Kearns
Household income in the 81.8th percentile nationally sits alongside a median age of 36, four years below the national figure, making Kearns one of Macarthur's more financially capable family suburbs. At 2,693 residents in 2.36 square kilometres, density reaches 1,142 per km2. The housing stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 95.9%, and 56.8% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms, higher than most Sydney suburban averages. Mortgage holders account for 57.4% of all dwellings, signalling a suburb built around young families actively paying down debt rather than established wealth or renters.
Population
2,693
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,147/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
12
Median House
$951K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price is $951,000, up 8.9% from $890,700 in 2024, tracking to $970,000 by the 2025 reading. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,037, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning typical households carry debt comfortably relative to earnings. Separate houses make up 95.9% of stock, with 56.8% having four-plus bedrooms. Only 4.1% are semi-detached, and apartments are effectively absent. Buyers face a market dominated by owner-occupiers: 27.6% own outright and 57.4% are on mortgages, leaving only 15.0% as rentals.
For Buyers
The median house price is $951,000, up 8.9% from $890,700 in 2024, tracking to $970,000 by the 2025 reading. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,037, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.9%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning typical households carry debt comfortably relative to earnings. Separate houses make up 95.9% of stock, with 56.8% having four-plus bedrooms. Only 4.1% are semi-detached, and apartments are effectively absent. Buyers face a market dominated by owner-occupiers: 27.6% own outright and 57.4% are on mortgages, leaving only 15.0% as rentals.
For Investors
A 15.0% renter share is low compared to the Greater Sydney average, reducing the available tenant pool. Weekly rent of $420 against a $951,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.3%, modest but consistent with capital-growth-oriented outer-Sydney markets. Vacancy sits at 2.7%, a moderate level signalling no oversupply. Development activity recorded 12 applications in 12 months, including a secondary dwelling CDC, suggesting incremental densification is beginning. The 8.9% price appreciation over one year supports the capital-growth thesis, but investors should weigh that against thin rental yields in this owner-occupier-dominant suburb.
Development Activity
Total DAs
49
Last 12 Months
12
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+71.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Kearns iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Kearns Public School
K-6 · 178 students
Demographics
The median age of 36 sits 4 years below the national figure, consistent with the family-formation profile. Average household size is 3.1, which is 0.6 above the national average. Overseas-born residents account for 24.8% of the population, 3.2 percentage points above the national rate. English ancestry leads (744 residents), followed by Irish (197), Scottish (185) and Italian (155). Arabic is the most common non-English language at 97 speakers. The suburb is predominantly Christian (1,565 residents), with Islam second at 239. Couples with children (992 families) dominate household composition. University qualifications reach 26.6%, which is 3.5 points below the national rate.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.9%
Houses
4.1%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Kearns is structurally house-dominant: 95.9% of dwellings are separate houses, and 56.8% have four or more bedrooms. Three-bedroom homes account for 39.8%, so virtually all stock is family-sized. The tenure split shows 27.6% own outright, 57.4% carry a mortgage and 15.0% rent, a classic mortgage-belt profile. Prices rose from $890,700 in 2024 to $970,000 in 2025, a gain of 8.9%. Mortgage-to-income at 21.9% and rent-to-income at 19.6% both sit below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are proportionate to local incomes. The vacancy rate of 2.7% indicates a tight rental market with limited empty stock.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,037
Rent / wk
$420
HH Size
3.1
Personal Income / wk
$908
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.7%
Unoccupied
24
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
17.9%
Couples, no children
2,418
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest sector at 14.7% (127 workers), followed by Construction at 12.0% (104) and Education at 11.1% (96). By occupation, Clerical and Administrative roles lead at 251 workers, ahead of Professionals (230) and Managers (160). The full-time employment rate is 68.7% and unemployment sits at 4.7%. The participation rate of 55.8% is lower than income levels might suggest, with 642 residents not in the labour force, likely reflecting primary carers in the young-family demographic. Personal weekly income averages $908 and household weekly income reaches $2,147, placing the suburb in the 81.8th percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.7%
Part-time
26.6%
Participation
55.8%
Employed
1,139
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.6%
Postgraduate
5.8%
Born Overseas
24.8%
Dwellings
857
Transport to Work
Car dependence is pronounced: 92.9% of residents drive to work and only 1.2% use public transport, above many comparable outer-Sydney suburbs on rail lines. Walking and cycling account for 0.5% of commutes. No schools are recorded inside the Kearns boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby campuses. Volunteering stands at 9.9% and 5.7% of residents (148 people) require daily assistance. Rent-to-income at 19.6% and mortgage-to-income at 21.9% both sit below national stress benchmarks, so residents' cost of housing relative to income is lower than average nationally.
Drive
92.9%
Public Transport
1.2%
Walk / Cycle
0.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kearns compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kearns a good suburb to live in?
Kearns suits families with its 95.9% separate-house stock, 56.8% four-plus bedroom dwellings and household income in the 81.8th percentile nationally. Mortgage-to-income at 21.9% is below the 30% stress threshold. The main trade-off is high car dependence, with 92.9% of residents driving to work and only 1.2% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Kearns?
The median house price is $951,000, up 8.9% from $890,700 in 2024. The 2025 reading reached $970,000. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,037 and weekly rent averages $420.
What schools are in Kearns?
No schools are recorded inside the Kearns 2558 boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 26.6%, which is 3.5 percentage points below the national average.
Is Kearns safe?
Crime statistics are not available for Kearns in this dataset. As indirect indicators, household income sits in the 81.8th percentile nationally and mortgage-to-income is 21.9%, both suggesting a financially stable residential area. Only 5.7% of residents (148 people) require daily assistance.
Is Kearns good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $420 against a $951,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.3%, modest compared to higher-density suburbs. The vacancy rate is 2.7% and the one-year price gain was 8.9% to $970,000. The 15.0% renter share is low versus Greater Sydney average, so the investment case leans on capital growth rather than rental income.
How is Kearns's population changing?
The current population is 2,693 across 2.36 km2 at 1,142 per km2. Stability is high, with 85.9% of residents remaining at their address over the prior year and a turnover rate of just 14.1%, suggesting low outflow and steady demand from incoming families.
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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