Thirroul, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Thirroul lines the northern Illawarra coast between Austinmer and Bulli, about 13 kilometres north of Wollongong and within reach of Sydney, with the Pacific on one side and the forested Illawarra escarpment rising behind it. It is Dharawal country; the Wodi Wodi, who lived here for tens of thousands of years, are named among its traditional people. The meaning of the name is disputed, but it is often linked to a local word for the cabbage-tree palm. Coal mining and the railway shaped the town in the nineteenth century, and in 1922 the English novelist D.H. Lawrence wrote Kangaroo while staying at a cottage here. Today it is a relaxed beachside suburb known for its surf and cafes.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Thirroul is more socio-economically advantaged than about 96% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1105, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Thirroul at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 6,348
- Median age
- 43
- Median weekly household income
- $2,281
- SEIFA score
- 1105
- Coordinates
- -34.3141, 150.9132
Thirroul demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Thirroul using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 29%, 20% of homes are rented, and 18% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,266 | 20% |
| Youth (15–24) | 667 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,410 | 22% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,821 | 29% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,197 | 19% |
Share of the 6,361 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 937 | 41% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 843 | 37% |
| Rented | 456 | 20% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,735 | 75% |
| Townhouses & semis | 293 | 13% |
| Flats & apartments | 247 | 11% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,299 occupied private dwellings in Thirroul.
- Median weekly rent
- $540
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,600
- Average household size
- 2.7 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,751
- Median weekly personal income
- $974
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,087 (18%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 416 (7%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 128 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 3,144 (65%)
- Labour-force participation
- 62.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.5%
- Employed full-time
- 1,702
- Employed part-time
- 1,067
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Thirroul
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Thirroul is January (average daytime high around 26.1°C) and the coolest is July (around 16.8°C). The area receives roughly 1097 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26.1°C | 19.8°C | 99 mm |
| Feb | 25.4°C | 19.7°C | 129 mm |
| Mar | 24.4°C | 19°C | 185 mm |
| Apr | 22.1°C | 16.5°C | 91 mm |
| May | 19.5°C | 13.5°C | 62 mm |
| Jun | 16.9°C | 11.5°C | 83 mm |
| Jul | 16.8°C | 10.4°C | 71 mm |
| Aug | 17.4°C | 10.5°C | 66 mm |
| Sep | 19.8°C | 12.3°C | 59 mm |
| Oct | 22°C | 14.5°C | 88 mm |
| Nov | 23.1°C | 16.2°C | 82 mm |
| Dec | 25.1°C | 18.2°C | 82 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Thirroul
Where is Thirroul?
Thirroul is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Thirroul?
At the 2021 Census, Thirroul had a population of about 6,348.
Is Thirroul an advantaged area?
Thirroul has an ABS SEIFA score of 1105, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 96 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 96% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Thirroul?
Thirroul has average daytime highs of about 21.6°C and overnight lows of about 15.2°C, with roughly 1,097 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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