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Suburb profile ·Shoalhaven LGA · NSW ·2541

Nowra NSW 2541

Nowra is in Shoalhaven LGA, NSW, postcode 2541, with population 9,956.

The read

Growth-momentum

The page has enough signal to be useful, but the story is mixed rather than decisive. Use compare mode to pressure-test it against stronger nearby options, then use the calculator if it still makes the shortlist.

$550/wk
+6.8% YoY
Mar 2025 → Apr 2026 · 14 periods
NSW Fair Trading · postcode 2541 · Apr 2026
$552
$500
Mar 2025Apr 2026
Why it fits

Recent price movement shows visible market momentum. School coverage gives the page a stronger family/livability signal. Transport coverage adds a practical access signal.

Median house
$799K
House median, latest period
14.6%YoY D5 vs AU
Median rent
$550/wk
Income-stretched rent market
6.8%YoY D10 vs AU
Gross yield
3.6%
Below investor band
D10 vs AU
Population
9,956
10K local footprint
D10 vs AU
Schools
7
Matched school context
D10 vs AU
Solar
5,034
253 added 12mo · 35MW

Price history

HousesUnits

Houses to Q1'26 · Units to Q4'25 — house and unit medians are released on separate cycles, so their latest period can differ.

Trend & investor depth

Cycle positionAt its peak
Low · 2007Peak · 2026

At / near its all-time high

Price growth (compound)3-yr +7.1%/yr · 5-yr +7.6%/yr · 10-yr +8.1%/yr
Affordability trajectoryprice +10.5%/yr vs income +4.8%/yr — worsening — prices outgrowing incomes
Indicative cashflow-$337/wk (-$17,531/yr) · interest-only @ 6.1%, 80% LVR

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection.

Affordability

Buying
14.8x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Stretched
Renting
53%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
High stress

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $1,500/mo, while renters pay about $2,383/mo — renting runs $883/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$799K
Household income · yr
$54K
Median rent · wk
$550
Owner mortgage · mo
$1,500
Gross yield
3.6%

Household income

$54K household · yr-34.5% vs NSW suburb median
Personal
$29K
Family
$69K
Household
$54K

Schools

Total7
Avg ICSEA964
Students4,079
Catholic2
Government4
Independent1
  • Nowra Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 904
  • Nowra Hill Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 986
  • Nowra High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 944
  • Shoalhaven High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 862
  • St John the Evangelist Catholic High SchoolSecondary · Catholic · ICSEA 1028
  • St Michael's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 994
Crime January 2025 - December 2025
3,999
3,639 per 100k
D5 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k3,639
Total incidents3,999· January 2025 - December 2025
  • Assault1,09460%
  • Sexual Offences38321%
  • Robbery131%
  • Break And Enter33718%

Full data detail

Nowra NSW — Property Data and Demographics

Located in New South Wales within the Shoalhaven local government area, Nowra is a mid-sized suburb (postcode 2541). It is home to about 9,956 residents, with an established family demographic and a median age of 40. Households earn a median income of $54K per year, with an average household size of 2.2 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +0.7% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +0.3% year-on-year in the official Jobs and Skills Australia NERO series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 37 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 5 underway, and 75 in planning as at 2 October 2024, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are community & personal service, technicians & trades, labourers. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and retail trade. The top ancestries reported are Australian, English, Aboriginal Australian.

Nowra has a median house price of $799,000, which has surged by 14.6% year-on-year. Units have a median price of $435,000 (+2.8% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $550. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 3.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,500.

Nowra is served by 7 schools, including 3 primary, 3 secondary, 1 combined. The average ICSEA score is 964, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 2 ferry wharfves, 111 bus stops. Healthcare facilities include 1 public and 1 private hospitals. The crime rate in the Shoalhaven LGA is below average at 3,639 incidents per 100,000 population.

On the investment side, Nowra shows a gross rental yield of approximately 3.6%, rated as moderate yield. Property prices sit below the state median ($799K/$1.5M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 14.8x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +14.6% year-on-year. Population growth of +0.7% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield3.6%· Moderate Yield
Price vs State$799K/$1.5M Below Median
Affordability14.8x Stretched
Price Momentum+14.6% Rising
Pop. Growth+0.7%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentNSW
Mortgage · mth$1,500
Rent · wk(Census)$300
Market rent · wk(2026-04)$550
Gross yield2.0%
Price / income14.8x
Sales vol (latest Q)(2026-Q1)5
Population growth · Shoalhaven LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)111,755
5-year growth+0.8% CAGR
YoY change+0.7%
20012025
Development · Shoalhaven LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)661
Houses363
Units298
YoY change+0%
Employment · Shoalhaven LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.7%
YoY change+1.7pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 2541ATO
Negatively geared654 (4.2% of filers)
Avg rental loss$7,040/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,540
Reported capital gains963
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population9,956
Median age40
Household size2.2
HH income · wk$1,037
Personal income · wk$554
Persons / bedroom0.8
IncomeATO 22-23
Median income$52,132
Mean income$59,038
Earners12,632
YoY change+7.7%
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)1/10
Education (IEO)1/10
Economic (IER)1/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)1/10
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets5
Pharmacies3
GP / clinics1
Fuel stations6
Cafes & dining12
aldi1
coles1
woolworths2
TransportGTFS
Bus stops111
Ferry wharves2
Ferry Lane At Terara Rd
Ferry Lane Opp 15
Hospitals · 2AIHW
Public1
Private1
Nowra Private Hospitalprivate
Shoalhaven Hospitalpublic
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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

Nowra has enough direct local evidence for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
NSW price medians are parser-guarded official records.

Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
NSW Valuer General · 2026-Q1 · Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records
medium stability · automated · every update · weekly
Available
Market rent
NSW Fair Trading · 2026-04 · State market dataset
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Crime
BOCSAR · January 2025 - December 2025 · Area-level release dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · release-based
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 7 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · 2 hospitals matched
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Transport
GTFS feeds · 113 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.

Nowra FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Nowra in?

    Nowra is in the Shoalhaven Local Government Area, NSW, postcode 2541. Council-level context for Shoalhaven LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Nowra?

    The current median house price in Nowra, NSW is $799K, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in Nowra?

    The median weekly rent in Nowra is $550/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is income-stretched rent market.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Nowra?

    Income-stretched rent market: Weekly rent screens at about 55% of annual income. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is Nowra a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for Nowra show: Moderate Yield, Below Median, Stretched. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Nowra?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the Nowra data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.