Median house price
$1.39M
+2.7% change
NSW · Shoalhaven Council
Shoalhaven Heads, 2535
Est. population · Jun 2025
3,260
Growth (1 yr)
+1.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+2.6%
Median age
56
Median income
$1,066/wk
Employment rate
42.2%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,390,000
Languages at home
2.9%non-English
Most common: Cantonese, Spanish, Japanese
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Excellent transport
- Green suburb
- High desirability
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Life in Shoalhaven Heads revolves around the coast at a genuine remove from Sydney. Regional towns and local services do more of the everyday heavy lifting than the city. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life.
Green space punches above what many coastal suburbs offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus, with buses linking the suburb to surrounding areas. Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers.
Infill and new builds are slowly updating the area without overwhelming its existing character.
Desirability sits around average overall, with community and employment, plus schools and education the main drag compared with similar coastal suburbs.
At a glance
Shoalhaven Heads snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$720/wk
Population (ERP)
3,260
+1.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
15.6%
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
#26
among Coastal & beach · Mature
Safety
6th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
69th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
4/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
56th
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
- 48.9/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 33% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2309th in Australia
- State rank
- 690th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #26 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #75 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 96%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $750
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 33
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,390,000
- Median price change
- +2.7%
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
3,260(June 2025)
+1.1% annual · +2.6% over 5 years · 69th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.1%
- 5-year growth
- +2.6%
- Change in 1 year
- +35
- Change in 5 years
- +84
- Growth rank in NSW
- 69th 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 (~3,400), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 3,248
- Median age
- 56
- Median household income / week
- $1,066
- Dwelling vacancy
- 15.6%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 269 of 1,723
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,950
- Employment rate
- 42.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 977 / 205 / 16 (+ 206 other)
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)
- 85
- Against the person
- 25
- Against property
- 45
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 26.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 130 residents
- State safety percentile
- 6.2th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -0.9%
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault18
- Fraud21
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment22
- Malicious Damage To Property31
- Steal From Motor Vehicle19
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
- 1,021
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 56th
School list
- Shoalhaven Heads Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1021 · 56th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 180 students · Top SEA quarter 16% · 0.4 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
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- kindergartenkindergarten
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Public transport
104 public transport stops in this suburb
- Explorer Bvd At Wells Pl
- Oval Dr At Nimrod St
- Oval Dr Opp Amundsen Av
- Scott St Before Discovery Pl
- Towers Rd At Boyd St
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
83 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 cafes · 1 supermarkets · 4 playgrounds · 1 dog parks · 4 swimming pools · 1 petrol stations · 1 post offices
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus
- Great for outdoor family life — 8 parks mapped in suburb, 4 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 104 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 11 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 57/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.31
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0.31
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 2.46
Food & drink(1)
- tabletalk cafeCafe
75 River Road
Shopping(1)
- IGASupermarket
2635 Shoalhaven Heads Road
Community(3)
- Shoalhaven Heads Men's ShedCommunity centre
- Kindergarten
- Shoalhaven Heads Public SchoolSchool
47 Ravenscliffe Road, Shoalhaven Heads
Sport & outdoors(20)
- Dog park
- Shoalhaven Heads Golf CourseGolf course
- C H Gumley ReservePark
- Curtis ReservePark
- Jerry Bailey ReservePark
- Park (2)
- Pepper ReservePark
- Shoalhaven Heads Memorial ParkPark
- Vic Zealand Memorial ReservePark
- Picnic area
- Playground (4)
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (4)
Transport(13)
13 bus stops
Other(19)
- Bench (4)
- Shoalhaven HeadsCamp Site
49 McIntosh Street, Shoalhaven Heads
- Coastal Palms Tourist ParkCaravan Site
- Mountain View ResortCaravan Site
- Tall Timbers Tourist ParkCaravan Site
- Drinking water
- Shollhaven Heads Rural Fire BrigadeFire station
117A Mathews Street
- Fitness Station (5)
- Garden
- Shoalhaven Heads Native Botanic GardenGarden
- Laundry
- Parking (13)
- Ampol Shoalhaven HeadsPetrol station
52 Shoalhaven Heads Road
- Picnic Table (6)
- Shoalhaven Heads Post OfficePost office
- Public toilets
- Shower (2)
- Slipway (2)
- BottleoYes
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
6 parks and public open space in this suburb
- C H Gumley ReservePark
- Curtis ReservePark
- Jerry Bailey ReservePark
- Pepper ReservePark
- Shoalhaven Heads Memorial ParkPark
- Vic Zealand Memorial ReservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 11
- Parks (OSM)
- 8
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
- David Berry Hospital (8.6 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)
- 52
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 16.0
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· 23 proposals
July 2026
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Carport17 LOVEGROVE STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure12 HEARD AVENUE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Under Assessment
- Subdivision30 GOLDEN HILL AVENUE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
June 2026
- Demolition; Shed; Erection of a new structure1 CELIA PARADE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Additional Information Requested
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool2 HEARD AVENUE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure46 SCOTT STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
May 2026
- Subdivision13 MATHEWS STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure6 DAVID BERRY STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Under Assessment
- Demolition6 DAVID BERRY STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
April 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation30 GOLDEN HILL AVENUE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Swimming pool13 DISCOVERY PLACE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Demolition30 GOLDEN HILL AVENUE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Demolition21 RENOWN AVENUE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development13 STAPLES STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation21 RENOWN AVENUE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
March 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure4 BOLT STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure56 JERRY BAILEY ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- SubdivisionWELLS PLACE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure28 HAY AVENUE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation2 HAY AVENUE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Subdivision14 GERROA ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Caravan park40 SHOALHAVEN HEADS ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
January 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces21 NOAKES STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
2025· 21 proposals
December 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool96 SCOTT STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Carport4 DAVENPORT ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Supporting Development82 JERRY BAILEY ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Withdrawn
November 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure48 JERRY BAILEY ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure7 HEARD AVENUE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
October 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure84 RIVER ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation17 BOYD STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
August 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space21 BASS ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
July 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure3 WHARF ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Subdivision39A DAVENPORT ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure4 MOUNTAIN VIEW PLACE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Deferred Commencement
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool19 MATHEWS STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation11A DISCOVERY PLACE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
June 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support19 MATHEWS STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure46 SCOTT STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure119 JERRY BAILEY ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Residential Accommodation39A DAVENPORT ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Dual occupancy; Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation14 GERROA ROAD SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
May 2025
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation38 WAGIN STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Jetty; Supporting Development8 HAY AVENUE SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Determined
March 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Carport; Supporting Development2 MCINTOSH STREET SHOALHAVEN HEADS 2535Withdrawn
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 12.7 km away).
Coalition 39.5%Labor 60.5%
5.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +11.0 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Shoalhaven HeadsLabor 60.5% · Coalition 39.5% TPP (2025)0.3 km away
- Greenwell PointLabor 52.8% · Coalition 47.2% TPP (2025)6.5 km away
- BerryLabor 56.9% · Coalition 43.1% TPP (2025)9.3 km away
- CulburraLabor 59.2% · Coalition 40.8% TPP (2025)9.4 km away
- TeraraLabor 54.3% · Coalition 45.7% TPP (2025)10.2 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)
- 4/10
- 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
More in Shoalhaven Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.