NSW · Wollongong Council
Otford, 2508
Current weather
16.5°CClear sky
46% humidity · 15.8 km/h wind · 20.5° / 12.8° today · 2.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Green suburb
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Otford is a coastal smaller community where beach life and relaxed outdoor living shape the local character. Coastal character runs through daily life, with the wider region offering extra trips and outings when you want them. Sea breezes and coastal air are part of everyday life, especially on warmer evenings.
Families and commuters make up much of the community, with plenty of young families in the mix. Reasonable public transport access helps with commuting and getting around locally. Housing carries a premium, but residents tend to feel the lifestyle justifies the commitment.
Light infill development is updating a few streets while the wider area stays largely unchanged.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and transport and access lag similar coastal suburbs, despite relative strength in housing affordability and community and employment. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 396
- Median age
- 40
- Median household income / week
- $2,750
- Dwelling vacancy
- 7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 10 of 142
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,739
- Employment rate
- 66.6%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 12 / 5 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $795
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 13
- Against the person
- 4
- Against property
- 4
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 32.8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 99 residents
- State safety percentile
- 9.2th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +8.6%
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order28
- Domestic Violence Related Assault19
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment40
- Malicious Damage To Property27
- Steal From Motor Vehicle19
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,104
- Otford Public SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
13 public transport stops in this suburb
- FTB To P1
- Otford Station
- Otford Station, Lady Carrington Rd
- Otford Station, Platform 1
- Otford Station, Platform 2
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
17 planning-related records
2025· 3 proposals
November 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation14 LADY WAKEHURST DRIVE OTFORD 2508Withdrawn
September 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure13 GEORGES ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
July 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure129 OTFORD ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
2024· 3 proposals
October 2024
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Community facility121 OTFORD ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
May 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure13 GEORGES ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
January 2024
- Business premises; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia35 STATION ROAD OTFORD 2508Withdrawn
2023· 2 proposals
July 2023
- Alterations and additions to residential development21 DOMVILLE ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
January 2023
- Demolition; Alterations and additions to residential development33 STATION ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
2022· 2 proposals
October 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development36 DOMVILLE ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
July 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development33 STATION ROAD OTFORD 2508Withdrawn
2021· 4 proposals
November 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development21 DOMVILLE ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
September 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development33 STATION ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
- Bed and breakfast accommodation; Home business18 GEORGES ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
January 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development36 STATION ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
2020· 3 proposals
November 2020
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces1 LADY CARRINGTON ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
September 2020
- Alterations and additions to residential development36 STATION ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Alterations and additions to residential development; Garages, carports and car parking spaces54 STATION ROAD OTFORD 2508Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
21 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Bench (7)
- Blue BenchBench
- Bus stop
- Drinking water
- Parking
- Playground
- Public toilets
- Sports field
- Bulgo Beach Ocean PoolSwimming pool
- Telephone
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Otford ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 4
- Parks (OSM)
- 3
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 42.1/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 47% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 3114th in Australia
- State rank
- 989th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #52 among Coastal & beach · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #104 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 78%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Blue Benchamenitiesbench
- Bulgo Beach Ocean Poolamenitiesswimming_pool
- Bus stopamenitiesbus_stop
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Wollongong Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.