Unanderra

Development Activity

Schools in Unanderra iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

The median age of 42 is 2.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 5.1 points while the young share fell 2.8 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 22.0%, marginally above national by 0.4 points, so this is a predominantly Australian-born suburb. Ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (1,861), Scottish (478) and Irish (477), and the top non-English languages are Arabic (52), Italian (40) and Croatian (36), reflecting a longstanding southern European and Balkan presence. University qualifications at 22.0% run 8.1 points below national, consistent with a working trades base. Average household size is 2.4, just 0.1 below national, and couples with children (1,303) outnumber couples without children (1,084).

Tenure tilts toward renting: 44.4% rent, 29.1% own outright and 26.5% carry a mortgage, so renters outnumber either owner group. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 78.3% separate houses, with apartments at only 11.9% and semi-detached at 9.5%, a family-oriented profile reinforced by three-bedroom homes making up 51.8% of dwellings. The median house price rose just 1.6% from $865,000 to $879,000 across 2024-2025, flat in real terms. The strain shows in repayments: mortgage-to-income at 37.2% is well above the 30% stress threshold, while rent-to-income at 23.5% stays manageable, a divergence that reflects how steep purchase prices are relative to below-median local incomes in the 25.9th percentile.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

The workforce is anchored in essential services rather than knowledge sectors: Healthcare leads at 24.8% (325 workers), Education follows at 11.0% (144) and Construction at 10.6% (138), with Professional/Tech at 6.9% and Public Admin at 6.4%. By occupation, Professionals (374) lead but Community/Personal (278), Clerical (241) and Labourers (239) together outweigh them, a blue-collar and care-sector mix. This aligns with SEIFA scores clustered mid-range: IRSAD decile 6, IRSD decile 5, IEO decile 6 and IER decile 7, all near the national midpoint. Unemployment reads 7.3%, above the national rate, and participation is low at 41.0% because 2,155 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the aging profile. Real incomes still grew 19.1% over the decade.

Transport to Work

Unanderra is a car-dependent suburb: 87.1% of commuters drive, while just 2.7% take public transport and 2.7% walk or cycle, both well below what denser suburbs record. No schools are recorded inside the 6.5 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Wollongong suburbs. On disadvantage, the suburb scores IRSD decile 5, near the national midpoint, and IRSAD decile 6, so most residents sit in the middle band rather than at either extreme. Volunteering runs at 10.4% and 14.2% of residents (737 people) need daily assistance, a higher share that fits the older median age of 42 and the 5.1-point rise in the senior cohort over the decade.

Population Forecast

Unanderra is contracting slightly: the population is falling at 0.32% a year, roughly 50 people, and the 10-year change is essentially flat at -0.3%, marking it as an established, slow-growth area. Medium forecasts continue the downward trend rather than expansion. The only positive driver is overseas migration, adding a net 63 residents a year, offset by net internal outflow of 14. Despite the static headcount, the gentrification stage reads active with a shift score of 47, signalling change beneath the surface: rent rose 61.4% and real incomes climbed 19.1% over the decade, even as affordability worsened from 42.2% in 2011 to 46.5% in 2021. The suburb recovered fully from a 2.6% COVID dip.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Unanderra compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions