New South Wales · Postcode 2541
Nowra postcode and suburb data
New South Wales · Phone area code 02 · 126 km from Sydney
Suburb snapshot
Nowra at a glance vs NSW
Fast facts and benchmark bars show the suburb's key postcode, Census, SEIFA, school and LGA signals in context.
Quick facts
Benchmarks against NSW
Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.
Where Nowra ranks: household income sits in the bottom 25% of NSW suburbs; SEIFA decile 1 places it in the bottom 20% of Australia for socio-economic advantage.
ABS Census 2021 · SEIFA 2021Detailed comparison table
Nowra vs the NSW average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.
| Metric | Nowra | NSW avg | AU avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household income/wk | $1,037 -NSW | $1,931 | $1,836 |
| Rent/wk | $300 -NSW | $445 | $390 |
| Mortgage/month | $1,500 -NSW | $2,247 | $1,958 |
| Median age | 40 | 45.0 | 45.0 |
| SEIFA decile | 1/10 -NSW | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Unemployment | 9.3% +NSW | 5.0% | 5.0% |
Green pill = at least 10% above the NSW average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.
Nowra (2541) is a coastal town in regional New South Wales. It lies around 126 km from Sydney by road. The locality is part of the Shoalhaven statistical area. It is administered by Shoalhaven.
According to the 2021 Census, Nowra has a population of 9,956 with a median age of 40. The median weekly household income is $1,037, below the NSW average. The unemployment rate is 9.3%, higher than the NSW average. The Indigenous population is 1,225 (12.3% of residents).
Housing in Nowra includes a median weekly rent of $300, median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,500, with 3,843 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the NSW average. Rental properties account for 47.8% of dwellings.
On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Nowra scores in decile 1 out of 10, which is well below the national average.
There are 7 schools in the Nowra area, including St John the Evangelist Catholic High School, Nowra High School, Shoalhaven High School and others.
Nowra is part of the Shoalhaven statistical area in New South Wales.
Nowra details
Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.
| Postcode | 2541 |
| State | New South Wales (NSW) |
| Phone Area Code | 02 |
| Population (2021) | 9,956 |
| Median Age | 40 years |
| Median Household Income (Census 2021) | $1,037/week |
| Median Personal Income (Census 2021) | $554/week |
| Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021) | $300 |
| Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021) | $1,500 |
| Average Household Size | 2.2 persons |
| Area | 9.0 km² |
| Population Density | 1107/km² |
| Total Dwellings | 3,843 |
| Australian Citizens | 84.2% |
| Indigenous Population | 1,225 (12.3%) |
| Unemployment Rate | 9.3% |
| SEIFA IRSAD Decile | 1/10 (well below average) |
| Latitude | -34.883333 |
| Longitude | 150.6 |
| Distance from Sydney | 126 km |
| Region (SA4) | Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven |
| Area (SA3) | Shoalhaven |
| Local Government | Shoalhaven |
| Federal Electorate | Gilmore |
| State Electorate | South Coast |
| Time Zone | AEST (UTC+10), Australia/Sydney (standard time) |
Age Profile
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 1,835 (18.4%) |
| 15–24 years | 1,145 (11.5%) |
| 25–44 years | 2,389 (24.0%) |
| 45–64 years | 2,293 (23.0%) |
| 65+ years | 2,296 (23.1%) |
Housing Tenure
SEIFA socio-economic index
Health Conditions (2021 Census)
| Arthritis | 1,364 (13.7%) |
| Asthma | 1,074 (10.8%) |
| Diabetes | 750 (7.5%) |
| Heart Disease | 635 (6.4%) |
| Lung Condition | 421 (4.2%) |
| Cancer | 390 (3.9%) |
| Dementia | 201 (2.0%) |
Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.
Motor Vehicles per Dwelling
| No vehicle | 456 (12.2%) |
| 1 vehicle | 1,688 (45.0%) |
| 2 vehicles | 1,137 (30.3%) |
| 3+ vehicles | 468 (12.5%) |
Schools in Nowra
ACARA 2025 school profiles for schools located in Nowra. ICSEA is shown where ACARA publishes it.
Suburbs Near Nowra
Same Postcode (2541)
More Nowra Data
Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.