North Nowra

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

The population of North Nowra is estimated at around 6,003 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 147 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,856 people. The latest estimate from AreaSearch, following examination of the ABS's ERP data release in June 2024 and validation of new addresses, is 5,915 residents. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 586 persons per square kilometer. North Nowra's growth rate since the census, at 2.5%, is within 2.3 percentage points of the SA4 region's growth rate of 4.8%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 64.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. These projections indicate an above median population growth for non-metropolitan areas, with North Nowra expected to grow by 780 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 12.6% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in North Nowra according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

North Nowra has recorded approximately 15 residential properties granted approval per year over the past five financial years ending June 2025. This totals an estimated 75 homes. By July 2026, 18 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.2 people moved to North Nowra for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25.

Commercial approvals registered in the current financial year amount to $5.4 million. Compared to Rest of NSW, North Nowra has lower building activity, with 64.0% fewer approvals per person. New development consists of 47.0% detached houses and 53.0% medium and high-density housing. Population forecasts indicate North Nowra will gain 756 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth.

Population forecasts indicate North Nowra will gain 756 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.

North Nowra has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

A total of 13 projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include Landcom Bomaderry Build-to-Rent Apartments, The Yards, Bomaderry, Bomaderry High School Upgrade, and SCaRP - Bomaderry Sporting Complex Redevelopment. The following list details those expected to be 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 in North Nowra shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

North Nowra has a skilled workforce with prominent essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 2.4% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.9%. As of September 2025, 2,711 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.4% lower than Rest of NSW's 3.8%.

Workforce participation was slightly below standard at 59.1%. According to Census responses, 9.6% of residents worked from home. Key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing had limited presence with 0.8% employment compared to the regional average of 5.3%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities. Over a 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 2.9%, while labour force increased by 3.7%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.7 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW recorded an employment decline of 0.5% and unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years. Applying these projections to North Nowra's employment mix, local employment is expected to increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, North Nowra had a median income among taxpayers of $48,349 and an average income of $59,212. These figures are lower than the national averages of $52,390 (median) and $65,215 (average). Using Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $52,633 (median) and $64,458 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in North Nowra rank modestly, between the 27th and 29th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 33.5% of locals (2,011 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to the surrounding region's 29.9%. Housing affordability is severe, with only 82.9% of income remaining, ranking at the 28th percentile.

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

North Nowra's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 89.3% houses and 10.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in North Nowra was at 38.0%, similar to Non-Metro NSW. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (33.2%) or rented (28.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,719, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733 and the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $380, higher than Non-Metro NSW's $330 but lower than the national figure of $375.

North Nowra has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 70.9% of all households, including 28.1% couples with children, 28.4% couples without children, and 13.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 29.1%, with lone person households at 26.7% and group households making up 2.6%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 20.0%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 13.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 43.6% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 11.9% and certificates at 31.7%. Educational participation is high, with 28.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.7% in primary education, 7.3% in secondary education, and 2.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

North Nowra has 88 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 16 different routes that facilitate a total of 215 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is deemed excellent, with residents on average being located just 157 meters from their nearest stop. As predominantly residential, most inhabitants commute outward daily. Cars remain the primary mode of transport, used by 95% of residents. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling in the area.

According to the 2021 Census, only 9.6% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes averages 30 trips per day, translating to roughly two weekly trips per individual stop.

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

North Nowra faces significant health challenges according to AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are substantial, affecting both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~3,024 people), compared to the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, impacting 10.4 and 10.3% of residents respectively. However, 61.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, slightly lower than the 63.3% across Rest of NSW. The working-age population faces notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. North Nowra has 20.1% of residents aged 65 and over (1,206 people), which is lower than the 23.4% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

North Nowra, as per the data, showed lower cultural diversity with 84.4% born in Australia, 90.0% being citizens, and 93.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the prevalent religion at 49.7%. Judaism, however, was slightly overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to the regional average of 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (31.3%), Australian (30.5%), and Irish (8.1%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal were more prevalent at 5.2% versus 4.6% regionally, Hungarians at 0.3% compared to 0.2%, and Welsh at 0.6% compared to 0.5%.

North Nowra's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

North Nowra's median age is 38, which is lower than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 but equivalent to Australia's national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group makes up a strong 14.5% of North Nowra's population compared to Rest of NSW, while the 65-74 cohort is less prevalent at 9.8%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 10.0% to 11.0%, while the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 12.2% to 10.4% and the 65 to 74 group has dropped from 11.1% to 9.8%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests North Nowra's age profile will significantly evolve. Leading this shift, the 25 to 34 group is projected to grow by 26%, adding 228 people to reach a total of 1,099 from its current figure of 870. Meanwhile, population declines are forecast for both the 15 to 24 and 65 to 74 cohorts.