Sawtell (postcode 2452) is a compact suburb in New South Wales within the Coffs Harbour local government area. The area has roughly 3,788 residents and an older-leaning population, with a median age of 47. Households earn a median income of $73K per year, with an average household size of 2.3 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +0.7% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +0.3% year-on-year in the official Jobs and Skills Australia NERO series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 37 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 5 underway, and 75 in planning as at 2 October 2024, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are professionals, community & personal service, managers. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and education. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Irish.
Sawtell has a median house price of $1.2 million, which has eased back by 1% year-on-year. Units have a median price of $750,000. The current median weekly rent is $700. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 3.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,733.
Sawtell is served by 2 schools, including 2 primary. The average ICSEA score is 908, which is below the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 28 bus stops. The crime rate in the Coffs Harbour LGA is moderate at 5,038 incidents per 100,000 population.
From an investment perspective, Sawtell shows a gross rental yield of approximately 3.0%, rated as moderate yield. Property prices are near the state median ($1.2M/$1.5M). The price-to-income ratio of 16.4x is considered stretched. House prices have moved -1.0% year-on-year. Population growth of +0.7% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.