Moving to Wollongong NSW 2500
What the official numbers say about living in Wollongong — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Renting? The census median is $410 a week, against a median household income of $1,549 a week.
About 42% of homes are owner-occupied and 55% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the apartment.
Who you'll be living with
Wollongong grew 23% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (16,566 → 20,446 people).
Around 51% of households are families, averaging 2.0 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, China, India; most spoken languages besides English: Mandarin, Macedonian, Arabic.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Wollongong sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 8 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (50% of workers), while 35% work from home.
Nearest train station: Wollongong, 550 m south-west.
Nearest railway halt: Lysaghts, 3.7 km south-west.
Nearest bus interchange: Station St opp Wollongong Station, 550 m south-west.
Nearest airport: Shellharbour Airport, 17.8 km south-west.
The Sydney CBD is roughly 68 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 32 schools · 104 cafes & restaurants · 7 supermarkets · 44 parks · 5 beaches — see them all on the Wollongong profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Wollongong Public School 350 m · Smith's Hill High School 650 m · Illawarra Hospital School 850 m · St Mary's Star of the Sea 900 m · St Brigids Catholic Primary School 1.4 km · Para Meadows School 1.5 km · Gwynneville Primary School 1.5 km · Coniston Primary School 1.7 km
Groceries: Coles 100 m · The Source Bulk Foods 250 m · Dong Phuong Asian Supermarket 250 m · Woolworths 400 m · Wan Long Oriental Supermarket 500 m · Aldi 650 m · Keiraville Friendly Grocer Supermarket 2.2 km
Parks and reserves: McCabe Park 400 m · Market Square 800 m · Beaton Park 850 m · Osborne Park 1000 m · George Dodd Reserve 1 km · Lang Park 1 km · Brighton Lawn 1.1 km · Battery Park 1.1 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Wollongong, most often seen first: Common Myna · Rainbow Lorikeet · Sulphur-crested Cockatoo · Magpie-lark · Silver Gull · Australian Raven.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Wollongong, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wollongong here | 20,446 | — | 8/10 | 7% |
| North Wollongong | 2,299 | — | 8/10 | 22% |
| Gwynneville | 3,139 | — | 6/10 | 15% |
| Coniston | 2,267 | — | 5/10 | 12% |
| Mangerton | 2,862 | — | 10/10 | 29% |
| Keiraville | 4,001 | — | 9/10 | 34% |
| West Wollongong | 5,223 | — | 7/10 | 16% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Wollongong — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Cunningham — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 2500 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Wollongong profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
Renters pay a median $410 a week, and about 55% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 23% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 16,566 people to 20,446. It sits about 68 km from the Sydney CBD in a straight line, and Wollongong station is roughly 0.6 km away. Local government is Wollongong council, and the federal seat is Cunningham.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Wollongong vs Woonona.
Nearby guides: North Wollongong · Gwynneville · Coniston · Mangerton · Keiraville · West Wollongong.
Keep an eye on Wollongong
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