Wollongong - East

Wollongong - East lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Wollongong - East's population was around 18,201 as of November 2025. This showed an increase of 2,181 people from the 2021 Census figure of 16,020, reflecting a growth rate of 13.6%. The change was inferred from ABS estimates: Wollongong - East had an estimated resident population of 17,789 in June 2024 and gained 749 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density of 3,309 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessment. Wollongong - East's growth exceeded that of the SA3 area (4.0%) and non-metro areas, making it a regional growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, Wollongong - East is expected to grow exceptionally, placing it in the top 10 percent of Australian non-metropolitan areas by 2041. The latest annual ERP population numbers project a growth of 14,482 persons by 2041, reflecting an increase of 77.3% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Wollongong - East was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Wollongong - East has averaged approximately 320 new dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 1603 homes. As of FY26270 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.3 new residents settle annually for each dwelling constructed between FY21 and FY25. This balance suggests stable market conditions with an average construction cost value of $353,000 per dwelling.

In the current financial year, commercial approvals amount to $126.5 million, indicating high local commercial activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Wollongong - East records 235% more construction activity per person. Recent construction comprises 1% detached dwellings and 99% townhouses or apartments, favouring higher-density living options. With approximately 78 people per approval, Wollongong - East reflects a developing area with population forecasts indicating an increase of 14070 residents by 2041. If current development rates persist, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

Population forecasts indicate Wollongong - East will gain 14,070 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Wollongong - East has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 38 projects that could affect the area. Notable ones include WIN Grand, Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), 21 Auburn Street, Wollongong, and Wollongong to Coniston Rail Infrastructure Upgrade. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The labour market performance in Wollongong - East lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Wollongong - East has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 6.3% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.4%.

As of September 2025, 10,359 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.4% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation is at 60.1%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and accommodation & food. The area has a strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.8 times the regional level.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 0.1% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.3%. There are 1.4 workers for every resident, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 1.4%, while the labour force increased by 0.8%, causing a fall in unemployment rate of 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment contract by 0.5%, labour force fall by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Wollongong - East's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, assuming constant population projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

Wollongong - East SA2 had median taxpayer income of $53,439 and average income of $73,030 in financial year 2022. This compares to Rest of NSW's figures of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. By September 2025, estimates suggest median taxpayer income would be approximately $60,178 and average income $82,239, based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61%. In 2021 Census figures, personal income ranked at the 65th percentile ($892 weekly) and household income at the 40th percentile. Income analysis showed largest segment comprised 33.2% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (6,042 residents), consistent with broader metropolitan trends of 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 80.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 36th percentile. Wollongong - East SA2's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 7th decile.

Wollongong - East features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Wollongong - East's dwelling structure in its latest Census evaluation had 8.5% houses and 91.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro NSW, meanwhile, had 58.9% houses and 41.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Wollongong - East was at 25.8%, with the rest mortgaged at 18.0% or rented at 56.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,987, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $2,189. Wollongong - East's median weekly rent figure was $410, slightly higher than Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Wollongong - East's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,987 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were also higher at $410 versus the national figure of $375.

Wollongong - East features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 49.7% of all households, including 11.0% couples with children, 31.0% couples without children, and 6.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 50.3%, with lone person households at 39.4% and group households making up 10.9%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

The educational profile of Wollongong - East exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Wollongong - East is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. As of 2021, 41.3% of residents aged 15 years and above hold university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the Rest of NSW and 25.2% in the SA4 region. This area's educational advantage is evident with bachelor degrees being the most common at 26.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.2%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 30.0% of residents aged 15 years and above holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (10.4%) and certificates (19.6%).

Educational participation is notably high in this area, with 27.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the latest data available. This includes 14.4% in tertiary education, 3.6% in primary education, and 3.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Wollongong - East has 92 active public transport stops. These are a mix of train and bus stations. There are 77 individual routes servicing these stops, providing a total of 5,951 weekly passenger trips.

The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 114 meters. Across all routes, there are an average of 850 trips per day, which equates to approximately 64 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Wollongong - East is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Wollongong - East faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent among both younger and older age cohorts.

Approximately 56% (~10,192 people) of its total population has private health cover, which is very high compared to other areas. Mental health issues affect 10.0% of residents, while arthritis impacts 8.5%. However, 67.6% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW's 68.6%. The area has an 18.5% (3,374 people) aged population over 65 years old, performing favourably in health metrics compared to the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Wollongong - East was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Wollongong-East has a higher cultural diversity compared to most local markets, with 30.8% of its population born overseas and 24.4% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity is the dominant religion in Wollongong-East, comprising 45.8% of its population. Notably, Islam is overrepresented in Wollongong-East compared to Rest of NSW, making up 4.1% versus 2.5%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (24.5%), Australian (19.9%), and Other (11.7%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: Macedonian is overrepresented at 1.8% in Wollongong-East compared to the regional average of 1.5%, Serbian is equally represented at 0.8%, and Spanish is overrepresented at 0.8% versus the region's 0.5%.

Wollongong - East's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Wollongong-East has a median age of 35 years, which is notably lower than both the Rest of NSW average (43) and the Australian median (38). The 25-34 age cohort is significantly overrepresented in Wollongong-East at 27.9%, compared to the national average of 14.5%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group is underrepresented at 3.8%. According to the 2021 Census, the median age decreased by 1.4 years to 35 due to an increase in younger residents. Specifically, the 25-34 age group grew from 24.1% to 27.9%, while the 55-64 cohort declined from 12.0% to 10.6% and the 45-54 group dropped from 9.7% to 8.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Wollongong-East's age profile, with the 25-34 cohort expected to grow by 92%, adding 4,681 residents to reach a total of 9,754.