Falls Creek vs Nowra Hill

Nowra Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 49 in Falls Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Falls Creek, about half of households are couple families. In Nowra Hill, most households are couple families. On these figures, Falls Creek tends to suit older residents, while Nowra Hill suits young adults.

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

Nowra Hill

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 45/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 65%)

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

First-home buyers

Nowra Hill

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($1,213,750 vs $1,625,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 34%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Nowra Hill

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 23%)
  • has cheaper rent ($285/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Nowra Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (171.3 km vs 175.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Falls Creek has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 11%)
  • Nowra Hill carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 45/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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

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

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
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.

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Walkability 23 / 21
Falls Creek — Walkability: 23/100 Nowra Hill — Walkability: 21/100
Safety 55 / 70
Falls Creek — Safety: 55/100 Nowra Hill — Safety: 70/100
Low fire risk 10 / 56
Falls Creek — Low fire risk: 10/100 Nowra Hill — Low fire risk: 56/100

Demographics

Nowra Hill has more residents (2,141 vs 939); Falls Creek skews older (49 vs 37).

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Population 939 2,141
+128% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.4% +2.2%
Median age 49 37
Median household income $78,416/yr $98,904/yr
+26% vs other
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+19% vs other
 $285/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
0-4 3.4% / 2.0%
Falls Creek — 0-4: 3.4% Nowra Hill — 0-4: 2.0%
5-14 11.2% / 6.6%
Falls Creek — 5-14: 11.2% Nowra Hill — 5-14: 6.6%
15-19 5.3% / 6.9%
Falls Creek — 15-19: 5.3% Nowra Hill — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 4.5% / 12.5%
Falls Creek — 20-24: 4.5% Nowra Hill — 20-24: 12.5%
25-34 9.7% / 19.1%
Falls Creek — 25-34: 9.7% Nowra Hill — 25-34: 19.1%
35-44 9.3% / 16.9%
Falls Creek — 35-44: 9.3% Nowra Hill — 35-44: 16.9%
45-54 14.7% / 13.6%
Falls Creek — 45-54: 14.7% Nowra Hill — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 16.9% / 12.0%
Falls Creek — 55-64: 16.9% Nowra Hill — 55-64: 12.0%
65-74 15.5% / 7.5%
Falls Creek — 65-74: 15.5% Nowra Hill — 65-74: 7.5%
75-84 8.1% / 2.8%
Falls Creek — 75-84: 8.1% Nowra Hill — 75-84: 2.8%
85+ 1.3% / 0.7%
Falls Creek — 85+: 1.3% Nowra Hill — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Falls Creek 53.9% couple families
Falls Creek — Couple Families: 53.9% Falls Creek — Lone Person: 27.9% Falls Creek — One Parent Families: 11.3% Falls Creek — Group Household: 4.4% Falls Creek — Other Families: 2.5%
Nowra Hill 57.1% couple families
Nowra Hill — Couple Families: 57.1% Nowra Hill — Lone Person: 21.2% Nowra Hill — One Parent Families: 18.7% Nowra Hill — Group Household: 2.9% Nowra Hill — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Falls Creek 9.9% renting
Falls Creek — Owned Outright: 48.1% Falls Creek — Mortgage: 42.0% Falls Creek — Renting: 9.9%
Nowra Hill 11.2% renting
Nowra Hill — Owned Outright: 43.3% Nowra Hill — Mortgage: 45.5% Nowra Hill — Renting: 11.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Certificate III & IV 21.8% / 14.6%
Falls Creek — Certificate III & IV: 21.8% Nowra Hill — Certificate III & IV: 14.6%
Bachelor Degree 7.2% / 4.3%
Falls Creek — Bachelor Degree: 7.2% Nowra Hill — Bachelor Degree: 4.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.9% / 4.6%
Falls Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9% Nowra Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.6%
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / 1.4%
Falls Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% Nowra Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 0.8%
Falls Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Nowra Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).

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.

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
England 5.9% / 3.3%
Falls Creek — England: 5.9% Nowra Hill — England: 3.3%
New Zealand 0.4% / 2.0%
Falls Creek — New Zealand: 0.4% Nowra Hill — New Zealand: 2.0%
Germany 0.9% / 0.4%
Falls Creek — Germany: 0.9% Nowra Hill — Germany: 0.4%
Scotland 0.7% / —
Falls Creek — Scotland: 0.7% Nowra Hill — Scotland: not among its largest
Canada 0.5% / —
Falls Creek — Canada: 0.5% Nowra Hill — Canada: not among its largest
India — / 0.4%
Falls Creek — India: not among its largest Nowra Hill — India: 0.4%
Vietnam — / 0.4%
Falls Creek — Vietnam: not among its largest Nowra Hill — Vietnam: 0.4%
Philippines — / 0.4%
Falls Creek — Philippines: not among its largest Nowra Hill — Philippines: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Falls Creek 98.5% houses
Falls Creek — Houses: 98.5% Falls Creek — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Nowra Hill 96.3% houses
Nowra Hill — Houses: 96.3% Nowra Hill — Flats / Apartments: 3.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Median house price $1,250,000 $1,342,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,625,000 $1,213,750
Typical days to sell (houses) — 64 days
from 6 sales

Zoning mix

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Rural and farming 64% 57%
Residential 23% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 22%
Environmental 10% 5%
Industrial 0% 2%
Parks and recreation 1%
same for both
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

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
New dwellings approved 854
across Shoalhaven
same for both
Approvals change year on year -10%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
House price Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
Income Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 23% of NSW Higher than 43% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 53% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 55% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW

Liveability

Nowra Hill scores higher overall (46 vs 26).

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Grade D C
Score 26/100 46/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Falls Creek carries more bushfire risk (90 vs 44); Falls Creek carries more crime risk (45 vs 30).

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Bushfire High
90/100
 Moderate
44/100
Crime Moderate
45/100
 Low
30/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
 High
91/100
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Falls Creek

  • Falls Creek Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Nowra Hill

  • Nowra Hill Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • William Campbell College Independent · Combined · Special school below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Parks & reserves 1 0
Childcare 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Waterways 1 17

Mobility

Falls Creek sits further from the CBD (175.6 km vs 171.3 km).

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Walkability score 23/100 21/100
Distance to Sydney 175.6 km
+2% vs other
 171.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 147 min 143 min
Public transport score 41/100
Bus
 30/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 11.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 9.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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.

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Car (driver) 75.7% / 71.3%
Falls Creek — Car (driver): 75.7% Nowra Hill — Car (driver): 71.3%
Worked from Home 17.2% / 10.5%
Falls Creek — Worked from Home: 17.2% Nowra Hill — Worked from Home: 10.5%
Car (passenger) 5.9% / 6.2%
Falls Creek — Car (passenger): 5.9% Nowra Hill — Car (passenger): 6.2%
Walked Only 1.2% / 9.1%
Falls Creek — Walked Only: 1.2% Nowra Hill — Walked Only: 9.1%
Bicycle — / 2.9%
Falls Creek — Bicycle: not among its largest Nowra Hill — Bicycle: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.7%).

Setting

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Elevation 68 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 105 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.9 km 14.6 km

NBN connectivity

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Connectivity score 30/100 51/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
360 premises
 20%
546 premises

Climate

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Annual rainfall 1,302 mm 695 mm
Summer max (Jan) 23.9°C 25.8°C
Winter min (Jul) 9.6°C 0.8°C

Council rates

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Average residential rate $1,501/yr
same for both
Council Shoalhaven
same for both

Federal electorate

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Division Gilmore
same for both
Member Fiona Phillips
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Falls Creek Nowra Hill
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Falls Creek

Acreage

Nowra Hill

Acreage Multicultural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Falls Creek

Falls Creek vs Tomerong Falls Creek vs Huskisson Falls Creek vs Woollamia Falls Creek vs Parma

Other comparisons with Nowra Hill

Nowra Hill vs South Nowra Nowra Hill vs Parma Nowra Hill vs Mundamia
Full data on Falls Creek Full data on Nowra Hill
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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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