Median house price
$790k
+17% change
NSW · Shoalhaven Council
South Nowra, 2541
Est. population · Jun 2025
3,320
Growth (1 yr)
+0.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+6.5%
Median age
33
Median income
$1,789/wk
Employment rate
62.2%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$790,000
Languages at home
12%non-English
Most common: Malayalam, Nepali, Punjabi
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Education hub
- Café precinct
Suburb profile
South Nowra is a regional mid-sized suburb in Shoalhaven Council, oriented around local life rather than the metro orbit of Sydney. Day-to-day life leans on nearby towns and local hubs rather than the metro area. Young professionals and new households shape much of the local mix, with family life visible on every street.
Neighbourhood food and coffee spots add warmth to the local routine. Local parks and tree cover add a welcome outdoor dimension to suburban life. Buses make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward.
Buyers typically pay more than the metro middle for a home here. Construction and infill projects are noticeably reshaping parts of the area.
Against similar regional towns, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because safety, plus local dining and lifestyle amenities lag behind, despite relative strength in housing affordability and growth momentum. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
South Nowra snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$530/wk
Houses $550 · Units $401
Population (ERP)
3,320
+0.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
4.2%
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
#21
among Country & regional · Emerging
Safety
93rd
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
41st
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
59th
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
- 52.0/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 27% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 1902nd in Australia
- State rank
- 560th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #21 among Country & regional · Emerging suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #92 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $401
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $550
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $530
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 296
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $790,000
- Median price change
- +16.5%
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
3,320(June 2025)
+0.1% annual · +6.5% over 5 years · 41th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.1%
- 5-year growth
- +6.5%
- Change in 1 year
- +5
- Change in 5 years
- +202
- 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 (~3,600), extrapolated at +1.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 3,165
- Median age
- 33
- Median household income / week
- $1,789
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 47 of 1,110
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,000
- Employment rate
- 62.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 945 / 103 / 7 (+ 3 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)
- 524
- Against the person
- 144
- Against property
- 193
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 157.8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 22 residents
- State safety percentile
- 93.4th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +0.1%
Most common offence types
- Breach Bail Conditions633
- Domestic Violence Related Assault305
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment444
- Malicious Damage To Property449
- Steal From Retail Store420
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
- 3
- Median school ICSEA (3 schools)
- 1,028
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 59th
School list
- St John the Evangelist Catholic High SchoolSecondary · Catholic · ICSEA 1028 · 59th percentile · LBOTE 5% · 935 students · Top SEA quarter 18% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
- Nowra Christian SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1033 · 61th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 572 students · Top SEA quarter 16% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →
- Shoalhaven High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 862 · 6th percentile · LBOTE 4% · 610 students · Top SEA quarter 2% · 1.6 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
85 public transport stops in this suburb
- Albatross Rd Before Coral Sea Dr
- Nowra Christian School
- Old Southern Rd Opp Browns Rd
- Quinns Lane At Old Southern Rd
- Quinns Lane At Princes Hwy
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
89 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 restaurants · 1 cafes · 5 fast food · 1 sports centres · 1 ev charging · 5 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Well connected by public transport — 85 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 44/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.32
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 2.21
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0.63
Food & drink(7)
- Pie FaceCafe
- Hungry Jack'sFast food
190-198 Princes Highway, South Nowra
- KFCFast food
82 Princes Highway, South Nowra
- McDonald'sFast food
Princes Highway, South Nowra
- OportoFast food
- SubwayFast food
- Dine in - Take AwayRestaurant
Shopping(2)
- South Nowra Premium MeatsButcher
- OTRConvenience store
Sport & outdoors(4)
- South Nowra Rotary ParkPark
- Nowra RacecourseSports centre
- Shoalhaven City Soccer OvalSports field
- Sports field
Transport(8)
8 bus stops
Other(48)
- Kia South NowraCar
- LDVCar
- Mitsubishi South NowraCar
- NissanCar
- Nowra City HoldenCar
- Nowra MazdaCar
- Nowra SubaruCar
- Nowra ToyotaCar
- South Nowra HondaCar
- South Nowra SuzukiCar
- Opposite LockCar Parts
- Supercheap AutoCar Parts
- South Nowra Car WashCar wash
2 Browns Road
- Chapman CaravansCaravan
- JaycoCaravan
- Rest Point Garden VillageCaravan Site
- RSEA SafetyClothes
- Harvey NormanDepartment Store
193 Princes Highway, South Nowra
- TK MaxxDepartment Store
- Bunnings WarehouseDoityourself
147-167 Princes Highway, South Nowra
- Home Timber & HardwareDoityourself
- JB Hi-FiElectronics
- Tesla SuperchargerEV charging
- SpotlightFabric
28 Central Avenue
- Fantastic FurnitureFurniture
- Pacific Furniture and HomewaresFurniture
- Sydney ToolsHardware
- Pacific Furniture and HomewaresHouseware
- HomeCo South NowraMall
- Scooters WholesaleMedical Supply
- Great Southern MotorcyclesMotorcycle
- HondaMotorcycle
- AnacondaOutdoor
- Barbeques GaloreOutdoor
- BCFOutdoor
- Australia Post Parcel LockerParcel Locker
- Parking (19)
- PetstockPet
- AmpolPetrol station
- Ampol FoodaryPetrol station
100 Princes Highway, South Nowra
- Pearl EnergyPetrol station
202 Princes Highway
- ShellPetrol station
- UnitedPetrol station
86 Princes Highway, South Nowra
- Picnic Table (2)
- Kennards HirePlant Hire
- Public toilets
- RebelSports
- Track (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
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- South Nowra Rotary ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 8
- Parks (OSM)
- 2
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
- Nowra Private Hospital (1.8 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)
- 164
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 49.4
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° / 13°
- Rainfall
- 210 mm · ~26 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 19° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 222 mm · ~28 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 13° / 2°
- Rainfall
- 181 mm · ~23 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 19° / 7°
- Rainfall
- 205 mm · ~26 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· 40 proposals
August 2026
- Subdivision10 ANGELO STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Service station40 NORFOLK AVENUE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure69 FIRETAIL STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
July 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Residential Accommodation14 Thornbill Road South Nowra LOT 235 DP 1320064Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses1 TREE FROG STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Residential Accommodation48 Casa Circuit South Nowra Lot 236 DP1320064Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Residential Accommodation7 Angelo Street South Nowra LOT 229 DP1320064Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Residential Accommodation32 Casa Circuit South Nowra LOT 213 DP1320064Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Residential Accommodation37 Casa Circuit South Nowra LOT 205 DP1320074Under Assessment
- Demolition; Subdivision58 HILLCREST AVENUE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Residential Accommodation40 Casa Circuit South Nowra LOT 217 DP1320064Additional Information Requested
- Industrial development; Erection of a new structure; General industry23 CUMBERLAND AVENUE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)44 Casa Circuit, South Nowra, Lot 219, DP 132006Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)10 Angelo Street, South Nowra. Lot 240 DP 1320064Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Residential Accommodation46 Casa Crct South Nowra Lot 220 DP 1320064Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)3 Thornbill Rd, SOUTH NOWRA - Lot 226 DP 1320064Under Assessment
June 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Artisan food and drink industry102 PRINCES HIGHWAY SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure9 Angelo St, SOUTH NOWRA - Lot 238 DP 1320064Under Assessment
- Subdivision179 OLD SOUTHERN ROAD SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure1 70 SOMERSET AVENUE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation23 TREE FROG STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
- Shed; Erection of a new structure21 BROWNS ROAD SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Signage; Advertising and signage; Advertising structure; Supporting Development245 PRINCES HIGHWAY SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
- SubdivisionOLD SOUTHERN ROAD SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
May 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Hazardous storage establishment6 SEXTANT STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
- Subdivision14 Flinders Road, South Nowra (Lot 3 DP 1267770)Under Assessment
- Industrial development; Erection of a new structure; General industry8 INVESTIGATOR STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Additional Information Requested
- Advertising and signage; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Recreation facility (indoor); Hours of operation and trading175 PRINCES HIGHWAY SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
April 2026
- Multi-dwelling housing; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation2 WENDY PLACE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation27 TREE FROG STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
March 2026
- Subdivision22 QUINNS LANE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Additional Information Requested
- Signage; Advertising and signage; Advertising structure132 PRINCES HIGHWAY SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Subdivision22 QUINNS LANE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
- Demolition; Industrial development; Erection of a new structure; General industry40 OXFORD STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Recreation facility (indoor)10 Central Avenue South Nowra 2541Determined
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Temporary building, structure or use; Vehicle Sales or Hire Premises104 PRINCES HIGHWAY SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Attached dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation15 WENDY PLACE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
February 2026
- Erection of a new structure; General industry1 NOWRA HILL ROAD SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
January 2026
- Attached dwelling; Dual occupancy; Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)5 HOLLOWAY ROAD SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool59 BASIL STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
2025· 19 proposals
December 2025
- Erection of a new structure; General industry166 PRINCES HIGHWAY SOUTH NOWRA 2541Withdrawn
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Supporting Development181B OLD SOUTHERN ROAD SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Demolition; Industrial development; Erection of a new structure; General industry40 OXFORD STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
November 2025
- Subdivision94 HILLCREST AVENUE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
- Subdivision17 EVERGREEN PLACE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Signage; Advertising and signage; Business identification sign193 PRINCES HIGHWAY SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Subdivision2 ELIAN CRESCENT SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
October 2025
- Attached dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation15 WENDY PLACE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Supporting Development82 HILLCREST AVENUE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Erection of a new structure; General industry20 BELLEVUE STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Withdrawn
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)71 Quinns Lane, SOUTH NOWRA - Lot 22 DP 1297984Determined
September 2025
- Industrial development17 CENTRAL AVENUE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Under Assessment
August 2025
- Demolition; Subdivision of land327 OLD SOUTHERN ROAD SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
July 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure10 DOVE CLOSE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Demolition; Commercial development; Advertising and signage; Office Premise; Erection of a new structure; Health services facility; Hospital; Hours of operation and trading; Health Infrastructure102 HILLCREST AVENUE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
- Demolition; Industrial development; Erection of a new structure; Hours of operation and trading3 NOWRA HILL ROAD SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
June 2025
- Commercial development; Erection of a new structure; Storage premises; Self storage units174 PRINCES HIGHWAY SOUTH NOWRA 2541Withdrawn
May 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Community facility; Co-living94 HILLCREST AVENUE SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support12 BALLINA STREET SOUTH NOWRA 2541Determined
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 6.3 km away).
Coalition 41.9%Labor 58.1%
2.9 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +2.8 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Nowra SouthLabor 59.9% · Coalition 40.1% TPP (2025)1.8 km away
- Nowra EastLabor 63.8% · Coalition 36.2% TPP (2025)3.1 km away
- NowraLabor 57.7% · Coalition 42.3% TPP (2025)3.4 km away
- Nowra CentreLabor 59.9% · Coalition 40.1% TPP (2025)3.9 km away
- Nowra HillLabor 45.9% · Coalition 54.1% TPP (2025)4.1 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)
- 6/10
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.