North Wollongong vs Mount Ousley

North Wollongong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 30 against 42 in Mount Ousley. In North Wollongong, most households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. In Mount Ousley, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, North Wollongong tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Mount Ousley suits couples.

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

Mount Ousley

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (94% vs 17%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 26%)
  • carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 93/100)
  • But North Wollongong has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

North Wollongong

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (67% vs 15%)
  • has cheaper rent ($395/wk vs $500/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

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

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mount Ousley

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 93/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 13%)
  • But North Wollongong has more units and townhouses to downsize into (83% vs 6%)

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

Investors

Mount Ousley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (0.6% vs -11.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
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.

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Walkability 66 / 66
North Wollongong — Walkability: 66/100 Mount Ousley — Walkability: 66/100
Safety 7 / 59
North Wollongong — Safety: 7/100 Mount Ousley — Safety: 59/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
North Wollongong — Low fire risk: 100/100 Mount Ousley — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Mount Ousley has higher household incomes ($119,236 vs $80,548); North Wollongong has more residents (2,299 vs 1,611).

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Population 2,299
+30% vs other
 1,611
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -11.8% +0.6%
Median age 30 42
Median household income $80,548/yr $119,236/yr
+48% vs other
Median weekly rent $395/wk $500/wk
+27% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
0-4 2.6% / 5.3%
North Wollongong — 0-4: 2.6% Mount Ousley — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 4.3% / 12.5%
North Wollongong — 5-14: 4.3% Mount Ousley — 5-14: 12.5%
15-19 9.2% / 6.5%
North Wollongong — 15-19: 9.2% Mount Ousley — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 15.9% / 7.2%
North Wollongong — 20-24: 15.9% Mount Ousley — 20-24: 7.2%
25-34 26.6% / 10.0%
North Wollongong — 25-34: 26.6% Mount Ousley — 25-34: 10.0%
35-44 9.5% / 12.1%
North Wollongong — 35-44: 9.5% Mount Ousley — 35-44: 12.1%
45-54 9.3% / 13.4%
North Wollongong — 45-54: 9.3% Mount Ousley — 45-54: 13.4%
55-64 9.5% / 13.6%
North Wollongong — 55-64: 9.5% Mount Ousley — 55-64: 13.6%
65-74 8.7% / 8.9%
North Wollongong — 65-74: 8.7% Mount Ousley — 65-74: 8.9%
75-84 3.5% / 6.0%
North Wollongong — 75-84: 3.5% Mount Ousley — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 0.9% / 4.4%
North Wollongong — 85+: 0.9% Mount Ousley — 85+: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

North Wollongong 52.7% lone person
North Wollongong — Lone Person: 52.7% North Wollongong — Couple Families: 16.3% North Wollongong — Group Household: 20.0% North Wollongong — One Parent Families: 9.7% North Wollongong — Other Families: 1.3%
Mount Ousley 26.1% lone person
Mount Ousley — Lone Person: 26.1% Mount Ousley — Couple Families: 53.1% Mount Ousley — Group Household: 4.8% Mount Ousley — One Parent Families: 14.3% Mount Ousley — Other Families: 1.8%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

North Wollongong 67.0% renting
North Wollongong — Owned Outright: 19.7% North Wollongong — Mortgage: 13.3% North Wollongong — Renting: 67.0%
Mount Ousley 14.7% renting
Mount Ousley — Owned Outright: 48.8% Mount Ousley — Mortgage: 36.6% Mount Ousley — Renting: 14.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Bachelor Degree 20.8% / 16.0%
North Wollongong — Bachelor Degree: 20.8% Mount Ousley — Bachelor Degree: 16.0%
Certificate III & IV 12.6% / 13.1%
North Wollongong — Certificate III & IV: 12.6% Mount Ousley — Certificate III & IV: 13.1%
Postgraduate Degree 10.5% / 7.6%
North Wollongong — Postgraduate Degree: 10.5% Mount Ousley — Postgraduate Degree: 7.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 8.4%
North Wollongong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Mount Ousley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 3.2%
North Wollongong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Mount Ousley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

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.

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
England 3.4% / 2.4%
North Wollongong — England: 3.4% Mount Ousley — England: 2.4%
China 1.7% / 2.2%
North Wollongong — China: 1.7% Mount Ousley — China: 2.2%
India 2.0% / 1.1%
North Wollongong — India: 2.0% Mount Ousley — India: 1.1%
Italy 1.5% / 1.4%
North Wollongong — Italy: 1.5% Mount Ousley — Italy: 1.4%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.1%
North Wollongong — New Zealand: 1.1% Mount Ousley — New Zealand: 1.1%
Nepal 1.5% / —
North Wollongong — Nepal: 1.5% Mount Ousley — Nepal: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

North Wollongong 16.8% houses
North Wollongong — Houses: 16.8% North Wollongong — Flats / Apartments: 75.6% North Wollongong — Townhouses: 7.6%
Mount Ousley 93.6% houses
Mount Ousley — Houses: 93.6% Mount Ousley — Flats / Apartments: 2.4% Mount Ousley — Townhouses: 4.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Median house price $1,227,500 $1,167,500
Median unit price $775,000 $740,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 3 sales
 21 days
from 7 sales

Zoning mix

North Wollongong has more land zoned for conservation (19% vs 2%); North Wollongong has more industrially zoned land (16% vs 0%).

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Residential 14% 69%
Infrastructure and transport 34% 17%
Environmental 19% 2%
Industrial 16% 0%
Parks and recreation 15% 12%
Planning zones cover 98% of North Wollongong and 100% of Mount Ousley. 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

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
New dwellings approved 1,476
across Wollongong
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
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.

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Houses —
same for both
Units 3.6%
$700/wk on $1M
 —

Ranking within NSW

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
House price Higher than 49% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Income Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Schools Higher than 17% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 87% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 50% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 86% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 13% of NSW —

Liveability

Mount Ousley scores higher overall (74 vs 45).

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Grade C A
Score 45/100 74/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

North Wollongong carries more crime risk (93 vs 41).

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
93/100
 Moderate
41/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
16/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
UOW Wollongong, 2.3 km
 1
UOW Wollongong, 3.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 15.8% 4.5%

Schools in North Wollongong

  • Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts Government · Secondary at peers
  • Keira High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Para Meadows School Government · Combined · Special school

Schools in Mount Ousley

  • Elonera Montessori School Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Cafes & restaurants 8 0
Parks & reserves 3 5
Childcare 2
same for both
EV chargers 1 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 2 4

Mobility

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Walkability score 66/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 83.3 km
+2% vs other
 82 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 79 min 77 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 24/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 95.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 2500
 1.3%
postcode 2519
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 14
postcode 2500
 30
postcode 2519

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.

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Car (driver) 52.6% / 54.1%
North Wollongong — Car (driver): 52.6% Mount Ousley — Car (driver): 54.1%
Worked from Home 31.9% / 39.2%
North Wollongong — Worked from Home: 31.9% Mount Ousley — Worked from Home: 39.2%
Car (passenger) 3.4% / 3.8%
North Wollongong — Car (passenger): 3.4% Mount Ousley — Car (passenger): 3.8%
Walked Only 4.3% / 1.3%
North Wollongong — Walked Only: 4.3% Mount Ousley — Walked Only: 1.3%
Train 3.9% / —
North Wollongong — Train: 3.9% Mount Ousley — Train: not among its largest
Bicycle 1.2% / 1.0%
North Wollongong — Bicycle: 1.2% Mount Ousley — Bicycle: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (54.1%).

Setting

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Elevation 5 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 46 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 612 m
847 m to a named beach
 2.1 km
2.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Connectivity score 58/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 24%
1,576 premises
 56%
610 premises

Climate

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Annual rainfall 1,038 mm 974 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
PM2.5 6.2 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.66 pphm
same for both

Council rates

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Wollongong
same for both

Federal electorate

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Division Cunningham
same for both
Member Alison Byrnes
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

North Wollongong Mount Ousley
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

North Wollongong

Apartments Beach Coastal Parks River Students

Mount Ousley

Coastal Parks Professionals Quiet River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with North Wollongong

North Wollongong vs Wollongong North Wollongong vs Fairy Meadow North Wollongong vs Keiraville North Wollongong vs Gwynneville

Other comparisons with Mount Ousley

Mount Ousley vs Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley vs Keiraville Mount Ousley vs Mount Keira Mount Ousley vs Mount Pleasant
Full data on North Wollongong Full data on Mount Ousley
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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