Lake Illawarra vs Shellharbour City Centre, NSW suburb comparison
Which suburb suits you better?
Side-by-side comparison of 16 categories from official government and open data.
| Category | Lake Illawarra | Shellharbour City Centre |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 43.7/100 | 43.5/100 |
| Housing (desirability) | 73.8/100 | 49.2/100 |
| Crime rate | 77.6 / 1k | 81.0 / 1k |
| Schools & preschools | 2 | — |
| Parks & reserves | 5 | 1 |
| Public transport stops | 64 | 22 |
| Walkability | 32.0/100 | 82.0/100 |
| Nearby amenities | 81 | 81 |
| Planning activity | 14 | 2 |
| Population | 3,288 | 457 |
| SEIFA (IRSAD decile) | 1/10 | 3/10 |
Quick verdicts
- Best for familiesShellharbour City Centre
- Best for beach lifestyleLake Illawarra
- Best for investmentLake Illawarra
- Best for best valueLake Illawarra
- Best for best schoolsLake Illawarra
Comparison summary
Lake Illawarra and Shellharbour City Centre offer different strengths across official suburb data. Lake Illawarra leads on more comparison categories overall. Overall score favours Lake Illawarra; Housing (desirability) favours Lake Illawarra; Crime rate favours Lake Illawarra. Quick verdicts: Families → Shellharbour City Centre, Beach lifestyle → Lake Illawarra, Investment → Lake Illawarra, Best value → Lake Illawarra.