Avondale
With 83.1% of residents staying put year on year, Avondale ranks among the most stable communities in the Illawarra region, a figure that explains why median house prices jumped 13.9% from $720,000 in 2024 to $820,000 in 2025. The suburb's 1,695 residents skew toward established Anglo-Celtic households: English ancestry leads at 740 people, 15.4% were born overseas compared to a national average closer to 21%, and 91.5% commute by car because public transport covers just 2% of trips. SEIFA scores place the area in the lower tier nationally, with an IRSAD decile of 3, yet housing stress is contained: mortgage costs run at 28.8% of income and rent at 19.7%, both below stress thresholds.
Population
1,695
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,524/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
8
Median House
$808K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price reached $820,000 in 2025, up 13.9% from $720,000 a year earlier, one of the stronger one-year moves in the region. Separate houses dominate at 71.5% of dwellings, with semi-detached homes making up the remaining 28.5%, so buyers have limited apartment options. The bedroom split favours three-bedroom homes at 57.2%, with 24.8% offering four or more bedrooms, making the suburb practical for families rather than downsizers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,903, which translates to a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8%, below the 30% stress benchmark. Outright owners at 34.5% outnumber renters at 26.5%, reflecting a settled ownership base that keeps turnover below average at 16.9% annually.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $820,000 in 2025, up 13.9% from $720,000 a year earlier, one of the stronger one-year moves in the region. Separate houses dominate at 71.5% of dwellings, with semi-detached homes making up the remaining 28.5%, so buyers have limited apartment options. The bedroom split favours three-bedroom homes at 57.2%, with 24.8% offering four or more bedrooms, making the suburb practical for families rather than downsizers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,903, which translates to a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8%, below the 30% stress benchmark. Outright owners at 34.5% outnumber renters at 26.5%, reflecting a settled ownership base that keeps turnover below average at 16.9% annually.
For Investors
The rental market is steady but tight on yield: weekly rent of $300 against an $820,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.9%, low by regional standards. The vacancy rate sits at 3.2%, slightly above the typical 2-3% balanced market threshold, which suggests mild oversupply rather than strong landlord conditions. Renters make up 26.5% of households, a moderate base, and rent-to-income at 19.7% indicates tenants are not under pressure, limiting upward rent momentum. Development is modest, with 7 applications lodged in the past 12 months, including multi-dwelling housing and subdivision works, signalling incremental rather than transformative supply growth. The 13.9% price gain over one year shows demand is present, but the low yield means the investment case depends almost entirely on continued capital appreciation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
65
Last 12 Months
8
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Avondale's population of 1,695 has a median age of 40, matching the national figure, with a household size of 2.4, marginally below the national 2.5. The community is predominantly Anglo-Celtic: English ancestry accounts for 740 residents, followed by Scottish (176), Irish (136) and Italian (92). At 15.4% born overseas, the suburb sits 6.2 percentage points below the national average, reflecting lower migration-driven churn than many comparable NSW suburbs. University qualifications reach just 18.1%, which is 12.0 percentage points below the national figure, aligning with the workforce profile that leans toward healthcare, construction and trade occupations rather than professional services. Couples with children (493 families) outnumber couples without children (391), pointing to a family-oriented structure.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
71.5%
Houses
28.5%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Avondale's housing stock is almost entirely separate houses (71.5%) and semi-detached dwellings (28.5%), with no meaningful apartment supply recorded. Three-bedroom homes make up 57.2% of dwellings and four-plus bedroom homes 24.8%, a profile suited to families rather than singles or retirees. Tenure divides into 34.5% outright owners, 39.0% with a mortgage and 26.5% renters, with mortgage holders the largest single group because of the suburb's growth trajectory. The median house price climbed from $720,000 to $820,000 across 2024-2025, a 13.9% rise. Mortgage costs at 28.8% of income and rent at 19.7% both remain below stress benchmarks, compared to many higher-cost Sydney suburbs where mortgage ratios routinely exceed 35%.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,903
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$725
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.2%
Unoccupied
22
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.3%
Couples, no children
1,384
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 21.7% of employed residents (115 workers), consistent with proximity to Wollongong's health infrastructure. Construction follows at 13.4% (71 workers) and Education at 10.2% (54 workers), together accounting for nearly half the local workforce. By occupation, Professionals lead at 116 workers, but Community and Personal Service workers (111) and Clerical and Admin staff (104) are nearly as numerous, reflecting the service and healthcare orientation. Unemployment is low at 3.7%, and the full-time employment rate of 62.4% is solid. The household income sits at the 47.8th percentile nationally, slightly below median, which matches the IRSAD decile 3 reading: the area has moderate-to-lower advantage compared to the national distribution.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.4%
Part-time
33.9%
Participation
50.8%
Employed
681
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.1%
Postgraduate
2.9%
Born Overseas
15.4%
Dwellings
666
Transport to Work
Car dependence is almost absolute in Avondale: 91.5% of residents drive to work and only 2.0% use public transport, one of the higher car-dependency rates compared to NSW state averages, because the suburb's 18.31 km2 low-density layout is not served by frequent rail or bus. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary, so families rely on neighbouring areas for education. Volunteering reaches 11.4% of residents and 7.6% need daily assistance, suggesting a community with moderate social support needs. The IRSAD decile of 3 places Avondale below the national median on the advantage index, but housing stress indicators tell a more comfortable story: both rent-to-income (19.7%) and mortgage-to-income (28.8%) sit below standard stress thresholds, meaning day-to-day affordability is manageable for most households.
Drive
91.5%
Public Transport
2.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Avondale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Avondale a good suburb to live in?
Avondale offers stable, affordable housing by NSW standards, with a median house price of $820,000 and mortgage costs at 28.8% of income, below the 30% stress threshold. The community is settled, with 83.1% of residents staying put each year. The main trade-offs are very limited public transport (2% of commuters) and an IRSAD decile of 3, indicating lower-than-average relative advantage nationally.
What is the median house price in Avondale?
The median house price is $820,000 as of 2025, up 13.9% from $720,000 in 2024. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,903 and weekly rent is $300. The stock is dominated by separate houses (71.5%), with three-bedroom homes making up 57.2% of all dwellings.
What schools are in Avondale?
No schools are recorded inside the Avondale suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in surrounding areas of the Illawarra region. Locally, 18.1% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 12.0 percentage points below the national average.
Is Avondale safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Avondale in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores IRSAD decile 3, meaning it is below average on the relative advantage index nationally. Housing stress measures are low, with rent-to-income at 19.7% and mortgage-to-income at 28.8%, both below standard stress thresholds, and only 7.6% of residents (122 people) need daily assistance.
Is Avondale good for property investment?
The 13.9% price gain from $720,000 to $820,000 in one year shows strong capital growth, but the investment yield is low: $300 weekly rent against an $820,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.9%. The vacancy rate of 3.2% is slightly elevated and renters make up 26.5% of households, providing a moderate tenant pool. Returns currently depend on capital appreciation rather than income.
How is Avondale's population changing?
Avondale has a small, stable population of 1,695 residents at a density of 92.6 persons per km2, low by NSW standards. Annual turnover is just 16.9%, with 83.1% of residents remaining year on year. Recent development applications including multi-dwelling housing and subdivision suggest slow incremental growth rather than rapid expansion.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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