Woonona (postcode 2517) is a settled mid-to-large suburb in New South Wales within the Wollongong local government area. With a population of 12,374, the suburb has an established family demographic with a median age of 43. Households earn a median income of $94K per year, with an average household size of 2.5 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.0% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +1.2% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 35 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 17 underway, and 67 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are professionals, technicians & trades, managers. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and education. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Scottish.
Woonona has a median house price of $1.5 million, which has increased by 4% year-on-year. Units have a median price of $860,000 (-1.7% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $860. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 2.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $2,200.
Woonona is served by 3 schools, including 2 primary, 1 secondary. The average ICSEA score is 1046, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 3 rail stations, 35 bus stops. The crime rate in the Wollongong LGA is below average at 3,494 incidents per 100,000 population.
On the investment side, Woonona shows a gross rental yield of approximately 2.9%, rated as low yield. Property prices are near the state median ($1.5M/$1.5M). The price-to-income ratio of 16.1x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +4.0% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.0% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.