Woonona NSW 2517
Woonona is a suburb in New South Wales, 74 km from Sydney CBD, around 1 hour 15 minutes by car. Population is 12,374; the median age is 43 and the median household income is $94,432 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 40% nationally. Population grew 1.5% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $395 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,200. The area shows high bushfire risk. Of 3 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Woonona a good suburb?
Woonona scores a B (52/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on safety.
Mixed results
3 schools · 1 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 79/100 · 73.8 km · 75 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $1.48M
High bushfire risk
Fire 90/100 · Crime 51/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 8/10 · median age 43 · 12,374 residents
Liveability Rating
52 / 100 · Ranked #694 in NSWEach bar is Woonona'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 Woonona?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
52 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataWoonona's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.48 million, about 7% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,483,000
14% below its 3 neighbours (median $1,730,000)
Based on 220 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 30 days — median across 87 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 7 sales $1.13M
- 3 bed 97 sales $1.35M
- 4 bed 78 sales $1.6M
- 5 bed 12 sales $1.84M
Units
$830,000
Based on 77 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 29 days — median across 29 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 7 sales $567K
- 2 bed 39 sales $760K
- 3 bed 27 sales $1.07M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Woonona are currently listed at around $1.4 million on average. Based on 39 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.4M
39 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$720K
9 units listed in the last 6 months.
48 of the suburb's 4,636 dwellings (1.0%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Woonona rent for around $850 a week on average, based on 28 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$850/wk
28 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$540/wk
11 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
39 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,173 rented homes (3.3%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $825/wk
- 17 bonds
- +25% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2517 (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 2517.
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 $1.4 million median
$540/week ($28,000 a year) on a $720,000 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 Woonona safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Woonona sits in the moderate band, with 419 incidents recorded in 2025 — up about 6% on the prior year.
419 offences
5.5% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202513 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
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
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 1.8 km
- Rate
- -0.06 m/yr
- Net Movement
- 7.8 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Three schools serve Woonona, and performance is broadly at peer-suburb levels with one standout. Woonona East Public School leads the pack.
- • 1,486 students across 3 schools (avg 495)
- • ICSEA 1030-1070, median 1037 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Woonona High School (767 students)
Primary
Secondary
Universities nearby
2.1% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Woonona is very walkable on foot — at 79/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 1 supermarket, 9 parks and 7 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Woonona.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 132.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 79.3 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 55.3 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 22.3 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 Woonona.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 65%
- Premises covered
- 5,589
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
The ABS scores 31 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 9 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Woonona is home to about 12,400 residents, with a median age of 43, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $94,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
12,374
Median Age
43
Median Household Income
$94,432/yr
Census Median Rent
$395/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,200/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$40,976/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
5.7%
Total Dwellings
4,636
Owner-Occupier Rate
74.7%
Houses
63.2%
Rental Stress
21.8%
Mortgage Stress
28.0%
Work From Home
38.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
350 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 27 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,143 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 82.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 89.9%
- Employment Rate
- 55.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 41.5%
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.
122 residents (1.0%) 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.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
8.3% of residents (972) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Sydney (882).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 11,720 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
7% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (389 of 5,615).
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 2,363 people work here; 5,615 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.4 jobs per working resident. At least 56% 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 $1,751 a year through Wollongong based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 53%
- Environmental 31%
- Parks and recreation 9%
- Infrastructure and transport 4%
- Industrial 2%
- Commercial 1%
- 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, 8.0 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Lucas Heights (Ansto), 33.5 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 27 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 1.8 km
- 1.8 km 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 3.5 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
EV adoption
In postcode 2517, 115 of 9,684 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.1% (299 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.3%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2517, 1,997 rooftop-solar systems totalling 12.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 5,497 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 159 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
6 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
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 $1,483,000 this is $883,000 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 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 Ryan Park Labor
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ryan Park ALP | 74.2% |
| 2019 | Ryan Park ALP | 69.8% |
| 2015 | Ryan Park ALP | 67.4% |
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 Woonona?
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 12,374 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 for good public primary schools
- #3 in Wollongong suburbs where 2-bedroom unit rents rose most
- #8 in Wollongong suburbs with the fastest EV adoption growth
- #9 in Wollongong suburbs with the highest EV adoption today
- #10 in Wollongong suburbs with the largest non-religious population
- #11 in Wollongong suburbs with the most apartments
- #11 in Wollongong suburbs where seniors live
- #11 in Wollongong suburbs with the most rooftop solar
- #12 in Wollongong suburbs with the best public transport
- #12 in Wollongong suburbs that suit young professionals
- #14 in Where the Lebanese community lives in Wollongong
- #14 in Wollongong's most educated suburbs
Nearby suburbs
Compare Woonona to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Woonona
Is Woonona a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Woonona is moderate (51/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Woonona?
Woonona has a high recorded bushfire history (90/100, 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.
Is Woonona a good place to live?
Woonona has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (52/100), 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 Woonona?
Woonona, NSW had a population of 12,374 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Woonona, NSW?
The postcode for Woonona, NSW is 2517.
How far is Woonona from Sydney?
Woonona is 74 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 75 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Woonona?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Woonona was $94,432 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 Woonona?
The median advertised rent in Woonona is $850 a week for houses (28 listings) and $540 a week for units (11 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Woonona?
The median age of residents in Woonona was 43 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Woonona at risk of bushfire?
Woonona has a high recorded bushfire history (90/100). 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 Woonona?
There are 3 schools inside the Woonona boundary: 1 above and 2 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Woonona walkable?
Woonona scores 79/100 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 Woonona?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Woonona (Wollongong) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.2 µg/m³ and PM10 of 18.2 µg/m³. That puts Woonona 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 Woonona?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Woonona, Lucas Heights (Ansto) (33.5 km away), 1,038 mm of rain a year over 89 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Woonona?
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 Woonona belong to?
Woonona sits within the Wollongong local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Woonona?
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 Woonona?
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 Woonona in?
Woonona 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.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.