Nowra Hill

Population growth drivers in Nowra Hill are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Nowra Hill is around 2,151 people. This reflects an increase from the 2021 Census figure of 2,141 people. The latest resident population estimate by AreaSearch, based on examination of ERP data released by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date, is 2,133 people. This results in a density ratio of 63 persons per square kilometer. Interstate migration was the primary driver for population growth, contributing approximately 36.0% of overall gains.

Other factors such as overseas migration and natural growth also played positive roles. AreaSearch projections for Nowra Hill are based on ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 using a base year of 2021 are utilized. Growth rates by age group for years 2032 to 2041 are applied across all areas. By 2041, the suburb is projected to experience significant population growth, with an increase of 900 persons, reflecting a gain of 41.0% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Nowra Hill is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Nowra Hill has seen minimal construction activity with fewer than one new dwelling approved annually on average over the past five years. This low level of development reflects the rural nature of the area, where housing needs are typically addressed through specific local requirements rather than broader market demand. Notably, due to the small number of approvals, individual projects can significantly influence annual growth and relative statistics.

Compared to the Rest of NSW, Nowra Hill has notably lower development activity. Its development pattern is also well below national averages.

Nowra Hill has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 10 projects likely affecting the region. Notable ones are South Nowra Surcharge Main Upgrade, Cabbage Tree Lane Urban Release Area, Evergreen Rise Estate, and South Nowra Retail Precinct. For further detail, refer to the following list of most relevant projects.

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

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Employment conditions in Nowra Hill demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Nowra Hill has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 1.6% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.2%. As of December 2025787 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.3% lower than Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation lags significantly at 40.8%, compared to Regional NSW's 61.3%. According to Census responses, only 10.0% of residents work from home. The dominant employment sectors are public administration & safety, construction, and health care & social assistance. Public administration & safety has a notable concentration with employment levels at 4.2 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance has limited presence with 9.3% employment compared to 16.9% regionally. There are 2.4 workers for every resident, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 2.2%, labour force increased by 3.0%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.7 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional NSW where employment contracted by 1.2%, labour force fell by 0.8%, and unemployment rose 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 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates varying significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Nowra Hill's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.5% over five years and 11.7% over ten years.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

In financial year 2023, the suburb of Nowra Hill had a median income among taxpayers of $60,154 and an average income of $74,084. These figures are higher than the national averages of $52,390 and $65,215 for Regional NSW respectively. By September 2025, based on a Wage Price Index growth of 8.86%, estimated median and average incomes in Nowra Hill would be approximately $65,484 and $80,648 respectively. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Nowra Hill are at the 58th percentile nationally. The earnings profile shows that 35.9% of locals (772 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, which is consistent with broader trends across the area showing 29.9% in the same category. After accounting for housing costs, 86.5% of income remains for other expenses.

Nowra Hill is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Nowra Hill, as per the latest Census, 99.2% of dwellings were houses with 0.8% being other types such as semi-detached homes or apartments. This differs from Regional NSW where 82.6% are houses and 17.4% are other dwellings. Home ownership in Nowra Hill stood at 45.0%, with mortgaged properties making up 46.4% and rented dwellings at 8.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, exceeding Regional NSW's average of $1,733. Weekly rent in Nowra Hill was recorded at $285, lower than Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Nowra Hill's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,167 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower at $285 compared to the national figure of $375.

Nowra Hill features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 82.7% of all households, including 40.7% couples with children, 31.0% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 17.3%, with lone person households at 15.3% and group households comprising 2.1% of the total. The median household size is 3.0 people, which is larger than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

Nowra Hill shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

The area's university qualification rate is 17.5%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 56.5% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.3%) and certificates (44.2%).

Educational participation is high at 52.8%, with 20.4% in secondary education, 15.5% in primary education, and 6.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The analysis of public transport in Nowra Hill indicates that there are currently 33 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 19 individual routes providing service. The collective weekly passenger trips facilitated by these routes amount to 171. Transport accessibility is considered good, with residents typically located approximately 330 meters from their nearest transport stop. As Nowra Hill is primarily residential, most commuting patterns involve outward movement. The dominant mode of transportation remains the car at an 85% rate, while walking accounts for 10% and cycling makes up 3%.

On average, vehicle ownership stands at 2.4 per dwelling, which is higher than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census data, a relatively low 10.0% of residents work from home, which may be reflective of COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages out to approximately 24 trips per day across all routes, equating to roughly five weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Nowra Hill faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

Private health cover is very high at approximately 56% of the total population (~1,208 people), compared to 51.9% across Regional NSW. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues (impacting 9.5% of residents) and arthritis (affecting 8.6%). 68.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. Health outcomes among the working-age population are typical. The area has 9.4% of residents aged 65 and over (202 people), lower than the 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

Nowra Hill is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Nowra Hill had a cultural diversity level below average, with 58.5% of its population being citizens, 87.3% born in Australia, and 95.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Nowra Hill, accounting for 56.6% of people, slightly higher than the 55.9% regional average. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (33.8%), English (29.5%), and Irish (8.0%).

Notably, Hungarian, New Zealand, and Maltese ethnicities had higher representations in Nowra Hill compared to Regional NSW: Hungarian at 0.4% vs 0.2%, New Zealand at 0.9% vs 0.4%, and Maltese at 0.7% vs 0.4%.

Nowra Hill's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Nowra Hill is 36 years, which is significantly lower than Regional NSW's average of 43 years and somewhat younger than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 25-34 age group comprises 21.0% of the population in Nowra Hill, a figure that is higher compared to Regional NSW but well above the national average of 14.4%. According to the post-2021 Census data, the 25-34 age group has increased from 19.0% to 21.0%, while the 35-44 cohort has risen from 16.8% to 18.6%. Conversely, the 65-74 age group has decreased from 7.5% to 6.1%. Population forecasts for 2041 suggest substantial demographic changes in Nowra Hill, with the 25-34 age group projected to grow by 52%, reaching 687 people from its current figure of 451.