North Nowra - Bomaderry
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in North Nowra - Bomaderry reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

North Nowra - Bomaderry's population is around 17,137 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,039 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,098 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 16,418 in June 2024 and an additional 713 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 171 persons per square kilometer. North Nowra - Bomaderry's growth rate of 6.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (3.7%) and the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 64.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics anticipate a growth of 1,884 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, with an increase of 6.7% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions North Nowra - Bomaderry among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

North Nowra - Bomaderry averaged approximately 119 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years (FY-21 to FY-25), with a total of 595 homes approved during this period. In the current financial year (FY-26), up until now, 159 dwellings have been approved. The average number of new residents per year per dwelling constructed over these five years was 0.4.

This suggests that supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing increased buyer choice and supporting potential population growth beyond projections. The average value of new dwellings developed was $408,000, which is moderately higher than regional levels, indicating a focus on quality construction. There have been $50.6 million in commercial approvals this financial year, reflecting strong local business investment. Compared to the Rest of NSW, North Nowra - Bomaderry has similar development levels per capita, maintaining market equilibrium with surrounding areas. Recent construction comprises 47.0% detached houses and 53.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a shift from the current housing mix of 86.0% houses.

This trend towards denser development offers accessible entry options for downsizers, investors, and first-time buyers. North Nowra - Bomaderry reflects an area with approximately 80 people per approval, indicating ongoing development. Future projections suggest that by 2041, North Nowra - Bomaderry will add around 1,153 residents. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond existing projections.

North Nowra - Bomaderry has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified 19 projects that could impact the area's performance due to changes in local infrastructure. Notable projects include the Bomaderry High School Upgrade, Landcom Bomaderry Build-to-Rent Apartments, SCaRP - Bomaderry Sporting Complex Redevelopment, and The Yards, Bomaderry.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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AreaSearch analysis places North Nowra - Bomaderry well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

North Nowra - Bomaderry has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 2.2% as of June 2025. Over the past year, there was an estimated employment growth of 3.1%.

The area has 7,220 residents in work while its unemployment rate is 1.4% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation is broadly similar to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries among residents are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and public administration & safety. The area shows strong specialization in public administration & safety with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 1.7% versus the regional average of 5.3%. Employment opportunities appear limited locally based on Census working population vs resident population comparison. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 3.1%, labour force grew by 2.6%, resulting in a unemployment fall of 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.1%, labour force grew by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to North Nowra - Bomaderry's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.5% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that North Nowra - Bomaderry has an income below the national average. The median income is $47,169 and the average income stands at $57,766. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $49,459 and the average income is $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for North Nowra - Bomaderry would be approximately $53,117 (median) and $65,050 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data indicates that household, family and personal incomes in North Nowra - Bomaderry all fall between the 24th and 25th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 30.0% of the population (5,141 individuals) falls within the $1,500 - 2,999 income range, reflecting patterns seen in the region where 29.9% similarly occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe with only 83.5% of income remaining, ranking at the 25th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

North Nowra - Bomaderry is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in North Nowra - Bomaderry, as per the latest Census, consisted of 86.4% houses and 13.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 87.8% houses and 12.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in North Nowra - Bomaderry was at 40.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.7% and rented dwellings at 28.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, aligning with Non-Metro NSW's average. The median weekly rent was $346, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $350. Nationally, North Nowra - Bomaderry's median monthly mortgage repayments were lower at $1,733 than the Australian average of $1,863, and median weekly rents were also lower at $346 compared to the national figure of $375.

North Nowra - Bomaderry has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 69.4% of all households, including 25.6% that are couples with children, 30.2% that are couples without children, and 12.6% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 30.6%, with lone person households at 27.7% and group households comprising 2.9%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

Educational outcomes in North Nowra - Bomaderry fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 20.3%, substantially lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 13.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 42.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 11.7% and certificates at 30.6%. Educational participation is high, with 27.1% currently enrolled in formal education: 10.0% in primary, 7.5% in secondary, and 2.8% in tertiary.

North Nowra has a robust network of 8 schools educating approximately 3,296 students. It functions as an education hub with 19.2 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 12.8. The area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 961) with balanced educational opportunities.

Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

The analysis of public transport in North Nowra - Bomaderry shows that there are currently 259 active transport stops operating in the area. These stops offer a mix of train and bus services, with a total of 56 individual routes running through them. Together, these routes facilitate 3,484 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of public transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 145 meters away from their nearest transport stop. On average, there are 497 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 13 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in North Nowra - Bomaderry is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

North Nowra - Bomaderry faces significant health challenges, as indicated by its health data. Both younger and older age groups have notable prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 49% of the total population (~8,379 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.0%) and mental health issues (10.1%). A higher proportion of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments at 60.8%, compared to 59.4% across Rest of NSW. The area has a lower percentage of residents aged 65 and over, at 23.1% (3,967 people), than the 27.8% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

North Nowra - Bomaderry ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

North Nowra-Bomaderry was found to have a cultural diversity index below the average, with 85.4% of its population born in Australia, 90.4% being citizens, and 94.5% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in North Nowra-Bomaderry is Christianity, accounting for 52.1% of the population, compared to 52.6% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups in North Nowra-Bomaderry are English (32.1%), Australian (30.4%), and Irish (8.2%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation is higher at 4.7% compared to the regional average of 4.4%, while Welsh and Hungarian representations are also notable at 0.6% and 0.3% respectively, compared to their respective regional averages of 0.6% and 0.2%.

North Nowra - Bomaderry hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

North Nowra - Bomaderry has a median age of 43, which is equal to that of Rest of NSW and higher than the national average of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 are particularly prominent at 12.3%, while the 55-64 group is smaller at 11.8% compared to Rest of NSW. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15-24 age group has grown from 10.5% to 11.5%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort has declined from 13.4% to 11.8%, and the 65-74 group has dropped from 13.3% to 12.3%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in North Nowra - Bomaderry's age structure. The 25-34 group is expected to grow by 25%, reaching 2,646 people from the current 2,112. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 55-64 and 15-24 cohorts.