Wollongong - West
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Wollongong - West's population was around 17,423 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 872 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 16,551 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 17,352 in June 2024 and an additional 157 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population resulted in a density ratio of 3,078 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Wollongong - West's growth of 5.3% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (4.0%) and the non-metro area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 84.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 were utilised, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations were applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest population numbers, a significant increase is forecasted for Wollongong - West in the top quartile of regional areas across the nation, with an expected growth of 6,000 persons by 2041, recording a gain of 34.0% 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 seen approximately 81 new homes approved annually. Between FY21 and FY25408 homes were approved, with an additional 4 approved so far in FY26. Over these years, on average, only 0.2 people moved to the area per dwelling built.

This suggests that new supply has kept pace with or exceeded demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost of new properties is $370,000. In FY26, commercial development approvals totalled $28.3 million, indicating high local commercial activity. Comparatively, Wollongong - West has 17.0% less new development per person than the Rest of NSW and ranks at the 49th percentile nationally. This results in relatively constrained buyer choice, supporting interest in existing dwellings.

New building activity consists of 20.0% detached houses and 80.0% medium to high-density housing. This shift from the area's current 48.0% houses indicates decreasing availability of developable sites and reflects changing lifestyles and demand for affordable housing options. With around 336 people per dwelling approval, Wollongong - West is characterized as a low density area. Population forecasts project an increase of 5,929 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

AreaSearch has identified 28 projects that could impact the area, with key ones including Wollongong Hospital Redevelopment - Planning and Equipment Upgrades, Wollongong Health Precinct Strategy, Wollongong Hospital ED Short Stay Units, and Kenny Street Mixed-Use Tower. The following list details those most likely to be 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.

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

Wollongong-West has a well-educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate as of June 2025 was 7.2%.

Over the past year, there was an estimated employment growth of 0.7%. As of June 2025, 9,190 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 3.6% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%, indicating potential improvement areas. Workforce participation was at 60.9%, slightly higher than Rest of NSW's 56.4%.

Leading employment industries among residents included health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade, while agriculture, forestry & fishing had lower representation at 0.3% compared to the regional average of 5.3%. Employment opportunities exist locally but many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 0.7%, labour force grew by 0.5%, leading to a slight decrease in unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.1% with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly between industries. Applying these projections to Wollongong-West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for local population changes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows income in Wollongong - West is below the national average. The median income is $45,231 while the average stands at $61,814. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $49,459 and the average is $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Wollongong - West would be approximately $50,935 (median) and $69,609 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Wollongong - West rank modestly between the 39th and 41st percentiles. Income brackets indicate that the largest segment comprises 31.0% earning $1,500-$2,999 weekly (5,401 residents), aligning with the surrounding region where this cohort likewise represents 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Wollongong - West, with only 81.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 39th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

In Wollongong - West, as per the latest Census, 47.8% of dwellings were houses while 52.2% consisted of other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Non-Metro NSW where 58.9% of dwellings were houses and 41.1% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Wollongong - West stood at 26.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.6% and rented ones at 47.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $2,189. Median weekly rent in Wollongong - West was $380, compared to $400 in Non-Metro NSW. Nationally, Wollongong - West's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,000 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were also higher at $380 compared to the national figure of $375.

Wollongong - West features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 59.6% of all households, including 24.4% couples with children, 23.9% couples without children, and 9.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 40.4%, with lone person households at 29.8% and group households comprising 10.6%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

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

Educational attainment in Wollongong - West is notably higher than broader benchmarks. As of 2016, 36.9% of residents aged 15 and above held university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 25.2% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees were the most common at 23.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials were also prominent, with 29.8% of residents holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (9.7%) and certificates (20.1%).

Educational participation was high, with 34.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of 2016. This included 13.0% in tertiary education, 7.4% in primary education, and 6.1% pursuing secondary education. As of 2020, a robust network of 9 schools operated within Wollongong - West, educating approximately 2,407 students. The area demonstrated above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1057. The educational mix included 6 primary and 3 K-12 schools.

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

Wollongong-West has 127 active public transport stops. These are served by 61 routes offering a total of 5441 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 139 meters.

On average, there are 777 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 42 weekly trips per individual stop.

Wollongong - West's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Wollongong - West residents show relatively positive health outcomes, with standard common health conditions seen across both young and old age groups. Approximately 51% (~8,816 people) have private health cover, compared to 56.6% across Rest of NSW.

Mental health issues affect 10.2% of residents, while arthritis impacts 7.2%. About 69.5% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 68.6% in Rest of NSW. The area has 13.6% (2,369 people) aged 65 and over, lower than the 17.7% in Rest of NSW. This aligns with the general population's health profile.

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 has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 32.4% of its population born overseas and 30.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Wollongong-West, accounting for 49.2% of the population. However, Islam is notably overrepresented, comprising 4.6% compared to the regional average of 2.5%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (22.0%), Australian (21.0%), and Other (12.3%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: Macedonian at 4.2% versus the regional 1.5%, Serbian at 2.2% versus 0.8%, and Croatian at 1.0% versus 0.7%.

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

The median age in Wollongong-West is 33 years, considerably lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 and substantially under the national average of 38. Compared to Rest of NSW, the 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented at 22.3% locally, while the 65-74 age group is under-represented at 7.0%. This concentration of the 25-34 age group is well above the national average of 14.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 19.0% to 22.3%, while the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 11.7% to 10.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Wollongong-West, with the 25-34 age group expected to grow by 59% (2,296 people), reaching 6,184 from 3,887.