SuburbCheck

Lake Illawarra

NSW 2528 · Shellharbour

3,288 (2021) → 3,324 est. (2025) · Stable

Part of the Shellharbour local government area (est. 83,053 residents)

56
Overall score

Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.

3,288
Population
$899K
Median house (2025)
46
Safety score
60
Transport score

Lake Illawarra is a stable suburb in Shellharbour, NSW 2528, about 81km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $899K is around the same as the NSW average. The suburb has 2 schools, a transport score of 60/100, and is right by the coast. Lake Illawarra has an overall score of 56/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 46/100.

81.0 km
To Sydney CBD
1.0 km
To coast
$680/wk
Median rent (house)
5.0 km
To nearest station

Demographics

3,288
Population
43
Median age
2.1
Avg household

Age distribution

Shellharbour LGA population (est. 2025)83,053
Median household income (weekly)$1,069
vs NSW median-42.2%
Bachelor degree or higher18.2%
Born in Australia73.5%
Dwellings: house / unit / townhouse712 / 316 / 379

Top countries of birth: England (4.68%), New Zealand (1.25%), Philippines (0.91%), Scotland (0.7%), Germany (0.64%)

Top languages: Arabic (1.34%), Spanish (1.22%), Macedon (0.61%), Thai (0.58%), Italian (0.55%)

Source: ABS Census 2021

Property

$899K+35.0%
Median house (2025)
$699K+5.5%
Median unit (2025)

Median price history

Median rent — house / unit$680 / $550 wk
Rental yield (house)3.9%
Days on market (house)34 days

Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q4 2025

Residential Safety

46
Residential

Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:

9
Break & enter dwelling274/100k
6
Steal from dwelling182/100k
9
Motor vehicle theft274/100k
20
Domestic assault608/100k
2
Robbery61/100k
16
Non-domestic assault487/100k

Includes street and public-place assaults — supplementary context, not part of the safety score.

Residential incidents over time

Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.

Area crime context

Total recorded incidents: 297 (all categories, latest year)9,033 per 100,000 residents2-yr5-yr

An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.

Source: BOCSAR · Updated 2025

Schools

32

Limited school choices

Below average for school access — fewer schools nearby, and families may need to travel for preferred options.

54
Within 10km2 in suburb
2
Govt (suburb)
0
Catholic (suburb)
0
Indep. (suburb)

Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 965 (below the national average of 1000).

In suburb

  • Lake Illawarra South Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 943
  • Lake Illawarra High SchoolSecondary · GovernmentICSEA 899

Nearby (within 10km)

  • Warilla North Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 0.9kmICSEA 868
  • Windang Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.3kmICSEA 976
  • Willans Hill SchoolCombined · Government · 1.6kmICSEA 931
  • Peterborough SchoolCombined · Government · 1.6kmICSEA 960
  • Warilla Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.7kmICSEA 925
  • Mount Warrigal Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2kmICSEA 894
  • Barrack Heights Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.3kmICSEA 870
  • Aspect South Coast School, Barrack HeightsPrimary · Independent · 2.3km
  • Warilla High SchoolSecondary · Government · 2.5kmICSEA 970
  • Oak Flats High SchoolSecondary · Government · 3.1kmICSEA 933
  • Balarang Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 3.4kmICSEA 970
  • Amity College Illawarra CampusCombined · Independent · 3.4km

Source: ACARA 2023

Transport

60
36Bus
CBD commute (est.)Data not available
Nearest train stationOak Flats (5.0 km)

Source: TfNSW GTFS

Liveability

25.0°C
Summer max
17.5°C
Winter max
1,250mm
Rainfall/yr
6.8h
Sun/day

Amenities within 2–3km

Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.

20 in suburbSupermarkets
50 in suburbCafes/Rest.
276 in suburbParks
217 in suburbPlaygrounds
18Pools
30 in suburbGyms
3Dog parks
40 in suburbGPs
20 in suburbPharmacies
10 in suburbChildcare
00 in suburbLibraries
497 in suburbSports fields
0Vets
Nearest beachShellharbour North Beach (3.0 km)
Nearest hospitalShellharbour Hospital (2.6 km)
Nearest vet5.0 km
Nearest airportSydney (72.4 km)

Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap

Fitness

60

Plenty of options

Well above average — a good spread of gyms and sports facilities within easy reach.

3
Gyms
1
Leisure centres
0
Public pools
49
Sports fields

Facilities within 3km of the suburb centre. The Fitness Score is a national percentile of these counts per resident.

Source: OpenStreetMap

Outdoors

67

Great outdoor access

Well above average — plenty of parkland and outdoor recreation within easy reach.

27
Parks
1
Nature reserves
1
Bike paths
0
Hiking trails
3
Dog parks
0
Picnic areas
0
Skate parks

Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Outdoor Score is a national percentile led by parks and green space.

Source: OpenStreetMap

Culture

43

Some cultural venues

Around the national average — a handful of cultural venues, with more on offer a short trip away.

0
Theatres
0
Cinemas
0
Museums
3
Galleries
0
Libraries
0
Arts centres
0
Landmarks

Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Culture Score is a national percentile weighting theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and arts centres most heavily.

Source: OpenStreetMap

Entertainment Scene

68

Solid scene

Well above average for licensed venues — you won't struggle for a night out or a good meal.

4
Licensed venues (within 2km)
1.22
Per 1,000 residents

No licensed pubs, bars or clubs are registered in this suburb per the Liquor & Gaming NSW register.

View nearby venues on the Entertainment Map →

Source: OpenStreetMap

Childcare

29

Limited options

Below average for childcare access — fewer services nearby, and families may need to travel further for preferred options.

2
Long Day Care
1
OSHC
Total services2
Exceeding NQS or above0 of 2 rated
Services per 1,000 residents0.61

View childcare centres on the map →

Source: ACECQA National Quality Framework Register

Population & Growth

Stable
Annual growth rate0.27%
Projected population 20413,547
Projected households 2041Data not available

Source: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI

Nearby suburbs in Shellharbour

Warilla$888K60transportMount Warrigal$923K60transportBarrack Heights$973K60transportBarrack Point$1.19M60transportShellharbour City CentreData not available76transportShellharbour$1.21M63transport

Compare Lake Illawarra with another suburb

Compare two suburbs

Lake Illawarra

Frequently asked questions about Lake Illawarra

Is Lake Illawarra safe?

Lake Illawarra has a residential safety score of 46/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 9,033 per 100,000 across all categories.

What are property prices in Lake Illawarra?

In Lake Illawarra, the median house price is $899K and the median unit price is $699K. Median weekly house rent is $680.

How far is Lake Illawarra from Sydney CBD?

Lake Illawarra is about 81.0 km from Sydney CBD.

What schools are in Lake Illawarra?

Lake Illawarra has 2 schools, with an average ICSEA of 921 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.

What is public transport like in Lake Illawarra?

Lake Illawarra has a transport score of 60/100 and 36 bus stops.

Data sources: ABS Census 2021 & ERP, NSW Valuer General, BOCSAR, TfNSW, ACARA, Bureau of Meteorology, OpenStreetMap, NSW DPHI. Data refreshed quarterly.

Data shown is from public sources and may not reflect current conditions. How we calculate scores.