Kilburn
More than half of Kilburn residents rent (56.8%) and 54.0% were born overseas, 32.4 points above the national figure, two facts that define how this 2.9 km2 inner-northern Adelaide suburb works. The crime rate of 159.8 incidents per 1,000 residents is high, and the median age of 34 runs 6.0 years below national, reflecting a young, mobile, migrant-heavy population rather than an established owner base.
Population
5,633
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,179/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
53
Median House
$1.1M
First quarter 2026
The stock favours families seeking space: 50.8% of dwellings have three bedrooms and 46.0% are separate houses, with semi-detached homes close behind at 42.7% and apartments just 11.1%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,472, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, because relatively few residents carry a mortgage. Only 24.7% of households are paying one off and 18.5% own outright, so most buyers are competing against investors rather than other owner-occupiers.
For Buyers
The stock favours families seeking space: 50.8% of dwellings have three bedrooms and 46.0% are separate houses, with semi-detached homes close behind at 42.7% and apartments just 11.1%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,472, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.8%, below the 30% stress threshold, because relatively few residents carry a mortgage. Only 24.7% of households are paying one off and 18.5% own outright, so most buyers are competing against investors rather than other owner-occupiers.
For Investors
Kilburn is a renter's market: 56.8% of residents rent, far above the national norm, which gives landlords a deep tenant pool. The 9.5% vacancy rate is elevated and signals softer absorption than the renter share alone suggests. Development is active for the suburb's size, with 44 applications lodged in 12 months including a 16-dwelling flat building and four detached dwellings, pointing to ongoing infill supply. With the median age at 34, six years below national, and a 23.8% annual turnover, tenant demand is steady but the yield case is thin relative to capital growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
253
Last 12 Months
53
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+17.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Kilburn skews young and international. The median age of 34 is 6.0 years below the national figure, and 54.0% of residents were born overseas, which is 32.4 points above national, one of the higher migrant shares in metropolitan Adelaide. University qualifications reach 40.6%, running 10.5 points above national, a sign of a skilled migrant intake rather than a disadvantaged one. The largest reported ancestries after the broad Other category (2,095) are English (918), Vietnamese (370) and Indian (349), and the top non-English languages are Punjabi (152 speakers), Arabic (75) and Bengali (65). Islam (1,284 residents) sits close behind Christianity (1,534), an unusually balanced split that reflects the diversity of the resident base.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
46.0%
Houses
42.7%
Townhouse
11.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily tilted toward renting: 56.8% rent, while only 24.7% carry a mortgage and 18.5% own outright, the inverse of a typical owner-occupier suburb. The dwelling mix is split between detached and attached forms, with 46.0% separate houses and 42.7% semi-detached, leaving apartments at 11.1%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 50.8% and two-bedroom at 30.8%, so the stock suits small families more than singles. Rent-to-income at 22.9% stays comfortable while mortgage-to-income at 28.8% holds just below the stress line, because the small owner base tends to hold older, lower-debt positions.
Mortgage / mo
$1,472
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$270
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$542
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.5%
Unoccupied
210
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.6%
Couples with children
30.9%
Couples, no children
21.5%
Single parent
1,239
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 21.2% of the workforce (299 workers), followed by Hospitality at 8.2% (116) and Public Admin at 8.1% (114), with Education at 7.8% and Retail at 7.7%. The occupation profile is broad rather than top-heavy: Professionals lead at 355 but Labourers (349) and Community/Personal workers (342) follow closely, a blue-collar and service tilt consistent with household income in the 23.6th percentile nationally. Unemployment is high at 10.3%, well above the national rate, and participation is low at 51.2% because 1,900 residents are not in the labour force, partly reflecting recent migrants and study. The full-time employment rate is 58.3%, with 1,253 working full time against 897 part time, so a large share of jobs are insecure or hours-limited.
Unemployment
9.9%
Labour Force
2,507
Unemployed
248
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.5%
Part-time
39.7%
Participation
53.5%
Employed
2,259
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
40.6%
Postgraduate
13.0%
Born Overseas
54.0%
Dwellings
2,006
Transport to Work
Kilburn is car-dependent: 78.8% of residents drive to work while just 10.6% use public transport and 3.8% walk or cycle, a heavier car reliance than denser inner suburbs. The main livability concern is safety, with 900 recorded incidents producing a crime rate of 159.8 per 1,000 residents, high and worth weighing against the affordability the rental market offers. No schools are recorded inside the 2.9 km2 boundary, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. On the positive side, 8.8% of residents (461 people) need daily assistance and the volunteering rate is 11.5%, while rent-to-income at 22.9% keeps housing costs manageable for the renter majority despite the 9.5% vacancy rate.
Drive
73.7%
Public Transport
9.9%
Walk / Cycle
3.5%
Work from Home
6.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
900
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
159.8
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kilburn compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kilburn a good suburb to live in?
Kilburn suits renters and young families, with 56.8% of residents renting and a median age of 34, six years below national. University qualifications reach 40.6%, 10.5 points above national. The main trade-off is safety, with a crime rate of 159.8 per 1,000 residents, which is high.
What schools are in Kilburn?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.9 km2 Kilburn boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is relatively educated, with university qualifications at 40.6%, which is 10.5 points above the national figure.
Is Kilburn safe?
Kilburn records 900 incidents a year, a crime rate of 159.8 per 1,000 residents, which is high relative to typical metropolitan suburbs. Safety is the clearest trade-off against the area's affordability, where weekly rent averages just $270.
How is Kilburn's population changing?
Kilburn has a young, mobile population with a median age of 34, six years below national, and a 23.8% annual turnover. With 54.0% born overseas, 32.4 points above national, the suburb refreshes mainly through migration, while 44 development applications in 12 months add new housing supply.
What languages are spoken in Kilburn?
About 54.0% of residents were born overseas, 32.4 points above the national figure. English is the main language, with Punjabi (152 speakers), Arabic (75), Bengali (65) and Persian (61) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a strongly migrant resident base.
How much development is happening in Kilburn?
There were 44 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, active for a 2.9 km2 suburb. Recent examples include a 16-dwelling residential flat building and four detached dwellings, pointing to infill supply in a market where 56.8% of residents already rent.
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), SA Department for Housing and Urban Development (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), 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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