Bellawongarah vs Wattamolla

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bellawongarah, most households are couple families. In Wattamolla, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Bellawongarah: a median of $2.8 million, against $2.3 million in Wattamolla, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Bellawongarah tends to suit couples and older residents, while Wattamolla suits people living alone and 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

Bellawongarah

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 33/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (57% vs 38%)

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

First-home buyers

Wattamolla

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 35%)
  • has cheaper houses ($2,300,000 vs $2,800,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Wattamolla

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($295/wk vs $400/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Bellawongarah

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (129 min vs 138 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (152.9 km vs 156.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bellawongarah

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 33/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (39% vs 28%)

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

Investors

Wattamolla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.4% vs -8.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
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.

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Walkability 14 / 10
Bellawongarah — Walkability: 14/100 Wattamolla — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 100 / 67
Bellawongarah — Safety: 100/100 Wattamolla — Safety: 67/100
Low fire risk 100 / 32
Bellawongarah — Low fire risk: 100/100 Wattamolla — Low fire risk: 32/100

Demographics

Bellawongarah has more residents (116 vs 71); Bellawongarah rents higher ($400/wk vs $295/wk).

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Population 116
+39% vs other
 71
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -8.7% +16.4%
Median age 62 61
Median household income $113,724/yr $143,000/yr
+26% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+26% vs other
 $295/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
0-4 4.3% / —
Bellawongarah — 0-4: 4.3% Wattamolla — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 2.6% / 9.9%
Bellawongarah — 5-14: 2.6% Wattamolla — 5-14: 9.9%
15-19 4.3% / 4.2%
Bellawongarah — 15-19: 4.3% Wattamolla — 15-19: 4.2%
20-24 2.6% / —
Bellawongarah — 20-24: 2.6% Wattamolla — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 2.6% / —
Bellawongarah — 25-34: 2.6% Wattamolla — 25-34: not among its largest
35-44 6.0% / 5.6%
Bellawongarah — 35-44: 6.0% Wattamolla — 35-44: 5.6%
45-54 5.2% / 15.5%
Bellawongarah — 45-54: 5.2% Wattamolla — 45-54: 15.5%
55-64 24.1% / 40.8%
Bellawongarah — 55-64: 24.1% Wattamolla — 55-64: 40.8%
65-74 27.6% / 28.2%
Bellawongarah — 65-74: 27.6% Wattamolla — 65-74: 28.2%
75-84 11.2% / —
Bellawongarah — 75-84: 11.2% Wattamolla — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ — / —
Bellawongarah — 85+: not among its largest Wattamolla — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (40.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bellawongarah 42.9% lone person
Bellawongarah — Lone Person: 42.9% Bellawongarah — Couple Families: 57.1%
Wattamolla 62.5% lone person
Wattamolla — Lone Person: 62.5% Wattamolla — Couple Families: 37.5%
Lone Person Couple Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bellawongarah 0.0% renting
Bellawongarah — Owned Outright: 75.6% Bellawongarah — Mortgage: 24.4% Bellawongarah — Renting: 0.0%
Wattamolla 0.0% renting
Wattamolla — Owned Outright: 57.1% Wattamolla — Mortgage: 42.9% Wattamolla — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
England 4.3% / 22.5%
Bellawongarah — England: 4.3% Wattamolla — England: 22.5%
New Zealand 4.3% / —
Bellawongarah — New Zealand: 4.3% Wattamolla — New Zealand: not among its largest
Canada 3.4% / —
Bellawongarah — Canada: 3.4% Wattamolla — Canada: not among its largest
France 2.6% / —
Bellawongarah — France: 2.6% Wattamolla — France: not among its largest
Netherlands 2.6% / —
Bellawongarah — Netherlands: 2.6% Wattamolla — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.5%).

Qualifications

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

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Bachelor Degree 19.8% / 29.6%
Bellawongarah — Bachelor Degree: 19.8% Wattamolla — Bachelor Degree: 29.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 21.6% / 12.7%
Bellawongarah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 21.6% Wattamolla — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.7%
Certificate III & IV 11.2% / 7.0%
Bellawongarah — Certificate III & IV: 11.2% Wattamolla — Certificate III & IV: 7.0%
Postgraduate Degree 3.4% / 12.7%
Bellawongarah — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4% Wattamolla — Postgraduate Degree: 12.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 7.0%
Bellawongarah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% Wattamolla — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 7.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bellawongarah 100.0% houses
Bellawongarah — Houses: 100.0% Bellawongarah — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Wattamolla 96.4% houses
Wattamolla — Houses: 96.4% Wattamolla — Flats / Apartments: 3.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Median house price $2,800,000 $2,300,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Environmental 54% 63%
Rural and farming 45% 37%
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

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
New dwellings approved 854
across Shoalhaven
same for both
Approvals change year on year -10%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
House price Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Income Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 59% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 9% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 87% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 25% of NSW

Liveability

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Wattamolla carries more bushfire risk (68 vs 0); Wattamolla carries more crime risk (33 vs 0).

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
68/100
Crime None
0/100
 Low
33/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Wattamolla sits further from the CBD (156.8 km vs 152.9 km).

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Walkability score 14/100 10/100
Distance to Sydney 152.9 km 156.8 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 129 min 138 min
Electric vehicle share 1.4%
postcode 2535
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2535
same for both

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.

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Car (driver) 61.1% / 42.3%
Bellawongarah — Car (driver): 61.1% Wattamolla — Car (driver): 42.3%
Worked from Home 30.6% / 57.7%
Bellawongarah — Worked from Home: 30.6% Wattamolla — Worked from Home: 57.7%
Walked Only 8.3% / —
Bellawongarah — Walked Only: 8.3% Wattamolla — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.1%).

Setting

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Elevation 501 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 157 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 14.6 km 15.3 km

NBN connectivity

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Connectivity score 28/100 16/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
79 premises
 0%
39 premises

Climate

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Annual rainfall 974 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
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

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Average residential rate $1,501/yr
same for both
Council Shoalhaven
same for both

Federal electorate

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Division Gilmore
same for both
Member Fiona Phillips
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bellawongarah Wattamolla
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bellawongarah

Premium Professionals Retirees Rural

Wattamolla

Premium Professionals Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bellawongarah

Bellawongarah vs Kangaroo Valley Bellawongarah vs Jaspers Brush Bellawongarah vs Beaumont Bellawongarah vs Woodhill

Other comparisons with Wattamolla

Wattamolla vs Kangaroo Valley Wattamolla vs Upper Kangaroo River Wattamolla vs Woodhill
Full data on Bellawongarah Full data on Wattamolla
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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