Kealba
With 92.9% of dwellings being separate houses and 41.1% of households owning their home outright, Kealba is one of Melbourne's most tenure-stable outer-western suburbs. The median house price of $710,000 sits below the broader Melbourne median, yet the suburb has delivered 91.9% price growth since 2013, a 4.8% compound annual growth rate over 14 years. Population density runs at 1,391 people per km2 across just 2.32 km2, and 38.8% of residents were born overseas, which is 17.2 percentage points above the national average. The crime rate of 106 offences per 1,000 residents is elevated compared to many suburban benchmarks, which is the key risk factor prospective buyers should weigh against the strong long-term price performance.
Population
3,226
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,542/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$710K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $710,000 median house price, recorded in the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, sits below Melbourne's city-wide median, giving first-home buyers an accessible entry point in an otherwise competitive market. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,625, and the mortgage-to-income ratio at 24.3% stays below the 30% stress threshold, which helps explain why 40.1% of households are actively paying down a mortgage without financial strain. Stock is overwhelmingly detached houses at 92.9%, with apartments at just 2.0% and semi-detached at 5.1%. Bedroom distribution leans large: 56.4% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 37.1% have 4 or more, making Kealba suited to families rather than couples or singles. The vacancy rate of 3.2% indicates balanced supply, not an oversupplied rental market.
For Buyers
The $710,000 median house price, recorded in the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, sits below Melbourne's city-wide median, giving first-home buyers an accessible entry point in an otherwise competitive market. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,625, and the mortgage-to-income ratio at 24.3% stays below the 30% stress threshold, which helps explain why 40.1% of households are actively paying down a mortgage without financial strain. Stock is overwhelmingly detached houses at 92.9%, with apartments at just 2.0% and semi-detached at 5.1%. Bedroom distribution leans large: 56.4% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 37.1% have 4 or more, making Kealba suited to families rather than couples or singles. The vacancy rate of 3.2% indicates balanced supply, not an oversupplied rental market.
For Investors
The 18.8% renter share is relatively low compared to inner-Melbourne norms, but weekly rent of $370 against a $710,000 median implies a gross yield around 2.7%, modest yet above many premium Melbourne suburbs. The 3.2% vacancy rate suggests rental demand is steady rather than strained. Price history shows resilience: the median has risen from $370,000 in 2013 to $710,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 91.9% total gain equivalent to 4.8% CAGR. Development applications in the past 12 months recorded zero, consistent with an established low-turnover suburb where supply constraints support prices. The 86.0% of residents who did not move in the previous year indicates a stable, low-churn community, which tends to limit forced-sale volatility.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1
Last 12 Months
0
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
Schools in Kealba iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Paul's Kealba Catholic School
Prep-6 · 257 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1.0 year below the national figure, placing Kealba at a slightly younger profile than average. Overseas-born residents at 38.8% run 17.2 percentage points above national, reflecting the suburb's role as a landing zone for migrant families in Melbourne's west. The top ancestries are English (498), Vietnamese (437) and Italian (347), with the language profile adding Arabic (57), Greek (46) and Cantonese (41) as the most common non-English languages spoken at home. University qualifications at 32.6% sit 2.5 points above the national average, a modest but positive gap. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above national, consistent with the family-oriented, detached-house dominated housing mix. Christianity (1,769 residents) leads religious affiliation, followed by Buddhism (272) and Islam (142).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.9%
Houses
5.1%
Townhouse
2.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is unusually strong: 41.1% of households own outright and 40.1% are paying off a mortgage, leaving only 18.8% renting. The high outright-ownership share indicates many residents have held property for decades rather than entering the market recently. Separate houses dominate at 92.9%, a figure well above the national average for suburban areas, while apartments are near-absent at 2.0%. The bedroom profile is family-sized: 56.4% three-bedroom and 37.1% four-or-more-bedroom homes make up most of the stock, compared to the national share of smaller dwellings. The median price has moved from a trough of $370,000 in 2013 to $710,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, with a peak of $715,000 reached in Jan-Mar 2024, indicating prices are holding near their cycle high. Mortgage-to-income at 24.3% and rent-to-income at 24.0% both sit below the 30% stress threshold.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,625
Rent / wk
$370
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$658
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.2%
Unoccupied
37
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
21.3%
Couples, no children
2,696
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare (13.8%, 125 workers) and Education (13.5%, 122 workers) are the two largest industries employing Kealba residents, together accounting for more than a quarter of the local workforce. Construction (9.8%) and Public Administration (9.6%) follow closely, indicating a workforce spread across public services and trades rather than concentrated in a single sector. By occupation, Professionals lead at 263 workers, with Clerical/Admin (209) and Labourers (158) also prominent, a mix that reflects moderate-skill employment rather than a high-income professional concentration. The unemployment rate of 7.7% is elevated compared to the national rate, and the participation rate of 52.9% is below average, partly because 987 residents are not in the labour force. Household income sits in the 48.8th percentile nationally, near the median rather than upper or lower extremes. SEIFA decile data is not available for this suburb.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.7%
Part-time
28.6%
Participation
52.9%
Employed
1,304
Occupations
Top Industries
University
32.6%
Postgraduate
5.4%
Born Overseas
38.8%
Dwellings
1,134
Transport to Work
Car dependence is extreme in Kealba: 90.9% of residents commute by car, well above the national average, while only 3.2% use public transport and 0.9% walk or cycle. This pattern reflects limited local transport infrastructure and positions Kealba as a driving suburb for daily commuters. No schools are recorded within the Kealba boundary in this dataset. The crime rate of 106 offences per 1,000 residents is the primary livability concern, driven by 153 property and deception offences and 118 justice procedure offences in the recorded period, higher than many comparable outer-Melbourne suburbs. On the positive side, housing stress is contained: mortgage-to-income at 24.3% and rent-to-income at 24.0% are both below the 30% stress threshold, meaning the average household can meet housing costs without financial pressure. The suburb spans 2.32 km2, a compact footprint that limits local amenity but also creates a consistent residential character.
Drive
90.9%
Public Transport
3.2%
Walk / Cycle
0.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
342
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
106.0
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kealba compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kealba a good suburb to live in?
Kealba suits families and long-term owner-occupiers, with 92.9% separate houses, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.3% well below the 30% stress threshold, and strong price growth of 91.9% since 2013. The main concern is a crime rate of 106 offences per 1,000 residents, above many comparable suburbs, and heavy car dependence with only 3.2% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Kealba?
The median house price is $710,000, recorded in the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter. Prices peaked at $715,000 in Jan-Mar 2024, a rise from $370,000 in 2013. That represents 91.9% total growth over 14 years, at a 4.8% compound annual rate. Weekly rent averages $370 and monthly mortgage repayments are approximately $1,625.
What schools are in Kealba?
No schools are recorded within the Kealba boundary in this dataset. Families in this 2.32 km2 suburb rely on schools in adjoining areas. Despite the absence of local schools, 32.6% of Kealba residents hold university qualifications, which is 2.5 points above the national figure.
Is Kealba safe?
The recorded crime rate is 106 offences per 1,000 residents, which is elevated relative to many Melbourne outer suburbs. The largest category is property and deception offences at 153 incidents, followed by justice procedures offences at 118. Prospective buyers should factor this in alongside the suburb's strong price and tenure stability when assessing suitability.
Is Kealba good for property investment?
Kealba has delivered 91.9% price growth from $370,000 in 2013 to $710,000 in 2024, a 4.8% annual rate. Weekly rent of $370 implies a gross yield around 2.7% against the median, below many yield-focused markets. The 3.2% vacancy rate and 18.8% renter share indicate moderate rental demand. Zero new development applications confirm no new supply competition.
How is Kealba's population changing?
Kealba has a population of 3,226 across 2.32 km2, giving a density of 1,391 people per km2. The suburb shows strong stability, with 86.0% of residents remaining at the same address year-on-year and only 14.0% turnover. This low-churn profile is consistent with a community of long-term owner-occupiers rather than a suburb in rapid demographic transition.
What languages are spoken in Kealba?
About 38.8% of Kealba residents were born overseas, which is 17.2 percentage points above the national average. The most common non-English languages spoken at home are Arabic (57 speakers), Greek (46), Cantonese (41) and Macedonian (40). Top ancestries include English (498), Vietnamese (437) and Italian (347), reflecting a diverse migrant-heritage community in Melbourne's west.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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