Barrack Point vs Shellharbour

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Barrack Point, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Barrack Point: a median of $2.4 million, against $1.35 million in Shellharbour, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Shellharbour tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Shellharbour

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (12 vs 3)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • But Barrack Point carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 71/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Shellharbour

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,350,000 vs $2,400,000)
  • has cheaper units ($775,000 vs $1,112,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Shellharbour

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (34% vs 19%)
  • has cheaper rent ($420/wk vs $480/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Shellharbour

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (65/100 vs 50/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Barrack Point carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 71/100)
  • Shellharbour is more walkable (65/100 vs 50/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Barrack Point

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.2% vs -1.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Barrack Point and Shellharbour drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Walkability 50 / 65
Barrack Point — Walkability: 50/100 Shellharbour — Walkability: 65/100
Safety 46 / 29
Barrack Point — Safety: 46/100 Shellharbour — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Barrack Point — Low fire risk: 100/100 Shellharbour — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Shellharbour has more residents (3,520 vs 725); Barrack Point has higher household incomes ($95,472 vs $82,992).

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Population 725 3,520
+386% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.2% -1.2%
Median age 48 46
Median household income $95,472/yr
+13% vs other
 $82,992/yr
Median weekly rent $480/wk
+12% vs other
 $420/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Barrack Point Shellharbour
0-4 2.3% / 4.4%
Barrack Point — 0-4: 2.3% Shellharbour — 0-4: 4.4%
5-14 12.8% / 10.7%
Barrack Point — 5-14: 12.8% Shellharbour — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 7.7% / 6.7%
Barrack Point — 15-19: 7.7% Shellharbour — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 6.2% / 5.3%
Barrack Point — 20-24: 6.2% Shellharbour — 20-24: 5.3%
25-34 6.5% / 11.0%
Barrack Point — 25-34: 6.5% Shellharbour — 25-34: 11.0%
35-44 9.1% / 9.9%
Barrack Point — 35-44: 9.1% Shellharbour — 35-44: 9.9%
45-54 16.8% / 12.8%
Barrack Point — 45-54: 16.8% Shellharbour — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 15.4% / 17.6%
Barrack Point — 55-64: 15.4% Shellharbour — 55-64: 17.6%
65-74 15.7% / 12.8%
Barrack Point — 65-74: 15.7% Shellharbour — 65-74: 12.8%
75-84 5.1% / 6.4%
Barrack Point — 75-84: 5.1% Shellharbour — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ 1.9% / 2.6%
Barrack Point — 85+: 1.9% Shellharbour — 85+: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Barrack Point 46.1% couple families
Barrack Point — Couple Families: 46.1% Barrack Point — Lone Person: 40.4% Barrack Point — One Parent Families: 10.9% Barrack Point — Group Household: 2.6% Barrack Point — Other Families: 0.0%
Shellharbour 43.2% couple families
Shellharbour — Couple Families: 43.2% Shellharbour — Lone Person: 35.4% Shellharbour — One Parent Families: 17.0% Shellharbour — Group Household: 3.6% Shellharbour — Other Families: 0.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Barrack Point 19.4% renting
Barrack Point — Owned Outright: 48.7% Barrack Point — Mortgage: 31.9% Barrack Point — Renting: 19.4%
Shellharbour 33.6% renting
Shellharbour — Owned Outright: 38.4% Shellharbour — Mortgage: 28.0% Shellharbour — Renting: 33.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Certificate III & IV 19.7% / 19.4%
Barrack Point — Certificate III & IV: 19.7% Shellharbour — Certificate III & IV: 19.4%
Bachelor Degree 12.0% / 10.1%
Barrack Point — Bachelor Degree: 12.0% Shellharbour — Bachelor Degree: 10.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 8.2%
Barrack Point — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Shellharbour — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 2.6%
Barrack Point — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Shellharbour — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.9% / 1.4%
Barrack Point — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9% Shellharbour — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.7%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Barrack Point Shellharbour
England 5.8% / 4.5%
Barrack Point — England: 5.8% Shellharbour — England: 4.5%
New Zealand 0.8% / 1.2%
Barrack Point — New Zealand: 0.8% Shellharbour — New Zealand: 1.2%
South Africa 0.7% / 0.4%
Barrack Point — South Africa: 0.7% Shellharbour — South Africa: 0.4%
Scotland 0.6% / 0.5%
Barrack Point — Scotland: 0.6% Shellharbour — Scotland: 0.5%
Netherlands 1.0% / —
Barrack Point — Netherlands: 1.0% Shellharbour — Netherlands: not among its largest
India 0.8% / —
Barrack Point — India: 0.8% Shellharbour — India: not among its largest
Italy — / 0.7%
Barrack Point — Italy: not among its largest Shellharbour — Italy: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Barrack Point 64.7% houses
Barrack Point — Houses: 64.7% Barrack Point — Flats / Apartments: 24.9% Barrack Point — Townhouses: 10.4%
Shellharbour 68.4% houses
Shellharbour — Houses: 68.4% Shellharbour — Flats / Apartments: 16.8% Shellharbour — Townhouses: 14.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Median house price $2,400,000 $1,350,000
Median unit price $1,112,500 $775,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 40 days
from 9 sales
 27 days
from 19 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Barrack Point Shellharbour
3 bed $1.62M / $1.15M
Barrack Point — 3 bed: $1.62M (8 sales) Shellharbour — 3 bed: $1.15M (17 sales)

8 vs 17 sales

4 bed $3.25M / $1.47M
Barrack Point — 4 bed: $3.25M (5 sales) Shellharbour — 4 bed: $1.47M (10 sales)

5 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Residential 56% 47%
Parks and recreation 44% 31%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 12%
Environmental 0% 5%
Commercial 0% 3%
Planning zones cover 100% of Barrack Point and 98% of Shellharbour. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Barrack Point Shellharbour
New dwellings approved 883
across Shellharbour
same for both
Approvals change year on year +25%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Houses — 3.4%
$860/wk on $1.3M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Barrack Point Shellharbour
House price Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 18% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 11% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 41% of NSW

Liveability

Barrack Point scores higher overall (60 vs 46); Shellharbour is more walkable (65 vs 50).

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Grade B C
Score 60/100 46/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Shellharbour carries more crime risk (71 vs 54).

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
54/100
 High
71/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
66/100
 Low
31/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Inside the suburb 0 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Barrack Point

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Shellharbour

  • Shellharbour Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Stella Maris Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Amity College Illawarra Campus Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Cafes & restaurants 0 11
Parks & reserves 3 12
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1

Mobility

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Walkability score 50/100 65/100
Distance to Sydney 103.4 km 103.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 99 min 98 min
Public transport score 29/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 6.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 100.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 2528
 0.9%
postcode 2529
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 31
postcode 2528
 45
postcode 2529

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Car (driver) 65.5% / 68.0%
Barrack Point — Car (driver): 65.5% Shellharbour — Car (driver): 68.0%
Worked from Home 30.6% / 25.5%
Barrack Point — Worked from Home: 30.6% Shellharbour — Worked from Home: 25.5%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 3.8%
Barrack Point — Car (passenger): 3.9% Shellharbour — Car (passenger): 3.8%
Walked Only — / 2.1%
Barrack Point — Walked Only: not among its largest Shellharbour — Walked Only: 2.1%
Bicycle — / 0.3%
Barrack Point — Bicycle: not among its largest Shellharbour — Bicycle: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.0%).

Setting

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 5 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 149 m
735 m to a named beach
 609 m
941 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Connectivity score 71/100 69/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 47%
352 premises
 44%
1,767 premises

Climate

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Annual rainfall 974 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Barrack Point Shellharbour
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.37 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Average residential rate $1,788/yr
same for both
Council Shellharbour
same for both

Federal electorate

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Division Whitlam
same for both
Member Carol Berry
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Barrack Point Shellharbour
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Barrack Point

Beach Coastal Parks Premium Quiet

Shellharbour

Beach Coastal Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Barrack Point

Barrack Point vs Warilla Barrack Point vs Barrack Heights

Other comparisons with Shellharbour

Shellharbour vs Shell Cove Shellharbour vs Flinders Shellharbour vs Barrack Heights Shellharbour vs Blackbutt
Full data on Barrack Point Full data on Shellharbour
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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