Liveability Census Results
About the Australian Liveability Census
The Australian Liveability Census is the nation’s largest place-based social research project, conducted every two years by Place Score. The 2025 Census ran from March to June 2025, capturing how Australians perceive the liveability of their local areas and what matters most in creating ideal neighbourhoods.
Shoalhaven City Council participated as a Census Partner to ensure local voices shape future planning and investment decisions.
What does the Census tell us?
The Census provides insights into:
- What matters most to Shoalhaven residents in their ideal neighbourhood (Care Factor)
- How Shoalhaven neighbourhoods perform across 50 liveability metrics (Place Experience)
- Community ideas for improving local liveability
These insights help Council understand community values and expectations, so these can inform decision-making about improvement opportunities.
Key Findings for Shoalhaven
- Community participation: Over 1,600 responses from Shoalhaven residents contributed to the Census.
- Liveability score: Shoalhaven scored 61/100, below the NSW and national average of 66.
- Top community values: Residents identified that the most valued factors for liveability in their local neighbourhood were the natural environment, neighbourhood safety, condition of public spaces, and access to amenities like shops, cafés and health services.
- Important to maintain: Survey respondents highlighted Shoalhaven’s beautiful natural surroundings, sense of belonging and personal safety, and locally-operated businesses as priorities to maintain because they are currently important contributors to local liveability.
- Areas for improvement: Aspects identified as priorities for improvement were the condition and quality of public space, pathways connecting homes and amenities, protection of the natural environment, and access to neighbourhood amenities like shops, cafés and health services.
Explore the Reports
Place Score published two reports that we want to share with you:
- Executive Summary Report – A high-level overview of Shoalhaven’s Liveability Census results, including key priorities and performance compared to state and national averages.
- Priorities, Values & Performance Report – A detailed analysis of community values, performance scores, and improvement opportunities.
Download the executive summary
Download the priorities & performance report
Thank you for sharing your views and experiences
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Census.
Your feedback helps inform Council’s planning and decisions about improvement opportunities. By understanding what our community values and what contributes most to liveability in local Shoalhaven neighbourhoods, we can prioritise what is most important to our community.
Explore the results and learn more about what your community values most. As well as informing Council’s work, this is important information for others working in the Shoalhaven – business and community organisations are valuable contributors to neighbourhood liveability too!