Mount Ousley
Household income at the 87.8th percentile nationally and a 42.4% university qualification rate mark Mount Ousley as one of the more educated, higher-income pockets on the NSW Illawarra escarpment. The suburb is compact at 0.8 km2, holding 1,611 residents at a density of 2,015 per km2. Owner-occupiers dominate heavily: 48.8% own outright and 36.6% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at just 14.7%, well below the national average. Median age of 42 sits 2 years above national, and the dwelling stock is almost entirely detached houses at 94.4%, reflecting a settled, established residential character rather than a growth frontier.
Population
1,611
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,293/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
17
Median House
$1.1M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
At $1,132,500, the median house price places Mount Ousley above many Wollongong-area suburbs, though below premium Sydney benchmarks. Prices rose 14.4% from $1,040,000 in 2024 to $1,190,000 in 2025, a strong one-year gain. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,450, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is 94.4% separate houses, so buyers get genuine land and detached living rather than medium-density options. Bedroom counts skew large: 44.4% are 3-bedroom and 44.2% are 4-plus-bedroom homes, making this suburb better suited to families than singles or couples seeking compact dwellings. Outright ownership at 48.8% is notably high, meaning a large share of current owners are long-term holders with no mortgage.
For Buyers
At $1,132,500, the median house price places Mount Ousley above many Wollongong-area suburbs, though below premium Sydney benchmarks. Prices rose 14.4% from $1,040,000 in 2024 to $1,190,000 in 2025, a strong one-year gain. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,450, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is 94.4% separate houses, so buyers get genuine land and detached living rather than medium-density options. Bedroom counts skew large: 44.4% are 3-bedroom and 44.2% are 4-plus-bedroom homes, making this suburb better suited to families than singles or couples seeking compact dwellings. Outright ownership at 48.8% is notably high, meaning a large share of current owners are long-term holders with no mortgage.
For Investors
The renter pool is thin at 14.7%, well below the national figure, which limits rental demand. Weekly rent of $500 against a $1,132,500 median implies a gross yield near 2.3%, low relative to the purchase price. The vacancy rate of 4.3% is elevated, signalling some rental stock sits idle. Development activity generated 14 applications in the past 12 months, including a dual occupancy complying development certificate in April 2026, indicating limited but present infill interest. The low renter share and high outright-ownership rate mean this suburb attracts long-term owner-occupiers more than tenants, so investment returns will rely on capital growth. The 14.4% price increase over 2024-2025 demonstrates strong recent capital performance compared to flatter national trends.
Development Activity
Total DAs
83
Last 12 Months
17
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+142.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mount Ousley iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Elonera Montessori School
K-12 · 187 students
Demographics
The median age of 42 is 2 years above the national average, consistent with an established suburb where families have aged in place. University qualifications reach 42.4%, which is 12.3 percentage points above the national figure, placing Mount Ousley well above average in educational attainment. Overseas-born residents account for 18.6%, slightly below the national level by about 3 percentage points. Average household size of 2.8 is 0.3 above national, reflecting the prevalence of couple families with children: 589 families are couples with children, compared to 351 couples without. English, Scottish, Irish and Italian ancestries dominate the community profile. The community shows stability: 80.9% of residents remained at the same address over the prior year, well above typical metropolitan turnover rates.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.4%
Houses
4.0%
Townhouse
1.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Owner-occupation is the defining tenure feature: 48.8% own outright and 36.6% carry a mortgage, together representing 85.4% of households, far higher than the national owner-occupier share. Renters sit at just 14.7%. The stock is overwhelmingly detached: 94.4% separate houses, with semi-detached at 4.0% and apartments only 1.6%. Bedroom sizes lean large, with 44.4% three-bedroom and 44.2% four-plus-bedroom homes, and only 10.4% with two bedrooms. The median price moved from $1,040,000 in 2024 to $1,190,000 in 2025, a 14.4% annual gain. Mortgage repayments average $2,450 per month, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.7%, below stress thresholds. Rent-to-income at 21.8% is also within comfortable range, meaning neither owners nor renters face structural housing stress.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,450
Rent / wk
$500
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$832
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.3%
Unoccupied
26
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.0%
Couples, no children
1,349
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 19.2% of the local workforce (112 workers), followed closely by Education at 18.6% (108 workers), together accounting for nearly 40% of jobs. Professional/Technical services add 9.6% and Manufacturing 7.7%, with Public Admin at 7.6%. By occupation, Professionals lead with 242 workers, followed by Managers (112) and Clerical/Admin (97). The full-time employment rate is 59.2% and unemployment sits at 4.2%, broadly in line with national averages. Participation rate of 53.5% is lower than typical, partly because 473 residents are not in the labour force, a figure consistent with the older median age of 42. Household income at the 87.8th percentile nationally reflects the concentration of professional and managerial occupations.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.2%
Part-time
36.6%
Participation
53.5%
Employed
681
Occupations
Top Industries
University
42.4%
Postgraduate
13.7%
Born Overseas
18.6%
Dwellings
570
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 89.0% of residents drive to work, compared to the national average, while only 1.0% use public transport, reflecting limited bus or train access from the escarpment location. Cycling and walking account for 3.7% of commutes. Housing stress is absent on both measures: mortgage-to-income at 24.7% and rent-to-income at 21.8% are both below stress thresholds. Volunteering at 16.3% is solid for a suburb of this size. Only 5.2% of residents (82 people) need daily assistance, a low figure relative to the median age of 42. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Wollongong areas. The suburb's escarpment position delivers views and separation from the urban core, qualities that help explain the persistently high owner-occupier retention rate.
Drive
89.0%
Public Transport
1.0%
Walk / Cycle
3.7%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mount Ousley compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mount Ousley a good suburb to live in?
Mount Ousley suits owner-occupier families who value detached housing and stability. Household income sits at the 87.8th percentile nationally and university qualifications at 42.4% are 12.3 points above national average. Housing stress is low, with mortgage-to-income at 24.7% and rent-to-income at 21.8%. The main trade-off is car dependency, with 89.0% driving to work and only 1.0% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Mount Ousley?
The median house price is $1,132,500 as at 2024-2025. Prices rose 14.4% from $1,040,000 in 2024 to $1,190,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,450, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.7%, which is below the standard 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Mount Ousley?
No schools are recorded within the Mount Ousley boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Wollongong suburbs. The local population is well educated, with 42.4% holding university qualifications, which is 12.3 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Mount Ousley safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Mount Ousley in this dataset. As indirect indicators, the suburb sits at the 87.8th household income percentile nationally and only 5.2% of residents (82 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage community. High owner-occupier stability at 80.9% retention also correlates with lower transient crime risk.
Is Mount Ousley good for property investment?
The capital growth case is strong: the median house price rose 14.4% in 2024-2025, above broader national trends. Rental yield is thin, however, with $500 weekly rent against a $1,132,500 median implying roughly 2.3% gross yield, and the vacancy rate of 4.3% is elevated. With renters at only 14.7% of households, this is primarily an owner-occupier suburb where returns depend on capital appreciation.
How is Mount Ousley's population changing?
Mount Ousley holds 1,611 residents across 0.8 km2. The suburb shows high stability, with 80.9% of residents remaining at the same address over the prior year. The median age of 42 is 2 years above national, and couples-with-children families (589) significantly outnumber couples without children (351), pointing to a mature, family-oriented demographic rather than a rapidly growing one.
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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