Aberdare vs Byron Bay
Property investment comparison - Aberdare, NSW 2325 vs Byron Bay, NSW 2481
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Aberdare wins 3, Byron Bay wins 1. The better choice depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow, growth, affordability, or liquidity, the table below highlights the winner on each metric.
| Metric | Aberdare | Byron Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $740K | - |
| Median unit price | $550K | - |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 4.10% | 3.05% |
| Gross rental yield (units) | 4.43% | - |
| 1-year house growth | +14.7% | -0.9% |
| 3-year house growth | +32.0% | +4.5% |
| Vacancy rate | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Population | 2,542 | 6,330 |
Aberdare vs Byron Bay: what the numbers say
On cash flow, Aberdare leads: houses there return a gross rental yield of 4.10%, compared with 3.05% in Byron Bay, a gap of 1.05 percentage points.
Over the past year house prices moved +14.7% in Aberdare and -0.9% in Byron Bay, so recent momentum favours Aberdare, while Byron Bay went backwards.
Looking back three years, Aberdare houses are +32.0% and Byron Bay houses +4.5%, so Aberdare has compounded faster than Byron Bay over the longer window.
Rental vacancy is 1.2% in Byron Bay and 1.8% in Aberdare, so landlords in Byron Bay face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.
Byron Bay is the bigger suburb, with a population of 6,330 against 2,542, roughly 2.5 times the size of Aberdare; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: Aberdare for rental income, Aberdare for recent price momentum, Byron Bay for the tighter rental market. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.
Keep exploring
- National investment guide - top suburbs across every metric
- Take the suburb finder quiz - 5 questions to match your goals
- How our investment score works
- Property investment glossary - every term defined
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