Balgownie vs Shellharbour
Property investment comparison - Balgownie, NSW 2519 vs Shellharbour, NSW 2529
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Balgownie wins 1, Shellharbour wins 4. The better choice depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow, growth, affordability, or liquidity, the table below highlights the winner on each metric.
| Metric | Balgownie | Shellharbour |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1.4M | $1.4M |
| Median unit price | $940K | $910K |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 3.21% | - |
| Gross rental yield (units) | 4.25% | 3.78% |
| 1-year house growth | +6.9% | +10.3% |
| 3-year house growth | +17.7% | +22.6% |
| Vacancy rate | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| Population | 5,722 | 3,520 |
Balgownie vs Shellharbour: what the numbers say
Houses cost about the same in both suburbs: the median house price is $1.4M in Balgownie and $1.4M in Shellharbour.
For units, Balgownie sits at a median of $940K against $910K in Shellharbour, which makes Shellharbour the more affordable unit market and Balgownie the pricier one.
Over the past year house prices moved +6.9% in Balgownie and +10.3% in Shellharbour, so recent momentum favours Shellharbour, although both suburbs recorded growth.
Looking back three years, Balgownie houses are +17.7% and Shellharbour houses +22.6%, so Shellharbour has compounded faster than Balgownie over the longer window.
Rental vacancy is 0.7% in Shellharbour and 0.8% in Balgownie, so landlords in Shellharbour face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.
Balgownie is the bigger suburb, with a population of 5,722 against 3,520, larger than Shellharbour; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: Shellharbour for recent price momentum, Shellharbour for the tighter rental market. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.
Keep exploring
- National investment guide - top suburbs across every metric
- Take the suburb finder quiz - 5 questions to match your goals
- How our investment score works
- Property investment glossary - every term defined
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