Horsley flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Horsley (Wollongong, NSW) - 5.55 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Everything below is suburb-wide. Overlays change block to block - see which ones actually touch your lot. The map is free.
Constraint readout
5.55 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Horsley's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address.
Horsley at a glance
How Horsley is zoned
Buying in Horsley? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.
Across its 5.55 km², Horsley is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 26% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 45% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 5 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 569 m² across 3,475 parcels. These figures are suburb-wide - the overlays that actually apply to a given lot can differ block to block, which is what a property-level check tells you.
Who lives in Horsley
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Horsley suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.
Socio-economic standing
ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.
Score 1010, and decile 6 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.
Age profile
Share of Horsley's 9,437 residents in each ABS age band.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of Horsley - Kembla Grange, the wider ABS statistical area containing Horsley. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Horsley itself.
6,136 in 2001 to 14,750 in 2025, up 140%.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census of Population and Housing 2021 (General Community Profile) and SEIFA 2021, both published at the Suburbs and Localities level; Regional Population (estimated resident population) at Statistical Area Level 2. Used under CC BY 4.0. Census counts of small populations are randomly adjusted by the ABS to protect confidentiality, so figures for small suburbs are indicative.
Horsley data sources and coverage
Every figure below is an aggregate for the suburb boundary. “Not mapped” means LayeredGeo does not hold a source layer covering this suburb; it is never an all-clear for a particular property.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Zoning | Mapped | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | NSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 5 August 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.
Check a specific Horsley address
See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.
See what's in the $9 report →Horsley planning - frequently asked
Where can I see a flood map of Horsley?
The schematic on this page is a Horsley flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 26% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Horsley address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.
Is Horsley flood-prone?
About 26% of Horsley falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 4%. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.
Is Horsley bushfire-prone?
Yes - around 45% of Horsley is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Wollongong average of 56%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.
What is the zoning in Horsley?
The dominant planning zone in Horsley is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Environmental Management and Public Recreation. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.
Does Horsley have heritage-listed places?
Horsley has 5 heritage-listed places on record. Heritage listing affects what you can alter or demolish, so confirm whether a specific property is listed or near a heritage place.
What is the typical lot size in Horsley?
Across 3,475 surveyed parcels in Horsley, the median lot size is about 569 m². There are also 22 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.
Does Horsley have a train station?
There is no train station inside Horsley itself. The suburb is served by 140 bus stops.
What is the population of Horsley?
At the 2021 Census Horsley had 9,437 usual residents, with a median age of 36 and an average household size of 3.0 people. The wider Horsley - Kembla Grange statistical area, which contains Horsley, went from 6,136 people in 2001 to 14,750 in 2025, up 140%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Horsley alone.
Is Horsley an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Horsley scores 1010 and sits in decile 7 of 10 nationally and decile 6 within New South Wales - decile 1 being the most disadvantaged tenth of Australian suburbs and decile 10 the least. The national average score is 1000. SEIFA summarises income, education, occupation and housing across the whole suburb, so it describes the area, not any particular household in it.
What is the median household income in Horsley?
Median household income in Horsley was $2,164 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,912 for the typical suburb in Wollongong. Median rent was $500 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.
Do I need a planning report for a Horsley property?
A Horsley planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage and environmental - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; a full PDF report is $9.
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | 1.6 km | 51% | 100% |
| Stream Hill | 2.1 km | 25% | 88% |
| Dapto | 2.2 km | 7% | 29% |
| Wongawilli | 3.1 km | 6% | 79% |
| Koonawarra | 3.3 km | 0% | 38% |
| Brownsville | 3.4 km | 0% | 59% |
| Kanahooka | 3.6 km | 0% | 11% |
| Huntley | 3.7 km | 3% | 94% |
| Kembla Grange | 3.8 km | 12% | 66% |
| Dombarton | 4.3 km | 0% | 100% |