Median house price
$1.17M
+7.1% change
NSW · Shellharbour Council
Blackbutt, 2529
Est. population · Jun 2025
3,628
Growth (1 yr)
+0.4%
Growth (5 yr)
+3.3%
Median age
43
Median income
$1,604/wk
Employment rate
55.3%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,173,000
Languages at home
22.1%non-English
Most common: Macedonian, Spanish, Greek
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Education hub
Suburb profile
In Shellharbour Council, Blackbutt is a settled mid-sized suburb with a familiar suburban feel and good links to the wider city. Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with family life visible on every street. There is a dense cluster of schools and early-learning options nearby.
Sport and recreation are easy to access, with local venues supporting active weekends and after-work routines. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Buses make it easy to move between neighbouring suburbs without relying on the car.
Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers. This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
Desirability sits around average overall, with safety the main drag compared with similar metro suburbs. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Blackbutt snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$760/wk
Houses $800 · Units $650
Population (ERP)
3,628
+0.4% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.6%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#230
among Metro Sydney · Established
Safety
55th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
48th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
32nd
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 50.4/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 30% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2110th in Australia
- State rank
- 626th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #230 among Metro Sydney · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #455 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $650
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $800
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $760
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 190
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,173,000
- Median price change
- +7.1%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
3,628(June 2025)
+0.4% annual · +3.3% over 5 years · 48th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.4%
- 5-year growth
- +3.3%
- Change in 1 year
- +16
- Change in 5 years
- +116
- Growth rank in NSW
- 48th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~3,700), extrapolated at +0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 3,291
- Median age
- 43
- Median household income / week
- $1,604
- Dwelling vacancy
- 3.6%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 45 of 1,260
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,000
- Employment rate
- 55.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 853 / 346 / 18
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 268
- Against the person
- 47
- Against property
- 100
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 73.9
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 70 residents
- State safety percentile
- 55.1th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +0.6%
Most common offence types
- Breach Bail Conditions667
- Fraud135
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment161
- Steal From Motor Vehicle128
- Steal From Retail Store211
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 7
- Median school ICSEA (7 schools)
- 968
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 32th
School list
- Nazareth Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1052 · 69th percentile · LBOTE 7% · 413 students · Top SEA quarter 22% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
- Barrack Heights Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 873 · 7th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 192 students · Top SEA quarter 2% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
- Oak Flats High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 932 · 19th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 648 students · Top SEA quarter 2% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
- Balarang Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 974 · 35th percentile · LBOTE 11% · 268 students · Top SEA quarter 9% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
- Flinders Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1004 · 49th percentile · LBOTE 18% · 518 students · Top SEA quarter 12% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →
- Warilla High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 968 · 32th percentile · LBOTE 18% · 1,020 students · Top SEA quarter 7% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
- Mount Warrigal Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 885 · 8th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 185 students · Top SEA quarter 2% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
45 public transport stops in this suburb
- Glider Av At Kangaroo Dr
- Glider Av Opp Kangaroo Dr
- Glider Av Opp Palma Way
- Glider Av Opp Wallaby St
- New Lake Entrance Rd Before Pioneer Dr
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
72 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 libraries · 8 playgrounds · 22 swimming pools
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 13 parks mapped in suburb, 8 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 45 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 30 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 30/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 3.95
Community(2)
- Shellharbour City LibraryLibrary
- Shellharbour City CouncilTownhall
Sport & outdoors(43)
- Blackbutt Forest ReservePark
- Collins ReservePark
- Conway ParkPark
- Glider Avenue ReservePark
- Hughes ParkPark
- Koala ParkPark
- Matthews ReservePark
- Park (3)
- Wentworth Cottage ParkPark
- William Carter ReservePark
- Yirran muruPark
67 Cygnet Avenue, Shellharbour City Centre
- Playground (8)
- Swimming pool (22)
Entertainment(1)
- Shellharbour City MuseumMuseum
Transport(15)
15 bus stops
Other(7)
- Bench (2)
- Drinking water
- Information
- Parking (3)
- Picnic Table
- Public toilets
- Shelter (2)
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
10 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Blackbutt Forest ReservePark
- Collins ReservePark
- Conway ParkPark
- Glider Avenue ReservePark
- Hughes ParkPark
- Koala ParkPark
- Matthews ReservePark
- Wentworth Cottage ParkPark
- William Carter ReservePark
- Yirran muruPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 18
- Parks (OSM)
- 13
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Shellharbour Hospital (1.3 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Public hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 121
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 33.4
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 25° / 17°
- Rainfall
- 321 mm · ~40 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 22° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 359 mm · ~45 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 17° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 263 mm · ~33 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 12°
- Rainfall
- 242 mm · ~30 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.
2026· 3 proposals
August 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support8 pinkwood place blackbutt 2529Under Assessment
May 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Portable swimming pools and spas and child-resistant barriers2 25 CYGNET AVENUE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
April 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support8 pinkwood place blackbutt 2529Determined
2025· 8 proposals
December 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Residential Accommodation31 WESTWOOD DRIVE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Multi-dwelling housing (terraces)6 POTAROO PLACE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation31 WESTWOOD DRIVE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
- Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure5A COCKATIEL COURT BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
November 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Supporting Development26 MULGARA PLACE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
October 2025
- Subdivision3 QUOKKA DRIVE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
June 2025
- Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure5A COCKATIEL COURT BLACKBUTT 2529Withdrawn
April 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure15 HONEY EATER DRIVE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
2024· 9 proposals
December 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Swimming pool17 WESTWOOD DRIVE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
July 2024
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support5 BETTONG STREET BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
May 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure4 PINKWOOD PLACE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation50 COLLEGE AVENUE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
April 2024
- Advertising and signage; Public Reserve; Recreation area; Hours of operation and trading394 SHELLHARBOUR ROAD BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses21 ALBATROSS DRIVE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
February 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure109 PIONEER DRIVE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
- Subdivision; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Stormwater management system; Water Infrastructure5A COCKATIEL COURT BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
January 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool10 COCKATIEL COURT BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
2023· 7 proposals
December 2023
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support5 BETTONG STREET BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
November 2023
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure17 WALLABY STREET BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure7 ALBATROSS DRIVE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
October 2023
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure19 RINGTAIL CIRCUIT BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
September 2023
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure15 CHILLAWONG CIRCUIT BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
- Centre-based child care; Hours of operation and trading30 PIONEER DRIVE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
March 2023
- Alterations and additions to residential development30 PIONEER DRIVE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
2022· 8 proposals
December 2022
- Retaining walls, protection of trees1 12-18 GLIDER AVENUE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
November 2022
- Dwelling; Demolition; Garages, carports and car parking spaces50 COLLEGE AVENUE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
September 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development30 PIONEER DRIVE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
July 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing4 KITE PLACE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
May 2022
- Retaining walls, protection of trees; Shed16 SPRINGDALE CLOSE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
April 2022
- Demolition; Alterations and additions to residential development50 CYGNET AVENUE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
January 2022
- Dual occupancy; Pools / decks / fencing14 NIGHTINGALE CLOSE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs1 FANTAIL COURT BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
2021· 6 proposals
December 2021
- Demolition; Retaining walls, protection of trees78 GLIDER AVENUE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
- Demolition; Alterations and additions to residential development1 SPRINGDALE CLOSE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
November 2021
- Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision of land7 COCKATIEL COURT BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
- Subdivision of land6 NIGHTINGALE CLOSE BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
October 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development8 pinkwood place blackbutt 2529Determined
- Demolition; Other8 PENROSE STREET BLACKBUTT 2529Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Whitlam
- Member of Parliament
- Carol BERRY (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 130,093
- Turnout (2025)
- 93.2%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -2.1 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 43.8%Labor 56.3%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 3.1 km away).
Coalition 38.2%Labor 61.8%
5.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -4.2 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- BlackbuttLabor 62.2% · Coalition 37.8% TPP (2025)1.0 km away
- Oak Flats EastLabor 62.0% · Coalition 38.0% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
- Oak FlatsLabor 59.4% · Coalition 40.6% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
- Barrack HeightsLabor 63.6% · Coalition 36.4% TPP (2025)1.8 km away
- Flinders CentralLabor 60.4% · Coalition 39.6% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 5/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 4/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Shellharbour Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.