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 with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,950 a month. Around 81.1% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 56.6%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 82.0% 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%
SA4 · 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).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 8,112 to 9,523 over 24 years, averaging 0.7% per year.
Schools
1 in suburbGovernment 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 (82%), owner-occupied (81%).
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
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.