Located in New South Wales, Tongarra sits 113 km from Sydney CBD, around 1 hour 45 minutes by car. The suburb has 141 residents, a median age of 46, and a median household income of $158,132 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 31.8% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $350 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $3,100. Walkability is low.
This suburb is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 141. 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
Q4 2025Tongarra's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $950,000 in the December 2025 quarter, roughly 43% below where it sat a year earlier. That said, only two sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level. Zoom out: prices have fallen roughly 42% over the past decade — 5.4% per year on average.
$950,000
Based on only 2 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Rental Market
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $750/wk
- 51 bonds
- +38% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2527 (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 202581 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 37% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2527.
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 Tongarra safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Tongarra sits in the moderate band, with 4 incidents recorded in 2025 — down roughly 43% on the prior year.
4 offences
42.9% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20253 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
Schools
Walkability
Tongarra is very car-dependent on foot — at 10/100, nearly all errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Tongarra.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 45
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
Tongarra is home to 141 residents, with a median age of 46, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $158,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.1%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
141
Median Age
46
Median Household Income
$158,132/yr
Census Median Rent
$350/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$3,100/mo
Avg Household Size
3.1
Median Personal Income
$42,588/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.1%
Unoccupied Dwellings
23.3%
Total Dwellings
43
Owner-Occupier Rate
73.3%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
11.5%
Mortgage Stress
23.5%
Work From Home
21.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 84.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.7%
- Employment Rate
- 72.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 39.7%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
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
- Environmental 72%
- Rural and farming 27%
- 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: 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, 8.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Mittagong (Alfred Street), 26.5 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 138 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 15.1 km
- 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.
EV adoption
In postcode 2527, 162 of 22,269 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.7% (595 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.4%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2527, 5,633 rooftop-solar systems totalling 39.0 MW have been installed since 2001, against 9,370 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 488 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
Q4-2025 median5 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 2527.
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 $950,000 this is $350,000 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 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 Tongarra?
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 141 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.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Tongarra 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 Tongarra
Is Tongarra a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Tongarra is moderate (45/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Tongarra?
Tongarra has a low recorded bushfire history (13/100, 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 Tongarra?
Tongarra, NSW had a population of 141 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Tongarra, NSW?
The postcode for Tongarra, NSW is 2527.
How far is Tongarra from Sydney?
Tongarra is 113 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 103 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Tongarra?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Tongarra was $158,132 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 Tongarra?
There are too few current rental listings in Tongarra for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $350, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Tongarra?
The median age of residents in Tongarra was 46 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Tongarra at risk of bushfire?
Tongarra has a low recorded bushfire history (13/100). 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.
Is Tongarra walkable?
Tongarra scores 10/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very 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 Tongarra?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Tongarra (Albion Park South) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.1 µg/m³ and PM10 of 14.3 µg/m³. That puts Tongarra 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 Tongarra?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Tongarra, Mittagong (Alfred Street) (26.5 km away), 974 mm of rain a year over 97 rainy days over 2006-2026.
What is the median house price in Tongarra?
The median sale price for houses in Tongarra was $950,000 in the Q4 2025 quarter, based on a small sample of 2 sales — take as indicative.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Tongarra?
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 Tongarra belong to?
Tongarra sits within the Shellharbour local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Tongarra?
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 Tongarra?
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 Tongarra in?
Tongarra sits within the federal Division of Whitlam, currently held by Carol Berry (Australian Labor Party).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Q4 2025
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- 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.