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New South Wales · Postcode 2535
Shoalhaven Heads postcode and suburb data
New South Wales · Phone area code 02 · 117 km from Sydney
Suburb snapshot
Shoalhaven Heads 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 Shoalhaven Heads ranks: household income sits in the bottom 25% of NSW suburbs.
ABS Census 2021 · SEIFA 2021Detailed comparison table
Shoalhaven Heads vs the NSW average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.
| Metric | Shoalhaven Heads | NSW avg | AU avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household income/wk | $1,066 -NSW | $1,931 | $1,836 |
| Rent/wk | $365 -NSW | $445 | $390 |
| Mortgage/month | $1,950 -NSW | $2,247 | $1,958 |
| Median age | 56 | 45.0 | 45.0 |
| SEIFA decile | 4/10 -NSW | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Unemployment | 3.7% -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.
Shoalhaven Heads is a locality 117 km from Sydney in New South Wales, classified as inner regional by the ABS. The postcode is 2535. It falls within the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven region. The local government area is Shoalhaven.
According to the 2021 Census, Shoalhaven Heads has a population of 3,248 with a median age of 56. The median weekly household income is $1,066, below the NSW average. The unemployment rate is 3.7%, lower than the NSW average. The Indigenous population is 118 (3.6% of residents).
Housing in Shoalhaven Heads includes a median weekly rent of $365, median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,950, with 1,454 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the NSW average. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 81.1% of housing.
On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Shoalhaven Heads scores in decile 4 out of 10, which is below the national average.
Shoalhaven Heads is served by Shoalhaven Heads Public School.
Shoalhaven Heads is part of the Shoalhaven statistical area in New South Wales.
Shoalhaven Heads details
Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.
| Postcode | 2535 |
| State | New South Wales (NSW) |
| Phone Area Code | 02 |
| Population (2021) | 3,248 |
| Median Age | 56 years |
| Median Household Income (Census 2021) | $1,066/week |
| Median Personal Income (Census 2021) | $612/week |
| Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021) | $365 |
| Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021) | $1,950 |
| Average Household Size | 2.1 persons |
| Area | 3.9 km² |
| Population Density | 827/km² |
| Total Dwellings | 1,454 |
| Australian Citizens | 91.2% |
| Indigenous Population | 118 (3.6%) |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.7% |
| SEIFA IRSAD Decile | 4/10 (below average) |
| Latitude | -34.8502272 |
| Longitude | 150.741554 |
| Distance from Sydney | 117 km |
| Region (SA4) | Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven |
| Area (SA3) | Shoalhaven |
| Local Government | Shoalhaven |
| Federal Electorate | Gilmore |
| State Electorate | Kiama |
| Time Zone | AEST (UTC+10), Australia/Sydney (standard time) |
Age Profile
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 471 (14.5%) |
| 15–24 years | 206 (6.3%) |
| 25–44 years | 571 (17.6%) |
| 45–64 years | 808 (24.9%) |
| 65+ years | 1,190 (36.6%) |
Housing Tenure
SEIFA socio-economic index
Health Conditions (2021 Census)
| Arthritis | 557 (17.1%) |
| Asthma | 282 (8.7%) |
| Heart Disease | 228 (7.0%) |
| Diabetes | 214 (6.6%) |
| Cancer | 176 (5.4%) |
| Lung Condition | 141 (4.3%) |
| Dementia | 16 (0.5%) |
Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.
Motor Vehicles per Dwelling
| No vehicle | 72 (5.1%) |
| 1 vehicle | 667 (46.9%) |
| 2 vehicles | 498 (35.0%) |
| 3+ vehicles | 186 (13.1%) |
Schools in Shoalhaven Heads
ACARA 2025 school profiles for schools located in Shoalhaven Heads. ICSEA is shown where ACARA publishes it.
Suburbs Near Shoalhaven Heads
Same Postcode (2535)
More Shoalhaven Heads 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.