New South Wales · Suburb Profile

West Nowra NSW — Suburb Profile

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

The population of West Nowra NSW is 1,504 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in West Nowra is $750 per week ($39,000 per year). Median rent in West Nowra is $350 per week ($1,517 per month). West Nowra has a median age of 33 years, younger than the national median of 38. West Nowra has a population density of 421.6 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in West Nowra is England. The most common religion is No Religion (48% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is SAL Tot. The median monthly mortgage repayment in West Nowra is $1,707.

There were 12 recorded offences in West Nowra in 2025-26, a rate of 8 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was other against person (3 offences).

West Nowra Map

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West Nowra Population

residents (Census 2021)

West Nowra Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$750/wk

$39,000 per year

#4521 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$350/wk

$1,517 per month

#3104 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

33years

5 years younger than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,707/mo

Avg household size: 2.5 · 0.8 per bedroom

West Nowra Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.1% (725) Female 51.9% (782)

Population Density

421.6

people per km²

1,504 people · 3.6 km²

Households

2.5

Avg household size

0.8

Persons per bedroom

$1,765

Family income/wk

West Nowra 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)

West Nowra Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

42.8% 145 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

57.2% 194 dwellings

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

West Nowra Country of Birth

Australia

96.9%

England

2.6%

India

0.5%

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

West Nowra Religion

No Religion

47.6%

Anglican

17.9%

Catholic

16.8%

Not stated

8.9%

Christian (other)

3.1%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

2.7%

Uniting Church

1.8%

Baptist

1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

West Nowra Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

43.7%

Year 10 or equivalent

37.4%

Year 9 or equivalent

10.7%

Year 11 or equivalent

8.3%

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

West Nowra Languages Spoken at Home

SAL Tot

31.8%

IAL Punjabi

22.7%

SAL Tagalog

18.2%

Macedon

13.6%

Other

13.6%

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

West Nowra Employment

💼

Employed full-time

39.4% 424 people

⏰

Employed part-time

23.0% 248 people

🔍

Unemployed

3.3% 35 people

🏠

Not in labour force

34.3% 369 people

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

West Nowra Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

53.0%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

21.5%

Bachelor Degree

13.4%

Certificate I/II

5.1%

Postgraduate Degree

3.5%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

3.5%

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

West Nowra Occupation

Community & Personal Service

28.5%

Technicians & Trade Workers

18.7%

Professionals

16.9%

Clerical & Administrative

10.1%

Managers

8.3%

Labourers

7.6%

Sales Workers

5.2%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

4.7%

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

West Nowra Field of Study

Society & Culture

21.2%

Engineering

18.7%

Management & Commerce

17.7%

Health

11.5%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

8.1%

Architecture & Building

7.6%

Education

6.9%

Agriculture & Environment

3.7%

Natural & Physical Sciences

2.3%

Creative Arts

1.4%

Information Technology

0.9%

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

West Nowra Dwelling Types

Separate house

89.5%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

10.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

West Nowra Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

1.0%

$1-$149/wk

1.1%

$150-$299/wk

1.1%

$300-$399/wk

2.5%

$400-$499/wk

5.7%

$500-$649/wk

5.5%

$650-$799/wk

5.3%

$800-$999/wk

9.7%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

9.1%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

8.2%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

8.0%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

9.9%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

13.7%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

9.0%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

3.6%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

2.1%

$4,000+/wk

4.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

West Nowra Marital Status

💍

Married

35.6% 424

↔️

Separated

3.3% 39

📋

Divorced

10.7% 128

🕊️

Widowed

4.8% 57

👤

Never married

45.6% 543

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

West Nowra Ancestry

Australian

35.4%

English

30.8%

Aboriginal Australianralian

10.6%

Scottish

6.7%

Irish

6.2%

Other

3.7%

German

1.8%

Italian

1.8%

Dutch

0.9%

Filipino

0.9%

Chinese

0.6%

Maltese

0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

West Nowra School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

32.5%

Secondary — Government

19.6%

Pre-school

17.4%

Vocational Education

14.2%

Primary — Catholic

6.9%

Secondary — Catholic

3.8%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

3.2%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

2.5%

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

West Nowra Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

7.7% 217

✅

No need for assistance

92.3% 2,590

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

West Nowra Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

12.5% 139

—

Not a volunteer

87.5% 969

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

West Nowra Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

6.2%

$300-$449/mo

4.1%

$600-$799/mo

4.1%

$800-$999/mo

5.7%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

19.2%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

20.2%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

26.9%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

8.8%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

4.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

West Nowra How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

77.7%

Did not go to work

10.8%

Car (passenger)

6.4%

Motorbike/Scooter

1.3%

Truck

1.0%

Walked only

0.9%

Bicycle

0.7%

Other

0.7%

Bus

0.4%

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

West Nowra Car Ownership

0 vehicles

2.9%

1 vehicle

36.9%

2 vehicles

40.6%

3 vehicles

14.3%

4+ vehicles

5.3%

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

West Nowra Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

3.4%

2 bedrooms

9.2%

3 bedrooms

46.5%

4 bedrooms

36.3%

5 bedrooms

4.5%

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

West Nowra Population Mobility

15.8%

moved in the last year

43.2%

moved in the last 5 years

3.9%

unemployment rate (Census)

62.4%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

West Nowra Indigenous Population

15.4%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

438

Indigenous residents

2,403

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

West Nowra Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

186

Asthma

Arthritis

Diabetes

Lung condition

Kidney disease

Heart disease

Cancer

Stroke

Dementia

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

West Nowra Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

9.3%

$1-$149/wk

3.7%

$150-$299/wk

6.5%

$300-$399/wk

3.7%

$400-$499/wk

3.9%

$500-$649/wk

6.2%

$650-$799/wk

9.7%

$800-$999/wk

16.3%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

15.5%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

8.4%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

7.2%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

4.3%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

4.1%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

0.4%

$3,500+/wk

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

West Nowra Family Structure

Couple — children under 15

36.2%

Couple — no children

23.8%

One parent — children under 15

16.7%

Couple — no children under 15

15.4%

One parent — no children under 15

8.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

West Nowra Military Service

🎖️

Current ADF — Regular

3.4% 38

🛡️

Current ADF — Reserves

1.0% 11

🏅

Previously served

5.3% 59

👤

Never served

90.4% 1,013

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

West Nowra Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

15.0% 165

—

Did not provide

85.0% 937

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

West Nowra Children Ever Born

No children

31.1%

1 child

11.9%

2 children

29.5%

3 children

15.2%

4 children

8.3%

5+ children

4.0%

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

West Nowra When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

1971–1980

1981–1990

1991–2000

2001–2010

2011–2015

2018

2020

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

West Nowra Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

23.0%

5–14 hours

27.5%

15–29 hours

13.6%

30+ hours

9.6%

Did not do domestic work

26.3%

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

West Nowra Household Size

1 person

23.7%

2 persons

34.3%

3 persons

18.0%

4 persons

16.0%

5 persons

5.2%

6+ persons

2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

West Nowra Where Residents Moved From

Same address

1,170

Moved from NSW

106

Moved — same area (SA2)

Moved from QLD

Moved from overseas

Moved from ACT

Moved from WA

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

West Nowra Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

79.1%

Step family — no other children

12.0%

Blended family — no other children

7.0%

Intact family — other children present

1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

West Nowra Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 12 total

Other Against Person

Theft

Assault

Property Damage

Sexual Offences

Other Against Property

Offence trend by year:

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

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

West Nowra Schools

schools nearby

government

935

avg ICSEA score

5,737

total students

Nowra Anglican College Independent

Combined · K-12 · 1,152 students

1094

ICSEA

St John the Evangelist Catholic High School Catholic

Secondary · 7-12 · 935 students

1028

ICSEA

St Michael's Catholic Primary School Catholic

Primary · K-6 · 537 students

994

ICSEA

Illaroo Road Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 451 students

992

ICSEA

Nowra High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 777 students

944

ICSEA

Shoalhaven River College Independent

Secondary · 9-12 · 48 students

931

ICSEA

North Nowra Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 223 students

908

ICSEA

Nowra Public School Government

Primary · K-6 · 517 students

904

ICSEA

Shoalhaven High School Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 610 students

862

ICSEA

Havenlee School Government

Combined · U · 67 students

849

ICSEA

Nowra East Public School Government

Primary · P-6 · 420 students

784

ICSEA

Novo Education Space Shoalhaven Independent

Secondary

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

View all schools in West Nowra with map →

West Nowra Rent Prices & Affordability

23%

of income

Affordable

Household Income $1,493/wk

Median Rent $350/wk

Rent-to-Income 23.4%

Rent is under 25% of household income — generally considered affordable.

If you earn X in West Nowra

Your weekly income

≈ $6,470/month

Median rent $350/wk

Left after rent $1,143/wk

Rent share 23.4%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Paxton

Income: $730/wk Rent: $345/wk Save: $5/wk

Bellbird

Income: $643/wk Rent: $323/wk Save: $27/wk

Walgett

Income: $823/wk Rent: $175/wk Save: $175/wk

Bourke

Income: $860/wk Rent: $180/wk Save: $170/wk

Hillston

Income: $852/wk Rent: $220/wk Save: $130/wk

Telarah

Income: $689/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $50/wk

Aberdare

Income: $640/wk Rent: $303/wk Save: $47/wk

Springdale Heights

Income: $656/wk Rent: $253/wk Save: $97/wk

West Nowra vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in NSW

North Lismore

Pop: 754 Income: $635/wk Rent: $320/wk

Greenhill (NSW)

Pop: 757 Income: $491/wk Rent: $240/wk

Yippin Creek

Pop: 758 Income: $756/wk Rent: $450/wk

Williamtown

Pop: 762 Income: $607/wk Rent: $320/wk

Welby

Pop: 764 Income: $664/wk Rent: $376/wk

Marmong Point

Pop: 765 Income: $845/wk Rent: $390/wk

Compare West Nowra

West Nowra vs North Lismore →West Nowra vs Greenhill (NSW) →West Nowra vs Yippin Creek →West Nowra vs Williamtown →

Frequently Asked Questions About West Nowra

What is the population of West Nowra NSW?

The population of West Nowra NSW is 1,504 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 421.6 people per km².West Nowra is ranked #3,395 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in West Nowra?

The median personal income in West Nowra NSW is $750 per week, or $39,000 per year.The median household income is $1,493 per week.Family income is $1,765 per week.West Nowra is ranked #4,521 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in West Nowra?

Median rent in West Nowra NSW is $350 per week ($1,517 per month).Rent represents 23.4% of household income, which is considered affordable.West Nowra ranks #3,104 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in West Nowra?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in West Nowra NSW is $1,707. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in West Nowra?

The median age in West Nowra NSW is 33 years.This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is West Nowra a good suburb to live in?

West Nowra is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 1,504.The median income is $750/wk, which is below the NSW average of $781/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (23.4% 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: 14265. All dollar figures in AUD.