Wattamolla vs Kangaroo Valley

Kangaroo Valley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 54 against 61 in Wattamolla. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Wattamolla, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Wattamolla: a median of $2.3 million, against $1.28 million in Kangaroo Valley. On these figures, Wattamolla tends to suit people living alone, while Kangaroo Valley suits 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

Kangaroo Valley

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (52% vs 38%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Wattamolla leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 29%)
  • Kangaroo Valley has cheaper houses ($1,282,500 vs $2,300,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Wattamolla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 20%)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Kangaroo Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a shorter drive in (133 min vs 138 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 5 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Investors

Wattamolla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.4% vs -2.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
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.

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Walkability 10 / 5
Wattamolla — Walkability: 10/100 Kangaroo Valley — Walkability: 5/100
Safety 67 / 58
Wattamolla — Safety: 67/100 Kangaroo Valley — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 32 / 24
Wattamolla — Low fire risk: 32/100 Kangaroo Valley — Low fire risk: 24/100

Demographics

Kangaroo Valley has more residents (856 vs 71); Wattamolla has higher household incomes ($143,000 vs $82,056).

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Population 71 856
+1106% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.4% -2.6%
Median age 61 54
Median household income $143,000/yr
+43% vs other
 $82,056/yr
Median weekly rent $295/wk $310/wk
+5% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
0-4 — / 4.3%
Wattamolla — 0-4: not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 9.9% / 9.9%
Wattamolla — 5-14: 9.9% Kangaroo Valley — 5-14: 9.9%
15-19 4.2% / 4.9%
Wattamolla — 15-19: 4.2% Kangaroo Valley — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 — / 2.7%
Wattamolla — 20-24: not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — 20-24: 2.7%
25-34 — / 7.2%
Wattamolla — 25-34: not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — 25-34: 7.2%
35-44 5.6% / 8.3%
Wattamolla — 35-44: 5.6% Kangaroo Valley — 35-44: 8.3%
45-54 15.5% / 13.1%
Wattamolla — 45-54: 15.5% Kangaroo Valley — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 40.8% / 24.1%
Wattamolla — 55-64: 40.8% Kangaroo Valley — 55-64: 24.1%
65-74 28.2% / 16.9%
Wattamolla — 65-74: 28.2% Kangaroo Valley — 65-74: 16.9%
75-84 — / 6.9%
Wattamolla — 75-84: not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — 75-84: 6.9%
85+ — / 2.3%
Wattamolla — 85+: not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — 85+: 2.3%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Wattamolla 62.5% lone person
Wattamolla — Lone Person: 62.5% Wattamolla — Couple Families: 37.5% Wattamolla — One Parent Families: 0.0% Wattamolla — Other Families: 0.0% Wattamolla — Group Household: 0.0%
Kangaroo Valley 44.0% lone person
Kangaroo Valley — Lone Person: 44.0% Kangaroo Valley — Couple Families: 38.8% Kangaroo Valley — One Parent Families: 12.9% Kangaroo Valley — Other Families: 2.4% Kangaroo Valley — Group Household: 1.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Wattamolla 0.0% renting
Wattamolla — Owned Outright: 57.1% Wattamolla — Mortgage: 42.9% Wattamolla — Renting: 0.0%
Kangaroo Valley 12.8% renting
Kangaroo Valley — Owned Outright: 53.4% Kangaroo Valley — Mortgage: 33.8% Kangaroo Valley — Renting: 12.8%
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.

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
England 22.5% / 7.2%
Wattamolla — England: 22.5% Kangaroo Valley — England: 7.2%
New Zealand — / 2.7%
Wattamolla — New Zealand: not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — New Zealand: 2.7%
Germany — / 1.2%
Wattamolla — Germany: not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — Germany: 1.2%
South Africa — / 1.1%
Wattamolla — South Africa: not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — South Africa: 1.1%
Canada — / 0.8%
Wattamolla — Canada: not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — Canada: 0.8%

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

Qualifications

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

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Bachelor Degree 29.6% / 16.9%
Wattamolla — Bachelor Degree: 29.6% Kangaroo Valley — Bachelor Degree: 16.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 12.7% / 9.1%
Wattamolla — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.7% Kangaroo Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 12.7% / 8.2%
Wattamolla — Postgraduate Degree: 12.7% Kangaroo Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 8.2%
Certificate III & IV 7.0% / 12.1%
Wattamolla — Certificate III & IV: 7.0% Kangaroo Valley — Certificate III & IV: 12.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 7.0% / 3.2%
Wattamolla — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 7.0% Kangaroo Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Wattamolla 96.4% houses
Wattamolla — Houses: 96.4% Wattamolla — Flats / Apartments: 3.6% Wattamolla — Townhouses: 0.0%
Kangaroo Valley 90.8% houses
Kangaroo Valley — Houses: 90.8% Kangaroo Valley — Flats / Apartments: 3.8% Kangaroo Valley — Townhouses: 5.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Median house price $2,300,000 $1,282,500
Median unit price — $710,000
Median land price — $1,800,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 88 days
from 7 sales

Zoning mix

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Environmental 63% 60%
Rural and farming 37% 30%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 9%
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

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

Ranking within NSW

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
House price Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Income Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW

Liveability

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Grade — C
Score — 37/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Bushfire Moderate
68/100
 High
76/100
Crime Low
33/100
 Moderate
42/100
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

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Wattamolla

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

Schools in Kangaroo Valley

  • Kangaroo Valley Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • The Scots College, Glengarry campus Independent · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 0 5
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Beaches 0 1
Waterways 1 30

Mobility

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Walkability score 10/100 5/100
Distance to Sydney 156.8 km 157.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 138 min 133 min
Electric vehicle share 1.4%
postcode 2535
 0.9%
postcode 2577
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2535
 56
postcode 2577

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.

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Car (driver) 42.3% / 52.2%
Wattamolla — Car (driver): 42.3% Kangaroo Valley — Car (driver): 52.2%
Worked from Home 57.7% / 32.2%
Wattamolla — Worked from Home: 57.7% Kangaroo Valley — Worked from Home: 32.2%
Walked Only — / 10.7%
Wattamolla — Walked Only: not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — Walked Only: 10.7%
Car (passenger) — / 2.9%
Wattamolla — Car (passenger): not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — Car (passenger): 2.9%
Bicycle — / 1.2%
Wattamolla — Bicycle: not among its largest Kangaroo Valley — Bicycle: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (57.7%).

Setting

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Elevation 157 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 172 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 15.3 km 27.5 km
971 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Wattamolla Kangaroo Valley
Connectivity score 16/100 29/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
39 premises
 0%
533 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Wattamolla

Premium Professionals Retirees Rural

Kangaroo Valley

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Wattamolla

Wattamolla vs Upper Kangaroo River Wattamolla vs Bellawongarah Wattamolla vs Woodhill

Other comparisons with Kangaroo Valley

Kangaroo Valley vs Fitzroy Falls Kangaroo Valley vs Barrengarry Kangaroo Valley vs Upper Kangaroo River Kangaroo Valley vs Beaumont Kangaroo Valley vs Bellawongarah Kangaroo Valley vs Budgong
Full data on Wattamolla Full data on Kangaroo Valley
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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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