Shell Cove
NSW 2529 · Shellharbour
7,591 (2021) → 8,213 est. (2025) · High Growth
Part of the Shellharbour local government area (est. 83,053 residents)
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Shell Cove is a high growth suburb in Shellharbour, NSW 2529, about 87km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $1.49M is more expensive than the NSW average. The suburb has 2 schools, a transport score of 51/100, and is right by the coast. Shell Cove has an overall score of 54/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 73/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
Housing tenure
- Owned
- Mortgage
- Rented
Commute to work
- Car
- Public transport
- Walk/cycle
- Work from home
Top countries of birth: England (4.08%), North Macedonia (1.36%), South Africa (0.88%), New Zealand (0.83%), Italy (0.61%)
Top languages: Macedon (2.81%), Arabic (1.05%), Spanish (0.78%), Italian (0.61%), Serbian (0.61%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Property
Median price history
Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q4 2025
Residential Safety
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
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
Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 986 (below the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- Shell Cove Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1054
- Illawarra Environmental Education CentreCombined · Government
Nearby (within 10km)
- Shellharbour Anglican CollegeCombined · Independent · 1.8kmICSEA 1103
- Stella Maris Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2.1kmICSEA 1041
- Shellharbour Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.3kmICSEA 1014
- Flinders Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.4kmICSEA 1002
- Amity College Illawarra CampusCombined · Independent · 2.9km
- Minnamurra Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 3.1kmICSEA 1063
- Warilla High SchoolSecondary · Government · 3.9kmICSEA 970
- Nazareth Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 4.4kmICSEA 1042
- Warilla Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 4.8kmICSEA 925
- Aspect South Coast School, Barrack HeightsPrimary · Independent · 4.8km
- Barrack Heights Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 4.9kmICSEA 870
- Peterborough SchoolCombined · Government · 4.9kmICSEA 960
Source: ACARA 2023
Transport
Source: TfNSW GTFS
Liveability
Amenities within 2–3km
Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap
Population & Growth
High GrowthSource: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI
Nearby suburbs in Shellharbour
Compare Shell Cove with another suburb
Compare two suburbs
Frequently asked questions about Shell Cove
Is Shell Cove safe?
Shell Cove has a residential safety score of 73/100, 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 3,188 per 100,000 across all categories.
What are property prices in Shell Cove?
In Shell Cove, the median house price is $1.49M and the median unit price is $1.24M. Median weekly house rent is $800.
How far is Shell Cove from Sydney CBD?
Shell Cove is about 86.6 km from Sydney CBD.
What schools are in Shell Cove?
Shell Cove has 2 schools, with an average ICSEA of 1054 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Shell Cove?
Shell Cove has a transport score of 51/100 and 29 bus stops.