Planning Maps / Areas / Wollongong / Wollongong

Wollongong flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Wollongong (Wollongong, NSW) - 5.93 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is moderately constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Wollongong'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.

Wollongong at a glance

Parcels 3,562 Median lot 654 m² Mapped easements 9 Train Wollongong Station Bus stops 179

How Wollongong is zoned

General Residential 19%
Low Density Residential 18%
Public Recreation 15%
Infrastructure 11%
Commercial Centre 11%
Productivity Support 10%

Buying in Wollongong? 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 5.93 km², Wollongong is moderately constrained by planning overlays. About 29% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay. There are 141 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is General Residential. The median lot measures about 654 m² across 3,562 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 Wollongong

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

Population
20,446
usual residents, 2021
Median age
35
years
Median household income
$1,549
per week, Wollongong suburb typical $1,912
Median rent
$410
per week, Wollongong suburb typical $400
Median mortgage
$1,950
per month
Household size
2.0
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 8
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1024, and decile 7 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 5
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Wollongong's 20,446 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 3.7%
5-14 5.0%
15-19 3.6%
20-24 13.3%
25-34 23.9%
35-44 10.9%
45-54 9.7%
55-64 11.1%
65-74 9.5%
75-84 6.5%
85+ 2.8%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

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

9,764 in 2001 to 18,274 in 2025, up 87%.

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.

Wollongong 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.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingMappedNSW 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
DemographicsAvailableAustralian 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 Wollongong 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 →

Wollongong planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Wollongong?

The schematic on this page is a Wollongong flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid, covering about 29% of the suburb. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Wollongong address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Wollongong flood-prone?

About 29% of Wollongong 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 Wollongong bushfire-prone?

Bushfire mapping covers Wollongong and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the Wollongong average is 56%). Always confirm for the exact lot, as mapping can change.

What is the zoning in Wollongong?

The dominant planning zone in Wollongong is General Residential, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Public Recreation. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Wollongong have heritage-listed places?

Wollongong has 141 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 Wollongong?

Across 3,562 surveyed parcels in Wollongong, the median lot size is about 654 m². There are also 9 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 Wollongong have a train station?

Yes - Wollongong has 1 train station: Wollongong Station. It is also served by 179 bus stops.

What is the population of Wollongong?

At the 2021 Census Wollongong had 20,446 usual residents, with a median age of 35 and an average household size of 2.0 people. The wider Wollongong - East statistical area, which contains Wollongong, went from 9,764 people in 2001 to 18,274 in 2025, up 87%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Wollongong alone.

Is Wollongong an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Wollongong scores 1024 and sits in decile 8 of 10 nationally and decile 7 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 Wollongong?

Median household income in Wollongong was $1,549 a week at the 2021 Census, against $1,912 for the typical suburb in Wollongong. Median rent was $410 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,950 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Wollongong property?

A Wollongong 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 suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Coniston 1.3 km 42% 10%
Mangerton 1.7 km 9% 23%
Gwynneville 1.7 km 0% 7%
West Wollongong 2.1 km <1% 4%
Mount Saint Thomas 2.3 km 18% 15%
North Wollongong 2.6 km 0% 33%
Keiraville 2.7 km 0% 25%
Mount Ousley 3.3 km 0% 26%
Fairy Meadow 3.5 km 0% 1%
Spring Hill 3.5 km 10% 0%

See all Wollongong suburb profiles →