Illawarra, NSW
coastal · lively · foodie · scenic
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Drive to the coast
1 min
By road
Nearest major hospital
7 min
By road
Airport access
1h 43m
By road
Schools access
Excellent
Average daytime temp
21.5°C
Rainfall
Moderate rainfall
Kiama manages to feel like a complete coastal town rather than a collection of beach suburbs. Around 14,800 people live here, the median age is 48 and the population has grown strongly, up roughly 15% since 2016. The compact centre supports excellent shopping, schools and healthcare, while beaches, the blowhole and the coastal walk are close enough to be used routinely rather than saved for visitors.
Buying comes at a premium, with a median house price around $1.63 million and three-bedroom rents close to $788 a week, reflecting both lifestyle demand and proximity to Sydney. Tourism is substantial and weekends can be noticeably busier, but the town still has a permanent local rhythm through schools, services and everyday commerce.
The climate is mild and relatively wet, keeping the surrounding countryside green without the cold of the Highlands. Sydney is just under two hours by road and the airport around 1 hour 45 minutes, so metropolitan access remains possible while the town retains a separate identity. There is little acreage or true seclusion within Kiama itself.
The move makes sense for people who want beaches, walkability and strong services in one place and are prepared to accept visitor traffic and premium property prices as the cost of that convenience.
11 photos
Families, professionals, active retirees and remote workers can get coastal life in Kiama without giving up a proper town centre. Cafés, beaches, healthcare and strong services all sit within a walkable place. Tourism and activity are noticeable, so it is better suited to people who like a bit of life around them than those looking for a very quiet coastal retreat.
Tourism is high and quiet is not one of the town's strengths, so weekends and holiday periods can feel busy. Rural space is limited, and Sydney is still around 2 hours away. If your priority is acreage, seclusion or a very small community, Gerringong or Robertson will fit better.
See the Kiama Blowhole
Walk sections of the Kiama Coast Walk
Enjoy beaches markets and the compact town centre
More from Londoner in Sydney
Our guide for the best things to do in Kiama in NSW South Coast will see you coming back time and time again.
Read the guideMedian house price
$1,631,000
47% above the NSW median
Median attached price (townhouse/apartment)
$950,000
Median weekly rent (3-bed house)
$788
≈ $3,415/month
Houses here typically sell from $1,315,000 to $1,838,000 (25th–75th percentile).
Attached properties typically sell from $828,000 to $1,138,000.
Sourced from NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January - March 2026 quarter
Healthcare access
Excellent
Shopping & everyday services
Excellent
10+ shopping centres within 20km — a real retail hub
Internet connection
Fixed line
Plus 40 more within 20km — showing the 8 closest.
Job market by industry
Healthcare — 14.6%
Largest share of local jobs
Employment figures cover this town's wider statistical region, not the town alone — you'll see the same figures for Gerringong and Wollongong.
The score ranks this region against other regions for the same occupation, not against other jobs here — a low score means it isn't a regional stronghold for that field, not that there are no vacancies. Counts online job advertisements, so trades and farm work hired by word of mouth are undercounted, and outside capital cities this is published at a regional level larger than one town.
Kiama (UCL 113007) · 2021 Census
Older than the country as a whole: 27.7% are 65 or over against 17.2% nationally, and 16.5% are children against 18.2%. Among households, home ownership is high at 77.1% of dwellings against 65.9% nationally.
Population
14,761
Population growth
+15%
Kiama (SA2 107031138)
Median age
48 years
Labour force participation
53.6%
Growth is measured across the wider area named under the figure, which can be a different size to the town.
Share of total population in each band — rounding means these won't land on exactly 100%.
Couples are a share of total families; lone-person households are a share of total households — different bases, not one breakdown.
Median personal income
$825
Per week · ≈ $42,900/year
Median family income
$2,154
Per week
Median household income
$1,752
Per week
Personal is one person's income; family and household cover everyone living together — a single-income household will show a lower household figure than its highest earner's personal one. Personal income also covers every resident aged 15 and over, retirees included, so it reads low in a town with an older population even where household income is solid.
Owner-occupied
77.1%
Rented
18.5%
Born in Australia
80.3%
Born overseas
15.9%
Doesn't sum to 100% — people who didn't state a birthplace are excluded rather than redistributed.