Wollongong suburbs where homes are owned outright

Windang tops the ranking, where 54.7% of homes are owned outright — no mortgage against them (623 dwellings). Kanahooka and Kiama follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 47 eligible Wollongong suburbs.

This page ranks Wollongong suburbs by the share of occupied private dwellings owned outright — owned with no mortgage against them — at the 2021 Census. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are ranked.

Owned outright is a narrower measure than owner-occupied, and the difference is the point: a suburb can be almost entirely owner-occupied and still be mostly mortgaged. The share here is dwellings owned without a mortgage divided by all dwellings whose tenure was reported — outright, mortgaged and rented added together, because the ABS publishes a count per tenure type and no total. High shares tend to mark established, older, low-turnover places rather than desirable ones, and that is a description of who lives there now, not a recommendation.

Wollongong suburbs where the most homes are owned outright

Ranked by the share of occupied private dwellings owned without a mortgage at the 2021 Census, among suburbs with at least 2,000 residents. Owned outright is a narrower measure than owner-occupied — it excludes everyone still paying one off.

1

Windang

NSW 2528 · 2,610 residents

54.7% of homes owned outright · 623 dwellings

C 100.0
2

Kanahooka

NSW 2530 · 5,698 residents

52.2% of homes owned outright · 1,103 dwellings

B 97.8
3

Kiama

NSW 2533 · 7,904 residents

48.6% of homes owned outright · 1,470 dwellings

B 95.7
4

Kiama Downs

NSW 2533 · 5,087 residents

47.0% of homes owned outright · 810 dwellings

A 93.5
5

Cordeaux Heights

NSW 2526 · 4,460 residents

46.8% of homes owned outright · 668 dwellings

A 91.3
6

Balgownie

NSW 2519 · 5,722 residents

46.8% of homes owned outright · 976 dwellings

B 89.1
7

Cringila

NSW 2502 · 2,156 residents

46.1% of homes owned outright · 316 dwellings

C 87.0
8

Austinmer

NSW 2515 · 2,725 residents

45.6% of homes owned outright · 428 dwellings

B 84.8
9

Mount Warrigal

NSW 2528 · 4,880 residents

43.4% of homes owned outright · 754 dwellings

C 82.6
10

Oak Flats

NSW 2529 · 6,840 residents

42.5% of homes owned outright · 1,055 dwellings

C 80.4
11

Thirroul

NSW 2515 · 6,348 residents

41.9% of homes owned outright · 937 dwellings

B 78.3
12

Figtree

NSW 2525 · 12,335 residents

41.7% of homes owned outright · 1,747 dwellings

B 76.1
13

Blackbutt

NSW 2529 · 3,291 residents

41.2% of homes owned outright · 494 dwellings

B 73.9
14

Tarrawanna

NSW 2518 · 2,184 residents

40.9% of homes owned outright · 325 dwellings

C 71.7
15

Port Kembla

NSW 2505 · 5,088 residents

38.8% of homes owned outright · 757 dwellings

D 69.6

Ranked from 47 qualifying suburbs.

How we ranked these

100% share of occupied private dwellings owned WITHOUT a mortgage in the 2021 Census, divided by all dwellings whose tenure was reported — owned outright, mortgaged and rented added together, because the ABS publishes a count per tenure type and no total — and percentile-ranked within Wollongong's candidate pool. A narrower measure than owner-occupied, which counts everyone still paying one off. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents qualify, and the larger absolute number of outright-owned dwellings breaks ties. Descriptive ABS Census data, not a recommendation. See how we calculate for the full methodology.

Common questions about this ranking

What are the wollongong suburbs where homes are owned outright?

Windang tops the ranking, where 54.7% of homes are owned outright — no mortgage against them (623 dwellings). Kanahooka and Kiama follow. These 15 suburbs came from a field of 47 eligible Wollongong suburbs.

How is this ranking put together?

Each Wollongong suburb is ranked by the share of its occupied private dwellings owned without a mortgage in the 2021 Census. The denominator is every dwelling whose tenure was reported — owned outright, owned with a mortgage and rented, added together — because the Census publishes a count per tenure type and no total. Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents are included.

How is this different from owner-occupied?

Owner-occupied counts everyone who owns the home they live in, mortgage or not. This counts only those who owe nothing on it. A suburb can be almost entirely owner-occupied and still be mostly mortgaged, so the two lists are not the same list.

What does a high share tell me about a suburb?

Usually that it is established and that people have stayed: paying off a mortgage takes decades, so outright ownership concentrates where residents are older and turnover is low. It is a description of who lives there now, not a measure of how desirable or affordable the suburb is.

How current is it?

The figures are from the 2021 Census, the most recent available until results from the August 2026 Census are released in 2027. The top 15 is recomputed whenever we refresh the census data.

Same list in other cities

Related

Rankings last computed 12 October 2026. Recomputed after each ACARA schools data refresh.

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