Lake Illawarra
NSWLake Illawarra is a declining suburb in NSW with 3,288 residents.
- SAL code
- 12259
- SA2
- 107031143
- Population
- 3,288
- LGA
- Shellharbour
Lake Illawarra, NSW had 3,288 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area roughly steady over the last five years. The predominant age group is 55-64 years, and the median age sits at 43. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,733 a month. Around 49.7% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 50.3%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 50.7% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 7 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Population
?3,288
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
-0.2%
3yr: +1.7% · 10yr: -1.4%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,069/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
43
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?1/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?14.4%
SA4 · Q4 2025
Schools
2
1 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?2
2 long day, 1 OSHC
Parks & green space
?7
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?41
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?69
Shellharbour · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Warilla (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Lake Illawarra suburb alone is ~3,288 (Census 2021).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 21,813 to 20,725 over 24 years, averaging -0.2% per year.
Schools
2 in suburbGovernment school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Lake Illawarra SPS55.1%
- Warilla NPS 38.9%
- Windang PS 1.1%
Secondary
Lake Illawarra HS
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 14.0%Predominantly detached houses (50.7%), rental-heavy (50.3% renting), built for families (41% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire & flood risk
Hazard data is not yet available for NSW.
Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
9 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 33.9% | 0.57 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 28.9% | 0.48 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 27.0% | 0.45 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 2.7% | 0.05 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 1.8% | 0.03 km² |
| E4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 1.7% | 0.03 km² |
| W1 | ZoneWaterway | 1.5% | 0.02 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 1.4% | 0.02 km² |
| W2 | ZoneWaterway | 0.6% | 0.01 km² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.