Ocean Shores is a town in New South Wales, 768 km from Sydney CBD, around 8 hours 10 minutes by car. Population is 5,777; the median age is 43 and the median household income is $76,492 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the middle range nationally. The town grew 12.5% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $508 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,893. 1 school sits within the town boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Ocean Shores a good town?
Ocean Shores scores a C (44/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit and prices.
Mixed results
1 school
Car-dependent
Walkability 16/100 · 767.6 km · 491 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $1.27M
Moderate crime risk
Fire 18/100 · Crime 44/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 6/10 · median age 43 · 5,777 residents
Liveability Rating
44 / 100 · Ranked #895 in NSWEach bar is Ocean Shores's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Ocean Shores?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
44 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataOcean Shores's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.27 million, 0.3% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,270,000
13% above its 4 neighbours (median $1,120,000)
Based on 143 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 41 days — median across 71 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 10 sales $1M
- 3 bed 77 sales $1.19M
- 4 bed 38 sales $1.44M
- 5 bed 12 sales $1.49M
Units
$930,000
Based on 45 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 27 days — median across 13 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 10 sales $749K
- 3 bed 25 sales $965K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Ocean Shores are currently listed at around $1.33 million on average. Based on 42 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.33M
42 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$785K
4 units listed in the last 6 months.
46 of the suburb's 2,208 dwellings (2.1%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Ocean Shores rent for around $1,050 a week on average, based on 17 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$1,050/wk
17 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$590/wk
5 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
22 rentals advertised against an estimated 598 rented homes (3.7%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $900/wk
- 29 bonds
- +33% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $662/wk
- 10 bonds
- +16% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2483 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202569 Severely unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 43% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2483.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$1,050/week ($55,000 a year) on a $1.33 million median
$590/week ($31,000 a year) on a $785,000 median
Based on a small sample (4 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
80 active Airbnb listings: 69 whole homes and 11 rooms. Whole homes are about 2.9% of the town's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Ocean Shores safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Ocean Shores sits in the moderate band, with 169 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 21% on the prior year.
169 offences
20.7% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202512 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Byron Shire Council has published 5 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1989–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 2.7 km
- Rate
- -0.06 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -11.3 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Ocean Shores, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 294 students in one school (avg 294)
Primary
Walkability
Ocean Shores is very car-dependent on foot — at 16/100, nearly all errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Ocean Shores.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 17.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 8.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 3.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 23.2 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Ocean Shores.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 53%
- Premises covered
- 2,662
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Byron: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 13 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Ocean Shores is home to about 5,800 residents, with a median age of 43, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $76,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
5,777
Median Age
43
Median Household Income
$76,492/yr
Census Median Rent
$508/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,893/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$36,972/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
7.9%
Total Dwellings
2,208
Owner-Occupier Rate
72.9%
Houses
83.4%
Rental Stress
34.5%
Mortgage Stress
29.7%
Work From Home
26.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
11 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 12 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 577 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 72.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 82.9%
- Employment Rate
- 54.3%
- Completed Year 12
- 46.9%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
148 residents (2.6%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
10.1% of residents (555) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (279).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 5,484 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (39 of 2,607).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this town against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 917 people work here; 2,607 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.4 jobs per working resident. At least 61% of employed residents must work outside the town.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,577 a year through Byron based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 47%
- Residential 23%
- Rural and farming 12%
- Parks and recreation 10%
- Other and special use 5%
- Infrastructure and transport 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Byron
In the year to August 2026, 129 new dwellings were approved across Byron. That mix is 109 houses and 20 units. Approvals are down 65.4% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Climate & Setting
from Murwillumbah (Bray Park), 24.2 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- -1 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 1.8 km
- 3.4 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 1,569 mm
- 108 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 29.1°C
- 4 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 9.1°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the town centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 2483, 113 of 9,269 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.0% (278 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.2%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2483, 3,551 rooftop-solar systems totalling 21.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 4,960 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 252 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
2 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 2483.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $1,270,000 this is $670,000 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Justine Elliot Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Justine Elliot | 60.0% | 40.0% | +1.8 |
| 2022 | Justine Elliot | 58.2% | 41.8% | -4.2 |
| 2019 | Justine Elliot | 54.1% | 45.9% | -0.1 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Tamara Smith The Greens
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tamara Smith GRN | 57.7% |
| 2019 | Tamara Smith GRN | 55.4% |
| 2015 | Tamara Smith GRN | 53.1% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Ocean Shores?
Every figure above is a town average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 5,777 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Mullumbimby NSW 2482
Brunswick Heads NSW 2483
South Golden Beach NSW 2483
New Brighton NSW 2483
Billinudgel NSW 2483
Wooyung NSW 2483
Compare Ocean Shores to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Ocean Shores
Is Ocean Shores a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Ocean Shores is moderate (44/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Ocean Shores?
Ocean Shores has a low recorded bushfire history (18/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Ocean Shores a good place to live?
Ocean Shores has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (44/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Ocean Shores?
Ocean Shores, NSW had a population of 5,777 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Ocean Shores, NSW?
The postcode for Ocean Shores, NSW is 2483.
How far is Ocean Shores from Sydney?
Ocean Shores is 768 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 491 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Ocean Shores?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Ocean Shores was $76,492 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Ocean Shores?
The median advertised rent in Ocean Shores is $1,050 a week for houses (17 listings) and $590 a week for units (5 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Ocean Shores?
The median age of residents in Ocean Shores was 43 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Ocean Shores at risk of bushfire?
Ocean Shores has a low recorded bushfire history (18/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Ocean Shores?
There is 1 school inside the Ocean Shores boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Ocean Shores walkable?
Ocean Shores scores 16/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Ocean Shores?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Ocean Shores, Murwillumbah (Bray Park) (24.2 km away), summer days average 29.1°C, winter nights 9.1°C, 1,569 mm of rain a year over 108 rainy days, and 4 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Ocean Shores?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Ocean Shores belong to?
Ocean Shores sits within the Byron local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Ocean Shores?
The average residential rates bill through Byron is $1,577 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Ocean Shores?
Across Byron, 129 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 65.4% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Ocean Shores in?
Ocean Shores sits within the federal Division of Richmond, currently held by Justine Elliot (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.