Shoalhaven Heads, NSW 2535
Shoalhaven Heads property market
Shoalhaven Heads's busiest market is house sales, with 71 sales at around $1.029M as of July 2026, taking about 57 days to sell (up from 55 days last year), among the country's biggest house price drops, just under half of homes are 3-bedroom.
House rentals come next, with 33 leases at $700 a week (up), renting out in about 28 days, with rents growing faster than most house rental markets nationally, with 3-bedroom homes making up around 65%. Then come 26 unit sales at around $629k (down), one of the country's least in-demand unit markets. 17 unit rentals at $495 a week.
Who lives hereA low-income, largely mortgage-free, retirement-age suburb.
House covers houses, duplexes, semi-detached and terraces; Unit covers apartments, units, townhouses and villas.
Shoalhaven Heads demographics & population
Census data sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics — © Commonwealth of Australia, 2021 Census of Population and Housing and Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) 2021 · Shares, ratios and percentiles shown are Micromarkets transformations of that data · licensed CC BY 4.0.
Unlock the full report
Detailed, institutional-grade analysis — well beyond the usual suburb snapshot.
InsideWho lives here · What homes cost to buy & rent · How fast homes are selling · How much is for sale or rent · How it compares to nearby suburbs · Schools nearby
This report
- The complete Shoalhaven Heads report
- 30 days of live access
- Download as a PDF
- Months of supply needs the add-on
Full access
- Unlimited suburb reports
- Near real-time + 5-year data
- 50+ dual-metric map views
- Demand cycle + market velocity
Already a member? Sign in
Who lives in Shoalhaven Heads?
The age structure, household make-up, and cultural fabric of the people who call this suburb home.
Share of all residents by 5-year band · hover a band for the count + split
A strongly multicultural community with deep migrant heritage.
2020–21 understated — COVID border closures.
Census data sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics — © Commonwealth of Australia, 2021 Census of Population and Housing · Shares, ratios and percentiles shown are Micromarkets transformations of that data · licensed CC BY 4.0.
Housing & affordability in Shoalhaven Heads
What it costs to live here, who owns versus rents, and the shape of the housing stock.
Census data sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics — © Commonwealth of Australia, 2021 Census of Population and Housing · Shares, ratios and percentiles shown are Micromarkets transformations of that data · licensed CC BY 4.0.
Income & employment in Shoalhaven Heads
Incomes, employment, and the occupation mix of the people who live here.
A typical household pulls in about 1.9× the typical individual — a multi-earner area.
Census data sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics — © Commonwealth of Australia, 2021 Census of Population and Housing · Shares, ratios and percentiles shown are Micromarkets transformations of that data · licensed CC BY 4.0.
Getting around Shoalhaven Heads
How people get to work, and how car-dependent the suburb is — the clearest tell of inner-urban versus outer-suburban living.
Census data sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics — © Commonwealth of Australia, 2021 Census of Population and Housing · Shares, ratios and percentiles shown are Micromarkets transformations of that data · licensed CC BY 4.0.
Education · ACARA My School 2025
Schools in and around Shoalhaven Heads
1 school inside Shoalhaven Heads, plus the closest options around it. Families can choose from 1 primary school in Shoalhaven Heads and its surrounds — no high school sits within this radius. Distances are straight-line from the suburb centre and are not enrolment catchments — always confirm zones with the school.
ICSEA is ACARA’s official measure of a school’s socio-educational advantage — based mainly on parents’ education and occupation, plus the school’s location and student mix.
- Within Shoalhaven Heads · 1Order by
- 1Shoalhaven Heads Public SchoolGovernment · Primary · Co-ed · Years K-6 · Within suburbState Rank—English—Maths—Students326Multilingual50%ICSEA Rank50th
Why are some State Rank and star ratings blank? Schools can choose not to publish their results. In practice, schools that score well above their state average almost always publish theirs — so a blank rating more often reflects a school opting out than a top result being hidden. Academic results also tend to rise with ICSEA Rank, so higher-ICSEA schools more often carry a strong State Rank as well.
School profile and ICSEA data sourced from ACARA — © Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (data year 2025) · State Rank & star columns are Micromarkets-compiled academic ratings from publicly available school results · Distances are straight-line from the suburb centre, not catchments.
Turnover
How settled or transient the community is — and where newcomers came from.
Shoalhaven Heads median house price & rent
Headline price, rent, yield and time on market for Shoalhaven Heads — choose a property type and size below.
House & unit prices by bedroom
Every segment this suburb tracks — sales and rentals side by side, ranked by total activity over the last twelve months.
Shoalhaven Heads property growth
Where each segment sits against its peers in the chosen geography — past the midline means it's outperforming the rest.
Market demandHow fast this market is moving — a velocity index built from trailing-year transaction volume and median days on market. Strong volume lifts the score; days on market drags it down, with the drag growing sharply once listings start lingering. Ranked against peers in the chosen geography.
Houses
Units
Buying vs renting in Shoalhaven Heads
What it costs each week to own a property versus renting the same one — positive means buying carries the premium, negative means rent covers the mortgage.
How strong is demand, and which way is it heading?
Two questions on one chart — how strong demand is right now, and which way it's heading year-on-year.
Sales market velocity
Shoalhaven Heads against the neighbourhood
Eight diagnostic views cutting the data a different way each time — Shoalhaven Heads in blue, peers in colour.
How fast — and is it getting faster?
Housing supply & months of stock
How long current listings would take to clear at the recent rate of sales or leases. Critical shortage and Oversupply only fire at the genuine tails of the national distribution — sales tip in under 0.7 months, rentals far faster, under 0.3.
Sales market
| Segment | Band | Months of supply left | YoYYoY change12-month change in months of supply. Down means stock is tightening (fewer months than a year ago); up means stock is loosening. | ListedListedActive listings in this segment right now, derived from months of supply multiplied by the recent transaction rate. | SoldSold (last year)Total sold transactions completed in this segment over the last 12 months. | Per monthPer monthAverage monthly absorption — how many properties are sold each month in this segment, over the last 12 months. |
|---|
Rental market
| Segment | Band | Months of supply left | YoYYoY change12-month change in months of supply. Down means stock is tightening (fewer months than a year ago); up means stock is loosening. | ListedListedActive listings in this segment right now, derived from months of supply multiplied by the recent transaction rate. | LeasedLeased (last year)Total leased transactions completed in this segment over the last 12 months. | Per monthPer monthAverage monthly absorption — how many properties are leased each month in this segment, over the last 12 months. |
|---|
Who's transacting — buyers or tenants?
Out of every property transaction in this suburb, what share are sales versus leases — each point a rolling twelve-month window.
Shoalhaven Heads — Units & Houses, all bedrooms
Shoalhaven Heads median house price & rent history
Each tape traces one metric across sixty months for the selected segment — every point a trailing twelve-month figure, matching the headline KPIs above.
Five-year summaryAs of Jun 2026, the median house sale price in Shoalhaven Heads rose from $458k (Jul 2021) to $874k (Jun 2026) — +90.6% growth over five years — peaking at $1.10M between Jan 2022 and Dec 2022. Median house rent went from $480/wk to $526/wk (+9.6%) over the same period. For units, the median sale price rose from $290k to $419k (+44.3%), with rent up from $254/wk to $445/wk (+75.2%) over the same period.
Suburbs near Shoalhaven Heads: prices compared
The nearest suburbs to Shoalhaven Heads, ranked by distance — each lined up against Shoalhaven Heads on the same measures, so the differences jump out at a glance.
Suburbs like Shoalhaven Heads
Suburbs anywhere in NSW that behave like Shoalhaven Heads — matched on price, growth, selling speed and demand, not on distance. A shortlist of markets that move the same way — including ones far away you'd never think to compare. (Want the suburbs right next door instead? See Nearby markets above.)
Shoalhaven Heads vs South Nowra: the closest sales-market match trades at a median of $488k against Shoalhaven Heads's $646k — about 24% lower, with homes selling in 35 days versus 85 days here.
Comparable sales markets to Shoalhaven Heads: South Nowra property market, The Entrance market trends, Bonny Hills (NSW 2445), Braemar (NSW 2575) and Moss Vale (NSW 2577).
Shoalhaven Heads's closest rental-market twins: Bonny Hills, NSW property market, South Nowra property growth, Braemar, NSW property market, Moss Vale, NSW property market and The Entrance (NSW 2261). Each link opens that suburb's full market report.
Frequently asked · Shoalhaven Heads
26 data-driven answers about Shoalhaven Heads's property market — every one computed from the metrics above.
What things cost
Prices, rent, yield, ownership costWhat is the median house price in Shoalhaven Heads?
#The median house price in Shoalhaven Heads, NSW 2535 is $646k as of June 2026, based on 18 sales over the past 12 months. Houses there have moved +0.5% year-on-year. Prices vary by bedroom count, from compact two-bedroom homes to larger four-bedroom houses. See the bedroom-level breakdown below for 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom medians.
What is the median unit price in Shoalhaven Heads?
#The median unit price in Shoalhaven Heads, NSW 2535 is $646k as of June 2026, based on 18 sales over the past 12 months. Units have moved +0.5% year-on-year and currently trade at roughly 100% of the median house price.
How much does it cost to rent in Shoalhaven Heads?
#The median weekly house rent in Shoalhaven Heads is $399 as of June 2026, drawn from 7 leases over the past 12 months. Units rent for around $399 per week. House rents have moved +50.0% year-on-year. Current vacancy pressure is shown in the supply section above.
How much is rent for a 3 bedroom house in Shoalhaven Heads?
#A 3 bedroom house in Shoalhaven Heads rents for a median $399 per week as of June 2026, drawn from 7 leases over the past 12 months. Across other house sizes: 2-bedroom $399/week, 4-bedroom $399/week. Unit rents: 1-bedroom $399/week, 2-bedroom $399/week, 3-bedroom $399/week. Figures cover only segments with enough recent leases to be statistically meaningful; sparse segments are excluded. The segment breakdown covers rent, yield and days on market for every property type and bedroom count.
What is the gross rental yield in Shoalhaven Heads?
#Gross rental yield in Shoalhaven Heads is 3.32% for houses and 3.32% for units as of June 2026, compared with the NSW unit median of 2.57%. Gross yield is annual rent divided by purchase price — it doesn't account for ownership costs like council rates, strata, maintenance or vacancy.
How much is a 3 bedroom house in Shoalhaven Heads?
#As of June 2026, Shoalhaven Heads medians by bedroom count:
| Property | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4 bed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houses | — | $646k | $646k | $646k | $646k |
| Units | $646k | $646k | $646k | — | $646k |
Figures cover only segments with enough recent transactions to be statistically meaningful; sparse segments are excluded.
What does it cost to own versus rent at the Shoalhaven Heads median?
#At the median Shoalhaven Heads house ($646k purchase, $399/week rent), weekly mortgage repayments sit at roughly $693 — about $294 more per week than renting. That gap is the ownership premium. For the median unit ($646k purchase, $399/week rent), repayments run about $693 per week. Figures assume 80% LVR, a 6.0% interest rate and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan.
How the market is moving
Speed, supply, growth, cycle phaseWhat are Shoalhaven Heads's property market trends?
#Shoalhaven Heads's property market trends to June 2026: house prices rose +0.5% year-on-year and units +0.5%; weekly house rents moved +50.0%; homes now sell in a median 85 days — faster than a year ago by 15; sales supply sits at 5.3 months (very loose). Read together — price, rent, selling speed and supply — they show which way the Shoalhaven Heads market is leaning. The 5-year tape and demand cycle charts above plot the full trajectory.
What does the data say about Shoalhaven Heads as an investment?
#As of June 2026 in Shoalhaven Heads, house prices rose +0.5% over the year, gross rental yield is 3.32% against a NSW median of 3.01%, houses take a median 85 days to sell, sales supply is 5.3 months (very loose). Capital growth, rental yield, selling speed and supply are the signals investors weigh — but these figures describe the market, not a recommendation. This is data, not financial advice; always do your own research and consider a licensed adviser.
How quickly do houses sell in Shoalhaven Heads?
#Houses in Shoalhaven Heads sell in a median 85 days on market as of June 2026, with units clearing slightly similarly at 85 days. Days on market have tightened by 15 days versus a year ago. Faster clearance typically coincides with stronger buyer demand and lower supply.
Is Shoalhaven Heads a tight or loose property market right now?
#Shoalhaven Heads's sales market sits at 5.3 months of supply for houses as of June 2026 — classified as Very Loose against the Australian distribution. Under 1.7 months is Severe (extreme shortage); over 4.5 months is Loose. The rental side is tighter still at 0.4 months of supply.
Have property prices in Shoalhaven Heads gone up or down?
#House prices in Shoalhaven Heads moved +0.5% over the 12 months to June 2026, while units moved +0.5%. The 5-year tape above plots the full monthly trajectory — showing where the market changed character rather than just crossing round numbers.
How active is the rental market in Shoalhaven Heads?
#Shoalhaven Heads's house rental market sits at 0.4 months of supply as of June 2026 — classified as Severe (extreme shortage), with 8 houses leased over the past 12 months. Units sit at 0.4 months. Tighter supply typically corresponds to faster letting and upward pressure on rents.
Where is Shoalhaven Heads in its property market cycle?
#Shoalhaven Heads's house market is currently in the 'softer_weakening' phase as of June 2026 — combining above-median sales velocity nationally with year-on-year tightening in days on market. The demand cycle chart above plots all eight segments on the same demand-versus-direction axes.
How it compares
Vs state, vs nearby, vs popularHow does Shoalhaven Heads compare to other NSW suburbs?
#Shoalhaven Heads's median house price ($646k) is 21% below the NSW median ($818k) as of June 2026. On selling speed, houses clear in 85 days vs 15 days state median. On gross yield, Shoalhaven Heads sits at 3.32% vs 3.01% state median.
How does Shoalhaven Heads compare to neighbouring suburbs?
#Shoalhaven Heads's most-similar nearby market is South Nowra (10.3 km away) with a median house price of $488k — about 24% cheaper. The Nearby and Similar markets sections above rank every peer within radius and by composite similarity across price, days on market, yield, ownership cost and cycle phase.
What's the most popular property type in Shoalhaven Heads?
#The most-transacted segment in Shoalhaven Heads over the 12 months to June 2026 is 2 bed houses with 13 sales. 3 bed houses come second at 13 sales. The buying-versus-renting section above breaks down the top segments with weekly mortgage, rent and ownership-cost detail.
How many properties were sold and leased in Shoalhaven Heads last year?
#Shoalhaven Heads recorded 13 house sales and 13 unit sales over the 12 months to June 2026 — a combined 26 transactions. On the rental side, 8 houses and 8 units were leased. Segments with statistically thin samples are excluded from displayed figures.
About the area
Population, income, who lives here, schoolsWhat postcode is Shoalhaven Heads in?
#Shoalhaven Heads is in postcode 2535, in the Southern Highlands & Shoalhaven region of NSW. Addresses there are written as Shoalhaven Heads, NSW 2535.
What is the population of Shoalhaven Heads?
#Shoalhaven Heads, NSW 2535 is home to 2,480 residents (ABS Census 2021). The median resident age is 42, and the average household holds 1.2 people. The "Who lives here" section above breaks the community down by age, life stage and tenure.
What is the median household income in Shoalhaven Heads?
#The median household in Shoalhaven Heads earns $928 per week — roughly $48k a year (ABS Census 2021). Median personal income runs $492/week. Income, rent-to-income and mortgage-to-income context sits in the "Who lives here" section above.
What is the unemployment rate in Shoalhaven Heads?
#The unemployment rate in Shoalhaven Heads is 50.0% (ABS Census 2021). That sits right around the median for Australian suburbs. The rate counts people who are working or actively looking for work — not a share of all residents. Workforce participation sits at 50%. The local economy section above covers incomes, employment status and the occupation mix.
Do people own or rent in Shoalhaven Heads?
#Shoalhaven Heads is mostly owner-occupied: about 100% of households are owner-occupiers and 50% rent (ABS Census 2021). Of owners, 50% own outright and 50% are paying off a mortgage.
What schools are near Shoalhaven Heads?
#Shoalhaven Heads has 25 schools within reach, 1 of them inside the suburb itself — including Shoalhaven Heads Public School. The Schools section above maps each one with sector, year range, enrolment, Micromarkets-compiled academic ratings and ICSEA (ACARA).
Is Shoalhaven Heads a good place to live?
#Shoalhaven Heads, NSW 2535 has a population of 2,480, a median age of 42, a median household income around $928/week, 50% of households renting (ABS Census 2021). There are 25 schools within reach. Whether it's the right fit depends on your priorities — these figures describe the community, housing mix and amenity rather than offer a verdict.
About this data
Methodology and update cadenceWhen was this Shoalhaven Heads market data last updated?
#This Shoalhaven Heads market data was last updated July 2026, covering the 12 months to June 2026. Figures are computed monthly from 12-month rolling windows of recorded sales and leases, with five years of monthly history behind the trend charts. Methodology, glossary and data sources are linked in the footer.