New South Wales · Postcode 2481

Byron Bay postcode and suburb data

New South Wales · Phone area code 02 · 623 km from Sydney

CoastalInner Regional
6,330
Population (2021)
$1,561
Household income/wk
$600
Median rent/wk
39
Median age
8/10
SEIFA advantage

Suburb snapshot

Byron Bay at a glance vs NSW

Fast facts and benchmark bars show the suburb's key postcode, Census, SEIFA, school and LGA signals in context.

Quick facts

2481 Postcode See every suburb sharing this postcode
6,330 People Resident population, Census 2021
Byron Council area 42 suburbs, 5 postcodes
39 Median age Years, Census 2021
$1,561/wk Household income Suburb median, Census 2021 dollars
Decile 8/10 SEIFA advantage Above average advantage
5 Schools ACARA 2025 profiles in this suburb

Benchmarks against NSW

Household income
$1,561/wk
19% below NSW average
Suburb median, Census 2021
Weekly rent
$600/wk
35% above NSW average
Suburb median, Census 2021
SEIFA advantage
8/10
2.0 deciles above NSW average
IRSAD decile, higher means more advantage
Median age
39 years
6.0 years younger than NSW average
Resident median age
Unemployment
5.6%
0.6 pts above NSW average
Census labour-force rate

Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.

Where Byron Bay ranks: rents are among the top 10% in NSW.

ABS Census 2021 · SEIFA 2021

Detailed comparison table

Byron Bay vs the NSW average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.

MetricByron BayNSW avgAU avg
Household income/wk $1,561 -NSW $1,931 $1,836
Rent/wk $600 +NSW $445 $390
Mortgage/month $2,167 ≈NSW $2,247 $1,958
Median age 39 45.0 45.0
SEIFA decile 8/10 +NSW 6.0/10 6.0/10
Unemployment 5.6% +NSW 5.0% 5.0%

Green pill = at least 10% above the NSW average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.

Byron Bay (2481) is a coastal town in regional New South Wales. It lies around 623 km from Sydney by road. The locality is part of the Richmond Valley - Coastal statistical area. It is administered by Byron.

According to the 2021 Census, Byron Bay has a population of 6,330 with a median age of 39. The median weekly household income is $1,561, below the NSW average. The unemployment rate is 5.6%, higher than the NSW average. The Indigenous population is 129 (2.0% of residents).

Housing in Byron Bay includes a median weekly rent of $600, median monthly mortgage repayment of $2,167, with 2,364 total dwellings. These housing costs sit above the NSW average. Rental properties account for 42.1% of dwellings.

On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Byron Bay scores in decile 8 out of 10, which is above the national average.

There are 5 schools in the Byron Bay area, including Byron Bay High School, Byron Bay Public School, Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School and others.

Byron Bay is part of the Richmond Valley - Coastal statistical area in New South Wales.

Byron Bay details

Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.

Postcode2481
StateNew South Wales (NSW)
Phone Area Code02
Population (2021)6,330
Median Age39 years
Median Household Income (Census 2021)$1,561/week
Median Personal Income (Census 2021)$805/week
Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021)$600
Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021)$2,167
Average Household Size2.3 persons
Area19.1 km²
Population Density331/km²
Total Dwellings2,364
Australian Citizens73.1%
Indigenous Population129 (2.0%)
Unemployment Rate5.6%
SEIFA IRSAD Decile8/10 (above average)
Latitude-28.6473671
Longitude153.601977
Distance from Sydney623 km
Region (SA4)Richmond - Tweed
Area (SA3)Richmond Valley - Coastal
Local GovernmentByron
Federal ElectorateRichmond
State ElectorateBallina
Time ZoneAEST (UTC+10), Australia/Sydney (standard time)

Age Profile

0–14 (11.2%) 15–24 (9.3%) 25–44 (36.9%) 45–64 (24.4%) 65+ (18.2%)
Show counts
0–14 years709 (11.2%)
15–24 years591 (9.3%)
25–44 years2,336 (36.9%)
45–64 years1,547 (24.4%)
65+ years1,150 (18.2%)

Housing Tenure

Owned outright (36.8%) Mortgaged (21.1%) Rented (42.1%)

SEIFA socio-economic index

Byron Bay is in SEIFA IRSAD decile 8 of 10. Higher deciles indicate more relative socio-economic advantage. This is an area-level index, not a score for individual households.
More disadvantagedMiddle rangeMore advantaged

Health Conditions (2021 Census)

Arthritis387 (6.1%)
Asthma381 (6.0%)
Heart Disease178 (2.8%)
Cancer153 (2.4%)
Diabetes122 (1.9%)
Lung Condition105 (1.7%)
Dementia35 (0.6%)

Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.

Motor Vehicles per Dwelling

No vehicle158 (6.9%)
1 vehicle977 (42.6%)
2 vehicles772 (33.7%)
3+ vehicles385 (16.8%)

Schools in Byron Bay

ACARA 2025 school profiles for schools located in Byron Bay. ICSEA is shown where ACARA publishes it.

Byron Bay High School
Secondary · Gov · ICSEA 1050 · 820 students
Byron Bay Public School
Primary · Gov · ICSEA 1067 · 461 students
Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School
Combined · Ind · ICSEA 1097 · 382 students
St Finbarr's Primary School
Primary · Cat · ICSEA 1096 · 325 students
Byron Community Primary School
Primary · Ind · ICSEA 1094 · 95 students

Suburbs Near Byron Bay

Same Postcode (2481)

More Byron Bay Data

Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.