Bomaderry
A median age of 45, five years above the national figure, sets the tone for this Shoalhaven suburb where the resident base is steadily aging. Household income sits at $1,119 a week, in the 18.2nd percentile nationally, yet the median house still reaches $706,750, a tension that pushes the mortgage-to-income ratio to 32.7% and trips the stress threshold. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 78.6%, apartments are just 4.0%, and 38.2% of homes are owned outright. SEIFA places the suburb at decile 4 on IRSAD, IEO and IRSD, below the national midpoint, reflecting modest incomes rather than acute disadvantage.
Population
6,738
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,119/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
60
Median House
$707K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $706,750 median house price is high relative to a household income in the 18.2nd percentile nationally, and the strain shows in a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.7%, above the 30% stress line. Prices rose 4.3% over the year, from $692,500 in 2024 to $722,500 in 2025, a steady rather than rapid climb. Buyers get genuine houses here: 78.6% of dwellings are separate houses and only 4.0% are apartments, with three-bedroom homes the most common at 41.5% and four-plus-bedroom homes at 30.8%. Outright owners at 38.2% outnumber mortgage holders at 26.4%, a sign that much of the stock is held by older, debt-free residents rather than recent buyers, which keeps turnover low at 21.5%.
For Buyers
The $706,750 median house price is high relative to a household income in the 18.2nd percentile nationally, and the strain shows in a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.7%, above the 30% stress line. Prices rose 4.3% over the year, from $692,500 in 2024 to $722,500 in 2025, a steady rather than rapid climb. Buyers get genuine houses here: 78.6% of dwellings are separate houses and only 4.0% are apartments, with three-bedroom homes the most common at 41.5% and four-plus-bedroom homes at 30.8%. Outright owners at 38.2% outnumber mortgage holders at 26.4%, a sign that much of the stock is held by older, debt-free residents rather than recent buyers, which keeps turnover low at 21.5%.
For Investors
Renters make up 35.4% of households and weekly rent averages $310, giving a gross yield near 2.3% against the $706,750 median, modest but stronger than premium Sydney markets. The vacancy rate of 6.9% points to soft tenant demand, so rent setting needs care. Rent has grown 57.3% over the decade, well above income growth, which is why rent-to-income now sits at 27.7%. Demand support is thin but positive: net overseas migration adds 77 residents a year and internal migration adds 16, the primary growth driver being overseas arrivals. Development activity is moderate at 55 applications in 12 months, mostly alterations, sheds and the occasional subdivision rather than large new supply, so the investment case rests on yield and slow rent escalation more than capital growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
332
Last 12 Months
60
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+9.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bomaderry iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Nowra Anglican College
K-12 · 1152 students
Bomaderry High School
7-12 · 707 students
Bomaderry Public School
K-6 · 406 students
Demographics
The median age of 45 runs 5.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is clearly aging: the senior share rose 5.2 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 1.5 points and the young share dropped 1.4 points. Only 14.3% of residents were born overseas, which is 7.3 points below national, and ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (2,904), Irish (737) and Scottish (679). University qualifications reach 19.7%, which is 10.4 points below the national figure, consistent with a workforce weighted toward labourers, community and personal service, and clerical roles. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, matching a profile where couples with no children make up 34.5% of families, slightly outnumbering couples with children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
78.6%
Houses
17.3%
Townhouse
4.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is split between 38.2% owning outright, 26.4% carrying a mortgage and 35.4% renting, and the fact that outright owners outnumber mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free ownership rather than a churn of new buyers. The stock is heavily detached at 78.6%, with semi-detached at 17.3% and apartments only 4.0%, so the market is built around family houses. Three-bedroom dwellings lead at 41.5% and four-plus-bedroom homes at 30.8%, leaving little compact stock. The median house price rose from $692,500 to $722,500 across 2024 and 2025, a 4.3% move. Mortgage-to-income at 32.7% sits above the stress threshold while rent-to-income at 27.7% stays below it, a gap that reflects how steep purchase prices are relative to incomes in the 18.2nd percentile nationally.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,584
Rent / wk
$310
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$612
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.9%
Unoccupied
209
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.7% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.5%
Couples, no children
4,797
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored by healthcare, which employs 25.8% of working residents (424 people), far above the next sectors of public administration at 10.8% and education at 9.6%, with construction at 8.9% and retail at 8.1%. By occupation, professionals lead at 448, followed closely by community and personal service workers at 414 and labourers at 332, a mix that explains why university qualifications run 10.4 points below national. Unemployment is 5.8% and the full-time employment rate is 56.9%, while participation reads just 45.4% because 2,536 residents are not in the labour force, a direct consequence of the older median age of 45. SEIFA scores cluster at decile 4 on IRSAD, IEO and IRSD with IER slightly higher at decile 5, all below the national midpoint and reflecting modest household incomes.
Unemployment
3.3%
Labour Force
7,563
Unemployed
252
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.9%
Part-time
37.3%
Participation
45.4%
Employed
2,408
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.7%
Postgraduate
3.7%
Born Overseas
14.3%
Dwellings
2,809
Transport to Work
This is a car-dependent suburb: 87.6% of residents drive to work while only 0.5% use public transport and 4.5% walk or cycle, well below what denser areas record, a pattern that fits the low density of 904 residents per square kilometre across 7.45 square kilometres. SEIFA places the area at decile 4 on IRSAD, below the national midpoint, indicating modest advantage rather than acute disadvantage. Volunteering runs at 14.6% and 9.9% of residents, about 622 people, need daily assistance, a figure lifted by the older median age of 45. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical consideration given the high 30.8% share of four-plus-bedroom family homes.
Drive
87.6%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
4.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.22%/yr
(+36 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is slow and steady, with the population rising 5.6% over the past decade and the trend forecast pointing to about 0.22% a year, or roughly 36 more residents annually. The suburb is classified as established rather than expanding, and the demographic shift is firmly toward aging: the senior share gained 5.2 points while working-age and young shares both slipped. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 77 net arrivals a year, ahead of net internal migration of 16, so natural expansion is limited. Affordability has worsened over the period, with the stress measure climbing from 45.5% in 2011 to 51.0% in 2021, while real incomes grew 14.1%, a pace that has not kept up with the 57.3% rise in rents that helps explain the affordability slide.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+77
Net Internal / yr
+16
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bomaderry compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bomaderry a good suburb to live in?
Bomaderry suits buyers wanting detached family houses, with 78.6% of dwellings separate houses and three or more bedrooms common. It scores decile 4 on IRSAD, below the national midpoint, reflecting modest incomes in the 18.2nd percentile, and the median age of 45 makes it quieter and more settled than younger suburbs.
What is the median house price in Bomaderry?
The median house price is $706,750, having risen 4.3% from $692,500 in 2024 to $722,500 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $310 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,584, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.7%, above the 30% stress threshold given local incomes.
What schools are in Bomaderry?
No schools are recorded inside the Bomaderry suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Education employs 9.6% of the local workforce, and the suburb has a high 30.8% share of four-plus-bedroom homes suited to families.
Is Bomaderry safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Bomaderry in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 4 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, below the national midpoint, and 9.9% of residents, about 622 people, need daily assistance, both consistent with an established, modest-income area.
Is Bomaderry good for property investment?
Rent of $310 a week against a $706,750 median gives a gross yield near 2.3%, stronger than premium Sydney markets. A 6.9% vacancy rate signals soft demand, but rent has grown 57.3% over the decade and overseas migration adds 77 residents a year, supporting slow rent escalation over capital growth.
How is Bomaderry's population changing?
The population grew 5.6% over the past decade and is forecast to rise about 0.22% a year, roughly 36 more residents annually. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.2 points and both working-age and young shares down, while overseas migration of 77 a year is the main growth driver.
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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