Wollongong - West

Wollongong - West has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Wollongong - West's population is around 17,940 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,389 people (8.4%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,551 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 17,352 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 180 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 3,169 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Wollongong - West's 8.4% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (4.5%) and the Rest of NSW, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 84.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering the projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase in the top quartile of Australia's non-metropolitan areas is forecast, with the area expected to increase by 6,000 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 30.2% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Wollongong - West recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Wollongong - West has recorded around 81 residential properties granted approval per year, totalling 408 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 9 approvals have been recorded. With an average of only 0.2 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts, while new homes are being built at an average value of $370,000. Additionally, $28.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

Compared to the Rest of NSW, Wollongong - West records 17.0% less building activity (per person) and ranks in the 49th percentile of areas assessed nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. New building activity consists of 20.0% standalone homes and 80.0% townhouses or apartments. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 48.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. The location has approximately 336 people per dwelling approval, indicating room for growth.

Looking ahead, Wollongong - West is expected to grow by 5,412 residents through to 2041 (based on 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 - West has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 28 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Wollongong Hospital Redevelopment - Planning and Equipment Upgrades, the Wollongong Health Precinct Strategy, the Kenny Street Mixed-Use Tower, and the Wollongong Hospital ED Short Stay Units, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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.

AreaSearch assessment indicates Wollongong - West faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Wollongong - West possesses a well-educated workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of 8.1%, and 0.5% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 9,338 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 4.2% above Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%, showing room for improvement, and workforce participation is well beyond standard (67.7% compared to Regional NSW's 61.3%). Based on Census responses, a high 32.6% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Meanwhile, agriculture, forestry & fishing has a limited presence with 0.3% employment compared to 5.3% regionally. While local employment opportunities exist in the area, it appears many residents commute elsewhere for work, based on the count of the Census working population relative to the local population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.5% and the labour force increased by 0.6%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. By comparison, Regional NSW recorded an employment decline of 1.2%, a labour force decline of 0.8%, with unemployment rising 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Wollongong - West. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Wollongong - West's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Wollongong - West SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $48,797 with the average level standing at $63,234. This is lower than average on a national basis and compares to levels of $52,390 and $65,215 across Regional NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $53,120 (median) and $68,837 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank modestly in Wollongong - West, between the 39th and 41st percentiles. Distribution data shows the predominant cohort spans 31.0% of locals (5,561 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 29.9% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 81.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 39th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

Wollongong - West displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Dwelling structure within Wollongong - West, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 47.8% houses and 52.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Wollongong - West was lagging that of Regional NSW, at 26.7%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (25.6%) or rented (47.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Regional NSW average at $2,000, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $380, compared to Regional NSW's $1,733 and $330. Nationally, Wollongong - West's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are exceeding the national figure of $375.

Wollongong - West features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households dominate at 59.6% of all households, comprising 24.4% couples with children, 23.9% couples without children, and 9.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 40.4%, with lone person households at 29.8% and group households comprising 10.6% of the total. The median household size of 2.4 people matches the Regional NSW average.

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

Educational attainment in Wollongong - West significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 36.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 21.3% in Rest of NSW and 25.2% in SA4 region. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 23.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 29.8% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (9.7%) and certificates (20.1%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 34.0% of residents residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.0% in tertiary education, 7.4% in primary education, and 6.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 138 active transport stops operating within Wollongong - West, comprising a mix of trains and buses. These stops are serviced by 61 individual routes, collectively providing 5,520 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 139 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 81%, with 8% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.1 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. A high 32.6% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 788 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 40 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Wollongong - West's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Health data indicates relatively positive outcomes for Wollongong - West residents. AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and health conditions shows results broadly in line with national benchmarks, with the prevalence of common health conditions remaining low among the general population, though higher than the national average across older, at-risk cohorts. The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~9,059 people), compared to the national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 10.2% and 7.2% of residents, respectively, while 69.5% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 13.5% of residents aged 65 and over (2,423 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW, ranking lower nationally than the broader population.

Wollongong - West was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Wollongong - West was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 32.4% of its population born overseas and 30.2% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Wollongong - West is Christianity, which makes up 49.2% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Islam, which comprises 4.6% of the population, compared to 0.8% across Regional NSW.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Wollongong - West are English, comprising 22.0% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 30.5%, Australian, comprising 21.0% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 30.0%, and Other, comprising 12.3% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 4.8%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Macedonian is notably overrepresented at 4.2% of Wollongong - West (vs 0.4% regionally), Serbian at 2.2% (vs 0.2%) and Croatian at 1.0% (vs 0.3%).

Wollongong - West hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

The 33-year median age in Wollongong - West is considerably lower than Regional NSW's average of 43 and similarly substantially under the 38-year national average. Compared to the Regional NSW average, the 25 - 34 cohort is notably over-represented (23.2% locally), while 65 - 74 year-olds are under-represented (7.1%). This 25 - 34 concentration is well above the national 14.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows the area has become younger, with the median age dropping 1.2 years to 33 from 34. Notable shifts include the 25 to 34 age group growing from 19.0% to 23.2% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 11.7% to 9.8% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 9.5% to 8.4%. By 2041, Wollongong - West is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. Leading the demographic shift, the 25 to 34 group will grow by 49% (2,020 people), reaching 6,184 from 4,163. In contrast, the 75 to 84 cohort shows minimal growth of just 7% (59 people).