 4.1%
Hardys Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9% Pretty Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hardys Bay 95.0% houses
Hardys Bay — Houses: 95.0% Hardys Bay — Townhouses: 5.0%
Pretty Beach 100.0% houses
Pretty Beach — Houses: 100.0% Pretty Beach — Townhouses: 3.2%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Median house price $1,795,222 $1,755,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 45 days
from 6 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Hardys Bay has more land zoned for conservation (60% vs 34%).

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Environmental 60% 34%
Residential 36% 51%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 9%
Parks and recreation 3% 5%
Planning zones cover 100% of Hardys Bay and 99% of Pretty 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

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

Ranking within NSW

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
House price Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Income Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 20% of NSW Higher than 35% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW

Liveability

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Pretty Beach carries more bushfire risk (82 vs 69).

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Bushfire Moderate
69/100
 High
82/100
Crime Low
25/100
 —
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
10/100
 Low
29/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Hardys Bay Pretty 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

Schools in Hardys Bay

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

Schools in Pretty Beach

  • Pretty Beach Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 0 1

Mobility

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Walkability score 51/100 53/100
Distance to Sydney 94.4 km 95.7 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 92 min 94 min
Public transport score 29/100
Bus
 25/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 5.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 3.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2257
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 31
postcode 2257
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.

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Worked from Home 61.1% / 53.5%
Hardys Bay — Worked from Home: 61.1% Pretty Beach — Worked from Home: 53.5%
Car (driver) 35.8% / 38.6%
Hardys Bay — Car (driver): 35.8% Pretty Beach — Car (driver): 38.6%
Train — / 4.0%
Hardys Bay — Train: not among its largest Pretty Beach — Train: 4.0%
Walked Only — / 4.0%
Hardys Bay — Walked Only: not among its largest Pretty Beach — Walked Only: 4.0%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / —
Hardys Bay — Car (passenger): 3.2% Pretty Beach — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.1%).

Setting

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Elevation 52 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 7 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 313 m
1.2 km to a named beach
 38 m
785 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Connectivity score 62/100 63/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 31%
202 premises
 32%
251 premises

Climate

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
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)

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
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

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

Federal electorate

Hardys Bay Pretty Beach
Division Robertson
same for both
Member Gordon Reid
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Hardys Bay

Acreage Beach Coastal Outer Professionals Retirees

Pretty Beach

Beach Coastal Large Blocks Outer Parks Professionals Retirees

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Full data on Hardys Bay Full data on Pretty Beach
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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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