Scarborough sits 66 km from Sydney CBD in New South Wales, around 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Census data records 325 residents with a median age of 41 and a median household income of $133,692 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 5.5% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $575 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,500. The area shows high bushfire risk. 1 school sits within the suburb boundary, and walkability is moderate.
This suburb is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 325. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
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Median House Price
Public listings dataScarborough's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $2.25 million, roughly 48% above where it sat a year earlier. That said, only nine sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.
$2,250,000
Based on only 9 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 52 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
Rental Market
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $1,100/wk
- 11 bonds
- +32% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $675/wk
- 10 bonds
- +28% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2515 (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 202569 Severely unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 43% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2515.
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.
Is Scarborough safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Scarborough sits in the low band, with 8 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 14% on the prior year.
8 offences
14.3% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Scarborough killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2021–2025.
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
Wollongong City Council has published 22 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
- Hewitts Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan July 2026 2026
- Collins Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study & Plan 2025
- Fairy & Cabbage Tree Creeks FRMS&P 2024 2024
- Allans Creek Flood Study & Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2024 2024
- Towradgi Creek Flood Study, Floodplain Risk Management Study & Plan 2023 2023
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2024Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 491 m
- Rate
- -0.15 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -3.0 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
One school serve Scarborough, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 54 students in one school (avg 54)
Primary
Walkability
Scarborough is car-dependent on foot — at 41/100, most errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Scarborough.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 16.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 11.2 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 4.2 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 21.8 hours
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 Scarborough.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 36%
- Premises covered
- 130
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
Wollongong: 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
Scarborough is home to 325 residents, with a median age of 41, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $134,000 a year, with unemployment at 2.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
325
Median Age
41
Median Household Income
$133,692/yr
Census Median Rent
$575/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,500/mo
Avg Household Size
3.1
Median Personal Income
$49,556/yr
Unemployment Rate
2.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
19.8%
Total Dwellings
96
Owner-Occupier Rate
81.6%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
22.4%
Mortgage Stress
22.4%
Work From Home
57.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 81.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 93.5%
- Employment Rate
- 60.2%
- Completed Year 12
- 44.3%
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.
0 residents (0.0%) 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.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
9% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (13 of 150).
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.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,751 a year through Wollongong based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 82%
- Parks and recreation 8%
- Infrastructure and transport 7%
- Residential 3%
- Not zoned 1%
Planning zones cover 99% of the suburb's area. 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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Wollongong
In the year to August 2026, 1,476 new dwellings were approved across Wollongong. That mix is 422 houses and 1,054 units. Approvals are down 31.3% 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 6.2 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 18.2 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.66 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 2 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 2.
From the Wollongong monitoring station, 17.8 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Lucas Heights (Ansto), 24.1 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 150 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 483 m
- 712 m to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 1,038 mm
- 89 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.
EV adoption
In postcode 2515, 231 of 8,223 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.2% (349 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 7.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2515, 2,130 rooftop-solar systems totalling 13.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 4,572 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 189 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
10 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 2515.
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 $2,250,000 this is $1,650,000 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 2026-10-27 — 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 Alison Byrnes Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Alison Byrnes | 67.5% | 32.5% | +2.5 |
| 2022 | Alison Byrnes | 64.7% | 35.3% | -1.3 |
| 2019 | Sharon Bird | 63.4% | 36.6% | -0.1 |
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 Maryanne Stuart Labor
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Maryanne Stuart ALP | 60.0% |
| 2019 | Lee Evans LP | 55.0% |
| 2015 | Lee Evans LP | 57.6% |
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 Scarborough?
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 325 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.
Compare Scarborough 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 Scarborough
Is Scarborough a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Scarborough is low (35/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Scarborough?
Scarborough has a high recorded bushfire history (95/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Scarborough?
Scarborough, NSW had a population of 325 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Scarborough, NSW?
The postcode for Scarborough, NSW is 2515.
How far is Scarborough from Sydney?
Scarborough is 66 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 76 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Scarborough?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Scarborough was $133,692 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 Scarborough?
There are too few current rental listings in Scarborough for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $575, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Scarborough?
The median age of residents in Scarborough was 41 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Scarborough at risk of bushfire?
Scarborough has a high recorded bushfire history (95/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Scarborough?
There is 1 school inside the Scarborough boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Scarborough walkable?
Scarborough scores 41/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. 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 Scarborough?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Scarborough (Wollongong) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.2 µg/m³ and PM10 of 18.2 µg/m³. That puts Scarborough 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 Scarborough?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Scarborough, Lucas Heights (Ansto) (24.1 km away), 1,038 mm of rain a year over 89 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Scarborough?
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 Scarborough belong to?
Scarborough sits within the Wollongong local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Scarborough?
The average residential rates bill through Wollongong is $1,751 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Scarborough?
Across Wollongong, 1,476 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 31.3% 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 Scarborough in?
Scarborough sits within the federal Division of Cunningham, currently held by Alison Byrnes (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.
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