Ettalong Beach vs Horsfield Bay.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $1,315,000 and $1,100,000. Ettalong Beach edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
Horsfield Bay (median $1,100,000) is roughly 20% cheaper to buy into than Ettalong Beach ($1,315,000). Over the past year, Ettalong Beach (+16.9%) ran 4.1 percentage points ahead of Horsfield Bay (+12.8%) on house-price growth.
Ettalong Beach scores higher on walkability (30/100 vs 0/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Ettalong Beach (1037) sits above Horsfield Bay (1023). Horsfield Bay skews owner-occupied (88%), Ettalong Beach runs more rental-dense (59% owner).
For buyers
Horsfield Bay is the lower entry point at $1,100,000 median, 20% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Investors face a yield-versus-growth split: Horsfield Bay delivers the better gross yield (3.07% vs 2.75%), but Ettalong Beach has run faster on capital growth this year. The right pick depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow or capital appreciation.
For families
Ettalong Beach edges out on average school ICSEA (1037 vs 1023). Horsfield Bay also has a higher family-household share (75% vs 54%), so the catchment community skews family-heavy.
Common questions
Is Ettalong Beach or Horsfield Bay cheaper to buy in?
Horsfield Bay has the lower median house price at $1,100,000, roughly 20% below Ettalong Beach ($1,315,000). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Ettalong Beach or Horsfield Bay?
Over the past 12 months, Ettalong Beach grew +16.9% vs +12.8% in Horsfield Bay, a gap of 4.1 percentage points. Twelve-month growth can swing year to year, so weight long-run trends from the individual suburb profiles before making a buy decision.
Does Ettalong Beach or Horsfield Bay have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Ettalong Beach scores 1037 vs 1023 in Horsfield Bay. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.
Which is more walkable, Ettalong Beach or Horsfield Bay?
Ettalong Beach scores 30/100 on walkability vs 0/100. Above 70 is considered very walkable (most errands on foot), 50-69 is walkable for some errands, below 50 typically requires a car for daily life.
Which suburb has higher rental yield, Ettalong Beach or Horsfield Bay?
Gross rental yield on houses is 3.07% in Horsfield Bay vs 2.75% in Ettalong Beach. Gross yield equals annual rent divided by purchase price. Net yield (after strata, rates, insurance, agent fees and maintenance) typically runs 1.5-2 percentage points lower.
The numbers behind the take
Price & Market
Rental
Lifestyle & Demographics
Risk & Hazard
Schools
Climate
Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).
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