Wollongong, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Wollongong lies on a narrow coastal plain about 85 kilometres south of Sydney, hemmed between the Tasman Sea and the steep Illawarra Escarpment. The city is known for its surf beaches, the clifftop Sea Cliff Bridge, the University of Wollongong, the Nan Tien Buddhist temple, and the steelworks at nearby Port Kembla — the legacy of an economy long built on coal and steel that is now broadening into education, services and tourism. The area is the traditional Country of the Dharawal people, for whom it is known as Woolyungah. The name Wollongong is believed to derive from a Dharawal word, variously said to mean 'five islands', 'ground near water' or 'the sound of the sea'.
More advantaged than the national average
Wollongong is more socio-economically advantaged than about 71% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1024, 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.
Wollongong at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 20,446
- Median age
- 35
- Median weekly household income
- $1,549
- SEIFA score
- 1024
- Coordinates
- -34.4286, 150.8930
Wollongong demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Wollongong 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 young adults (25–44) at 35%, 55% of homes are rented, and 34% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,787 | 9% |
| Youth (15–24) | 3,449 | 17% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 7,115 | 35% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 4,248 | 21% |
| Seniors (65+) | 3,848 | 19% |
Share of the 20,447 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,297 | 24% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,685 | 18% |
| Rented | 5,194 | 55% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,318 | 14% |
| Townhouses & semis | 702 | 7% |
| Flats & apartments | 7,365 | 77% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 9,518 occupied private dwellings in Wollongong.
- Median weekly rent
- $410
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,950
- Average household size
- 2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,034
- Median weekly personal income
- $836
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 6,535 (34%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 5,550 (29%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 398 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 11,976 (65%)
- Labour-force participation
- 60.1%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.6%
- Employed full-time
- 5,821
- Employed part-time
- 3,422
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 Wollongong
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Wollongong is January (average daytime high around 25.9°C) and the coolest is July (around 16.7°C). The area receives roughly 1070 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25.9°C | 18.8°C | 101 mm |
| Feb | 25.1°C | 18.4°C | 117 mm |
| Mar | 24.1°C | 17.5°C | 169 mm |
| Apr | 21.9°C | 14.5°C | 94 mm |
| May | 19.3°C | 11.4°C | 57 mm |
| Jun | 16.8°C | 9.6°C | 76 mm |
| Jul | 16.7°C | 8.2°C | 83 mm |
| Aug | 17.4°C | 8.6°C | 66 mm |
| Sep | 19.7°C | 10.5°C | 53 mm |
| Oct | 21.7°C | 13°C | 92 mm |
| Nov | 22.8°C | 14.8°C | 79 mm |
| Dec | 24.7°C | 16.9°C | 83 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Wollongong
Where is Wollongong?
Wollongong is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Wollongong?
At the 2021 Census, Wollongong had a population of about 20,446.
Is Wollongong an advantaged area?
Wollongong has an ABS SEIFA score of 1024, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 71 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 71% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Wollongong?
Wollongong has average daytime highs of about 21.3°C and overnight lows of about 13.5°C, with roughly 1,070 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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