Median house price
$1.06M
+7.1% change
NSW · Wollongong Council
Farmborough Heights, 2526
Est. population · Jun 2025
4,227
Growth (1 yr)
+0.3%
Growth (5 yr)
-0.2%
Median age
38
Median income
$2,234/wk
Employment rate
61.5%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,060,000
Languages at home
12.5%non-English
Most common: Macedonian, Italian, Spanish
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Farmborough Heights sits up in the Wollongong Council hills, a mid-sized suburb where elevation and tree cover define the mood. Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with a strong presence of young families throughout. Local schools rate highly against similar suburbs.
Everyday cafés are limited locally, with the wider metro area covering the bigger food and entertainment trips. Green space punches above what many metro suburbs offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. 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. A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
Desirability lands around average here: softer growth momentum weighing on the result versus similar metro suburbs, even with community and employment holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Farmborough Heights snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$750/wk
Houses $760 · Units $460
Population (ERP)
4,227
+0.3% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.0%
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
#200
among Metro Sydney · Established
Safety
44th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
44th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
9/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
74th
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
- 53.5/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 24% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 1725th in Australia
- State rank
- 504th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #200 among Metro Sydney · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #373 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)
- $460
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $760
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $750
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 82
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,060,000
- 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
4,227(June 2025)
+0.3% annual · -0.2% over 5 years · 44th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.3%
- 5-year growth
- -0.2%
- Change in 1 year
- +14
- Change in 5 years
- -7
- Growth rank in NSW
- 44th 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 (~4,150), extrapolated at -0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 4,179
- Median age
- 38
- Median household income / week
- $2,234
- Dwelling vacancy
- 3%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 44 of 1,452
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,008
- Employment rate
- 61.5%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,346 / 46 / 16
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 decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 263
- Against the person
- 54
- Against property
- 112
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 62.2
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 77 residents
- State safety percentile
- 43.9th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -5.8%
Most common offence types
- Fraud78
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment71
- Malicious Damage To Property66
- Steal From Motor Vehicle71
- Transport Regulatory Offences121
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
- 5
- Median school ICSEA (5 schools)
- 1,067
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 74th
School list
- Cedars Christian College - AspireSpecial · Independent · ICSEA 1094 · 83th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 13 students · Top SEA quarter 44% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
- Cedars Christian CollegeCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1067 · 74th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 661 students · Top SEA quarter 29% · 1.3 km awayView on My School →
- Craig Davis CollegeSpecial · Independent · ICSEA 825 · 4th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 45 students · Top SEA quarter 5% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
- Farmborough Road Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 961 · 29th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 226 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
- Illawarra Christian SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1091 · 82th percentile · LBOTE 30% · 800 students · Top SEA quarter 37% · 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
68 public transport stops in this suburb
- Fairloch Av At Bardess Cres
- Fairloch Av Before Bardess Cres
- Fairloch Av Opp Loch Carron Av
- Farmborough Rd Before Loch Lomond Av
- Gerard Av At Farmborough Rd
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
41 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
4 playgrounds
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 6 parks mapped in suburb, 4 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 68 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 30/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 1.44
Sport & outdoors(10)
- Bristol Parade ParkPark
- Fairloch ParkPark
- Farmborough Heights ParkPark
- Gerard ParkPark
- Millingaa ParkPark
- Park
- Playground (4)
Transport(28)
28 bus stops
Other(2)
- Bench (2)
- Parking
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
5 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Bristol Parade ParkPark
- Fairloch ParkPark
- Farmborough Heights ParkPark
- Gerard ParkPark
- Millingaa ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 9
- Parks (OSM)
- 6
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
- Figtree Private Hospital (3.8 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- 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)
- 140
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 33.1
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· 10 proposals
August 2026
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure200 FARMBOROUGH ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Under Assessment
July 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation177 WAPLES ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
June 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah37 STANLEY AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
May 2026
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation100 PANORAMA DRIVE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Additional Information Requested
April 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah210 FARMBOROUGH ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
March 2026
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Carport; Garage, carport or carparking space6 BRENDON AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Swimming pool93 STANLEY AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Withdrawn
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure253 FARMBOROUGH ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses11 HIGHVIEW DRIVE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
January 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Carport198 FARMBOROUGH ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
2025· 14 proposals
November 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure34 GERARD AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure131 PANORAMA DRIVE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
October 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure182 WAPLES ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Pathways and paving19 CARLON CRESCENT FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
August 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation103 FARMBOROUGH ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
July 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Swimming pool54 BRENDON AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
June 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure130 WAPLES ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure61 IOLA AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
April 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure20 TANNABAH PLACE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Minor building alterations (internal); Rainwater tanks9 TANNABAH PLACE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure182 WAPLES ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
March 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool28 LYREBIRD WAY FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure27 ASHLEY AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
January 2025
- Demolition60 STANLEY AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
2024· 18 proposals
December 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support18 SUGARWOOD PLACE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space1 STANLEY AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Withdrawn
November 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)37 FAIRLOCH AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Withdrawn
October 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation3 PRIMROSE PLACE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
September 2024
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure156 WAPLES ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Recreation facility (indoor)2/255-259 Farmborough rd, Farmborough Heights 2526Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support44 LOCH CARRON AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support130C FARMBOROUGH ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation77 FAIRLOCH AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
August 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure14 LOCHVIEW AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure282 FARMBOROUGH ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
July 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure8 TANNABAH PLACE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
June 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation19 CARLON CRESCENT FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Withdrawn
- Multi-dwelling housing; Residential flat building; Erection of a new structureRIBBONWOOD ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Withdrawn
May 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure8 TANNABAH PLACE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support130C FARMBOROUGH ROAD FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)4 VISTA AVENUE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation31 BRISTOL PARADE FARMBOROUGH HEIGHTS 2526Determined
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
- Cunningham
- Member of Parliament
- Alison BYRNES (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 132,139
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.4%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +2.5 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 32.5%Labor 67.5%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 4.2 km away).
Coalition 33.9%Labor 66.1%
1.5 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +2.0 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Unanderra WestLabor 63.6% · Coalition 36.4% TPP (2025)1.3 km away
- Unanderra SouthLabor 67.8% · Coalition 32.2% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
- Cordeaux HeightsLabor 64.1% · Coalition 35.9% TPP (2025)2.2 km away
- UnanderraLabor 65.7% · Coalition 34.3% TPP (2025)2.5 km away
- Mount KemblaLabor 67.0% · Coalition 33.0% TPP (2025)2.7 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)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 9/10
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
More in Wollongong Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.