🔍

Wollongong

NSW 2500 • Rest of NSW

20,446
Population (2021)
$43,472
Median Income
5.81 km²
Area
11m
Elevation
Coastal CityUniversity TownSea ChangeScenic Beauty

About Wollongong

Wollongong is NSW's third-largest city, a coastal centre of over 20,000 CBD residents where the Illawarra escarpment meets the Pacific Ocean. Once dependent on steelmaking, it's transformed into an education and lifestyle hub anchored by the University of Wollongong. The setting is spectacular—beaches in front, dramatic escarpment behind, creating scenery unmatched by any Australian city its size.

Crown Street Mall provides CBD shopping, while North Beach cafes and the harbour precinct offer waterfront dining. The free shuttle bus circulates the centre, and the coastal path stretches for kilometres. Wollongong attracts university students, Sydney sea-changers tired of commuting, and anyone who appreciates dramatic scenery with urban convenience. It's a proper city with a beach town soul.

Wollongong falls under postcode 2500 and is governed by Wollongong Council (LGA). For state elections, residents vote in the Wollongong electorate.

📍 Location

State
New South Wales
Postcode
2500
Urban Area
Wollongong
LGA
Wollongong
Federal Electorate
Cunningham
State Electorate
Wollongong
Type
Major Urban
Timezone
Sydney (UTC+10)
Coordinates
-34.43°, 150.89°
Statistical Area
Rest of NSW
Area
5.81 km²
Elevation
11m

🛒 Supermarkets Nearby

  • Coles
    200 Crown Street Wollongong 2500 NSW
  • Woolworths
    63 Burelli Street Wollongong 2500 NSW

🎓 Schools

🏛️ Heritage-Listed Places

There are 10 heritage-listed places in or near Wollongong, listed on the NSW State Heritage Register.

North Beach Precinct
Cliff Road, Wollongong • SHR #01737
St Michael's Cathedral & Rectory
Church Street, Wollongong • SHR #00602
Wollongong Hospital Nurses Home
Darling Street, Wollongong • SHR #00836
Shop
87 Crown Street Wollongong • SHR #00467
Regent Theatre
197 Keira Street Wollongong • SHR #01735
Little Milton
31-33 Smith Street Wollongong • SHR #00272
Wollongong East Post Office
91 Crown Street Wollongong • SHR #01616
Wollongong Railway Station Group
Illawarra railway, Wollongong • SHR #01289
Wollongong Harbour Precinct
Cliff Road and Endeavour Drive, Wollongong • SHR #01823
Wollongong Original Telegraph Office & Post Office
11 Market Street, Wollongong • SHR #01940

🏠 Housing Costs 2021 Census

Median Rent (weekly)
$410
Median Mortgage (monthly)
$1,950
Avg Household Size
2 people
Median Age
35 years

👥 Demographics

Census 2016
18,442
Census 2021
20,446
▲ 10.9% growth

Population Growth

Gender Distribution (Census 2021)

Income 2016
$29,796
Income 2021
$43,472
▲ 45.9% increase

Income Comparison

📊 Population: ABS Census 2021
💰 Income: ABS Census 2021

🌍 Country of Birth 2021 Census

Born in Australia 12,871
Born Overseas 6,535

Top Countries of Birth (excl. Australia)

  • 1. England 654
  • 2. China 621
  • 3. India 576
  • 4. North Macedonia 309
  • 5. Philippines 225
  • 6. New Zealand 217
  • 7. Vietnam 215
  • 8. Italy 196
  • 9. Thailand 173
  • 10. Nepal 143
  • 11. Greece 125
  • 12. Croatia 111
  • 13. Pakistan 110
  • 14. Iraq 107
  • 15. Scotland 104

🧬 Ancestry 2021 Census

Top ancestries reported (people may report up to two)

English 6,228
Australian 5,192
Irish 2,116
Scottish 1,795
Italian 1,171
Chinese 1,083
German 776
Macedonian 707
Indian 580
Greek 488

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents' Birthplace 2021 Census

8,278
Both parents born in Australia
8,426
Both parents born overseas
2,513
One parent AU, one overseas

🛐 Religion 2021 Census

Christianity
42.0%
No Religion
40.9%
Islam
4.3%
Hinduism
2.6%
Buddhism
2.3%
Sikhism
0.4%
Judaism
0.1%

📊 Age Distribution 2021 Census

0-4 years
756 (3.7%)
5-14 years
1,031 (5.0%)
15-19 years
727 (3.6%)
20-24 years
2,722 (13.3%)
25-34 years
4,887 (23.9%)
35-44 years
2,228 (10.9%)
45-54 years
1,975 (9.7%)
55-64 years
2,273 (11.1%)
65-74 years
1,942 (9.5%)
75-84 years
1,328 (6.5%)
85+ years
578 (2.8%)

Nearby Suburbs