NSW · Shoalhaven Council

Watersleigh, 2540

Est. population · Jun 2025

42

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+2.4%

Median age

46

Median income

$1,624/wk

Employment rate

59.4%

Median house price · October to December 2025

$866,000

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

    What Watersleigh is known for:

    Suburb profile

    In Shoalhaven Council, Watersleigh keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. The capital is not on the doorstep: Sydney is a proper journey, while nearby towns cover more day-to-day needs. The area suits established families and long-term locals.

    Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub. Open space is thinner than in many comparable suburbs, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. A car helps for most daily errands, with fewer amenities clustered within an easy walk.

    Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.

    At a glance

    Watersleigh snapshot

    A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

    Median house price

    $866k

    +1.9% change

    Median rent

    $571/wk

    Houses $600 · Units $465

    Population (ERP)

    42

    0.0% annual growth

    Dwelling vacancy

    0.0%

    Census unoccupied dwellings

    How it compares

    Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

    Safety

    29th

    percentile in state (higher = safer)

    Pop. growth

    37th

    percentile in NSW

    Advantage (IRSAD)

    7/10

    national SEIFA decile

    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

    Housing

    Flats / units (January to March 2026)
    $465
    Houses (January to March 2026)
    $600
    All types (January to March 2026)
    $571
    Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
    300
    Median house price (October to December 2025)
    $866,000
    Median price change
    +1.9%

    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

    Population

    Estimated resident population

    42(June 2025)

    0.0% annual · +2.4% over 5 years · 37th percentile in NSW

    Growth figures & methodology
    Annual growth
    0.0%
    5-year growth
    +2.4%
    Change in 1 year
    0
    Change in 5 years
    +1
    Growth rank in NSW
    37th 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 (~50), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

    2021 Census figures

    2021 Census

    Population
    40
    Median age
    46
    Median household income / week
    $1,624
    Dwelling vacancy
    0%
    Unoccupied private dwellings
    0 of 12
    Median monthly mortgage
    $8,017
    Employment rate
    59.4%
    Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
    12 / 0 / 0

    Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

    Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

    Data sources & freshness

    • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

      The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

    • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian 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 ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

      The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

    Crime & safety

    Reported offences are unchanged compared with the previous period.

    Offence counts & rates
    Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
    2
    Against the person
    1
    Against property
    1
    Rate per 1,000 residents
    47.6
    Person-crime prevalence
    About 1 in 40 residents
    State safety percentile
    28.7th (lower crime is better)
    Increase (daily rate)
    +0.3%

    Most common offence types

    • Breach Apprehended Violence Order135
    • Domestic Violence Related Assault174
    • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment283
    • Malicious Damage To Property261
    • Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault146

    Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

    Crime rate and year-on-year trend

    Data sources & freshness

    • BOCSAR postcode crime statisticsNSW 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

    Amenities

    1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

    Local character & venue list

    Local character

    • Limited walkable amenities nearby
    Walkability proxy
    0/100
    Cafés per 1,000 residents
    0
    Food & drink per 1,000 residents
    0
    Parks per 1,000 residents
    0
    Other(1)
    • Youthworks ShoalhavenEvents Venue

      439 Kaloona Drive, Watersleigh

    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 insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
    • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

    Health access

    Nearest hospital
    Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital (7.1 km)
    Nearest hospital type
    Public hospital
    Nearest hospital emergency
    Emergency department

    Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

    Hospitals and GP clinics

    Data sources & freshness

    NDIS participation

    NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
    2
    Participants per 1,000 residents
    47.6

    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

    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 normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

    Future & Planning

    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 overlaysState 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 9.5 km away).

    Coalition 42.5%Labor 57.5%

    2.3 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

    Estimated swing since 2022: +4.3 pp toward Labor

    Nearest polling places

    • CambewarraLabor 56.1% · Coalition 43.9% TPP (2025)5.2 km away
    • Nowra NorthLabor 55.1% · Coalition 44.9% TPP (2025)5.2 km away
    • Nowra BomaderryLabor 56.2% · Coalition 43.8% TPP (2025)6.5 km away
    • Nowra CentreLabor 59.9% · Coalition 40.1% TPP (2025)7.7 km away
    • NowraLabor 57.7% · Coalition 42.3% TPP (2025)7.8 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

    Socio-economic

    IRSAD decile (2021)
    7/10
    IRSD decile (2021)
    7/10

    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

    More in Shoalhaven Council

    Other suburbs in the same local government area.