New South Wales · Suburb Profile

South West Rocks NSW — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for South West Rocks, New South Wales. ABS Census 2021.

The population of South West Rocks NSW is 5,058 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in South West Rocks is $533 per week ($27,716 per year). Median rent in South West Rocks is $323 per week ($1,400 per month). South West Rocks has a median age of 58 years, older than the national median of 38. South West Rocks has a population density of 369.6 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in South West Rocks is England. The most common religion is No Religion (39% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in South West Rocks is $1,517.

There were 87 recorded offences in South West Rocks in 2025-26, a rate of 17 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (31 offences).

South West Rocks Map

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South West Rocks Population

residents (Census 2021)

South West Rocks Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$533/wk

$27,716 per year

#7898 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$323/wk

$1,400 per month

#4026 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

58years

20 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,517/mo

Avg household size: 2.1 · 0.7 per bedroom

South West Rocks Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.6% (2,459) Female 51.4% (2,597)

Population Density

369.6

people per km²

5,058 people · 13.7 km²

Households

2.1

Avg household size

0.7

Persons per bedroom

$1,230

Family income/wk

South West Rocks Age Distribution

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

South West Rocks Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

73.1% 1,167 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

26.9% 429 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

South West Rocks Country of Birth

Australia

94.7%

England

3.7%

Germany

0.7%

India

0.4%

Brazil

0.2%

China

0.2%

Fiji

0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

South West Rocks Religion

No Religion

39.4%

Anglican

22.1%

Catholic

19.4%

Not stated

8.4%

Uniting Church

5.1%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

3.6%

Christian (other)

1.2%

Baptist

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

South West Rocks Education Level

Year 10 or equivalent

41.9%

Year 12 or equivalent

38.0%

Year 9 or equivalent

12.2%

Year 11 or equivalent

7.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

South West Rocks Languages Spoken at Home

Other

30.9%

German

14.5%

Australian Indigenous

10.9%

Cantonese

10.9%

SAL Tot

10.9%

Portuguese

9.1%

Hindi

7.3%

Arabic

5.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

South West Rocks Employment

💼

Employed full-time

20.4% 821 people

⏰

Employed part-time

17.2% 692 people

🔍

Unemployed

2.9% 115 people

🏠

Not in labour force

59.5% 2,388 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

South West Rocks Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

52.0%

Bachelor Degree

19.5%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

18.8%

Postgraduate Degree

3.6%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

3.5%

Certificate I/II

2.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

South West Rocks Occupation

Professionals

22.7%

Community & Personal Service

17.7%

Technicians & Trade Workers

15.9%

Managers

12.7%

Clerical & Administrative

11.2%

Labourers

9.7%

Sales Workers

6.9%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

3.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

South West Rocks Field of Study

Management & Commerce

18.7%

Engineering

15.4%

Society & Culture

15.3%

Education

11.8%

Health

11.7%

Architecture & Building

10.5%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

10.0%

Agriculture & Environment

2.9%

Creative Arts

1.6%

Information Technology

1.2%

Natural & Physical Sciences

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

South West Rocks Dwelling Types

Separate house

93.8%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

5.0%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

South West Rocks Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

1.9%

$1-$149/wk

1.1%

$150-$299/wk

1.9%

$300-$399/wk

3.2%

$400-$499/wk

10.5%

$500-$649/wk

7.9%

$650-$799/wk

13.7%

$800-$999/wk

10.9%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

10.8%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

9.1%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

4.9%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

4.1%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

7.6%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

4.6%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

3.3%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

1.4%

$4,000+/wk

3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

South West Rocks Marital Status

💍

Married

49.0% 2,154

↔️

Separated

3.8% 165

📋

Divorced

13.2% 579

🕊️

Widowed

9.3% 409

👤

Never married

24.7% 1,085

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

South West Rocks Ancestry

English

35.8%

Australian

31.2%

Irish

10.3%

Scottish

8.3%

Aboriginal Australianralian

4.8%

German

3.3%

Other

2.7%

Italian

1.2%

Dutch

0.9%

Filipino

0.6%

Polish

0.4%

French

0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

South West Rocks School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

41.2%

Secondary — Catholic

14.5%

Pre-school

14.0%

Secondary — Government

13.0%

Vocational Education

11.1%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

3.2%

Primary — Catholic

1.7%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

South West Rocks Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

9.7% 926

✅

No need for assistance

90.3% 8,581

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

South West Rocks Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

16.7% 686

—

Not a volunteer

83.3% 3,433

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

South West Rocks Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

4.3%

$300-$449/mo

2.7%

$450-$599/mo

3.4%

$600-$799/mo

6.0%

$800-$999/mo

8.4%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

18.8%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

24.1%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

21.0%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

7.0%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

4.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

South West Rocks How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

70.9%

Did not go to work

14.3%

Car (passenger)

6.0%

Walked only

5.6%

Truck

1.0%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.8%

Other

0.7%

Bicycle

0.6%

Bus

0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

South West Rocks Car Ownership

0 vehicles

4.1%

1 vehicle

44.6%

2 vehicles

37.2%

3 vehicles

10.3%

4+ vehicles

3.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

South West Rocks Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

2.1%

2 bedrooms

21.5%

3 bedrooms

49.7%

4 bedrooms

22.8%

5 bedrooms

3.3%

6+ bedrooms

0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

South West Rocks Population Mobility

13.9%

moved in the last year

42.1%

moved in the last 5 years

6.2%

unemployment rate (Census)

40.0%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

South West Rocks Indigenous Population

6.7%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

642

Indigenous residents

8,907

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

South West Rocks Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

576

Arthritis

413

Heart disease

253

Lung condition

222

Diabetes

222

Asthma

168

Cancer

159

Kidney disease

Stroke

Dementia

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

South West Rocks Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

8.6%

$1-$149/wk

4.4%

$150-$299/wk

8.1%

$300-$399/wk

10.8%

$400-$499/wk

8.2%

$500-$649/wk

6.7%

$650-$799/wk

11.9%

$800-$999/wk

9.7%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

10.5%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

6.4%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

4.9%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

3.2%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

4.7%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

0.6%

$3,500+/wk

1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

South West Rocks Family Structure

Couple — no children

48.4%

Couple — children under 15

27.5%

Couple — no children under 15

9.6%

One parent — no children under 15

7.3%

One parent — children under 15

7.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

South West Rocks Military Service

🛡️

Current ADF — Reserves

0.1% 3

🏅

Previously served

4.4% 181

👤

Never served

95.5% 3,942

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

South West Rocks Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

13.4% 547

—

Did not provide

86.6% 3,540

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

South West Rocks Children Ever Born

No children

22.3%

1 child

11.6%

2 children

34.0%

3 children

21.3%

4 children

7.8%

5+ children

3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

South West Rocks When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

1991–2000

2001–2010

2011–2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

South West Rocks Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

15.5%

5–14 hours

28.9%

15–29 hours

16.4%

30+ hours

11.2%

Did not do domestic work

28.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

South West Rocks Household Size

1 person

30.8%

2 persons

46.6%

3 persons

10.5%

4 persons

7.4%

5 persons

3.0%

6+ persons

1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

South West Rocks Where Residents Moved From

Same address

4,027

Moved from NSW

323

Moved — same area (SA2)

228

Moved from QLD

Moved from overseas

Moved from VIC

Moved from SA

Moved from ACT

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

South West Rocks Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

87.3%

Step family — no other children

6.6%

Blended family — no other children

3.7%

Intact family — other children present

1.2%

Other couple — children only

1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

South West Rocks Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 87 total

Theft

Assault

Other Against Property

Other Against Person

Sexual Offences

Drug Offences

Weapons

Property Damage

Offence trend by year:

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR — bocsar.nsw.gov.au

South West Rocks Schools

schools nearby

government

952

avg ICSEA score

348

total students

South West Rocks Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 348 students

952

ICSEA

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in South West Rocks with map →

South West Rocks Rent Prices & Affordability

33%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $980/wk

Median Rent $323/wk

Rent-to-Income 33.0%

Rent is between 25–35% of household income — moderate housing costs.

If you earn X in South West Rocks

Your weekly income

≈ $4,247/month

Median rent $323/wk

Left after rent $657/wk

Rent share 33.0%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Barham

Income: $571/wk Rent: $185/wk Save: $138/wk

Barraba

Income: $470/wk Rent: $195/wk Save: $128/wk

Narooma

Income: $551/wk Rent: $260/wk Save: $63/wk

Greenwell Point

Income: $600/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $23/wk

Bermagui

Income: $602/wk Rent: $310/wk Save: $13/wk

Grasmere

Income: $543/wk Rent: $116/wk Save: $207/wk

Tocumwal

Income: $562/wk Rent: $250/wk Save: $73/wk

Nambucca Heads

Income: $499/wk Rent: $280/wk Save: $43/wk

South West Rocks vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NSW

Milsons Point

Pop: 2,529 Income: $1,866/wk Rent: $750/wk

Mollymook Beach

Pop: 2,531 Income: $681/wk Rent: $380/wk

McGraths Hill

Pop: 2,537 Income: $942/wk Rent: $450/wk

Estella

Pop: 2,541 Income: $916/wk Rent: $380/wk

Aberdare

Pop: 2,542 Income: $640/wk Rent: $303/wk

Abermain

Pop: 2,544 Income: $667/wk Rent: $320/wk

Compare South West Rocks

South West Rocks vs Milsons Point →South West Rocks vs Mollymook Beach →South West Rocks vs McGraths Hill →South West Rocks vs Estella →

Frequently Asked Questions About South West Rocks

What is the population of South West Rocks NSW?

The population of South West Rocks NSW is 5,058 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 369.6 people per km².South West Rocks is ranked #1,553 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in South West Rocks?

The median personal income in South West Rocks NSW is $533 per week, or $27,716 per year.The median household income is $980 per week.Family income is $1,230 per week.South West Rocks is ranked #7,898 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in South West Rocks?

Median rent in South West Rocks NSW is $323 per week ($1,400 per month).Rent represents 33.0% of household income, which is considered moderate.South West Rocks ranks #4,026 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in South West Rocks?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in South West Rocks NSW is $1,517. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in South West Rocks?

The median age in South West Rocks NSW is 58 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is South West Rocks a good suburb to live in?

South West Rocks is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 5,058.The median income is $533/wk, which is below the NSW average of $781/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (33.0% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13616. All dollar figures in AUD.