Wollongong

New South Wales · Illawarra · 214,498 people · 76 suburbs · 16 postcodes

Wollongong at a glance

214,498
Population
#10 of 130 in NSW
684
km² area
314/km² density
39.3
Median age
-0.4 vs NSW
1000
SEIFA IRSAD
#35 of 130 in NSW
88
Schools
64 gov, 12 Cath, 12 indep
21.0%
Born overseas
31.9%
Renting

Map shows the Wollongong LGA boundary in blue with a marker per suburb. Hover for suburb name, click for details.

Marker colour reflects SEIFA IRSAD decile: ● 1-2 (most disadvantaged), ● 3-4, ● 5-6, ● 7-8, ● 9-10 (most advantaged).

Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021. Map tiles: OpenStreetMap contributors.

Federal electorate boundaries can be toggled on the map. Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021 CED boundaries.

Wollongong is a metropolitan Local Government Area in New South Wales, in the Sydney region. It covers 76 suburbs across 16 postcodes and an area of 684 km². Wollongong has a population of 214,498 , ranking #10 most populous in NSW. The most populous suburb is Wollongong (20,446 residents).About 21.0% of residents were born overseas and 15.8% speak a language other than English at home.

Who lives here

Age structure

0–14 (17.6%) 15–24 (13.4%) 25–44 (25.7%) 45–64 (24.7%) 65+ (18.6%)
Show counts
0–14 years37,678 (17.6%)
15–24 years28,801 (13.4%)
25–44 years55,150 (25.7%)
45–64 years52,876 (24.7%)
65+ years39,949 (18.6%)
21.0%
Born overseas
15.8%
Speak a language other than English at home
3.2%
First Nations
2.5
Avg household size

How they live

Housing tenure

Owned outright (35.2%) Mortgaged (32.9%) Renting (31.9%)

Dwelling type mix

Separate house (76.8%) Semi/townhouse (9.9%) Flat/apartment (13.4%)
$406
Median weekly rent
$2,137
Median monthly mortgage
44.8%
Households with 0-1 cars
55.2%
Households with 2+ cars

Work and learning

5.0%
Unemployment rate
53,200
In full-time work
33,157
In part-time work

Schools in Wollongong

88 schools across Wollongong: 72.7% Government, 13.6% Catholic, 13.6% Independent. The NSW average is 69.6% / 16.9% / 13.5%. Schools here have a median ICSEA of 1040 (range 807 to 1186). NSW median is 1005; national mean is 1000.

Sector mix

NSW average for comparison
Government Catholic Independent

Type breakdown

Primary (69.3%) Secondary (17.0%) Combined (5.7%) Special (8.0%)

ICSEA range

700 National mean 1000 1300
LGA median 1040 NSW median 1005LGA range 807 to 1186

ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) summarises the socio-economic background of each school's families. Higher values indicate more advantage. Source: ACARA 2025.

All 88 schools in Wollongong, sorted by enrolment:

School Sector Type Suburb Students ICSEA
Holy Spirit College Catholic Secondary Bellambi 1,249 1069
Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts Government Secondary Fairy Meadow 1,169 1075
St Mary Star of the Sea College Independent Secondary Wollongong 1,128 1104
Edmund Rice College Independent Secondary West Wollongong 1,054 1083
Dapto High School Government Secondary Dapto 988 968
Bulli High School Government Secondary Bulli 979 1058
The Illawarra Grammar School Independent Combined Wollongong West 970 1159
Illawarra Sports High School Government Secondary Berkeley 926 937
Figtree High School Government Secondary Figtree 880 1013
Illawarra Christian School Independent Combined Cordeaux Heights 800 1091
Dapto Public School Government Primary Horsley 790 1006
Woonona High School Government Secondary Woonona 767 1030
Smiths Hill High School Government Secondary Wollongong 736 1186
Keira High School Government Secondary Fairy Meadow 723 984
Cedars Christian College Independent Combined Unanderra 661 1067
St John's Catholic Primary School Catholic Primary Dapto 623 1038
Hayes Park Public School Government Primary Kanahooka 601 972
Warrawong High School Government Secondary Warrawong 591 905
Kanahooka High School Government Secondary Kanahooka 581 912
Wollongong Public School Government Primary Wollongong 579 1084
Corrimal High School Government Secondary Corrimal 569 940
Woonona Public School Government Primary Woonona 519 1070
Helensburgh Public School Government Primary Helensburgh 460 1057
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Catholic Primary Bulli 412 1121
St Pius X Catholic Primary School Catholic Primary Unanderra 371 1066
Lakelands Public School Government Primary Dapto 370 952
St Therese Catholic Primary School Catholic Primary Mangerton 368 1090
Thirroul Public School Government Primary Thirroul 367 1119
Mount St Thomas Public School Government Primary Wollongong 354 1070
Unanderra Public School Government Primary Cordeaux Heights 348 992
Mount Brown Public School Government Primary Dapto 346 975
Fairy Meadow Public School Government Primary Fairy Meadow 342 1002
St Columbkille's Catholic Primary School Catholic Primary Corrimal 339 1073
Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School Catholic Primary Fairy Meadow 335 1081
Lindsay Park Public School Government Primary Wollongong 334 1068
Balgownie Public School Government Primary Balgownie 329 1076
Bulli Public School Government Primary Bulli 318 1069
Corrimal East Public School Government Primary Corrimal 297 1046
Keiraville Public School Government Primary Keiraville 297 1103
Five Islands Secondary College Government Secondary Port Kembla 293 983
Port Kembla Public School Government Primary Port Kembla 278 1014
Warrawong Public School Government Primary Warrawong 276 891
Gwynneville Public School Government Primary Gwynneville 271 1065
Figtree Public School Government Primary Figtree 264 1028
Waniora Public School Government Primary Bulli 264 1077
Russell Vale Public School Government Primary Russell Vale 262 1040
Berkeley Public School Government Primary Berkeley 259 926
Wollongong West Public School Government Primary Wollongong 243 991
Pleasant Heights Public School Government Primary Mount Pleasant 241 1126
Austinmer Public School Government Primary Austinmer 227 1132
Corrimal Public School Government Primary Corrimal 227 1013
Farmborough Road Public School Government Primary Unanderra 226 961
Nareena Hills Public School Government Primary Figtree 209 1080
Windang Public School Government Primary Windang 203 988
Woonona East Public School Government Primary Woonona 200 1037
Mount Ousley Public School Government Primary Fairy Meadow 193 1079
Koonawarra Public School Government Primary Dapto 192 838
Elonera Montessori School Independent Combined Mount Ousley 187 1108
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School Catholic Primary Helensburgh 184 1071
St Michael's Catholic Primary School Catholic Primary Thirroul 183 1130
Bellambi Public School Government Primary Bellambi 182 807
Coniston Public School Government Primary Coniston 181 990
Figtree Heights Public School Government Primary Figtree 181 1061
St Patrick's Catholic Primary School Catholic Primary Port Kembla 177 1058
St Brigid's Catholic Primary School Catholic Primary Gwynneville 175 1083
Tarrawanna Public School Government Primary Tarrawanna 164 982
Cringila Public School Government Primary Cringila 163 936
Mount Kembla Public School Government Primary Mount Kembla 159 1050
OneSchool Global NSW - Illawarra Independent Combined Maddens Plains 159 973
Berkeley West Public School Government Primary Berkeley 157 868
Kemblawarra Public School Government Primary Port Kembla 153 892
Stanwell Park Public School Government Primary Stanwell Park 150 1112
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School Catholic Primary Warrawong 149 1013
Lake Heights Public School Government Primary Lake Heights 147 941
Coledale Public School Government Primary Coledale 135 1118
Towradgi Public School Government Primary Fairy Meadow 134 1031
Aspect South Coast School Independent Special Corrimal 129 1017
Para Meadows School Government Special North Wollongong 113 945
Mount Keira Public School Government Primary Mount Keira 91 1072
Primbee Public School Government Primary Primbee 88 943
Wollongong Flexible School Independent Special Towradgi 71 895
Spring Hill Public School Government Primary Spring Hill 57 969
Scarborough Public School Government Primary Scarborough 54 1080
Otford Public School Government Primary Otford 48 1104
Craig Davis College Independent Special Cordeaux Heights 45 825
Novo Education Space Independent Special Wollongong 44 983
Cedars Christian College - Aspire Independent Special Unanderra 13 1094
Illawarra Hospital School Government Special Wollongong

Source: ACARA School Profiles 2025. ICSEA shown where reported; some schools (notably small primaries) do not publish ICSEA.

SEIFA socio-economic indexes

SEIFA 2021 ranks Australian areas across four dimensions. Scores are population-weighted averages of suburb-level SEIFA scores within Wollongong. Higher scores indicate more advantage; the national mean is 1000.

IRSAD

Relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage

1000
Ranked #35 of 130 NSW LGAs

IRSD

Relative disadvantage only (lower = more disadvantaged)

1000

IER

Economic resources: income, wealth, housing

992

IEO

Education and occupation: qualifications, skill levels

999

Suburbs in Wollongong

Wollongong contains 76 suburbs and 16 postcodes. Sorted by population.

SuburbPostcodePopulationMedian incomeMedian age
Wollongong 2500 20,446 $1,549/wk 35
Woonona 2517 12,374 $1,816/wk 43
Figtree 2525 12,335 $2,042/wk 40
Dapto 2530 10,954 $1,475/wk 39
Horsley 2530 9,437 $2,164/wk 36
Berkeley 2506 7,798 $1,217/wk 40
Fairy Meadow 2519 7,512 $1,407/wk 38
Corrimal 2518 6,972 $1,508/wk 41
Bulli 2516 6,798 $2,331/wk 40
Helensburgh 2508 6,576 $2,490/wk 38
Thirroul 2515 6,348 $2,281/wk 43
Balgownie 2519 5,722 $1,912/wk 42
Kanahooka 2530 5,698 $1,399/wk 48
Unanderra 2526 5,476 $1,211/wk 42
West Wollongong 2500 5,223 $1,672/wk 35
Port Kembla 2505 5,088 $1,308/wk 42
Warrawong 2502 4,659 $908/wk 41
Cordeaux Heights 2526 4,460 $2,634/wk 41
Farmborough Heights 2526 4,179 $2,234/wk 38
Lake Heights 2502 4,105 $1,356/wk 36
Bellambi 2518 4,039 $1,183/wk 38
Keiraville 2500 4,001 $1,739/wk 26
Koonawarra 2530 3,732 $1,258/wk 36
East Corrimal 2518 3,432 $1,518/wk 39
Towradgi 2518 3,241 $1,572/wk 42
Gwynneville 2500 3,139 $1,394/wk 29
Mangerton 2500 2,862 $2,147/wk 39
Austinmer 2515 2,725 $2,586/wk 42
Windang 2528 2,610 $916/wk 56
North Wollongong 2500 2,299 $1,549/wk 30
Coniston 2500 2,267 $1,535/wk 39
Tarrawanna 2518 2,184 $1,449/wk 48
Cringila 2502 2,156 $1,117/wk 38
Avondale 2530 1,695 $1,524/wk 40
Mount Keira 2500 1,691 $2,476/wk 40
Primbee 2502 1,623 $1,341/wk 44
Mount Ousley 2519 1,611 $2,293/wk 42
Russell Vale 2517 1,593 $1,715/wk 39
Stanwell Park 2508 1,532 $2,798/wk 45
Kembla Grange 2526 1,452 $2,574/wk 29
Mount Saint Thomas 2500 1,449 $1,835/wk 37
Mount Pleasant 2519 1,397 $2,862/wk 40
Coledale 2515 1,372 $2,586/wk 42
Haywards Bay 2530 1,280 $2,308/wk 38
Wongawilli 2530 1,213 $2,841/wk 31
Mount Kembla 2526 1,083 $2,824/wk 42
Fernhill 2519 987 $1,107/wk 45
Wombarra 2515 944 $2,860/wk 44
Brownsville 2530 524 $1,160/wk 44
Stanwell Tops 2508 517 $2,663/wk 38
Otford 2508 396 $2,750/wk 40
Scarborough 2515 325 $2,571/wk 41
Coalcliff 2508 212 $3,299/wk 47
Marshall Mount 2530 177 $2,175/wk 40
Dombarton 2530 130 $2,094/wk 54
Yallah 2530 122 $2,437/wk 48
Spring Hill 2500 92 $1,937/wk 38
Kembla Heights 2526 88 $1,265/wk 44
Huntley 2530 66 $1,937/wk 44
Clifton 2515 35 $2,583/wk 41
Cleveland 2530 22 $900/wk 39
Lilyvale 2508 11 $824/wk 63
Maddens Plains 2508 8 $2,749/wk 40
Cataract 2560 4 $2,750/wk 43
Bulli Tops 2516
Campbelltown North 2560
Cordeaux 2526
Corrimal East 2518
Kemblawarra 2505
Macarthur Square 2560
Reidtown 2519
Stream Hill 2526
Wollongong North 2500
Wollongong West 2500
Woonona East 2517
Woronora Dam 2508

Postcodes covered

2500, 2502, 2505, 2506, 2508, 2515, 2516, 2517, 2518, 2519, 2525, 2526, 2528, 2530, 2560, 2800

Compare Wollongong with neighbouring LGAs

Side-by-side demographic and socio-economic snapshot of Wollongong and its closest neighbouring LGAs.

LGA Population Median age SEIFA IRSAD % renting % overseas-born
Wollongong (NSW) 214,498 39.3 1000 31.9% 21.0%
Shellharbour 76,109 40.0 962 27.5% 16.1%
Campbelltown (NSW) 177,795 35.4 953 35.0% 35.0%
Wollondilly 54,048 37.5 1020 17.0% 11.1%
Sutherland Shire 230,140 41.0 1090 22.8% 19.3%
Kiama 23,019 48.4 1061 18.5% 14.6%

Services and amenities

NDIS Providers NDIS provider directory for Wollongong Climate & weather Climate data for Wollongong

Frequently asked questions about Wollongong

What is the population of Wollongong?

The 2021 Census recorded 214,498 people living in Wollongong, across 76 suburbs.

What suburbs are in Wollongong?

Wollongong contains 76 suburbs. The most populous are Wollongong, Woonona, Figtree, Dapto, Horsley.See the full list in the Suburbs section above.

What postcodes are in Wollongong?

Wollongong covers 16 postcodes: 2500, 2502, 2505, 2506, 2508, 2515, 2516, 2517, 2518, 2519, 2525, 2526, 2528, 2530, 2560, 2800.

How many schools are in Wollongong?

Wollongong has 88 schools, including 64 government, 12 Catholic, and 12 independent schools (ACARA 2025).

What is the SEIFA score for Wollongong?

Wollongong has a population-weighted SEIFA IRSAD score of 1000, where the national average is 1000. Higher scores indicate more relative advantage.

Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 (IRSD, IRSAD, IER, IEO), ACARA School Profiles 2025, ABS ASGS 2021 LGA boundaries. How this data is sourced.