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Suburb profile ·Shellharbour LGA · NSW ·2527

Tongarra NSW 2527

Tongarra is in Shellharbour LGA, NSW, postcode 2527, with population 141.

Limited data

Thin-context

The page is still useful for local context, but the evidence stack is too thin for a clean one-page call. Use nearby stronger suburbs or compare mode before treating it as a serious shortlist decision.

$750/wk
Rising
+10.3% YoY
Mar 2025 → May 2026 · 15 periods
NSW Fair Trading · postcode 2527 · May 2026
$750
$680
Mar 2025May 2026
Why it fits

Transport coverage adds a practical access signal. Higher SEIFA context supports a stronger local-quality read.

What to check

The page is thin enough that nearby alternatives should be checked before shortlisting. Small local population makes the signal set more fragile.

Median house
$1.1M
House median, latest period
1.1%YoY D7 vs AU
Median rent
$750/wk
Rent-pressure candidate
10.3%YoY D10 vs AU
Gross yield
3.5%
Below investor band
D10 vs AU
Population
83,228
83K via Shellharbour LGA · SAL undercount
Schools
No matched school data
Drive to city
Not in commute dataset
Solar
5,534
469 added 12mo · 38MW
Price cycleNear its low
LowPeak

31.3% below peak · 0.0% above its low

See trend depth →

Price history

Trend & investor depth

Cycle positionNear its low
Low · 2020Peak · 2016

31.3% below peak · 0.0% above its low

Indicative cashflow-$487/wk (-$25,310/yr) · interest-only @ 6.2%, 80% LVR
Rent stabilitystable — rents vary ±2.2% around trend (short window, 15 pts)
Value vs advantage-12% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 8)

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investor profile

Who invests in Tongarra

Owner-occupied 73%Rented 27%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared5%
834 of 1,528 landlords
Avg rental loss$6,451/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,528
Reported capital gains863
The read

Owner-occupier stronghold

77% of homes here are owner-occupied and 28% rented, with 5% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

77% owner-occupied — owner-occupiers hold longer and absorb rate shocks, supporting price stability.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Mortgage affordability

40%
of household income to service a new loan
9.3 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Stretched
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRenting cheaper

New-loan repayment $5,276/mo vs median rent $3,250/mo (+62% · +$468/wk)

If rates move

At 4.0%: $4,201/mo (-1,075) · at 6.0% (current): $5,276/mo · at 8.0%: $6,457/mo (+1,181)

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan at the current RBA new owner-occupier variable rate, against median weekly household income (ABS Census 2021). Stress bands follow the 30% / 45%-of-income thresholds used in ANZ-CoreLogic and AIHW reporting. Rent vs buy compares that repayment with the suburb's median advertised rent; it excludes rates, insurance, maintenance and deposit opportunity cost.

Stronger alternatives nearby

Higher yield

similar price · cross-LGA

More affordable

lower price-to-income

Alternatives are similar-priced suburbs (0.7–1.4x this suburb's median) in other council areas that exceed it on the named metric. Indicative — not financial advice.

Affordability

Buying
7.0x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Moderate
Renting
25%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
Manageable

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $3,100/mo, while renters pay about $3,250/mo — renting runs $150/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$1.10M
Household income · yr
$158K
Median rent · wk
$750
Owner mortgage · mo
$3,100
Gross yield
3.5%

Household income

$158K household · yr+92.1% vs NSW suburb median
Personal
$43K
Family
$122K
Household
$158K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)fewer than 31% could service the median house
Under $300
0
$300-649
4
$650-999
0
$1,000-1,499
0
$1,500-1,999
6
$2,000-2,999
3
$3,000-3,999
11
$4,000+
11

Serviceability line: a household needs about $4,058/wk to hold a new loan on the median house at 30% of income (20% deposit, 30-year P&I, current RBA rate).

At the median asking rent, about 37% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $2,500/wk income).

Housing stock and tenure

Tenure (43 households)
Owned outright
30%
Owned with mortgage
47%
Rented
28%
Dwelling structure19.2% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
100%
Townhouse / semi
0%
Flat / apartment
0%

Getting to work: 71% drive, 0% public transport, 4% walk or cycle, 21% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Crime April 2025 - March 2026
2,345
2,875 per 100k
D4 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k2,875
Total incidents2,345· April 2025 - March 2026
  • Assault53354%
  • Sexual Offences22523%
  • Robbery101%
  • Break And Enter21422%

Bushfire exposure

Severe exposure ~95.9%
~95.9% of the suburb is Bush Fire Prone Land · ~55.3% Category 1 (highest hazard)

Estimated exposure to NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land (CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within the official hazard layer — it is not a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating or a property-level assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Planning zones

Dominant zone Environmental Management
Public / Open space 71% Rural / Green wedge 24% Other 2%

Land-use mix estimated by point-sampling the suburb against NSW EPI Land Zoning polygons (CC BY 4.0). This is a suburb-level snapshot of planning zones, not a parcel-level zoning certificate or development advice. Check the relevant planning scheme for an individual property.

Population outlook

20,634 people · 202228,270 by 2032 (+37.0%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Albion Park - Macquarie Pass SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
Tongarra NSW — Property Data and Demographics

Located in New South Wales within the Shellharbour local government area, Tongarra is a small, quiet locality (postcode 2527). With a population of 141, the suburb has an older-leaning population with a median age of 46. Households earn a median income of $158K per year, with an average household size of 3.1 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement into the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.9% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +1.2% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 35 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 17 underway, and 67 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are technicians & trades, professionals, clerical & administrative. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and construction. The top ancestries reported are Australian, English, Irish.

The median house price in Tongarra is $1.1 million, having eased back by 1.1% over the past year. The current median weekly rent is $750. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 3.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $3,100.

Public transport access includes 5 bus stops. The crime rate in the Shellharbour LGA is below average at 2,875 incidents per 100,000 population.

On the investment side, The gross rental yield works out to roughly 3.5%, which reads as moderate yield. Property prices are near the state median ($1.1M/$1.5M). The price-to-income ratio of 7.0x is considered moderate. House prices have moved -1.1% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.9% 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 Yield3.5%· Moderate Yield
Price vs State$1.1M/$1.5M· Near Median
Affordability7.0x· Moderate
Price Momentum-1.1% Falling
Pop. Growth+1.9%· Stable
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentNSW
Mortgage · mth$3,100
Rent · wk(Census)$350
Market rent · wk(2026-05)$750
Gross yield1.7%
Price / income7.0x
Population growth · Shellharbour LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)83,228
5-year growth+2.1% CAGR
YoY change+1.9%
20012025
Development · Shellharbour LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)562
Houses 67%Units 33%
YoY change+0%
Employment · Shellharbour LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)6.8%
YoY change-0.2pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 2527ATO
Negatively geared5%
834 of filers
Avg rental loss$6,451/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,528
Reported capital gains863
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population141
Median age46
Household size3.1
HH income · wk$3,041
Personal income · wk$819
Persons / bedroom0.9
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)8/10
Education (IEO)5/10
Economic (IER)10/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)9/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$2,562 → $3,041
Change+18.7%
vs NSW median-1.9 pp
Median rent+25%
stablevs NSW 2016–21
Area & amenity
TransportGTFS
Bus stops5
Hospitals · Shellharbour LGAAIHW
Public1
Private1
Shellharbour Hospitalpublic
Shellharbour Private Hospitalprivate
Aged care · Shellharbour LGAGEN
Facilities5
Residential places571
Warrigal Mount Terry151 places
Warrigal Care Albion Park Rail149 places
Warrigal Care Shell Cove131 places
Uniting Elanora Shellharbour100 places
Warrigal Care Mt Warrigal40 places
Childcare · Shellharbour LGAACECQA
Services60
Approved places3,279
Exceeding NQS20
The Grove Academy - Shell Cove142 places
Little Zak's Academy Shellharbour138 places
Junior Einsteins Nurturing Centre - Shell Heights125 places
MindChamps Early Learning @ Shellharbour120 places
CatholicCare OSHC- St Paul's Albion Park107 places
Little Peoples Early Learning Centre Oak Flats106 places
+54 more in Shellharbour LGA
Shortlist workspace

Save suburbs here while you browse. Once the shortlist has two or more names, hand it straight into compare.

Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

Tongarra carries 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 · 2020 · 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 · 2026-05 · State market dataset
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Crime
BOCSAR · April 2025 - March 2026 · Area-level release dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · release-based
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · No local school matches exposed
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Missing
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 5 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.
Sparse locality note

This page stays indexable because Tongarra is a real locality with enough context to be directionally useful. The tradeoff is that coverage is lighter than a stronger suburb profile, so the read should stay cautious.

WHY IT LOOKS LIGHTER
This is a real locality, but it has a very small Census footprint.

Small-population localities can still be worth checking, but rankings, comparisons, and broad suburb assumptions become noisier faster.

WHAT IS MISSING
Coverage is lighter across school matches and hospital coverage.

Coverage is thinner on school matches and hospital coverage; lean less on this one page and confirm those gaps elsewhere.

BEST NEXT STEP
Use this page to understand the locality shape, then compare outward.

Begin here, but pressure-test the read in compare, against the state hub, or a bigger nearby suburb before deciding.

Page status
INDEXED WITH LIGHTER COVERAGE

This page remains visible, but it should be read as a locality brief rather than a full-confidence suburb profile.

HOW TO READ THIS PAGE

This page is useful for direction-setting, not closure. Use it to frame the locality, then confirm the story with compare, stronger nearby suburbs, and the state hub.

Stronger nearby reads

If Tongarra feels too thin on its own, use these nearby suburbs as stronger local reads before making a shortlist decision.

Croom most similar
similar price band similar rent profile similar suburb scale

pop same · house +$850K · rent -$385/wk

Similar local read: useful for context, but still compare the actual market signals.

Dunmore most similar
similar price band similar rent profile

pop +200 · house +$145K · rent -$330/wk

Similar local read: useful for context, but still compare the actual market signals.

Mount Warrigal most similar
similar price band similar rent profile

pop +4700 · house -$115K · rent -$345/wk

Similar local read: useful for context, but still compare the actual market signals.

Tongarra FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Tongarra in?

    Tongarra is in the Shellharbour Local Government Area, NSW, postcode 2527. Council-level context for Shellharbour LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Tongarra?

    The current median house price in Tongarra, NSW is $1.1M, 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 Tongarra?

    The median weekly rent in Tongarra is $750/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is rent-pressure candidate.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Tongarra?

    Rent-pressure candidate: Tongarra rents screen above the local benchmark. 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 Tongarra a good investment?

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

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Tongarra?

    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 Tongarra 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.