Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Woy Woy

Woy Woy is a riverside town on the southern edge of the Brisbane Water inlet with a working-harbour character and an easygoing foreshore popular with boaters and walkers. The compact town strip around the railway station puts local shops, cafés and services close to the water, and housing ranges from timber and weatherboard cottages and 1960s brick homes to a fringe of waterfront apartments and newer infill. It attracts commuters, families and retirees who value a laid-back coastal lifestyle, regular train links and nearby bushland in Brisbane Water National Park.

The community of 11,072 has a median age of 48 and a typical household income of $1,151 a week. Couples, with and without children, make up 74% of families, and about 60% of homes are owner-occupied while roughly 40% are rented. Woy Woy is undergoing waterfront renewal and town-centre upgrades, with a completed wharf and floating pontoon now open, plus further foreshore, public-space and station-precinct planning work underway. Whether it suits you depends on what you want from a coastal town.

Housing costs in Woy Woy sit well above local incomes as recorded at the most recent Census. A house rent of $630 a week would take about 54.7% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, while a unit rent of $520 a week would take about 45.1%, so both rents represent a large share of that income. Buying is markedly higher against those incomes: the median house price of $1,118,750 is about 18.7 times a typical local household's annual income at the last Census, and the median unit price of $810,000 is about 13.5 times annual income. Whether that feels expensive depends on your own income and circumstances.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

The most noticeable moves in Woy Woy over the past 12 months were in property values: unit medians climbed 15.8% and house medians rose 12.3%, both strong increases. Rents rose more slowly, with house rents up 5.0% and unit rents up 4.0%. In other words, price growth outpaced rent growth for both houses and units this year; unit values rose faster than house values, while house rents increased a little more than unit rents.

If capital growth is your priority, the value figures are the ones to watch; if rental income matters more, look at the rent changes. Whether that pattern suits your plans depends on your goals and circumstances.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.