Killara
Nearly 70% of adults hold a university degree, placing Killara 38.9 percentage points above the national average and among the most credentialed suburbs in Sydney. Household income ranks in the 96th percentile nationally at $2,802 per week, yet almost half the population (47.9%) was born overseas, 26.3 points above the national baseline, driven primarily by Chinese ancestry (3,303 residents). SEIFA scores reinforce the affluence: IRSAD decile 10, IER decile 9, IEO decile 10. Despite the premium positioning, Killara has an aging demographic trajectory with a median age of 42, and a senior share that has risen by 4.1 percentage points over the past decade.
Population
10,620
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,802/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
92
Median House
$1.6M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price sits at $1,582,000, with four-plus bedroom homes accounting for 44.1% of all dwellings, the dominant stock type in a suburb where detached houses make up only 54.6% of housing, with apartments at 42.6%. Mortgage repayments average $3,300 per month, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.2%, below the 30% stress threshold because household income is so high. Buyers paying attention to price trajectory should note the median jumped from $1,380,000 in 2024 to $1,860,000 in 2025, a 34.8% surge in a single year. Schools are strong: Beaumont Road Public (ICSEA 1,164), Killara Public (1,148), and Killara High School (1,147) all sit well above the national benchmark of 1,000.
For Buyers
The median house price sits at $1,582,000, with four-plus bedroom homes accounting for 44.1% of all dwellings, the dominant stock type in a suburb where detached houses make up only 54.6% of housing, with apartments at 42.6%. Mortgage repayments average $3,300 per month, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.2%, below the 30% stress threshold because household income is so high. Buyers paying attention to price trajectory should note the median jumped from $1,380,000 in 2024 to $1,860,000 in 2025, a 34.8% surge in a single year. Schools are strong: Beaumont Road Public (ICSEA 1,164), Killara Public (1,148), and Killara High School (1,147) all sit well above the national benchmark of 1,000.
For Investors
Renters make up 26.2% of households, lower than the Sydney average, reflecting owner-occupier dominance. Median weekly rent of $620 is high in dollar terms but the vacancy rate of 9.1% is elevated, suggesting oversupply at the premium end of the rental market. Only 2.8% of dwellings are semi-detached, limiting infill potential compared to other North Shore suburbs. The 77 development applications lodged in 12 months were predominantly complying development certificates for dwelling houses, not multi-unit projects. Investor returns depend more on capital growth than yield here, consistent with the IRSAD decile 10 profile where owner-occupiers bid up prices beyond what rental income can justify.
Development Activity
Total DAs
513
Last 12 Months
92
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+8.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Killara iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Beaumont Road Public School
K-6 · 310 students
Killara Public School
K-6 · 273 students
Killara High School
7-12 · 1803 students
Demographics
Chinese ancestry leads at 3,303 residents, followed by English (2,627), with Irish (798) and Scottish (730) well behind. Mandarin (824 speakers) and Cantonese (388) dominate the non-English languages, with Korean (173) a distant third. The 47.9% overseas-born share sits 26.3 percentage points above the national average, while the 69.0% university qualification rate is 38.9 points higher than the national baseline. This education-income alignment is consistent with the IEO decile 10 and IER decile 9, where both credentials and economic resources sit at the top nationally. Christianity remains the largest religious affiliation at 4,327, with Buddhism (412) and Hinduism (297) reflecting the East Asian migration pattern.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
54.6%
Houses
2.8%
Townhouse
42.6%
Apartment
Tenure
The tenure split shows 40.6% outright owners, 33.2% mortgage holders, and 26.2% renters, a pattern weighted heavily toward ownership compared to the national profile. Detached houses at 54.6% and apartments at 42.6% create a near-even split unusual for a premium suburb, driven by apartment blocks along the Pacific Highway. Two-bedroom stock accounts for 22.9% and three-bedroom for 26.7%, while four-plus bedroom homes dominate at 44.1%. Price data shows a jump from $1,380,000 to $1,860,000 between 2024 and 2025. Monthly mortgage of $3,300 on a household income of $2,802/week puts the mortgage-to-income ratio at 27.2%, below stress thresholds but higher than comparable decile 10 suburbs.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,300
Rent / wk
$620
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,117
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.1%
Unoccupied
370
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.8%
Couples, no children
9,107
Total families
Economy & Employment
Professional and Technical Services leads employment at 19.2% (773 workers), followed by Healthcare at 16.7% (672) and Finance at 14.1% (567). These three white-collar sectors alone account for half of all local employment, consistent with a suburb where Professionals (2,133) and Managers (1,026) dominate the occupational profile. The unemployment rate of 5.2% sits near the national average, while the participation rate of 54.6% is below average, reflecting the older median age and high proportion of retirees (3,244 not in labour force). SEIFA scores across all four indices rank decile 9 or 10, confirming Killara as among the most advantaged suburbs nationally by both economic and educational measures.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
12,023
Unemployed
456
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.1%
Part-time
28.7%
Participation
54.6%
Employed
4,504
Occupations
Top Industries
University
69.0%
Postgraduate
24.6%
Born Overseas
47.9%
Dwellings
3,700
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high at 80.3%, with public transport at 10.5% and walking or cycling at just 3.7%, despite Killara and Lindfield stations on the North Shore line providing CBD access. School quality is a major draw: all three local schools score ICSEA above 1,140, placing them in the top 10% nationally. Beaumont Road Public (1,164, 310 students) and Killara High School (1,147, 1,803 students) are both government schools performing well above the national benchmark. The IRSAD decile 10 and IRSD decile 10 readings confirm that Killara ranks among the least disadvantaged suburbs in Australia. The 4.0% rate of residents needing assistance sits below the national average, consistent with this advantaged profile.
Drive
80.3%
Public Transport
10.5%
Walk / Cycle
3.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.05%/yr
(+490 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation is trending upward at 2.05% per year, adding roughly 490 persons annually, with internal migration the primary driver at 486 net arrivals per year. Historical data shows population climbing from 22,051 in 2023 to 23,952 in 2025, a strong 8.6% lift in two years. The gentrification score of 57 sits at the Active stage, with population growth accelerating from 17% to 29%. Medium projections forecast roughly 26,169 by 2031. However, the aging trajectory is clear: senior share has risen 4.1 percentage points while the young share dropped 1.3 points over the decade. This suggests the growth is driven by empty-nesters and downsizers moving into apartments rather than young family formation.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+104
Net Internal / yr
+486
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +51% since 2011, Net internal migration +486/yr, Accelerating: 17% → 29%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Killara compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Killara a good suburb to live in?
Killara ranks IRSAD decile 10, placing it among the top 10% of Australian suburbs for advantage. Household income sits at the 96th percentile nationally ($2,802/week). Schools score ICSEA 1,147 to 1,164, well above the 1,000 benchmark. The trade-off is a median house price of $1,582,000 and limited public transport use at 10.5%.
What is the median house price in Killara?
The median house price in Killara is $1,582,000 (2024-2025 PSI derived). Price data shows a jump from $1,380,000 in 2024 to $1,860,000 in 2025, a 34.8% year-on-year increase. Median monthly mortgage repayments sit at $3,300, with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.2%.
What schools are in Killara?
Killara has 3 schools. Beaumont Road Public School (ICSEA 1,164, 310 students, government primary), Killara Public School (1,148, 273 students, government primary), and Killara High School (1,147, 1,803 students, government secondary). All three score above the national ICSEA benchmark of 1,000 by 147 to 164 points.
Is Killara safe?
Killara's IRSD decile 10 and IRSAD decile 10 readings place it among the least disadvantaged suburbs nationally. The low assistance rate (4.0%) and high household income (96th percentile) correlate with lower crime profiles in comparable decile 10 suburbs across Sydney's upper North Shore.
Is Killara good for property investment?
Killara is a capital-growth play rather than a yield suburb. Median rent of $620/week against a $1,582,000 median produces a low gross yield. The vacancy rate of 9.1% is elevated, and renters account for only 26.2% of households. Price growth from $1,380,000 to $1,860,000 in one year shows strong recent momentum but limited rental depth compared to suburbs below decile 8.
How is Killara's population changing?
Population is growing at 2.05% per year (490 persons), with internal migration the primary driver at 486 net arrivals annually. Growth has accelerated from 17% to 29%. Senior share has risen 4.1 percentage points while young share declined 1.3 points, consistent with aging but sustained apartment-driven population inflow.
What languages are spoken in Killara?
Mandarin (824 speakers) and Cantonese (388) lead the non-English languages, with Korean (173), Hindi (60), and Persian (50) following. With 47.9% of residents born overseas, sitting 26.3 percentage points above the national average, Killara's linguistic profile is heavily weighted toward East Asian languages reflecting Chinese ancestry (3,303 residents).
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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