Woonona (NSW 2517) in Focus 2026: Is It a Good Investment? R-Score 85/100, 3.3% Yield & Best Streets

Market Classification: Affluent Owner-Occupier Upgrader Market · R-Score: 85/100 (National Rank #2,327 of 15,286) · Street Average: 46/100 across 144 streets.

Woonona is an established, high-income owner-occupier market where land scarcity and school/amenity appeal drive long-term capital values ($1,430,000 median). Because gross rental yields sit at 3.3%, this is not a cashflow play—it is a scarcity and land-banking market suited to high-income investors or rentvestors who prioritise street-level prestige and long-term compounding over immediate net yield.

“I would not treat the 0.8% vacancy rate as permission to overpay. With a 3.3% gross yield and negative $777 weekly pre-tax cash flow at 80% LVR, the buyer needs to be selective on both street quality and purchase price, because the rent will not do the heavy lifting.”

Looking for the live, monthly-updated numbers? The Woonona (NSW) suburb profile tracks the current median house price, rent, vacancy and R-Score, and the Woonona street-by-street scores rank every street. This article is our investment analysis of what those numbers mean.

Below is our full October 2026 quantitative and street-level breakdown for Woonona (NSW 2517), combining 36 months of settled price and rental history from our Aurora research warehouse, council-level supply and employment data for Wollongong (NSW), and block-by-block ABS 2021 Census SA1 tenure and yield rankings across 6,459 residential addresses.

1. Woonona (NSW) 3-Year Market Trajectory & 27-Indicator R-Score (October 2026)

Over the past 12 months, Woonona’s median house price moved +1.4% (from $1,410,000 to $1,430,000), bringing its 3-year cumulative price movement to -9.7% (from $1,583,000 three years ago). On the rental side, median weekly asking rents moved +3.4% over the past year to $900/wk (+6.8% over 36 months), equating to a 3.3% gross rental yield. Compared with 12 months ago—when Woonona carried an R-Score of 77/100—its current composite R-Score of 85/100 represents a +8-point shift in underlying market pressure.

Indicator / R-Score Pillar	Woonona (NSW) Current	12-Month / 36-Month Context
Composite Suburb R-Score	85 / 100	Ranked #2,327 of 15,286 suburbs (was 77/100 12m ago)
Median House Price	$1,430,000	12m change: +1.4% · 36m change: -9.7%
Median Weekly Rent & Gross Yield	$900/wk (3.3%)	12m rent change: +3.4% · 36m rent change: +6.8%
Rental Vacancy & Days on Market	0.8% vacancy	Median selling time: 34 days on market (1.5% vacancy is the tight-market line)
Pillar 1: Buyer Demand	35 / 100	Measures days-on-market compression, vendor discounting & sales velocity
Pillar 2: Supply & Ownership	35 / 100	Measures stock on market, building approvals vs stock & owner-occupier share
Pillar 3: Price Momentum	70 / 100	Measures short/medium-term price velocity vs Wollongong & NSW
Pillar 4: Yield Pressure	63 / 100	Measures gross rental yield, rent trajectory & vacancy compression

2. The “Two-Speed Suburb” Test: Best & Worst Streets in Woonona (NSW)

Why do two 4-bedroom houses in Woonona achieve completely different bank valuations and tenant quality? Because suburb medians blend every pocket together. When we map all 6,459 addresses across 144 streets in Woonona through G-NAF to their ABS 2021 Census SA1 blocks, the suburb splits into three distinct tiers:

• Strong Street Profile (Score 75–100): 53 streets (41% of scored streets) pass both ABS Census tenure tests (owner-occupiers >65% and public housing ≤5%) plus at least one—or both—of the Woonona rent and yield benchmarks.
• Mid / Mixed Street Profile (Score 50–74): 34 streets pass the core owner-occupier and public-housing thresholds but sit below the suburb median on weekly rent or yield.
• Weaker / Caution Street Profile (Score 0–25): 43 streets fail one or both census tenure thresholds—meaning either owner-occupation sits at or below 65% or state/community public housing exceeds 5% on those specific SA1 blocks.

Top 5 Highest-Scoring Streets in Woonona (NSW)

These streets sit in SA1 census blocks with high homeowner pride of ownership, minimal social housing concentration, and strong block-level rents (inspect all 144 streets in Woonona):

Top Street in Woonona	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Rent & Yield
#1 Joseph Street	100/100	66	98%	0%	$910/wk (3.4%)
#2 June Parade	100/100	34	98%	0%	$910/wk (3.4%)
#3 Gahans Avenue	100/100	47	95%	0%	$1050/wk (3.8%)
#4 Fretus Avenue	100/100	32	95%	0%	$1050/wk (3.8%)
#5 Blackwood Place	100/100	16	95%	0%	$1050/wk (3.8%)

Streets Where Block-Level Tenure Trails the Woonona Average

By contrast, the streets below run through SA1 census blocks that fail one or more of our tenure or rental tests. A lower Street Score is not a judgement of any individual house, but it highlights where higher renter turnover or public housing concentration exists within Woonona:

Caution Street Sample	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Median Rent
Cotterill Avenue	0/100	97	21%	52.8%	$800/wk
Davidson Avenue	0/100	58	21%	52.8%	$800/wk
Woods Avenue	0/100	46	21%	52.8%	$800/wk

3. Economic & Supply Drivers in Wollongong Council (New South Wales)

Woonona sits within the Wollongong Local Government Area, which has a residential population of approximately 224,327 (+3.5% population movement over the past 3 years) and 84,057 total dwellings. Three council-level fundamentals shape Woonona’s medium-term outlook:

• Local Employment Diversity (ABS Census): The largest employment sectors across Wollongong are Health Care and Social Assistance (17%), Education and Training (12%), Retail Trade (10%), Accommodation and Food Services (8%). Multi-sector employment reduces reliance on any single employer or commodity cycle.
• New Building Approvals vs. Existing Stock: Over the latest 12-month financial year, Wollongong approved 1.8% new dwelling stock (~1,548.479 dwellings). Because annual additions sit under 1.8% of stock, incoming supply is constrained relative to tenant and buyer demand.
• Tracked Infrastructure Pipeline: Wollongong currently has $9.4 billion in tracked major infrastructure projects (placing it in the 84th percentile of Australian councils).

4. Worked Cashflow, Deposit & 80% LVR Stress-Test for Woonona (October 2026)

What does it actually cost to acquire and hold a typical house in Woonona at today’s median price of $1,430,000 and median rent of $900/wk? Below is the baseline 80% Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) model we use to stress-test serviceability before shortlisting a property:

Cashflow & Capital Item	Woonona Worked Figure	Assumptions & Notes
Purchase Price (Suburb Median)	$1,430,000	Settled house median as of October 2026
20% Deposit + Est. Stamp Duty & Costs	$354,640	$286,000 deposit (80% LVR) + ~$68,640 stamp duty, legal & inspection allowance (can be funded via usable home equity)
80% LVR Loan Amount	$1,144,000	Standard no-LMI investor loan threshold
Gross Annual Rental Income	$46,800/yr ($900/wk)	3.3% gross rental yield before vacancies and expenses
Est. Annual Interest + Operating Costs	$87,230/yr	Assumes 6.25% interest-only ($71,500/yr) + ~1.1% for council rates, insurance & property management ($15,730/yr)
Pre-Tax Weekly Cashflow Position	-$777/wk top-up	Before tax deductions / depreciation (confirm post-tax position with your accountant)

5. Who Should Buy in Woonona—And 3 Rules Before You Make an Offer

High Land Scarcity and Deep Homeowner Wealth, But Cashflow-Intensive. Based on our October 2026 data, Woonona is best suited to higher-income professionals, medical practitioners, and upgraders with strong cashflow buffers targeting scarce land in an owner-occupier dominated suburb.

1. Never Buy Blind on the Suburb Median: In Woonona, 43 streets score below 50/100 on our census tenure and yield tests. Always run the exact street through the Woonona Street Score Hub and target the 53 streets scoring 75–100/100.
2. Check Lot-Level Overlays (Flood, Bushfire, Slope & Easements): Even on a 100/100 streetlike Joseph Street, individual lots can carry overland flow paths, steep gradients, or sewer easements that restrict granny-flat additions or spike insurance premiums.
3. Price Against Street-Matched Settled Comparables: Do not let a selling agent justify an asking price on a 25/100 street using comparable sales from a 100/100 street. Compare settled sales within the same SA1 Street Score band.