Illawarra, NSW
urban-coastal · creative · beachy · energetic
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Move Regional compares towns across QLD, NSW and WA on price, work, schools and lifestyle, so you can find the one that fits.
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Drive to the coast
3 min
By road
Nearest major hospital
1 min
By road
Airport access
1h 19m
By road
Schools access
Excellent
Average daytime temp
21.4°C
Rainfall
Moderate rainfall
Wollongong is a coastal city where the escarpment and ocean are always physically close, even when daily life is centred on work, university, schools and shopping. With about 280,000 people in its urban area and growth of roughly 25% since 2016, it has the scale and momentum of a substantial urban centre rather than a large beach town.
The workforce is broad, particularly in healthcare, care services, trades and retail, and the city has strong schools, a major hospital and full shopping provision. Beaches and ocean pools are minutes from the centre, while the Sea Cliff Bridge, Nan Tien Temple and arts precincts give weekends more range than simply heading to the sand.
Housing is expensive but below many Sydney coastal markets, with a median house price around $1.2 million and three-bedroom rents near $775 a week. Allow about 1 hour 30 minutes away, which keeps the capital relevant for work and family but makes a five-day commute a significant lifestyle choice. to get to Sydney The airport is roughly 1 hour 20 minutes away.
Wollongong is best for movers who still want city-level services and career options while making the coast part of ordinary life; it is not the place for acreage, silence or a small-town social circle.
10 photos
Wollongong is a sensible move for professionals, families and students who still need a city job market, strong services and social life but want regular beach access as well. It is particularly useful if staying reasonably connected to Sydney matters. Anyone who would find a small coastal town limiting for work or education gets much more room here.
This is an urban coastal city, so quiet and rural space are both very limited. Sydney may be only around 1 hour 30 minutes away by road, but that is still a substantial daily commute. People moving specifically for small-town community, acreage or a slower village rhythm should look elsewhere.
Drive the Sea Cliff Bridge
Swim at beaches and ocean pools
Visit Nan Tien Temple and the city's arts precincts
More from Londoner in Sydney
Looking for things to do in Wollongong? Whether you’re just passing through on the Grand Pacific Drive or looking for a day trip from Sydney, there’s plenty of places to see when you visit Wollongong!
Read the guideMedian house price
$1,203,000
8% above the NSW median
Median attached price (townhouse/apartment)
$750,000
Median weekly rent (3-bed house)
$775
≈ $3,358/month
Houses here typically sell from $1,095,000 to $1,455,000 (25th–75th percentile).
Attached properties typically sell from $645,000 to $928,000.
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 100 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 Kiama.
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.
Wollongong (UCL 102005) · 2021 Census
The age profile is close to the national one, with 18.7% aged 65 or over against 17.2% and 17.9% children against 18.2%.
Population
280,153
Population growth
+25%
Wollongong - East (SA2 107041548)
Median age
39 years
Labour force participation
58%
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
$740
Per week · ≈ $38,480/year
Median family income
$2,077
Per week
Median household income
$1,644
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
66.8%
Rented
30.4%
Born in Australia
75.7%
Born overseas
20%
Doesn't sum to 100% — people who didn't state a birthplace are excluded rather than redistributed.