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Suburb profile ·Byron LGA · NSW ·2482

Upper Main Arm NSW 2482

Upper Main Arm is in Byron LGA, NSW, postcode 2482, with population 283.

The read

Income-first

There are enough stretched or weaker signals here that you should assume trade-offs rather than a clean story. Use compare mode to see whether the downside is price, local quality, or weaker momentum before treating it as a target suburb.

$825/wk
Rising
+20.0% YoY
Jun 2025 → Jun 2026 · 13 periods
NSW Fair Trading · postcode 2482 · Jun 2026
$900
$650
Jun 2025Jun 2026
Why it fits

Gross yield screens at about 4.8%. Transport coverage adds a practical access signal.

What to check

Small local population makes the signal set more fragile.

Median house
$888K
House median, latest period
4.1%YoY D5 vs AU
Median rent
$825/wk
Rent-pressure candidate
20.0%YoY D10 vs AU
Gross yield
4.8%
Strong yield band
D10 vs AU
Population
38,784
39K via Byron LGA · SAL undercount
Schools
1
Matched school context
D1 vs AU
Drive to city
Not in commute dataset
Solar
2,382
174 added 12mo · 14MW
Price cycleCorrecting
LowPeak

48.6% below peak · 90.9% above its low

See trend depth →

Price history

Trend & investor depth

Cycle positionCorrecting
Low · 2007Peak · 2022

48.6% below peak · 90.9% above its low

Price growth (compound)% per year
3-yr
+3.7%
5-yr
+2.4%
Indicative cashflow-$255/wk (-$13,265/yr) · interest-only @ 6.4%, 80% LVR
Rent stabilityvolatile — rents vary ±10.6% around trend (short window, 13 pts)
Value vs advantage+27% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 3)

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investor profile

Who invests in Upper Main Arm

Owner-occupied 68%Rented 32%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared3.8%
177 of 824 landlords
Avg rental loss$10,117/yr
Landlords (rental income)824
Reported capital gains400
The read

Mixed owner-renter market

56% of homes here are owner-occupied and 27% rented, with 4% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

A balanced 56% owner-occupier / 27% renter mix.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Mortgage affordability

118%
of household income to service a new loan
26.8 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Severe
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRenting cheaper

New-loan repayment $4,349/mo vs median rent $3,575/mo (+22% · +$179/wk)

If rates move

At 4.2%: $3,472/mo (-877) · at 6.2% (current): $4,349/mo · at 8.2%: $5,309/mo (+961)

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan at the current RBA new owner-occupier variable rate, against median weekly household income (ABS Census 2021). Stress bands follow the 30% / 45%-of-income thresholds used in ANZ-CoreLogic and AIHW reporting. Rent vs buy compares that repayment with the suburb's median advertised rent; it excludes rates, insurance, maintenance and deposit opportunity cost.

Stronger alternatives nearby

Higher yield

similar price · cross-LGA

Stronger 5-yr growth

similar price · cross-LGA

More affordable

lower price-to-income

Alternatives are similar-priced suburbs (0.7–1.4x this suburb's median) in other council areas that exceed it on the named metric. Indicative — not financial advice.

Affordability

Buying
20.1x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Stretched
Renting
97%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
High stress

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $1,888/mo, while renters pay about $3,575/mo — renting runs $1,687/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$888K
Household income · yr
$44K
Median rent · wk
$825
Owner mortgage · mo
$1,888
Gross yield
4.8%

Household income

$44K household · yr-46.3% vs NSW suburb median
Personal
$28K
Family
$70K
Household
$44K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)10% could service the median house
Under $300
4
$300-649
32
$650-999
18
$1,000-1,499
11
$1,500-1,999
13
$2,000-2,999
9
$3,000-3,999
0
$4,000+
10

Serviceability line: a household needs about $3,345/wk to hold a new loan on the median house at 30% of income (20% deposit, 30-year P&I, current RBA rate).

At the median asking rent, about 87% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $2,750/wk income).

Housing stock and tenure

Tenure (102 households)
Owned outright
35%
Owned with mortgage
21%
Rented
27%
Dwelling structure14.9% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
91%
Townhouse / semi
0%
Flat / apartment
0%

Getting to work: 70% drive, 0% public transport, 0% walk or cycle, 16% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Schools

Total1
Avg ICSEA1016
Students88
Government1
  • Main Arm Upper Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1016
Crime April 2025 - March 2026
1,599
4,227 per 100k
D6 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k4,227
Total incidents1,599· April 2025 - March 2026
  • Assault35154%
  • Sexual Offences13821%
  • Robbery51%
  • Break And Enter16024%

Building due diligence

Construction requirements can change by location.

The National Construction Code is the baseline. Local hazards and site classifications can change the required structure, materials, fixings, insulation and detailing.

Known here

SUBURB CONTEXT

Bushfire-prone land

Severe broad-area context

About 97.5% of the suburb intersects mapped bushfire-prone land.

May affect: External construction · Roof and wall systems · Openings, screens and decks

Check the property

ADDRESS + DESIGN

NCC climate zone

Check the property

Confirm the NCC climate zone used for the building design and energy provisions.

May affect: Insulation and glazing · Condensation control · Roof-space ventilation

Wind class and BAL

Site assessment required

A suburb layer cannot determine the site wind classification or Bushfire Attack Level.

May affect: Structure and tie-downs · Cladding and fixings · Openings and bushfire detailing

Corrosion and termite exposure

Check the property

Confirm marine or corrosive exposure and the applicable termite-management requirements.

May affect: Fasteners and connectors · Roofing and coatings · Termite management

This screen identifies investigation triggers, not building quality or property compliance. Confirm the address, design and current jurisdiction rules with the council, building surveyor or certifier, designer and engineer.

NCC 2022 Housing Provisions: how to use · NCC 2022 Volume Two and Housing Provisions

Bushfire exposure

Severe exposure ~97.5%
~97.5% of the suburb is Bush Fire Prone Land · ~59.3% Category 1 (highest hazard)

Estimated exposure to NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land (CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within the official hazard layer — it is not a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating or a property-level assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Planning zones

Dominant zone Environmental Conservation
Public / Open space 57% Rural / Green wedge 33% Other 6%

Land-use mix estimated by point-sampling the suburb against NSW EPI Land Zoning polygons (CC BY 4.0). This is a suburb-level snapshot of planning zones, not a parcel-level zoning certificate or development advice. Check the relevant planning scheme for an individual property.

Population outlook

9,003 people · 20229,972 by 2032 (+10.8%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Mullumbimby SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
Upper Main Arm NSW — Property Data and Demographics

Upper Main Arm is a small, quiet locality in New South Wales within the Byron local government area (postcode 2482). It is home to about 283 residents, with an established family demographic and a median age of 44. Households earn a median income of $44K per year, with an average household size of 2.1 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement into the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.8% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +1.2% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 35 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 17 underway, and 67 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are technicians & trades, professionals, community & personal service. Employment in the area leans toward construction and healthcare. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Irish.

Upper Main Arm has a median house price of $888,000, which has fallen by 4.1% year-on-year. The current median weekly rent is $825. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 4.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,888.

Upper Main Arm is served by 1 school, including 1 primary. The average ICSEA score is 1016, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 8 bus stops. The crime rate in the Byron LGA is moderate at 4,227 incidents per 100,000 population.

Looking at the investment signals, Gross rental yield sits at around 4.8% (moderate yield). Property prices sit below the state median ($888K/$1.5M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 20.1x is considered stretched. House prices have moved -4.1% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.8% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield4.8%· Moderate Yield
Price vs State$888K/$1.5M Below Median
Affordability20.1x Stretched
Price Momentum-4.1% Falling
Pop. Growth+1.8%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentNSW
Mortgage · mth$1,888
Rent · wk(Census)$390
Market rent · wk(2026-06)$825
Gross yield2.3%
Price / income20.1x
Population growth · Byron LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)38,784
5-year growth+1.7% CAGR
YoY change+1.8%
20012025
Development · Byron LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)158
Houses 70%Units 30%
YoY change+0%
Employment · Byron LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.9%
YoY change+0.3pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 2482ATO
Negatively geared3.8%
177 of filers
Avg rental loss$10,117/yr
Landlords (rental income)824
Reported capital gains400
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population283
Median age44
Household size2.1
HH income · wk$850
Personal income · wk$542
Persons / bedroom1
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)3/10
Education (IEO)6/10
Economic (IER)1/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)4/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$696 → $850
Change+22.1%
vs NSW median+1.5 pp
Median rent+30%
stablevs NSW 2016–21
Area & amenity
TransportGTFS
Bus stops8
Hospitals · Byron LGAAIHW
Public1
Private0
Byron Central Hospitalpublic
Aged care · Byron LGAGEN
Facilities5
Residential places266
Patrick Bugden VC Gardens66 places
Feros Village Bangalow64 places
Catholic Healthcare Coolamon Villa55 places
Byron Aged Care41 places
St Andrew's Village Byron Bay40 places
Childcare · Byron LGAACECQA
Services27
Approved places1,241
Exceeding NQS9
Bangalow Community Children's Centre79 places
Kool Beanz Academy Byron Bay75 places
Kool Beanz Academy Mullumbimby75 places
Kool Beanz Academy Ocean Shores75 places
Harmony Early Education Bangalow60 places
Mirabelle Early Learning60 places
+21 more in Byron LGA
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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

Upper Main Arm has enough direct local evidence for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
NSW price medians are parser-guarded official records.

Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
NSW Valuer General · 2025 · Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records
medium stability · automated · every update · weekly
Available
Market rent
NSW Fair Trading · 2026-06 · State market dataset
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Crime
BOCSAR · April 2025 - March 2026 · Area-level release dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · release-based
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 1 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 8 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.

Upper Main Arm FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Upper Main Arm in?

    Upper Main Arm is in the Byron Local Government Area, NSW, postcode 2482. Council-level context for Byron LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Upper Main Arm?

    The current median house price in Upper Main Arm, NSW is $888K, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in Upper Main Arm?

    The median weekly rent in Upper Main Arm is $825/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is rent-pressure candidate.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Upper Main Arm?

    Rent-pressure candidate: Upper Main Arm rents screen above the local benchmark. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is Upper Main Arm a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for Upper Main Arm show: Moderate Yield, Below Median, Stretched. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Upper Main Arm?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the Upper Main Arm data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.