The numbers, in plain English
To rent in Wollongong without housing stress, a household income of about $113,000/year keeps the rent of $650/week at or below 30% of gross income, the standard affordability benchmark. That rent is the official median for a 2-bedroom unit, the most common new lease in postcode 2500 (76 bonds lodged). NSW publishes bond data by postcode rather than by suburb, so this is postcode 2500's figure, not Wollongong's alone. Check your income →
To buy the median home ($560,000) with a 20% deposit of $112k, repayments at 6.85% over 30 years come to about $2,936/month: comfortable on roughly $117,000/year under the same 30% rule. Saving that deposit at $1,500/month takes about 6.2 years, before stamp duty of $19k ($0 for eligible first home buyers). Run your own loan →
That price is an estimate, and probably too low. No government publishes open sale prices for New South Wales, so we model it from distance, population and income. Checked against real sales, the model runs about 40% under. Treat this figure, and the deposit and repayments built on it, as a rough scale, not a number to plan around. How we're fixing this →
Compared to the rest of New South Wales, Wollongong is more expensive to buy than 84% of the state's suburbs (state median $380k) and pricier to rent than 75% (state median $575/week). It sits roughly 69 km from the Sydney CBD as the crow flies.
For investors, the median rent against the median price gives a gross rental yield of about 6.0% before costs. Net yield calculator →
Modelled medians, not valuations. Every formula above is documented on our methodology page.
Actual rents lodged here
Bonds lodged, August 2026Measured median rents, not modelled, from every rental bond lodged with NSW Fair Trading in Wollongong · a typical 2-bedroom unit rents for $650/week, down $25/week since June 2026.
| Bedrooms | Type | Median rent | Bonds lodged |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | unit | $500/wk | 25 |
| 2 | unit | $650/wk | 76 |
| 3 | house | $750/wk | 21 |
Source: NSW Fair Trading Rental Bond Board (CC BY 4.0), aggregated by postcode with at least 5 lodgements per figure. Updated monthly. See data sources.
Affordability by income
$60k income
Rent ($650/wk)
Over budget
Budget: $346/wk
Buy ($560k)
Repayments are a stretch
$2,936/mo · deposit in ~12.5yr
$90k income
Rent ($650/wk)
Over budget
Budget: $519/wk
Buy ($560k)
Repayments are a stretch
$2,936/mo · deposit in ~8.3yr
$120k income
Rent ($650/wk)
Affordable
Budget: $692/wk
Buy ($560k)
Repayments manageable
$2,936/mo · deposit in ~6.3yr
Based on 30% gross income rule for rent; 6.85% p.a. / 30-year P&I loan at 20% deposit for purchase; 15% savings rate for deposit timeline.
Upfront buying costs
| Purchase price | $560k |
| 20% deposit (no LMI) | $112k |
| Stamp duty (New South Wales) | $19k |
| Stamp duty (first home buyer) | $0 |
| Conveyancing (est.) | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Building inspection (est.) | $400 – $700 |
| Total upfront (est.) | $134k |
Who lives here & what's nearby
Real figures for Wollongong. Measured, not modelled.
How Wollongong compares
- Households here earn about 17% more than the typical suburb in New South Wales.
- Renter-heavy: just 49% own their home, against 71% across New South Wales.
- Younger than average, a median age of 34 vs 44 statewide.
- 48% of homes here are rented, against 25% across New South Wales, a rental market.
Demographics and tenure from the ABS 2021 Census; the socio-economic score is the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative disadvantage, scaled 0–100 against every Australian postcode; distances and school counts from OpenStreetMap. Comparisons are against the median suburb in New South Wales. Suburb-level price trends aren't shown because no open source publishes them reliably yet, see our data sources.
What's around Wollongong
Parks, markets, sport, libraries and community places nearby.
- McCabe Park100 m
- Market Square900 m
- Harold Cox Park1.0 km
- Lang Park1.1 km
- Illawarra Dog Training Club900 m
- Multi-Purpose Unit1.1 km
- Beaton Park Leisure Centre1.2 km
- Snake Pit Basket Ball Stadium1.4 km
- Wollongong City Library500 m
- University of Wollongong Library (16)2.7 km
Places within about 3 km, from OpenStreetMap contributors, with distances as the crow flies. Something missing or moved? Tell us.
Get to know Wollongong
Video tours, maps and community groups for Wollongong.
Neighbourhood scores
Indicative scores based on ABS Census data modelling. Always conduct your own research.
Related reading
Government schemes that may apply
5% Deposit Scheme
Buy with a 5% deposit and no LMI. No income test and no limit on places since 1 October 2025; price caps vary by area.
Learn more →First home owner grant
$10,000 towards a new home valued up to $600,000, for eligible first home buyers.
Learn more →First Home Super Saver (FHSS)
Save up to $50k inside super (taxed at 15% instead of marginal rate), then withdraw for a deposit.
Learn more →Stamp duty concessions
A first home buyer pays no transfer duty at all on Wollongong's median of $560,000, a saving of $19,387 against the standard rate.
That median is modelled, not observed, and our modelled prices run low. Treat the duty figure as indicative.
Learn more →So what now?
The questions these numbers usually raise, and where to get each one answered.
Could I borrow $448k?
Run your income and debts through the same serviceability rules the banks use.
Free calculatorWhat would repayments be on $560k?
Monthly, fortnightly and weekly, with the full amortisation schedule.
Free calculatorAm I better off renting at $650/week?
Compare the total cost of both paths in Wollongong over time.
Free calculatorGetting the place inspected
A licensed inspector checks for structural and pest problems before you exchange contracts.
Someone to handle the legal side
A conveyancer reviews the contract, runs the title searches and manages settlement.
We do not rank these or say which is best: that would be advice, and we are not licensed to give it. Where a link pays us it says so beside the link, and it never changes what we show or the order we show it in. Our methodology explains every figure above.
Nearby suburbs in New South Wales
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Rent data for Wollongong sourced from the ABS 2021 Census, scaled by rental CPI to current values. Calculations use 30% gross income rule, 20% deposit, 6.85% p.a. loan rate over 30 years. Not financial advice.
General Advice Warning
The information on this site is general in nature and does not consider your personal circumstances, financial situation, or needs. Before acting on any information, you should consider its appropriateness having regard to your own situation and seek professional advice from a licensed financial adviser, mortgage broker, accountant, or solicitor.