Median price trend for houses
Based on 37 sales in the preceding 12 months
$1,280,000
Up 14.8% over 12 months
- 3 bed
- $1.06m
- 4 bed
- $1.3m
- 5+ bed
- $1.4m
Aerial view
Imagery © Esri
The quick read on
Empire Bay
NSW 2257 · Central Coast (NSW)
What homes cost, how rents have moved, and a feel for the people who call it home.
- Median house
- $1,280,000
- Median unit
- $820,000
- Population
- 2,522
- Postcode
- 2257
latest suburb median
latest suburb median
ABS 2021
Empire Bay, New South Wales
Property market insights for Empire Bay
Median sale price and rental income of properties in Empire Bay NSW
Median rent trend for houses
Based on 28 rental listings in the preceding 12 months
$850 per week
Up 25.9% over 12 months
Market data updated October 2026.
The median house price in Empire Bay, NSW is currently $1,280,000, based on the latest 12 months of sales. Empire Bay has a 12-month growth rate of 14.8% for houses and -1.8% for units.
Three-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $1,060,000, Four-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $1,300,000, Larger houses have a median sale price of $1,400,000 in Empire Bay.
If you're looking to lease, the median rent for houses in Empire Bay is $850 per week. The median house rent has increased 25.9% over the last 12 months.
The median price of apartments and units for sale in Empire Bay is $820,000, which has decreased 1.8% since the same time last year. The median rent for units and apartments in Empire Bay is $475 per week and has increased 2.8% over the last 12 months.
Crime and safety
Is Empire Bay safe?
The overall rate for Empire Bay is 1,019 offences per 100,000 residents — 70% below the Greater Sydney benchmark.
That is the clearest suburb-wide answer. Open the detailed profile to see how the pattern changes across offence types and different parts of Empire Bay.
Overall crime rate
1,019
offences per 100,000 residents
70% belowGreater Sydney
Empire BayGreater Sydney: 3,437
Suburb-wide estimate from Microburbs' public crime model; it is not an address-level measure.
The people behind the postcode
Who lives in Empire Bay?
Empire Bay NSW 2257 is in New South Wales, within Greater Sydney.
2,522 people call Empire Bay home, with an average of 2.7 people per household and a median household income of $1,884 a week.
Public ABS 2021 Census figures. The bars compare the local share with the capital-region benchmark.
- Population
- 2,522
- Median age
- 42 years
- Median mortgage
- $2,165 / month
- 2021 household rent
- $410 / week
Above the benchmarkBelow the benchmarkIn lineGreater Sydney benchmark
Age profile
Share of residents in each age band.
Under 1519.9%Above
15–3420.4%Below
35–5426.8%Below
55–7425.5%Above
75 and over7.3%Above
Homes
Share of occupied private dwellings.
Separate houses93.7%Above
Townhouses3.9%Below
Apartments2.2%Below
Ownership
Share of homes with a stated ownership or rental status.
Owned outright39.2%Above
Paying a mortgage43.0%Above
Renting17.8%Below
Cars at home
Vehicles available to occupied households.
No car3.6%Below
One car29.2%Below
Two cars41.5%Above
Three or more25.4%Above
Getting to work
Selected ways residents worked or travelled on Census day.
Worked from home28.4%Below
Drove to work48.6%Above
Train, tram or bus1.1%Below
Walked or cycled1.1%Below
What stands out in Empire Bay
28.4% of workers in Empire Bay worked from home on Census day — less common than across Greater Sydney.
4.6% of Empire Bay residents were born in England.
41.5% of people in Empire Bay described themselves as having no religion in the 2021 Census.
A closer look at the Census
Questions people ask about Empire Bay
Open any question for a plain-English reading of the public 2021 Census for Empire Bay NSW 2257.
Is Empire Bay family-friendly?Age, family structure and household size describe the community families would be joining.
19.9% of Empire Bay's residents were children under 15 in the 2021 Census. That is close to the Greater Sydney average.
718 family households lived in Empire Bay; 46.4% were couple families and 15.7% were one-parent families.
36.9% of local families included children under 15. That is close to the Greater Sydney average.
These are suburb-wide household figures, not school or childcare ratings.
What is the age profile of Empire Bay?The balance between younger adults, families and older residents changes how a suburb feels day to day.
Empire Bay had 2,522 residents at the 2021 Census.
21.3% of residents were aged 25 to 44.
32.9% were 55 or older. That is well above the Greater Sydney average.
Age shares use the suburb’s total Census population.
What kind of homes are in Empire Bay?The dwelling mix shows whether the suburb is mostly detached homes, townhouses or apartments.
Separate houses made up 93.7% of occupied private dwellings in Empire Bay.
Townhouses and other attached homes represented 3.9% of occupied private dwellings.
Flats and apartments accounted for 2.2% of occupied private dwellings.
All three shares use occupied private dwellings as the denominator.
Do people own or rent in Empire Bay?Tenure shows how many households own outright, have a mortgage or rent.
39.2% of households with a stated tenure owned their home outright. That is well above the Greater Sydney average.
43.0% were buying their home with a mortgage.
17.8% rented their home. That is about half the Greater Sydney rate.
Tenure shares include households that stated one of these three arrangements.
How large are households in Empire Bay?Household-size data shows the mix behind the suburb-wide average.
The average household in Empire Bay had 2.7 people.
One-person households made up 19.2% of occupied homes. That is somewhat below the Greater Sydney average.
Two-person households represented 34.2%, while 30.2% had four or more usual residents.
Household size counts usual residents in occupied homes.
How do people get to work in Empire Bay?Census-day travel shows the balance between home, road, public transport and active travel.
28.4% of workers worked from home on Census day. That is well below the Greater Sydney average.
48.6% drove a car as their only travel method. That is well above the Greater Sydney average.
1.1% used only a train, tram or bus, while 1.1% walked or cycled.
Travel figures are a 2021 Census-day snapshot.
How many cars do households have in Empire Bay?Vehicle availability helps describe the routines local households can support.
3.6% of occupied households had no motor vehicle available. That is about half the Greater Sydney rate.
One-car households formed 29.2% of the total.
67.0% of households had two or more vehicles.
Vehicle counts refer to occupied households, not individual residents.
Who's moving to Empire Bay, and who stays?Address history shows how settled or recently mobile residents were at the Census date.
67.1% were at the same address five years earlier, while 32.9% reported a different address.
12.9% of residents were born outside Australia. That is about half the Greater Sydney rate.
Mobility figures cover residents who answered the relevant Census question.
What languages are spoken in Empire Bay?Language at home gives a direct view of the community’s everyday linguistic mix.
91.2% of residents used only English at home.
4.3% used a language other than English at home.
0.2% spoke Mandarin at home, 0.2% spoke Cantonese and 0.0% spoke Hindi.
Home language is separate from English proficiency.
Where were Empire Bay residents born?Birthplace adds another layer to the local story, separate from ancestry and language.
12.9% of Empire Bay's population was born outside Australia, while roughly 87.1% was born in Australia.
0.4% of residents were born in China.
0.1% were born in India, while Australian citizenship across the whole suburb stood at 92.3%.
Birthplace, citizenship and ancestry describe different parts of identity.
What ancestries shape Empire Bay?Ancestry responses show how residents describe family and cultural background.
English ancestry accounted for 43.2% of ancestry responses in Empire Bay.
Australian ancestry made up 44.6% of responses.
Chinese ancestry represented 1.2% of responses.
People may nominate more than one ancestry, so these are shares of responses.
What work do people do in Empire Bay?Occupation describes a person’s role; industry describes the sector employing them.
19.5% of employed residents worked in professional occupations. That is well below the Greater Sydney average.
Managers accounted for 14.3% of employed residents, while clerical and administrative workers made up 14.2%.
Health care and social assistance employed 16.8% of workers, and education and training employed 8.3%.
Occupation and industry figures describe employed residents of the suburb.
How active is the workforce in Empire Bay?Participation, employment pattern and unemployment describe the resident labour force.
The labour-force participation rate was 59.6%, compared with 60.0% across Greater Sydney.
29.6% of residents aged 15 and over worked full time, while 21.0% worked part time.
Unemployment was 3.7%, compared with 5.1% across Greater Sydney.
Labour-force figures come from the 2021 Census.
What does the health profile of Empire Bay show?Selected long-term health conditions help describe community service needs.
57.5% reported no selected long-term health condition.
8.4% reported a long-term mental health condition, including depression or anxiety.
9.6% reported asthma, 10.3% arthritis and 4.5% diabetes excluding gestational diabetes.
These are self-reported suburb-wide Census figures, not address-level health risks.
How educated is Empire Bay?Qualifications describe the study pathways represented among local residents.
18.8% of people in the qualifications table held a bachelor degree. That is well below the Greater Sydney average.
Postgraduate degrees accounted for 6.1% of qualification responses.
Diploma-level qualifications represented 16.8%, while certificate-level qualifications represented 44.4%.
Qualification categories are reported separately and are not school ratings.
What do incomes and housing costs look like in Empire Bay?Census income and household payments give historical context for local living costs.
Median household income was $1,884 per week in the 2021 Census.
The median monthly mortgage repayment reported by local households was $2,165.
Occupied renting households reported a median rent of $410 per week.
These household figures are from 2021; current sale and asking-rent medians appear in the market section.
How does Empire Bay compare with Greater Sydney?A few clear differences place the suburb in its wider metropolitan context.
Working from home was 28.4% in Empire Bay, compared with 38.9% across Greater Sydney.
Outright ownership was 39.2% locally and 28.6% across Greater Sydney. That is well above the Greater Sydney average.
Renting accounted for 17.8% in Empire Bay, against 37.1% across Greater Sydney.
Capital-region comparisons use the same Census definitions and year.
Three useful questions
A buyer’s quick guide to Empire Bay
Is Empire Bay expensive?
The median house price is $1,280,000, while units and apartments sit at $820,000. Bedroom count, land and condition still create a wide range around those suburb medians.
Is Empire Bay good for families?
The Census counted 718 local families, and 19.9% of residents were under 15. That describes the community; school quality, travel times and the right fit for a particular family need separate research.
What can I get for $1.5m in Empire Bay?
Larger houses have a median around $1,400,000, the closest bedroom benchmark we hold to a $1.5m budget. Individual homes can differ substantially with block size, renovation and location.
Medians describe recorded market activity across the suburb; they are historical context, not a valuation or forecast for an individual home.
Explore the area
Streets and suburbs around Empire Bay
23 streets in Empire Bay
Street-by-street reports are not published yet. The streets below are the ones this suburb covers.
- Awinya Cl
- Belrose Pl
- Boongala Ave
- Currong Rd
- Echuca Rd
- Empire Bay Dr
- Gordon Rd
- Greenfield Rd
- Hillcrest Rd
- Kendall Rd
- Merritts Rd
- Myler Ave
- Myrtle Rd
- Palmers Ln
- Pomona Rd
- Poole Close
- Rickard Rd
- Rosella Rd
Show all 23 streetsShow fewer streets
- Shelly Beach Rd
- Sher Cl
- Sorrento Rd
- Wanawong Cl
- Wards Hill Rd
12 suburbs surrounding Empire Bay
Compare nearby suburb prices, rents and five-year market trends.
Keep exploring
Is Empire Bay right for your search?
Use the finders to compare places and properties, or open the full report when you need the street, risk, schools and growth research.
Read the thinking
Figures update as new market and census data arrives. This suburb overview is general information, not a valuation or financial advice.