Located in New South Wales, Shellharbour sits 104 km from Sydney CBD, around 1 hour 40 minutes by car. The suburb has 3,520 residents, a median age of 46, and a median household income of $82,992 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the middle range nationally. The suburb fell 1.2% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $420 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,167. Shellharbour is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. 3 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is moderate.
Is Shellharbour a good suburb?
Shellharbour scores a C (46/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, weaker on schools and safety.
Below the state average
3 schools · Bottom 18% in NSW
Very walkable
Walkability 65/100 · 103.8 km · 98 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $1.35M
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 71/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 6/10 · median age 46 · 3,520 residents
Liveability Rating
46 / 100 · Ranked #854 in NSWEach bar is Shellharbour'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 Shellharbour?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
46 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataShellharbour's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.35 million, about 9% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,350,000
19% above its 5 neighbours (median $1,135,000)
Based on 35 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 27 days — median across 19 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 17 sales $1.15M
- 4 bed 10 sales $1.47M
Units
$775,000
Based on 25 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 24 days — median across 6 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 17 sales $780K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Shellharbour are currently listed at around $1.3 million on average. Based on 12 houses listed in the past six months.
$1.3M
12 houses listed in the last 6 months.
14 of the suburb's 1,379 dwellings (1.0%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Shellharbour rent for around $860 a week on average, based on 4 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$860/wk
4 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$560/wk
4 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
8 rentals advertised against an estimated 463 rented homes (1.7%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $780/wk
- 66 bonds
- +35% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $680/wk
- 25 bonds
- +40% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2529 (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 2529.
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$860/week ($45,000 a year) on a $1.3 million median
Based on a small sample (4 listings) — indicative only.
Not enough unit sales and rentals in the window to calculate a yield.
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 Shellharbour safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Shellharbour sits in the high band, with 209 incidents recorded in 2025 — down about 5% on the prior year.
209 offences
5.0% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20257 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
Shellharbour City Council has published 9 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
- Horsley Creek Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2025
- Elliott Lake Little Lake FRMSP Update 2025
- Macquarie Rivulet Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2024 2024
- Lake Illawarra, Mt Warrigal and Oak Flats Flood Study 2019
- Elliot Lake and Little Lake Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2016
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 601 m
- Rate
- -0.10 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -7.9 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Three schools serve Shellharbour, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 773 students across 2 schools (avg 386)
- • Sectors: 1 Independent, 1 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 999-1050, median 1024 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Stella Maris Catholic Primary School (405 students)
Primary
Combined
Walkability
Shellharbour is somewhat walkable on foot — at 65/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Shellharbour.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 100.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 55.7 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 31.9 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 18.1 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 Shellharbour.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 44%
- Premises covered
- 1,767
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
Shellharbour: 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 7 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Shellharbour is home to about 3,500 residents, with a median age of 46, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $83,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.8%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
3,520
Median Age
46
Median Household Income
$82,992/yr
Census Median Rent
$420/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,167/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$38,532/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.8%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.3%
Total Dwellings
1,379
Owner-Occupier Rate
66.4%
Houses
68.4%
Rental Stress
26.3%
Mortgage Stress
31.3%
Work From Home
25.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
81 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 42 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 451 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 81.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.5%
- Employment Rate
- 55.2%
- Completed Year 12
- 35.7%
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.
16 residents (0.5%) 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.
6.7% of residents (225) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (175).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 3,365 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
2% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (32 of 1,649).
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 1,328 people work here; 1,649 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (0.8 per resident). At least 10% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
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 $1,788 a year through Shellharbour based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 47%
- Parks and recreation 31%
- Infrastructure and transport 12%
- Environmental 5%
- Commercial 3%
- Not zoned 2%
Planning zones cover 98% 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: Shellharbour
In the year to August 2026, 883 new dwellings were approved across Shellharbour. That mix is 479 houses and 404 units. Approvals are up 25.2% 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, 7.4 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Mittagong (Alfred Street), 40.0 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 5 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 609 m
- 941 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
5 facilities within 5 km- 0.9 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
- 2.2 kmGravel and Sand QuarryingTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 3.7 kmWaste Treatment and Disposal ServicesTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 4.6 kmOther Construction Material MiningTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 5.0 kmGravel and Sand QuarryingTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
EV adoption
In postcode 2529, 214 of 23,363 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.3% (782 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.3%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2529, 4,892 rooftop-solar systems totalling 33.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 10,788 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 334 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
4 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 12 across postcode 2529.
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 $1,350,000 this is $750,000 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 Carol Berry Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Carol Berry | 56.2% | 43.8% | -2.1 |
| 2022 | Stephen Jones | 60.1% | 39.9% | +0.8 |
| 2019 | Stephen Jones | 60.9% | 39.1% | +39.1 |
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 Anna Watson Labor
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Anna Watson ALP | 67.1% |
| 2019 | Anna Watson ALP | 68.3% |
| 2015 | Anna Watson ALP | 67.0% |
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 Shellharbour?
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 3,520 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.
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Common questions about Shellharbour
Is Shellharbour a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Shellharbour is high (71/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Shellharbour?
Shellharbour has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Shellharbour a good place to live?
Shellharbour has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (46/100), 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 Shellharbour?
Shellharbour, NSW had a population of 3,520 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Shellharbour, NSW?
The postcode for Shellharbour, NSW is 2529.
How far is Shellharbour from Sydney?
Shellharbour is 104 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 98 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Shellharbour?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Shellharbour was $82,992 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 Shellharbour?
The median advertised rent in Shellharbour is $860 a week for houses (4 listings) and $560 a week for units (4 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Shellharbour?
The median age of residents in Shellharbour was 46 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Shellharbour?
There are 3 schools inside the Shellharbour boundary: 2 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Shellharbour walkable?
Shellharbour scores 65/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat 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 Shellharbour?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Shellharbour (Albion Park South) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.1 µg/m³ and PM10 of 14.3 µg/m³. That puts Shellharbour 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 Shellharbour?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Shellharbour, Mittagong (Alfred Street) (40 km away), 974 mm of rain a year over 97 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Shellharbour?
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 Shellharbour belong to?
Shellharbour sits within the Shellharbour local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Shellharbour?
The average residential rates bill through Shellharbour is $1,788 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Shellharbour?
Across Shellharbour, 883 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 25.2% 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 Shellharbour in?
Shellharbour sits within the federal Division of Whitlam, currently held by Carol Berry (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.