Considering Wollongong? This page brings together 17 data cards on what it’s like to live there, what the catchments and amenities are, and where the suburb is heading. The analysis covers safety, family fit, financial picture, and lifestyle.
Is Wollongong a good suburb to buy in 2026?
Wollongong (2500) scores a Stickybeak Grade across safety, family fit, financial picture, and lifestyle. Scroll down for the full 17-card analysis, or use the section navigation to jump to what matters most.
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The verdict
Who it is for
Wollongong 2500 suits renters-turned-buyers in their mid-thirties who want an urban flat lifestyle at a lower price point than Sydney. With 77% of dwellings being apartments and a walkability score in the 55th percentile, the suburb rewards people who do not need a backyard. The 11 cafes and 68 transport stops within 1.6 km make a car-light life workable, and Smiths Hill High School adds genuine selective-school access for families with older children.
Who would not love it
If you are buying for a house with land, only 14% of dwellings here are separate houses, so supply is thin and competition for that stock will be fierce. The bushfire-prone land figure of 31.4% of the postcode is a real concern, not a footnote. The renter share sits at 55%, meaning owner-occupier community cohesion is limited. Stickybeak's composite grade of C, with both the safety and financial categories rated insufficient, reflects genuine structural weaknesses in this postcode.
What to verify before you bid
- Confirm the exact bushfire-prone land overlay for any specific property via the NSW Rural Fire Service map, given 31.4% of the postcode is affected. Insurance premiums can be substantially higher on flagged lots. - For apartment purchases, obtain the strata records and check the capital works fund balance. A 55% renter share often correlates with deferred building maintenance. - Verify the specific school catchment for the secondary school in the postcode, as Smiths Hill is selective entry and not automatically available to local students.
Refreshed fortnightly; last refresh 12 May 2026. Verify any specific fact against its source card below.
SAFETY
Will I feel safe and comfortable in Wollongong?
BOCSAR · WOLLONGONG 2500
Recorded incidents reported to police
12-month rolling total at suburb level, indexed against Greater Sydney.
RATE PER 100K26,70412 mo to Dec 2025
VS GREATER SYDNEY+233%Above Sydney average
5-YR TREND (LGA)Wollongong
Within LGA: Wollongong
TOP OFFENCE CATEGORIES
THEFT40%1,388 reports
AGAINST JUSTICE PROCEDURES32%1,121 reports
TRANSPORT REGULATORY OFFENCES28%1,000 reports
ASSAULT SPLIT (DOMESTIC VS NON-DOMESTIC)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FLAGGED32%
NON-DOMESTIC68%
Across 337 assault reports in this window.
DV-flagged assault has risen statewide as reporting has improved. Compare with caution to suburbs whose population has changed materially.
BOCSAR Recorded Criminal Incidents · Updated March 2026 · CC BY 4.0
Median weekly rent from lodged bonds. Sep 2025. Based on 339 new bond lodgements this quarter.
Rents here sit around the Sydney middle. A balance of rental stock and owner-occupier demand.
Median weekly rent · Unit · 2 bed
$610per week
Sep 2025 · 339 bonds lodged
Quarterly trend · last 12 quarters
Nearby suburbs · same combination
Figtree2525
…
2.6 km away
Fairy Meadow2519
…
3.0 km away
Corrimal2518
…
5.9 km away
Thirroul2515
…
15.4 km away
NSW DCJ Rental Bond Board↗ · Sep 2025 · CC BY. Cells with 10 or fewer bond lodgements are suppressed; cells with 30 or fewer have the bond count suppressed but rent published. Figures are transacted rents, not asking rents.
DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE · NSW PLANNING PORTAL · 2500
What’s in the pipeline
NSW Planning Portal feed paused at the source for postcode 2500. Expected back by Q3 2026.
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Compare Wollongong with another suburb
Also in Wollongong
Comparing suburbs in the same area can sharpen your decision. Browse suburb insights for other Wollongong postcodes, or explore the full Wollongong suburb index.
Wollongong is the primary suburb with postcode 2500 in New South Wales. In some cases multiple suburbs share the same postcode — Wollongong is the main locality.
Which local government area is Wollongong in?
Wollongong (2500) is located in the Wollongong local government area in New South Wales.
What data does Stickybeak show for Wollongong?
Stickybeak shows 16 data cards for Wollongong (2500) covering affordability (median sale prices, rental yield, first home buyer eligibility), lifestyle (schools, childcare, walkability, commute times), risk factors (flood zones, bushfire prone land, air quality, traffic volume), and suburb growth signals (development pipeline, price trajectory, demographics).
Is Wollongong flood prone?
Flood risk varies street by street in Wollongong. Check the Dealbreakers section on this page for the latest NSW flood zone mapping sourced from official state government data. Always verify at the property level with a Section 10.7 certificate before purchasing.
What are the best schools near Wollongong?
The Schools card on this page lists primary and secondary schools within the catchment area for Wollongong (2500), including their NAPLAN performance data and distance from the suburb centre.
Is Wollongong (2500) eligible for the First Home Buyer scheme?
The First Home Buyer eligibility card on this page shows which NSW and federal government schemes — including the First Home Guarantee, stamp duty exemptions, and the First Home Super Saver scheme — apply to purchases in Wollongong (2500). Eligibility depends on the purchase price and your individual circumstances.
How is Wollongong changing?
The Change section on this page covers new housing supply from the development pipeline, historical price trajectory, and demographic shifts for Wollongong (2500) using data from NSW Planning, the ATO, and the ABS.
