Shellharbour crime rate and Crime Score · New South Wales council area
Shellharbour is a council area in New South Wales with about 83,228 residents. It has a Crime Score 36 out of 100 (low), 267th of 362 councils nationally.
The score blends national percentile ranks for each published offence category with fixed severity weights; here it is driven most by sexual offences (59th percentile), assault (32nd percentile), robbery (47th percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 40.
In 2025-26: violent 1,031 per 100,000 (+25% vs five years earlier); property 2,266 per 100,000 (-16% vs five years earlier); break-ins 239 per 100,000 (-1% vs five years earlier); theft 959 per 100,000 (-14% vs five years earlier). For violent crime that is 81st of 129 New South Wales councils with data, highest first.
Unemployment in the Shellharbour council area is 4.3% (New South Wales 4.9%), Census, 10 August 2021. Social housing makes up 6.5% of occupied homes (1,598 public and 179 community-housing dwellings at the 2021 Census; New South Wales 4.2%). An estimated 166 people were homeless on Census night 2021, 21.2 per 10,000 residents (New South Wales 43.4), apportioned from ABS Statistical Area Level 2 counts. 16.9% of residents were born overseas (New South Wales 31%), most often in England, North Macedonia, New Zealand. Modelled estimates for 2026-27, not measurements: unemployment about 4.3% (confidence 83 of 100); social housing about 5.8% of homes; about 20.8 homeless people per 10,000 residents; about 17.1% born overseas. Confidence falls with distance from the last published figure, and the map's Estimates toggle shows every year back to 1994-95.
| Offences | Per 100,000 | Count | 5-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent | 1,031 | 858 | +25% |
| Property | 2,266 | 1,886 | -16% |
| Break-ins | 239 | 199 | -1% |
| Theft | 959 | 798 | -14% |
Questions
Is Shellharbour safe?
Shellharbour recorded 1,030 violent offences per 100,000 residents in 2025-26, about 10% lower than the New South Wales rate (1,150) and about 19% lower than the national rate (1,280). Its Crime Score is 36.4 out of 100 (low), 267th of 362 councils. These are offences recorded by police per resident: they describe the area as a whole, not the risk on any particular street, and places with a busy centre record more because offences are counted where they happen.
How many break-ins are there in Shellharbour?
199 break-ins were recorded in 2025-26: 239 per 100,000 residents, about 21% lower than the New South Wales rate (301).
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Part of Wollongong: Wollongong crime rate and crime map.
Suburbs in the Shellharbour council area
Albion Park · Albion Park Rail · Barrack Heights · Barrack Point · Blackbutt · Calderwood · Croom · Dunmore · Flinders · Lake Illawarra · Macquarie Pass · Mount Warrigal · North Macquarie · Oak Flats · Shell Cove · Shellharbour · Shellharbour City Centre · Tongarra · Tullimbar · Warilla · Yellow Rock
Postcodes in the Shellharbour council area
australiancrimerate.com.au/council/nsw-shellharbour/ · Australian Crime Map