Surf Beach, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Surf Beach NSW is 1,934 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Surf Beach is $612 per week ($31,824 per year). Median rent in Surf Beach is $330 per week ($1,430 per month). Surf Beach has a median age of 53 years, older than the national median of 38. Surf Beach has a population density of 443 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Surf Beach is England. The most common religion is No religion (37.7% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Malayalam. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Surf Beach is $1,517.

There were 25 recorded offences in Surf Beach in 2025-26, a rate of 13 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was assault (6 offences).

Population
1,934
Census 2021
Median income
$612/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$330/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
53years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Surf Beach vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Surf Beach is $612 a week, 20% below the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 1,697th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $330 a week, $55 less than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 30.0% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 53, 10 years older than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureSurf BeachTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$612/wk$765/wk −20%$766/wk
Household income$1,099/wk$1,704/wk −36%$1,637/wk
Rent$330/wk$385/wk −14%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,517/mo$1,965/mo −23%$1,733/mo
Median age5343 +10 yrs42
Rent share of household income30.0%22.6% +7.4 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Surf Beach, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Surf Beach Population

1,934 residents at the 2021 Census.

Surf Beach Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$612/wk
$31,824 per year
Ranked 6,898 of 14,663
Median Rent
$330/wk
$1,430 per month
Ranked 3,803 of 14,663
Median Age
53years
15 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$1,517/mo
Avg household size: 2.1 · 0.7 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Surf Beach Rent Prices & Affordability

30% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: moderate.

Household income $1,099/wk
Median rent $330/wk
Rent to income 30.0%

Rent is between 25% and 35% of household income: moderate housing costs.

Median rent in Surf Beach against your income

About $4,762 a month
Median rent $330/wk
Left after rent $769/wk
Rent share 30.0%

Surf Beach Schools

2
schools nearby
1
government
948
avg ICSEA score
597
total students
St Bernard's Primary School, Batemans Bay Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 394 students
993
ICSEA
Sunshine Bay Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 203 students
903
ICSEA

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Surf Beach, with a map

Surf Beach Map

Surf Beach, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Surf Beach, New South Wales: 35.7625°S, 150.2036°E

Surf Beach Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (2)

People in Surf Beach

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.2% (931) Female 51.8% (1,001)

Population Density

443
people per km²
1,934 people · 4.4 km²

Households

2.1
Avg household size
0.7
Persons per bedroom
$1,395
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
4.2%
New Zealand
2.1%
India
0.9%
Philippines
0.9%
Italy
0.8%
Germany
0.6%
Netherlands
0.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Malayalam
0.7%
Italian
0.6%
Croatian
0.5%
Australian Indigenous Languages
0.4%
Mandarin
0.3%
Sinhalese
0.3%
Serbian
0.3%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
40.7%
Australian
35.2%
Scottish
11.1%
Irish
10.0%
Australian Aboriginal
6.7%
German
4.2%
Italian
2.9%
Dutch
1.8%
Filipino
1.0%
Croatian
0.9%
New Zealander
0.9%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
37.7%
Catholic
19.8%
Anglican
16.3%
Not stated
10.3%
Christian (other)
2.5%
Uniting Church
2.4%
Presbyterian and Reformed
2.2%
Baptist
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

6.7%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
47.4% 779
Separated
4.7% 78
Divorced
11.2% 184
Widowed
7.8% 128
Never married
28.9% 476

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: no children
42.6%
Couple: children under 15
29.2%
Couple: no children under 15
11.6%
One parent: children under 15
10.3%
One parent: no children under 15
6.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
34.5%
2 persons
40.7%
3 persons
11.1%
4 persons
8.1%
5 persons
3.5%
6+ persons
2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Surf Beach

Housing Tenure

Of the 826 occupied private dwellings in Surf Beach at the 2021 Census, 28.5% were rented, 47.0% owned outright and 21.1% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.2% 10 dwellings
Owned outright
47.0% 388 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
21.1% 174 dwellings
Rented
28.5% 235 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.8% 15 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
79.0%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
10.6%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
10.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

2 bedrooms
21.6%
3 bedrooms
46.1%
4 bedrooms
23.3%
5 bedrooms
7.5%
6+ bedrooms
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
8.9%
$300-$449/mo
4.2%
$450-$599/mo
2.4%
$600-$799/mo
6.5%
$800-$999/mo
6.0%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
17.3%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
19.0%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
17.9%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
9.5%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
8.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
4.5%
1 vehicle
43.1%
2 vehicles
36.6%
3 vehicles
9.2%
4+ vehicles
6.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Surf Beach

Employment

Employed full-time
24.7% 357 people
Employed part-time
19.9% 288 people
Unemployed
2.5% 36 people
Not in labour force
52.9% 766 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
25.2%
Community & Personal Service
17.0%
Technicians & Trade Workers
13.7%
Managers
12.8%
Clerical & Administrative
12.8%
Labourers
8.2%
Sales Workers
7.4%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.5%
$1-$149/wk
1.5%
$150-$299/wk
1.3%
$300-$399/wk
4.4%
$400-$499/wk
11.3%
$500-$649/wk
6.4%
$650-$799/wk
11.2%
$800-$999/wk
9.6%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
9.8%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
10.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
4.3%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.0%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
9.0%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
4.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
2.5%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
2.5%
$4,000+/wk
3.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
6.8%
$1-$149/wk
4.5%
$150-$299/wk
8.5%
$300-$399/wk
7.6%
$400-$499/wk
6.4%
$500-$649/wk
6.8%
$650-$799/wk
12.6%
$800-$999/wk
10.9%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.8%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
4.8%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.8%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
4.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.7%
$3,500+/wk
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
78.7%
Did not go to work
13.1%
Car (passenger)
4.3%
Truck
1.3%
Walked only
1.3%
Bus
0.8%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
45.0%
Year 10 or equivalent
38.3%
Year 9 or equivalent
9.6%
Year 11 or equivalent
7.1%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
44.2%
Bachelor Degree
21.5%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
18.5%
Postgraduate Degree
9.2%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
3.3%
Certificate I/II
3.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
20.0%
Society & Culture
16.8%
Health
14.5%
Engineering
12.4%
Education
11.4%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
9.7%
Architecture & Building
7.8%
Agriculture & Environment
2.7%
Natural & Physical Sciences
1.9%
Creative Arts
1.7%
Information Technology
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Secondary: Government
26.3%
Primary: Government
25.3%
Vocational Education
13.8%
Primary: Catholic
11.4%
Pre-school
9.3%
Secondary: Catholic
8.0%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
3.8%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
84.6%
Has need for assistance
6.5%
Need for assistance not stated
9.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
203
Arthritis
117
Heart disease
80
Asthma
80
Diabetes
71
Lung condition
69
Cancer
55
Kidney disease
30
Stroke
27
Dementia
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
14.4% 213
Did not provide
85.6% 1,264

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
17.2% 257
Not a volunteer
82.8% 1,240

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Previously served
4.5% 67
Never served
95.5% 1,427

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
23.1%
1 child
12.3%
2 children
32.3%
3 children
20.4%
4 children
9.0%
5+ children
2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
7
1951: 1960
51
1961: 1970
56
1971: 1980
56
1981: 1990
32
1991: 2000
19
2001: 2010
29
2011: 2015
20
2016
3
2017
4
2018
6
2019
5
2020
3

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

12.9%
moved in the last year
39.9%
moved in the last 5 years
4.9%
unemployment rate (Census)
44.5%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
1,506
Moved from NSW
125
Moved: same area (SA2)
55
Moved from ACT
17
Moved from WA
7
Moved from QLD
6
Moved from VIC
4
Moved from overseas
3

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
16.0%
5: 14 hours
28.6%
15: 29 hours
18.4%
30+ hours
12.6%
Did not do domestic work
24.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
82.8%
Step family: no other children
11.0%
Blended family: no other children
6.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Surf Beach Crime Statistics

25 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Assault
6
Theft
6
Other Against Person
4
Property Damage
4
Other Against Property
3
Drug Offences
2

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Eden
Income: $577/wk Rent: $270/wk $60/wk less rent
Mulwala
Income: $638/wk Rent: $270/wk $60/wk less rent
Batemans Bay
Income: $539/wk Rent: $285/wk $45/wk less rent
Grenfell
Income: $554/wk Rent: $200/wk $130/wk less rent
Harden
Income: $550/wk Rent: $220/wk $110/wk less rent
Crookwell
Income: $639/wk Rent: $280/wk $50/wk less rent
Bulahdelah
Income: $514/wk Rent: $295/wk $35/wk less rent
Dungog
Income: $582/wk Rent: $300/wk $30/wk less rent

Suburbs near Surf Beach

The closest suburb to Surf Beach is Sunshine Bay, 2.0 km away.

Sunshine Bay
2.0 km away · income $605/wk · rent $370/wk
Batehaven
3.0 km away · income $595/wk · rent $320/wk
Malua Bay
3.1 km away · income $716/wk · rent $418/wk
Catalina
4.0 km away · income $564/wk · rent $355/wk
Tomakin
6.8 km away · income $685/wk · rent $350/wk
Batemans Bay
7.1 km away · income $539/wk · rent $285/wk

Compare Surf Beach (NSW)

Frequently Asked Questions About Surf Beach

What is the population of Surf Beach NSW?

The population of Surf Beach NSW is 1,934 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 443 people per km². Surf Beach is ranked #3,082 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Surf Beach?

The median personal income in Surf Beach NSW is $612 per week, or $31,824 per year. The median household income is $1,099 per week. Family income is $1,395 per week. Surf Beach is ranked #6,898 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Surf Beach?

Median rent in Surf Beach NSW is $330 per week ($1,430 per month). Rent represents 30.0% of household income, which is considered moderate. Surf Beach ranks #3,803 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Surf Beach?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Surf Beach NSW is $1,517. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Surf Beach?

The median age in Surf Beach NSW is 53 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Surf Beach a good suburb to live in?

Surf Beach is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 1,934. The median income is $612/wk, which is below the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as moderate (30.0% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Sydney Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13712. All dollar figures in AUD.