Warrawong
Three of the four SEIFA indexes place Warrawong in decile 1, the bottom tier nationally, with IRSAD at 870 and household income in just the 9th percentile. Yet the median house price still reached $795,000, a function of its Illawarra coastal location rather than local incomes. Renters make up 49.8% of households, nearly half, and the 10.1% vacancy rate is high. The suburb is heavily migrant, with 36.8% born overseas, 15.2 points above the national figure, anchored by Macedonian and Italian heritage. University qualifications reach only 16.7%, which is 13.4 points below national, and the workforce leans toward labouring and community roles.
Population
4,659
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$908/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
26
Median House
$795K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
At a $795,000 median, Warrawong is affordable by NSW coastal standards but stretched against local incomes, with the mortgage-to-income ratio sitting at 43.9%, well above the 30% stress threshold and flagged for mortgage stress. Prices rose 3.9% over the year, from $779,250 in 2024 to $810,000 in 2025, a modest gain compared to Sydney's steeper markets. The stock favours houses: 65.5% are separate dwellings versus 19.9% apartments, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.3%, with four-plus bedrooms at 18.3%. That family-house skew suits owner-occupiers, but outright owners (34.1%) more than double mortgage holders (16.1%), so much of the housing is held by older, debt-free residents rather than active buyers entering the market.
For Buyers
At a $795,000 median, Warrawong is affordable by NSW coastal standards but stretched against local incomes, with the mortgage-to-income ratio sitting at 43.9%, well above the 30% stress threshold and flagged for mortgage stress. Prices rose 3.9% over the year, from $779,250 in 2024 to $810,000 in 2025, a modest gain compared to Sydney's steeper markets. The stock favours houses: 65.5% are separate dwellings versus 19.9% apartments, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.3%, with four-plus bedrooms at 18.3%. That family-house skew suits owner-occupiers, but outright owners (34.1%) more than double mortgage holders (16.1%), so much of the housing is held by older, debt-free residents rather than active buyers entering the market.
For Investors
Warrawong reads as a rental town: 49.8% of households rent, close to double the typical owner-occupier suburb, giving landlords a deep tenant pool. Weekly rent of $270 against the $795,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.8%, low by regional standards, while the 10.1% vacancy rate points to softness in absorbing stock. Rent has climbed 71.4% over the decade, faster than most markets, which strengthens the income case over time. Development is steady but small, with 25 applications in 12 months, weighted toward secondary dwellings and dual occupancy under complying certificates rather than large new supply. Overseas migration adds about 50 residents a year, the primary demand driver, but net internal migration removes 76, so population support is thin and capital growth is the weaker leg of the case.
Development Activity
Total DAs
145
Last 12 Months
26
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-3.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Warrawong iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Francis of Assisi Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 149 students
Warrawong High School
7-12 · 591 students
Warrawong Public School
K-6 · 276 students
Demographics
The median age of 41 sits 1.0 year above the national figure, and overseas-born residents reach 36.8%, which is 15.2 points above national, marking Warrawong as a long-standing migrant destination. Ancestry is led by English (1,047), Macedonian (468) and Italian (412), and the top non-English languages are Macedonian (175 speakers), Italian (107) and Portuguese (85), an unusual Southern and Eastern European mix for coastal NSW. University qualifications at 16.7% run 13.4 points below national, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades and service roles. Average household size is 2.4, just 0.1 below national, and families skew toward couples with children (1,142) over couples without (775, or 23.0%). Christianity dominates religion at 2,576 residents, with Islam second at 273.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
65.5%
Houses
14.4%
Townhouse
19.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is unusually renter-heavy: 49.8% rent, 34.1% own outright and only 16.1% carry a mortgage, so outright owners outnumber mortgagors more than two to one, a sign of long-held housing among older residents rather than recent purchasers. The stock is 65.5% separate houses, 19.9% apartments and 14.4% semi-detached, and three-bedroom dwellings lead at 47.3%, pointing to a family-oriented detached profile. The median house price moved from $779,250 to $810,000 across 2024-2025, a 3.9% rise, gentle compared with metropolitan growth. Affordability has worsened, from 48.3% in 2011 to 54.4% in 2021, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 43.9% sits far above the 30% stress line, even though rent-to-income at 29.7% stays just under it, a gap that reflects how purchase prices have outrun the area's 9th-percentile incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,725
Rent / wk
$270
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$481
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.1%
Unoccupied
200
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
43.9% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.0%
Couples, no children
3,371
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is concentrated in lower-paying service and manual sectors: Healthcare leads at 24.6% (184 workers), Retail follows at 11.0% (82) and Construction at 10.8% (81), with Education at 8.0% and Public Admin at 7.1%. By occupation, Labourers (247) and Community/Personal workers (208) outnumber Professionals (138), which aligns with the decile 1 IEO score of 879 for education and occupation. Unemployment is high at 10.7%, well above typical rates, and the participation rate of 33.7% is low because 1,996 residents are not in the labour force, reflecting an older, partly retired population. All four SEIFA indexes read decile 1, the most disadvantaged tier, yet real incomes still grew 23.7% over the decade, narrowing the gap to wealthier suburbs even as relative standing stayed low.
Unemployment
20.1%
Labour Force
4,110
Unemployed
825
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.1%
Part-time
32.2%
Participation
33.7%
Employed
1,138
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.7%
Postgraduate
4.1%
Born Overseas
36.8%
Dwellings
1,781
Transport to Work
Warrawong is car-dependent, with 85.6% of commuters driving and only 3.3% using public transport, below the level seen in better-served suburbs, while 3.7% walk or cycle. No schools are recorded inside the 2.63 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off at a density of 1,768 residents per km2. The suburb scores decile 1 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, the lowest tier, and 14.0% of residents (593 people) need daily assistance, above what a younger area would show and consistent with the median age of 41. Volunteering runs at 6.4%, modest compared with more affluent areas. Rent-to-income at 29.7% keeps tenants just under the stress line, but the high mortgage burden makes ownership the harder path here.
Drive
85.6%
Public Transport
3.3%
Walk / Cycle
3.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.23%/yr
(-22 people/yr)
EstablishedWarrawong is a slow-growth, established suburb: the population trend runs at minus 0.23% a year, a net loss of about 22 residents annually, and the 10-year change of 1.0% sits below the national growth rate. Medium forecasts continue this gentle decline through 2031, so no expansion is expected. The only positive demand driver is overseas migration at roughly 50 residents a year, offset by net internal outflow of 76. Despite flat headcount, the gentrification reading is Active with a score of 53, driven by rent growth of 71.4% and real income growth of 23.7% over the decade, signs of upward economic pressure without population gains. Affordability worsened from 48.3% in 2011 to 54.4% in 2021, so cost increases are outpacing the suburb's modest income improvement.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+50
Net Internal / yr
-76
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Warrawong compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Warrawong a good suburb to live in?
Warrawong scores decile 1 on all four SEIFA indexes, the most disadvantaged tier, with household income in the 9th percentile. The upside is affordability: the $795,000 median is moderate for coastal NSW, and 65.5% of homes are separate houses, suiting families on a budget.
What is the median house price in Warrawong?
The median house price is $795,000, modest by NSW coastal standards. Prices rose 3.9% from $779,250 in 2024 to $810,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $270, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 43.9% sits well above the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Warrawong?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.63 km2 Warrawong boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 16.7%, which is 13.4 points below the national figure, reflecting a trade-oriented workforce.
Is Warrawong safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Warrawong in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the lowest tier, and 14.0% of its residents need daily assistance, both common in lower-income areas.
Is Warrawong good for property investment?
Renters make up 49.8% of households, a deep tenant pool, but $270 weekly rent against the $795,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.8%, and vacancy is high at 10.1%. Rent grew 71.4% over the decade, so the income case strengthens over time more than capital growth does.
How is Warrawong's population changing?
Population is in gentle decline, trending at minus 0.23% a year, about 22 fewer residents annually, with only 1.0% growth over the past decade. Overseas migration adds roughly 50 residents a year, but net internal migration removes 76, so the population is forecast to keep easing through 2031.
What languages are spoken in Warrawong?
About 36.8% of residents were born overseas, 15.2 points above the national figure. English is dominant, but Macedonian (175 speakers), Italian (107), Portuguese (85) and Arabic (49) are the most common non-English languages, reflecting a strong Southern and Eastern European heritage.
How much development is happening in Warrawong?
There were 25 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, modest in scale. Most are secondary dwellings and dual occupancy approved under complying development certificates rather than large new supply, consistent with a slow-growth suburb declining at 0.23% a year.
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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