Median house price
$905k
+11% change
NSW · Wollongong Council
Kanahooka, 2530
Est. population · Jun 2025
5,791
Growth (1 yr)
+0.2%
Growth (5 yr)
+2.1%
Median age
48
Median income
$1,399/wk
Employment rate
47.2%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$905,000
Languages at home
8.5%non-English
Most common: Italian, Macedonian, German
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Kanahooka is a practical mid-sized suburb in Wollongong Council, well placed for families who want metro access without the inner-city squeeze. The city and surrounding suburbs are both within comfortable reach, which keeps daily life flexible. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with schools and childcare nearby.
Dining is thinner on the ground than in busier metro pockets, so many residents head to neighbouring suburbs for a night out. Pocket parks and green corners give residents room to get outside without leaving the neighbourhood. Daily life works well on foot, with buses also serving the suburb.
Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
Desirability lands around average here: softer community and employment weighing on the result versus similar metro suburbs, even with growth momentum holding up better.
At a glance
Kanahooka snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$700/wk
Houses $730 · Units $500
Population (ERP)
5,791
+0.2% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
4.0%
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
#24
among Metro Sydney · Mature
Safety
30th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
41st
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
24th
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
- 54.0/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 23% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 1672nd in Australia
- State rank
- 489th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #24 among Metro Sydney · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #361 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 93%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $500
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $730
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $700
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 156
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $905,000
- Median price change
- +10.5%
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
5,791(June 2025)
+0.2% annual · +2.1% over 5 years · 41th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.2%
- 5-year growth
- +2.1%
- Change in 1 year
- +9
- Change in 5 years
- +118
- Growth rank in NSW
- 41th 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 (~5,900), extrapolated at +0.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 5,698
- Median age
- 48
- Median household income / week
- $1,399
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 91 of 2,280
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,000
- Employment rate
- 47.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,843 / 322 / 27
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)
- 287
- Against the person
- 78
- Against property
- 111
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 49.6
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 73 residents
- State safety percentile
- 29.8th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +6.2%
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order123
- Domestic Violence Related Assault129
- Fraud127
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment174
- Malicious Damage To Property153
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
- 4
- Median school ICSEA (4 schools)
- 942
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 24th
School list
- Hayes Park Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 972 · 34th percentile · LBOTE 11% · 601 students · Top SEA quarter 7% · 0.3 km awayView on My School →
- Kanahooka High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 912 · 13th percentile · LBOTE 11% · 581 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
- Koonawarra Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 838 · 4th percentile · LBOTE 16% · 192 students · Top SEA quarter 1% · 1.3 km awayView on My School →
- St John's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1038 · 63th percentile · LBOTE 4% · 623 students · Top SEA quarter 17% · 1.7 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
64 public transport stops in this suburb
- Kanahooka Rd After Lakeside Dr
- Kanahooka Rd Before Hoyt St
- Kanahooka Rd Before Thirroul Rd
- Lakeside Dr After Edgeworth Av
- Lakeside Dr At Edgeworth Av
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
90 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 supermarkets · 1 pharmacies · 1 fast food · 1 places of worship · 2 playgrounds · 2 sports centres · 1 swimming pools · 2 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Highly walkable for everyday errands
- Decent local green space — 5 parks in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 64 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 72/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0.18
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0.88
Food & drink(1)
- Fast food
Shopping(3)
- Lakeline ButcheryButcher
- Supermarket
Community(2)
- Hayes Park Primary SchoolSchool
202 Kanahooka Road
- Kanahooka High SchoolSchool
Kanahooka
Health & services(1)
- Kanahooka PharmacyPharmacy
Unit 1 56 Lakeside Drive
Sport & outdoors(11)
- Lakeside Drive ReservePark
- Park (4)
- Playground (2)
- Lakeside Leisure CentreSports centre
192 Kanahooka Road
- Webb Park Tennis ClubSports centre
- Sports field
- Swimming pool
Entertainment(2)
- Viewpoint (2)
Transport(29)
29 bus stops
Other(14)
- Bbq (2)
- Bench (3)
- Drinking water
- Fitness Station (3)
- Garden
- Hairdresser
- Parking (18)
- Medco KanahookaPetrol station
92 Lakeside Drive, Kanahooka
- Petrol station
- ICentral 31Place of worship
- Public toilets
- Shelter (5)
- Slipway
- Track (3)
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
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Lakeside Drive ReservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 6
- Parks (OSM)
- 5
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
Places of worship
1 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- ICentral 31
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
- 1
- Nearest hospital
- Port Kembla Hospital (5.8 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Public hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
- Emergency department in suburb
- Not in suburb
- Kanahooka PharmacyLakeside DrivePharmacy
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)
- 212
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 36.6
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· 6 proposals
July 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Community facility1 KANAHOOKA ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Under Assessment
June 2026
- Shed; Erection of a new structure19 JINDALEE AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
April 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation6 MURRA MURRA ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
February 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool105 TAIT AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
January 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Fences; Supporting Development5 LINTON COURT KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Recreation facility (indoor); Hours of operation and trading1 RUSHTON DRIVE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
2025· 18 proposals
December 2025
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure90 EDGEWORTH AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
November 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation5 HAYWARD STREET KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation54 LAKESIDE DRIVE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
September 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure13 WILLIAM BEACH ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation10 THE ARCHES KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation153 KANAHOOKA ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure153-155 KANAHOOKA ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
August 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool66 RONDANELLA DRIVE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
July 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation54 MURRA MURRA ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation11 MURRA MURRA ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure11 DARLY AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house13 WILLIAM BEACH ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation9 EXMOUTH ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
June 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space34 KATHRYN STREET KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation54 MURRA MURRA ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation54 MURRA MURRA ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)8 ROBERT STREET KANAHOOKA 2530Additional Information Requested
February 2025
- Demolition50 PALMER AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
2024· 17 proposals
November 2024
- Demolition; Swimming pool65 EDGEWORTH AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)1 ELOUERA CRESCENT KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
October 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure24 PALMER AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)23 BROOKS TERRACE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
August 2024
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure79 KANAHOOKA ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure6 CLEARY AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure46 MORSE AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Residential Accommodation28 LAKESIDE DRIVE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
July 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure66 RONDANELLA DRIVE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
June 2024
- Demolition; Swimming pool95 TAIT AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah206G KANAHOOKA ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah42 TAIT AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Demolition; Shed; Erection of a new structure23 HOWELL AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool8 RONDANELLA DRIVE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
May 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool12 THE ARCHES KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure24 PALMER AVENUE KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)22 THIRROUL ROAD KANAHOOKA 2530Determined
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 3.7 km away).
Coalition 39.8%Labor 60.2%
4.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -3.5 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- KanahookaLabor 60.1% · Coalition 39.9% TPP (2025)0.1 km away
- KoonawarraLabor 67.5% · Coalition 32.5% TPP (2025)1.2 km away
- BrownsvilleLabor 57.5% · Coalition 42.5% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
- DaptoLabor 59.4% · Coalition 40.6% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
- Dapto EastLabor 66.8% · Coalition 33.2% TPP (2025)2.2 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)
- 5/10
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.