Erowal Bay vs Old Erowal Bay

Old Erowal Bay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 49 in Erowal Bay. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Erowal Bay: a median of $930,000, against $693,000 in Old Erowal Bay, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Erowal Bay tends to suit older residents, while Old Erowal Bay suits families with children 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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

First-home buyers

Old Erowal Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($692,857 vs $930,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Old Erowal Bay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (32/100 vs 21/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (159 min vs 164 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Erowal Bay has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 19%)
  • Old Erowal Bay is more walkable (32/100 vs 21/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
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.

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Walkability 21 / 32
Erowal Bay — Walkability: 21/100 Old Erowal Bay — Walkability: 32/100
Safety 44 / 48
Erowal Bay — Safety: 44/100 Old Erowal Bay — Safety: 48/100
Low fire risk 48 / 100
Erowal Bay — Low fire risk: 48/100 Old Erowal Bay — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Old Erowal Bay has more residents (1,080 vs 652); Erowal Bay skews older (49 vs 40).

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Population 652 1,080
+66% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.7% +4.0%
Median age 49 40
Median household income $73,164/yr
+11% vs other
 $64,792/yr
Median weekly rent $370/wk
+5% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
0-4 5.2% / 5.8%
Erowal Bay — 0-4: 5.2% Old Erowal Bay — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 10.1% / 13.9%
Erowal Bay — 5-14: 10.1% Old Erowal Bay — 5-14: 13.9%
15-19 5.7% / 7.6%
Erowal Bay — 15-19: 5.7% Old Erowal Bay — 15-19: 7.6%
20-24 4.3% / 4.0%
Erowal Bay — 20-24: 4.3% Old Erowal Bay — 20-24: 4.0%
25-34 7.1% / 10.9%
Erowal Bay — 25-34: 7.1% Old Erowal Bay — 25-34: 10.9%
35-44 10.1% / 13.1%
Erowal Bay — 35-44: 10.1% Old Erowal Bay — 35-44: 13.1%
45-54 14.6% / 12.0%
Erowal Bay — 45-54: 14.6% Old Erowal Bay — 45-54: 12.0%
55-64 14.4% / 13.0%
Erowal Bay — 55-64: 14.4% Old Erowal Bay — 55-64: 13.0%
65-74 19.3% / 12.9%
Erowal Bay — 65-74: 19.3% Old Erowal Bay — 65-74: 12.9%
75-84 7.1% / 5.8%
Erowal Bay — 75-84: 7.1% Old Erowal Bay — 75-84: 5.8%
85+ 0.8% / 0.5%
Erowal Bay — 85+: 0.8% Old Erowal Bay — 85+: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Erowal Bay 40.2% lone person
Erowal Bay — Lone Person: 40.2% Erowal Bay — Couple Families: 37.4% Erowal Bay — One Parent Families: 15.6% Erowal Bay — Group Household: 6.7% Erowal Bay — Other Families: 0.0%
Old Erowal Bay 37.3% lone person
Old Erowal Bay — Lone Person: 37.3% Old Erowal Bay — Couple Families: 31.5% Old Erowal Bay — One Parent Families: 24.0% Old Erowal Bay — Group Household: 5.8% Old Erowal Bay — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Erowal Bay 25.7% renting
Erowal Bay — Owned Outright: 43.2% Erowal Bay — Mortgage: 31.1% Erowal Bay — Renting: 25.7%
Old Erowal Bay 25.9% renting
Old Erowal Bay — Owned Outright: 34.9% Old Erowal Bay — Mortgage: 39.2% Old Erowal Bay — Renting: 25.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Certificate III & IV 23.0% / 19.9%
Erowal Bay — Certificate III & IV: 23.0% Old Erowal Bay — Certificate III & IV: 19.9%
Bachelor Degree 10.0% / 5.6%
Erowal Bay — Bachelor Degree: 10.0% Old Erowal Bay — Bachelor Degree: 5.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.7% / 5.8%
Erowal Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7% Old Erowal Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 2.3%
Erowal Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Old Erowal Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 1.2%
Erowal Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Old Erowal Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).

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.

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
England 2.5% / 3.8%
Erowal Bay — England: 2.5% Old Erowal Bay — England: 3.8%
New Zealand 2.1% / 2.0%
Erowal Bay — New Zealand: 2.1% Old Erowal Bay — New Zealand: 2.0%
South Africa 1.2% / 0.7%
Erowal Bay — South Africa: 1.2% Old Erowal Bay — South Africa: 0.7%
Philippines 1.1% / 0.5%
Erowal Bay — Philippines: 1.1% Old Erowal Bay — Philippines: 0.5%
Netherlands 0.5% / 0.7%
Erowal Bay — Netherlands: 0.5% Old Erowal Bay — Netherlands: 0.7%
Greece 0.6% / —
Erowal Bay — Greece: 0.6% Old Erowal Bay — Greece: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Erowal Bay 100.0% houses
Erowal Bay — Houses: 100.0% Erowal Bay — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Old Erowal Bay 98.3% houses
Old Erowal Bay — Houses: 98.3% Old Erowal Bay — Flats / Apartments: 1.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Median house price $930,000 $692,857
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 53 days
from 8 sales
 45 days
from 7 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.

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
2 bed $1.22M / $633K
Erowal Bay — 2 bed: $1.22M (5 sales) Old Erowal Bay — 2 bed: $633K (5 sales)

5 vs 5 sales

3 bed $808K / $725K
Erowal Bay — 3 bed: $808K (10 sales) Old Erowal Bay — 3 bed: $725K (19 sales)

10 vs 19 sales

4 bed $1.4M / $760K
Erowal Bay — 4 bed: $1.4M (7 sales) Old Erowal Bay — 4 bed: $760K (5 sales)

7 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Erowal Bay has more land zoned for conservation (78% vs 5%).

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Environmental 78% 5%
Residential 17% 74%
Parks and recreation 2% 12%
Rural and farming 2% 6%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 4%
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

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
New dwellings approved 854
across Shoalhaven
same for both
Approvals change year on year -10%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
House price Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 25% of NSW
Income Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 27% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 53% of NSW Higher than 54% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW

Liveability

Old Erowal Bay is more walkable (32 vs 21); Old Erowal Bay scores higher overall (42 vs 30).

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Grade D C
Score 30/100 42/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Erowal Bay carries more bushfire risk (52 vs 0).

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Bushfire Moderate
52/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
56/100
 Moderate
52/100
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 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
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

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Parks & reserves 2 1
Childcare 0 1
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Walkability score 21/100 32/100
Distance to Sydney 191.9 km 192.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 164 min 159 min
Public transport score 26/100
Bus
 32/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 5.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 7.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2540
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 44
postcode 2540
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.

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Car (driver) 79.1% / 81.5%
Erowal Bay — Car (driver): 79.1% Old Erowal Bay — Car (driver): 81.5%
Worked from Home 15.2% / 10.2%
Erowal Bay — Worked from Home: 15.2% Old Erowal Bay — Worked from Home: 10.2%
Car (passenger) 5.7% / 6.4%
Erowal Bay — Car (passenger): 5.7% Old Erowal Bay — Car (passenger): 6.4%
Bus — / 1.1%
Erowal Bay — Bus: not among its largest Old Erowal Bay — Bus: 1.1%
Walked Only — / 0.8%
Erowal Bay — Walked Only: not among its largest Old Erowal Bay — Walked Only: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.5%).

Setting

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Elevation 46 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 12 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.7 km
2.8 km to a named beach
 3.2 km
3.7 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Connectivity score 77/100 71/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 58%
458 premises
 48%
548 premises

Climate

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Annual rainfall 1,302 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 23.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.6°C
same for both

Council rates

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Average residential rate $1,501/yr
same for both
Council Shoalhaven
same for both

Federal electorate

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Division Gilmore
same for both
Member Fiona Phillips
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Erowal Bay Old Erowal Bay
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Erowal Bay

Acreage Coastal Retirees

Old Erowal Bay

Affordable Large Blocks

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Other comparisons with Old Erowal Bay

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Full data on Erowal Bay Full data on Old Erowal Bay
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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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