Median house price
$1.4M
-6.3% change
NSW · Kiama Council
Kiama Downs, 2533
Est. population · Jun 2025
5,042
Growth (1 yr)
-0.7%
Growth (5 yr)
-2.4%
Median age
43
Median income
$2,103/wk
Employment rate
58.2%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,400,000
Languages at home
4.1%non-English
Most common: Macedonian, Arabic, Italian
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Green suburb
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Life in Kiama Downs revolves around the coast at a genuine remove from Sydney. Day-to-day life leans on nearby towns and local hubs rather than the metro area. Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with plenty of young families in the mix.
Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Buses are a genuine asset, linking residents to work, study and nearby neighbourhoods. Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs.
A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
Against similar coastal suburbs, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus growth momentum lag behind, despite relative strength in community and employment, plus safety. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Kiama Downs snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$750/wk
Houses $800 · Units $605
Population (ERP)
5,042
-0.7% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
7.5%
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
#27
among Coastal & beach · Established
Safety
13th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
3rd
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
9/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
75th
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
- 49.5/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 32% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2231st in Australia
- State rank
- 668th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #27 among Coastal & beach · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #71 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $605
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $800
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $750
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 78
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,400,000
- Median price change
- -6.3%
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
5,042(June 2025)
-0.7% annual · -2.4% over 5 years · 3th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- -0.7%
- 5-year growth
- -2.4%
- Change in 1 year
- -37
- Change in 5 years
- -124
- Growth rank in NSW
- 3th 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 (~5,050), extrapolated at -0.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 5,087
- Median age
- 43
- Median household income / week
- $2,103
- Dwelling vacancy
- 7.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 141 of 1,887
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,200
- Employment rate
- 58.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,619 / 101 / 25
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)
- 175
- Against the person
- 37
- Against property
- 81
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 34.7
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 137 residents
- State safety percentile
- 13.1th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -11.4%
Most common offence types
- Fraud44
- Malicious Damage To Property53
- Other Theft40
- Steal From Retail Store38
- Transport Regulatory Offences67
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
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,068
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 75th
School list
- Minnamurra Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1068 · 75th percentile · LBOTE 5% · 464 students · Top SEA quarter 30% · 1.8 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
129 public transport stops in this suburb
- North Kiama Dr At Flinders Av
- North Kiama Dr At Iluka Cres
- Oxley Av After Riversdale Av
- Oxley Av Before Hoolong Av
- Riverside Dr Opp Iluka Cres
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
68 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
6 playgrounds · 1 swimming pools · 1 post offices
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 10 parks mapped in suburb, 6 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 129 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 8 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
- 1.97
Sport & outdoors(18)
- Bombo Hill ReservePark
- Cameron Boyd ReservePark
- Gainsborough Chase OvalPark
- Iluka ReservePark
- Park (6)
- Playground (6)
- Sports field
- Swimming pool
Entertainment(2)
- Viewpoint (2)
Transport(33)
33 bus stops
Other(9)
- Bench
- Cameron Boyd ReserveInformation
- Cathedral RocksInformation
- King of the BoneyardInformation
- Parking (5)
- Picnic Table (2)
- Australia PostPost office
- Public toilets
- Waste Basket (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
4 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Bombo Hill ReservePark
- Cameron Boyd ReservePark
- Gainsborough Chase OvalPark
- Iluka ReservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 16
- Parks (OSM)
- 10
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
- Kiama Hospital & Community Health Service (4.8 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)
- 116
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 23.0
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
- 24° / 17°
- Rainfall
- 301 mm · ~38 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 396 mm · ~50 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 16° / 10°
- Rainfall
- 292 mm · ~36 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 20° / 13°
- Rainfall
- 274 mm · ~34 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· 18 proposals
August 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation48 HENRY PARKES DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Under Assessment
- Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)51 JOHNSON STREET KIAMA DOWNS 2533Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure120 NORTH KIAMA DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Additional Information Requested
July 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Carport53 CATHEDRAL ROCKS AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation23 NORTH KIAMA DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation77 HENRY PARKES DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation47 HENRY PARKES DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation50 HENRY PARKES DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure38 HENRY PARKES DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure45 HENRY PARKES DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure43 HENRY PARKES DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Under Assessment
May 2026
- Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)62 KIARAMA AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation22 EUREKA AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure11 NORTH KIAMA DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Rejected
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool50 NORTH KIAMA DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
April 2026
- Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)5 THE CIRCUIT KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure137 NORTH KIAMA DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Under Assessment
January 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation76 OXLEY AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
2025· 33 proposals
December 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure65 JOHNSON STREET KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation7 ALEXANDER AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation63 OXLEY AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
November 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation50 JOHNSON STREET KIAMA DOWNS 2533Additional Information Requested
- Subdivision; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (detached)33 NORTH KIAMA DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation13 CATHEDRAL ROCKS AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation21 HOLT STREET KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation32 MCBRIEN DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure18 CULLEN DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
October 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation29 CULLEN DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Swimming pool21 CLIFF DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool26 HOOLONG AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure12 CULLEN DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
September 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Swimming pool27 NEWING CIRCUIT KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure3A RIVERSDALE AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Carport8 LINDSAY AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure8 CULLEN DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure38 MCBRIEN DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure7 CAMERON CRESCENT KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool45 NEWING CIRCUIT KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
August 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport8 LINDSAY AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Withdrawn
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation21 HOLT STREET KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure70 CATHEDRAL ROCKS AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation15B TARRANT AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure4 ANDERSON PLACE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
July 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation45 HOOLONG AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)6 MERINDAH AVENUE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure110 NORTH KIAMA DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport17 HOSKINGS CRESCENT KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure56A BARTON DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation68 BARTON DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
June 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure86 NORTH KIAMA DRIVE KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation13 BASS STREET KIAMA DOWNS 2533Determined
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
- Overlay applies
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
- Gilmore
- Member of Parliament
- Fiona PHILLIPS (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 128,995
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.5%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +5.0 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 44.9%Labor 55.1%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 14.8 km away).
Coalition 40.8%Labor 59.2%
4.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +5.8 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Kiama DownsLabor 59.1% · Coalition 40.9% TPP (2025)0.3 km away
- MinnamurraLabor 58.3% · Coalition 41.7% TPP (2025)1.8 km away
- KiamaLabor 65.2% · Coalition 34.9% TPP (2025)3.8 km away
- Kiama SouthLabor 66.4% · Coalition 33.6% TPP (2025)4.5 km away
- JamberooLabor 57.2% · Coalition 42.8% TPP (2025)6.7 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 Kiama Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.