Kiama NSW 2533
Located in New South Wales, Kiama sits 123 km from Sydney CBD, around 1 hour 45 minutes by car. The suburb has 7,904 residents, a median age of 52, and a median household income of $81,744 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 14.9% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $478 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,167. The area shows no recorded bushfire exposure. 3 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.
Is Kiama a good suburb?
Kiama scores a B (56/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on schools and prices.
Below the state average
3 schools · Bottom 18% in NSW
Very walkable
Walkability 84/100 · 123 km · 106 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $1.59M · Less affordable than 79% of NSW
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 59/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 9/10 · median age 52 · 7,904 residents
Liveability Rating
56 / 100 · Ranked #602 in NSWEach bar is Kiama's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Kiama?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
56 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataKiama's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $1.59 million, about 6% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,595,000
25% above its 3 neighbours (median $1,280,000)
Based on 121 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 33 days — median across 77 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 43 sales $1.23M
- 4 bed 53 sales $1.7M
- 5 bed 17 sales $1.77M
Units
$905,000
Based on 56 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 22 days — median across 26 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 11 sales $485K
- 2 bed 19 sales $800K
- 3 bed 25 sales $1.35M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Kiama are currently listed at around $1.68 million on average. Based on 49 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.68M
49 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$1.05M
24 units listed in the last 6 months.
73 of the suburb's 3,239 dwellings (2.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Kiama rent for around $850 a week on average, based on 25 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$850/wk
25 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$675/wk
25 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
50 rentals advertised against an estimated 777 rented homes (6.4%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $850/wk
- 23 bonds
- +32% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $600/wk
- 11 bonds
- +23% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2533 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202573 Severely unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 41% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2533.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$850/week ($44,000 a year) on a $1.68 million median
$675/week ($35,000 a year) on a $1.05 million median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Kiama safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Kiama sits in the moderate band, with 322 incidents recorded in 2025 — down roughly 24% on the prior year.
322 offences
23.9% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202514 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
The Council Of The Municipality Of Kiama has published 1 flood study on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 1.1 km
- Rate
- -0.22 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -11.5 m
- Certainty
- likely rocky coastline
Data Quality
Schools
Three schools serve Kiama, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 1,471 students across 3 schools (avg 490)
- • Sectors: 2 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1036-1104, median 1064 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Kiama High School (761 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Kiama is very walkable on foot — at 84/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 1 supermarket, 17 parks and 40 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Kiama.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 57.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 23.3 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 9.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 24.4 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 52 min wait
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Kiama.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 100%
- Premises covered
- 4,900
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Kiama: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 20 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 7 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Kiama is home to about 7,900 residents, with a median age of 52 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $82,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.8%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
7,904
Median Age
52
Median Household Income
$81,744/yr
Census Median Rent
$478/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,167/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$41,548/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.8%
Unoccupied Dwellings
19.4%
Total Dwellings
3,239
Owner-Occupier Rate
76.0%
Houses
55.4%
Rental Stress
30.4%
Mortgage Stress
31.8%
Work From Home
32.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
30 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 18 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 726 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 78.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 89.0%
- Employment Rate
- 47.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 46.1%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
145 residents (1.8%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
11.6% of residents (873) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (727).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 7,556 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
4% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (118 of 3,222).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 3,271 people work here; 3,222 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.0 per resident).
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,898 a year through Kiama based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 35%
- Residential 34%
- Environmental 11%
- Parks and recreation 10%
- Infrastructure and transport 6%
- Commercial 3%
- Zones under 1% 1%
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Kiama
In the year to August 2026, 159 new dwellings were approved across Kiama. That mix is 59 houses and 100 units. Approvals are down 34.6% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Illawarra Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 5.1 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 14.3 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.37 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Albion Park South monitoring station, 12.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Mittagong (Alfred Street), 43.5 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 87 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 986 m
- 976 m to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 974 mm
- 97 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
3 facilities within 5 km- 2.2 kmOther Construction Material MiningTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 2.4 kmOther Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and QuarryingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 2.9 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Total Phosphorus · Ammonia (total)
EV adoption
In postcode 2533, 194 of 13,739 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.0% (546 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.4%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2533, 3,504 rooftop-solar systems totalling 23.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,437 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 300 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
5 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 6 across postcode 2533.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $1,595,000 this is $995,000 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Fiona Phillips Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Fiona Phillips | 55.1% | 44.9% | +5.0 |
| 2022 | Fiona Phillips | 50.2% | 49.8% | +2.4 |
| 2019 | Fiona Phillips | 52.6% | 47.4% | -3.3 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Katelin McInerney Labor — elected at the Sep 2025 by-election, after the results below
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Gareth Ward IND | 50.8% |
| 2019 | Gareth Ward LP | 62.0% |
| 2015 | Gareth Ward LP | 58.7% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Kiama?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 7,904 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
- #2 in Best Wollongong suburbs to rent in
- #2 in Wollongong suburbs where seniors live
- #3 in Best Wollongong suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #3 in Highest-yielding Wollongong suburbs (units)
- #3 in Wollongong suburbs where the most homes are owned outright
- #4 in Wollongong suburbs with the most rooftop solar
- #4 in Wollongong suburbs with the best public transport
- #5 in The best coastal towns in New South Wales
- #5 in Wollongong suburbs with the highest EV adoption today
- #5 in Wollongong suburbs that suit young professionals
- #6 in The best beachside suburbs in Wollongong
- #6 in Wollongong suburbs that grew fastest, 2016-2021
- #7 in Wollongong suburbs that added the most residents, 2016-2021
- #8 in Most walkable suburbs in Wollongong
- #8 in Wollongong suburbs where the most residents moved from a capital city
- #10 in Wollongong suburbs with the most apartments
- #11 in Wollongong suburbs with the fastest EV adoption growth
- #11 in Wollongong suburbs where 2-bedroom unit rents rose most
- #12 in Wollongong's most educated suburbs
- #12 in Wollongong suburbs where 3-bedroom house rents rose most
- #14 in Where the Chinese community lives in Wollongong
- #15 in Wollongong suburbs with the best NBN connectivity
Nearby suburbs
Kiama Downs NSW 2533
Jamberoo NSW 2533
Kiama Heights NSW 2533
Bombo NSW 2533
Jerrara NSW 2533
Saddleback Mountain NSW 2533
Compare Kiama to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Kiama
Is Kiama a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Kiama is moderate (59/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Kiama?
Kiama has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Kiama a good place to live?
Kiama has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (56/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Kiama?
Kiama, NSW had a population of 7,904 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Kiama, NSW?
The postcode for Kiama, NSW is 2533.
How far is Kiama from Sydney?
Kiama is 123 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 106 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Kiama?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Kiama was $81,744 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Kiama?
The median advertised rent in Kiama is $850 a week for houses (25 listings) and $675 a week for units (25 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Kiama?
The median age of residents in Kiama was 52 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Kiama?
There are 3 schools inside the Kiama boundary: 3 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Kiama walkable?
Kiama scores 84/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Kiama?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Kiama (Albion Park South) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.1 µg/m³ and PM10 of 14.3 µg/m³. That puts Kiama below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Kiama?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Kiama, Mittagong (Alfred Street) (43.5 km away), 974 mm of rain a year over 97 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Kiama?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Kiama belong to?
Kiama sits within the Kiama local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Kiama?
The average residential rates bill through Kiama is $1,898 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Kiama?
Across Kiama, 159 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 34.6% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Kiama in?
Kiama sits within the federal Division of Gilmore, currently held by Fiona Phillips (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.