Shoalhaven Heads
NSWShoalhaven Heads is a stable suburb in NSW with 3,248 residents.
- SAL code
- 13555
- SA2
- 114011272
- Population
- 3,248
- LGA
- Shoalhaven
Shoalhaven Heads, NSW had 3,248 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 2.6% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 65-74 years, and the median age sits at 56. Households are most often couples without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,950 a month. Around 78.2% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 54.5%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 81.6% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 9 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
?3,248
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+2.6%
3yr: +1.5% · 10yr: +7.1%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,066/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
56
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?7/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?1.3%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
1
1 primary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?2
1 long day, 1 OSHC
Parks & green space
?9
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
No data for this suburb
Dwelling approvals
?57
Shoalhaven · 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 — Berry - Kangaroo Valley (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Shoalhaven Heads suburb alone is ~3,248 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 8,112 to 9,523 over 24 years, averaging 0.7% per year.
Schools
1 in suburbSector
1 public
Type
1 primary
Total enrolment
180
Avg per school
180
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Shoalhaven Hds PS99.9%
- Terara PS 0.0%
Secondary
Bomaderry HS100.0%
- Nowra HS 0.0%
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 1.0%Almost entirely detached houses (81.6%), owner-occupied (78.2%).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
NSW 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: NSW RFS BFPL via SEED
As of May 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
14 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 30.7% | 1.21 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 23.9% | 0.94 km² |
| W2 | ZoneWaterway | 21.2% | 0.83 km² |
| R1 | ZoneResidential | 6.0% | 0.24 km² |
| RU1 | ZoneRural | 5.3% | 0.21 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 3.3% | 0.13 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 2.4% | 0.10 km² |
| C3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 2.0% | 0.08 km² |
| RU2 | ZoneRural | 1.6% | 0.06 km² |
| MU1 | ZoneBusiness | 0.9% | 0.03 km² |
| RE2 | ZoneRecreation | 0.5% | 0.02 km² |
| E4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.4% | 0.02 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.2% | 6,760 m² |
| SP3 | ZoneSpecial use | 0.1% | 5,242 m² |
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.