Question 1

Is West Wollongong a nice place to live?

Accepted Answer

West Wollongong sits between the city centre and the foothills of the Illawarra Escarpment and is predominantly residential. Tree-lined streets of weatherboard cottages, brick villas and low-rise apartments sit alongside pockets of newer infill. The area suits families, local professionals and students who value easy access to the Wollongong CBD, the university precinct and the Illawarra train line and bus services. Neighbourhood life revolves around parks and sporting fields, small shopping strips and nearby escarpment bushland with walking tracks and coastal outlooks.

Families make up the bulk of households in West Wollongong — couple families with children are the largest group — and the suburb is home to 5,223 people with a median age of 35. Most homes are owner-occupied (combined 62.9%) while around 37.0% are rented. The suburb sits adjacent to the Wollongong Health Precinct, where hospital upgrades and planning for the precinct, station masterplans and supporting health services and mid-rise housing are progressing. Whether that mix suits you depends on whether you want close transport links, parks and proximity to the university and health precinct nearby.

Question 2

Is it expensive to live in West Wollongong?

Accepted Answer

Buying a house at the current median of $1,230,000 in West Wollongong works out to about 14.1 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census (weekly income $1,672 × 52 = $86,944), which sits well above what people locally earned at the last Census. Renting presents a different picture: a house rent of $700 a week would take about 41.8% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, a large share, while a unit rent of $500 a week would take about 30% of that weekly income, a moderate share. Which of these matters most will depend on whether you plan to buy or rent.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Question 3

Is West Wollongong a good place to invest?

Accepted Answer

The standout movement in West Wollongong over the past 12 months is the very large rise in unit values, up 49.5%. House values also increased, up 7.9%, a solid gain but much smaller than the jump seen on the unit side.

Looking at rents, house rents fell by 3.4% over the year while unit rents rose a modest 2.0%. Put simply, units have delivered the stronger capital growth this year and also recorded a small rent rise, whereas houses showed smaller price growth and a decline in rental income. Whether that pattern fits your objectives, and what it means for your strategy, is something only you can decide.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	$1.23M	N/A
Change in value Past 12 months	7.9%	49.5%
Sold Past 3 months	11	3
Median days on market Past 12 months	21	57
Average rent Past 12 months	$700	$500
Change in rent Past 12 months	-3.4%	2.0%

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