Property Report / Areas / Shoalhaven / North Nowra

North Nowra zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of North Nowra (Shoalhaven, NSW) - 10.22 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained on the overlays we could measure - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.
Profile updated 3 October 2026.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to North Nowra's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. Magenta is where aircraft were observed in the sampled period, brightest below 3,000 ft. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.

Nearby suburbs, nearest first

Aircraft noise and flight paths over North Nowra

Two different things, kept apart on purpose. The ANEF contour is the planning instrument - a forecast published per airport that planning schemes use to control noise-sensitive development. Observed overflight is what a sampled aircraft-tracking feed actually recorded over the suburb - where aircraft flew, how low and how often.

North Nowra at a glance

Parcels 2,477 Median lot 755 m² Mapped easements 4 Bus stops 153

How North Nowra is zoned

Low Density Residential 19%
Public Recreation 14%
Environmental Management 14%
Recreational Waterways 13%
General Residential 11%
Environmental Conservation 8%

Buying in North Nowra? 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 10.22 km², North Nowra is highly constrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. Of what is mapped, 76% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 755 m² across 2,477 parcels.

Who lives in North Nowra

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the North Nowra suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
5,856
usual residents, 2021
Median age
39
years
Median household income
$1,411
per week, Shoalhaven suburb typical $1,493
Median rent
$380
per week, Shoalhaven suburb typical $350
Median mortgage
$1,719
per month
Household size
2.4
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 4
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 953, and decile 3 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 4
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of North Nowra's 5,856 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 6.6%
5-14 13.3%
15-19 5.2%
20-24 4.8%
25-34 13.5%
35-44 12.0%
45-54 11.2%
55-64 12.2%
65-74 11.1%
75-84 7.0%
85+ 3.1%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of North Nowra - Bomaderry, the wider ABS statistical area containing North Nowra. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than North Nowra itself.

15,972 in 2001 to 16,548 in 2025, up 4%.

Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.

North Nowra data sources and coverage

“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Aircraft noise contours (ANEF)Not heldNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies, Defence
Observed flight pathsObservedadsb.lol, under the Open Database License
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 3 October 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 North Nowra 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.

Aircraft have been seen below 3,000 ft over about 49% of North Nowra. The report's Aircraft Overflight page narrows that to the address itself: how many aircraft a day, how low, and at what heights.

Building or pricing a slab? The $119 geotechnical desktop report covers geology, soils, bores and an indicative AS 2870 site class for a North Nowra lot.

See what's in the $9 report →

North Nowra planning - frequently asked

Is North Nowra flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering North Nowra, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. Shoalhaven is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area.

Is North Nowra bushfire-prone?

Around 76% of North Nowra is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Shoalhaven average of 90%.

Is North Nowra under a flight path?

Aircraft were observed below 3,000 ft over about 49% of North Nowra, and over about 77% at any altitude up to 10,000 ft, in the period sampled (4 Sep 2026 to 2 Oct 2026). The lowest measured aircraft was at 500 ft, with an average of 3,000 ft. At the busiest point in the suburb about 1 aircraft a day were recorded passing over one 500 m square. Traffic is sampled rather than watched continuously and flight paths change with runway use, weather and season; the ANEF contour is the planning instrument.

What is the zoning in North Nowra?

The dominant planning zone in North Nowra is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Public Recreation and Environmental Management.

Does North Nowra have heritage-listed places?

No heritage-listed places are on record within North Nowra.

What is the typical lot size in North Nowra?

Across 2,477 surveyed parcels in North Nowra, the median lot size is about 755 m². There are also 4 registered easements mapped in the suburb.

Does North Nowra have a train station?

There is no train station inside North Nowra itself. The suburb is served by 153 bus stops.

What is the population of North Nowra?

At the 2021 Census North Nowra had 5,856 usual residents, with a median age of 39 and an average household size of 2.4 people. The wider North Nowra - Bomaderry statistical area, which contains North Nowra, went from 15,972 people in 2001 to 16,548 in 2025, up 4%.

Is North Nowra an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), North Nowra scores 953 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 3 within New South Wales (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).

What is the median household income in North Nowra?

Median household income in North Nowra was $1,411 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,493 for the typical suburb in Shoalhaven. Median rent was $380 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,719 a month.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Bangalee 2.5 km Not mapped 93%
West Nowra 2.9 km Not mapped 84%
Bomaderry 3.1 km Not mapped 43%
Badagarang 3.1 km Not mapped 82%
Mundamia 3.6 km Not mapped 98%
Cambewarra Village 3.9 km Not mapped 39%
Nowra 4.2 km Not mapped 31%
Cambewarra 4.9 km Not mapped 100%
Longreach 4.9 km Not mapped 95%
Watersleigh 5.0 km Not mapped 93%

See all Shoalhaven suburb profiles →