Woonona vs Bellambi

Bellambi is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 43 in Woonona. In Woonona, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Bellambi, about half of households rent. Houses cost more in Woonona: a median of $1.48 million, against $1.3 million in Bellambi, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Bellambi tends to suit renters.

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

Woonona

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 2)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 88/100)

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

First-home buyers

Bellambi

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($620,000 vs $830,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,300,000 vs $1,483,000)
  • But Woonona leaves households under less mortgage stress (28% vs 38%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Bellambi

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (55% vs 25%)
  • has cheaper rent ($252/wk vs $395/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Woonona

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 70/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (73.8 km vs 77.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Woonona

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 88/100)
  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 70/100)
  • But Bellambi has more units and townhouses to downsize into (48% vs 37%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Woonona Bellambi
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.

Woonona Bellambi
Walkability 79 / 70
Woonona — Walkability: 79/100 Bellambi — Walkability: 70/100
Safety 49 / 12
Woonona — Safety: 49/100 Bellambi — Safety: 12/100
Low fire risk 10 / 100
Woonona — Low fire risk: 10/100 Bellambi — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Woonona has more residents (12,374 vs 4,039); Woonona rents higher ($395/wk vs $252/wk).

Woonona Bellambi
Population 12,374
+67% vs other
 4,039
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.5% +2.3%
Median age 43 38
Median household income $94,432/yr
+35% vs other
 $61,516/yr
Median weekly rent $395/wk
+36% vs other
 $252/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Woonona Bellambi
0-4 5.3% / 6.5%
Woonona — 0-4: 5.3% Bellambi — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 13.3% / 11.6%
Woonona — 5-14: 13.3% Bellambi — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 6.2% / 5.8%
Woonona — 15-19: 6.2% Bellambi — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 4.8% / 6.4%
Woonona — 20-24: 4.8% Bellambi — 20-24: 6.4%
25-34 9.7% / 14.3%
Woonona — 25-34: 9.7% Bellambi — 25-34: 14.3%
35-44 13.2% / 12.3%
Woonona — 35-44: 13.2% Bellambi — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 13.9% / 12.4%
Woonona — 45-54: 13.9% Bellambi — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 12.1% / 13.1%
Woonona — 55-64: 12.1% Bellambi — 55-64: 13.1%
65-74 10.2% / 10.2%
Woonona — 65-74: 10.2% Bellambi — 65-74: 10.2%
75-84 7.2% / 5.6%
Woonona — 75-84: 7.2% Bellambi — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ 4.0% / 1.6%
Woonona — 85+: 4.0% Bellambi — 85+: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Woonona 36.4% lone person
Woonona — Lone Person: 36.4% Woonona — Couple Families: 44.6% Woonona — One Parent Families: 15.5% Woonona — Group Household: 2.6% Woonona — Other Families: 0.8%
Bellambi 41.5% lone person
Bellambi — Lone Person: 41.5% Bellambi — Couple Families: 26.7% Bellambi — One Parent Families: 25.8% Bellambi — Group Household: 4.0% Bellambi — Other Families: 2.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Woonona 25.3% renting
Woonona — Owned Outright: 38.1% Woonona — Mortgage: 36.6% Woonona — Renting: 25.3%
Bellambi 54.6% renting
Bellambi — Owned Outright: 20.4% Bellambi — Mortgage: 25.0% Bellambi — Renting: 54.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Woonona Bellambi
Certificate III & IV 15.1% / 16.9%
Woonona — Certificate III & IV: 15.1% Bellambi — Certificate III & IV: 16.9%
Bachelor Degree 13.4% / 8.8%
Woonona — Bachelor Degree: 13.4% Bellambi — Bachelor Degree: 8.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 6.8%
Woonona — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Bellambi — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8%
Postgraduate Degree 5.3% / 2.6%
Woonona — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3% Bellambi — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 1.4%
Woonona — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Bellambi — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

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.

Woonona Bellambi
England 4.3% / 4.0%
Woonona — England: 4.3% Bellambi — England: 4.0%
New Zealand 1.0% / 1.5%
Woonona — New Zealand: 1.0% Bellambi — New Zealand: 1.5%
Scotland 0.8% / 0.7%
Woonona — Scotland: 0.8% Bellambi — Scotland: 0.7%
Philippines 0.4% / 0.8%
Woonona — Philippines: 0.4% Bellambi — Philippines: 0.8%
South Africa 0.7% / 0.5%
Woonona — South Africa: 0.7% Bellambi — South Africa: 0.5%
Italy 0.6% / —
Woonona — Italy: 0.6% Bellambi — Italy: not among its largest
Vietnam — / 0.6%
Woonona — Vietnam: not among its largest Bellambi — Vietnam: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Woonona 63.2% houses
Woonona — Houses: 63.2% Woonona — Townhouses: 17.0% Woonona — Flats / Apartments: 19.8%
Bellambi 51.4% houses
Bellambi — Houses: 51.4% Bellambi — Townhouses: 38.4% Bellambi — Flats / Apartments: 10.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Woonona Bellambi
Median house price $1,483,000 $1,300,000
Median unit price $830,000 $620,000
Median land price $1,387,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 87 sales
 21 days
from 14 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Woonona Bellambi
2 bed $760K / $620K
Woonona — 2 bed: $760K (39 sales) Bellambi — 2 bed: $620K (31 sales)

39 vs 31 sales

3 bed $1.07M / $900K
Woonona — 3 bed: $1.07M (27 sales) Bellambi — 3 bed: $900K (5 sales)

27 vs 5 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.

Woonona Bellambi
2 bed $1.13M / $792K
Woonona — 2 bed: $1.13M (7 sales) Bellambi — 2 bed: $792K (6 sales)

7 vs 6 sales

3 bed $1.35M / $1.27M
Woonona — 3 bed: $1.35M (97 sales) Bellambi — 3 bed: $1.27M (22 sales)

97 vs 22 sales

4 bed $1.6M / $1.38M
Woonona — 4 bed: $1.6M (78 sales) Bellambi — 4 bed: $1.38M (8 sales)

78 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Woonona has more land zoned for conservation (31% vs 14%).

Woonona Bellambi
Residential 53% 48%
Environmental 31% 14%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 14%
Parks and recreation 9% 13%
Industrial 2% 7%
Commercial 1%
same for both
Planning zones cover 99% of Woonona and 97% of Bellambi. 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

Woonona Bellambi
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.

Woonona Bellambi
Houses 3.2%
$850/wk on $1.4M
 3.2%
$775/wk on $1.27M
Units 3.9%
$540/wk on $720K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Woonona Bellambi
House price Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
Income Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Schools Higher than 67% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 100% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 28% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 20% of NSW —

Liveability

Woonona scores higher overall (52 vs 40); Woonona is more walkable (79 vs 70).

Woonona Bellambi
Grade B C
Score 52/100 40/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Woonona carries more bushfire risk (90 vs 0); Bellambi carries more crime risk (88 vs 51).

Woonona Bellambi
Bushfire High
90/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
51/100
 High
88/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
22/100
 Low
28/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Woonona Bellambi
Inside the suburb 3 2
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 2
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
UOW Wollongong, 9.1 km
 1
UOW Wollongong, 7.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.1% 1.0%

Schools in Woonona

  • Woonona East Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Woonona High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Woonona Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Bellambi

  • Bellambi Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Holy Spirit College Catholic · Secondary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Woonona Bellambi
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 7 2
Parks & reserves 9 2
Childcare 5 3
GPs 3 2
Pharmacies 2 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Beaches 1
same for both
Waterways 14 1

Mobility

Bellambi sits further from the CBD (77.1 km vs 73.8 km).

Woonona Bellambi
Walkability score 79/100 70/100
Distance to Sydney 73.8 km 77.1 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 75 min 78 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 132.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 80.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 2517
 0.8%
postcode 2518
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 2517
 29
postcode 2518

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.

Woonona Bellambi
Car (driver) 55.0% / 61.4%
Woonona — Car (driver): 55.0% Bellambi — Car (driver): 61.4%
Worked from Home 38.2% / 27.3%
Woonona — Worked from Home: 38.2% Bellambi — Worked from Home: 27.3%
Car (passenger) 2.7% / 5.5%
Woonona — Car (passenger): 2.7% Bellambi — Car (passenger): 5.5%
Train 1.3% / 2.0%
Woonona — Train: 1.3% Bellambi — Train: 2.0%
Walked Only 1.4% / 1.6%
Woonona — Walked Only: 1.4% Bellambi — Walked Only: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.4%).

Setting

Woonona Bellambi
Elevation 27 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 9 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.8 km
1.8 km to a named beach
 610 m
674 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Woonona Bellambi
Connectivity score 82/100 100/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 65%
5,589 premises
 100%
1,989 premises

Climate

Woonona Bellambi
Annual rainfall 1,038 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Woonona Bellambi
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

Woonona Bellambi
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Wollongong
same for both

Federal electorate

Woonona Bellambi
Division Cunningham
same for both
Member Alison Byrnes
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Woonona Bellambi
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Woonona

Coastal Parks Regional Centre River

Bellambi

Beach Coastal Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Woonona

Woonona vs Bulli Woonona vs Russell Vale

Other comparisons with Bellambi

Bellambi vs Corrimal Bellambi vs East Corrimal Bellambi vs Russell Vale
Full data on Woonona Full data on Bellambi
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or