Wollongong

Wollongong lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

The population of Wollongong is estimated at around 22,813 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 2,367 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 20,446. The change is inferred from the resident population of 22,368 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and an additional 836 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,960 persons per square kilometer, placing Wollongong in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's population growth of 11.6% 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 was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 93.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year for areas not covered by this data. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, exceptional growth is predicted over the period with the suburb expected to increase by 15,257 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 64.9% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Wollongong among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, Wollongong experienced around 341 dwellings receiving development approval annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 1,707 homes were approved, with an additional 260 so far in FY-26. This resulted in about 1.1 people moving to the area per dwelling built over the past five financial years, suggesting a balanced supply and demand creating stable market conditions.

The average construction value of new homes was $403,000, moderately above regional levels, indicating an emphasis on quality construction. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totaled $130.7 million, reflecting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Wollongong exhibited 180.0% higher construction activity per person, offering greater choice for buyers and suggesting strong developer confidence in the location. New developments consisted predominantly of attached dwellings (98.0%), with detached dwellings making up only 2.0%. This skew towards compact living provides affordable entry pathways, attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. Wollongong's population growth is projected to add around 14,812 residents by 2041, potentially leading to housing supply lagging behind population growth if current construction levels persist.

This could intensify buyer competition and support price growth.

Wollongong has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 35 projects that could affect this region. Notable projects include the Wollongong to Coniston Rail Infrastructure Upgrade, Wollongong Hospital Redevelopment - Planning and Equipment Upgrades, Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), and 21 Auburn Street, Wollongong. The following list details those likely 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.

Employment drivers in Wollongong are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Wollongong has a highly educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 6.9% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.2% over the past year, according to AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. There were 12,779 residents in work at that time, while the unemployment rate was 3.1% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation was 66.8%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%. According to Census responses, 33.9% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. The area has a particular employment specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level.

Meanwhile, agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence with 0.2% employment compared to 5.3% regionally. There was one worker for every resident at the Census, indicating that the area functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 1.2%, while labour force increased by 0.6%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.5 percentage points, according to AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data aggregated from broader statistical areas. This compares to Rest of NSW where employment fell by 0.5%, labour force contracted by 0.1%, and unemployment rose 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer further insight into potential future demand within Wollongong. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. National employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Wollongong's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, though it should be noted that 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

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023. Wollongong's median income among taxpayers was $50,083, with an average of $68,445. Nationally, the median was $52,719 and the average was $74,621. Comparing to Rest of NSW, Wollongong had a lower median ($50,083 vs $52,390) but a higher average ($68,445 vs $65,215). Using Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $54,520 (median) and $74,509 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, personal income ranked at the 56th percentile ($836 weekly), while household income was at the 38th percentile. The $1,500 - $2,999 earnings band captured 33.4% of Wollongong's community (7,619 individuals), similar to regional levels where 29.9% occupied this range. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 79.7% of income remaining, ranking at the 34th percentile. Wollongong's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th decile.

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

Wollongong's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 13.9% houses and 86.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Non-Metro NSW had 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Wollongong's home ownership rate was 25.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 18.4% and rented ones at 56.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Wollongong was $1,950, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure for Wollongong was $410, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Wollongong's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 50.8% of all households, including 12.6% couples with children, 29.6% couples without children, and 7.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 49.2%, with lone person households at 37.4% and group households comprising 11.8%. The median household size is 2.0 people, smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

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

Wollongong residents aged 15 and over have a higher proportion of university qualifications than broader benchmarks. Specifically, 40.7% hold such qualifications compared to 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 25.2% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (12.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 29.2% of residents holding them - advanced diplomas comprise 10.0% and certificates make up 19.2%.

Educational participation is notably high at 29.4%, including 14.8% in tertiary education, 4.1% in primary education, and 3.4% pursuing secondary education.

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

Wollongong has 117 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 85 individual routes, facilitating 6,497 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 128 meters to the nearest stop. In this predominantly residential area, most commutes are outward-bound. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 74%, while walking accounts for 15%. The average vehicle ownership is 0.8 per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a significant 33.9% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 928 trips daily across all routes, equating to roughly 55 weekly trips per individual stop. A map accompanies this data, illustrating the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Wollongong'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's health outcomes are relatively positive, according to area-specific data analysis. Mortality rates and health conditions align with national benchmarks.

Common health conditions are similar across both young and elderly residents. Approximately 54% (12,316 people) have private health cover, compared to Rest of NSW's 51.9%. Mental health issues affect 10.1%, while arthritis impacts 8.3% of residents. About 68.0% claim no medical ailments, compared to Rest of NSW's 63.3%. Health outcomes among working-age individuals are broadly typical. Wollongong has 17.3% (3,946 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Rest of NSW's 23.4%, with national rankings generally in line with the general population.

Wollongong 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, as per data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2016, had a higher cultural diversity than most local markets with 33.7% of its population born overseas and 28.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Wollongong, comprising 45.6% of the population. Islam, however, was overrepresented compared to the rest of NSW, making up 4.6% of Wollongong's population versus 0.8%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English at 23.2%, Australian at 19.3%, and Other at 12.5%. Notably, Macedonian, Serbian, and Spanish ethnicities were overrepresented in Wollongong compared to regional averages: Macedonian at 2.6% versus 0.4%, Serbian at 1.3% versus 0.2%, and Spanish at 0.7% versus 0.3%.

Wollongong's population is younger than the national pattern

Wollongong's median age is 34, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and Australia's median age of 38. The 25-34 cohort is over-represented in Wollongong at 28.0%, compared to the national average of 14.4%. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age group is under-represented at 4.1%. Between 2021 and present, younger residents have lowered the median age by 1.4 years to 34. During this period, the 25-34 age group grew from 23.9% to 28.0%, while the 45-54 cohort declined from 9.7% to 8.2% and the 55-64 group dropped from 11.1% to 9.8%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for Wollongong, with the 25-34 age group expected to grow by 78%, reaching 11,362 people from its current figure of 6,387.