Kilsyth
The 11,699-resident suburb is a detached-home mortgage-belt market, with 84.6% of dwellings separate houses and 44.0% carrying a mortgage. Compared with nearby Mooroolbark and Bayswater, buyers should assess Kilsyth as a low-rise, car-oriented option with a median age of 38 and household income at the 57th percentile nationally. Growth is steady rather than speculative: the wider area records 1.06% annual growth and a Balanced migration driver, while gentrification is scored 18 and labelled Not gentrifying.
Population
11,699
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,649/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
31
Median House
$870K
October to December 2025
Kilsyth suits buyers prioritising land and conventional family layouts. Housing stock is 84.6% separate houses, 14.1% semi-detached and only 1.3% apartments; 54.6% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 24.8% have 4 or more. Mortgage repayments are listed at $1,972 monthly, while mortgage costs equal 27.6% of household income and are not flagged as stress. Compared with the 32.9% owning outright, the 44.0% mortgaged share points to a suburb where borrowing remains central.
For Buyers
Kilsyth suits buyers prioritising land and conventional family layouts. Housing stock is 84.6% separate houses, 14.1% semi-detached and only 1.3% apartments; 54.6% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 24.8% have 4 or more. Mortgage repayments are listed at $1,972 monthly, while mortgage costs equal 27.6% of household income and are not flagged as stress. Compared with the 32.9% owning outright, the 44.0% mortgaged share points to a suburb where borrowing remains central.
For Investors
Kilsyth's investment case is anchored by family housing rather than a large renter pool. Renting accounts for 20.1% of households, compared with 32.9% owning outright and 44.0% holding a mortgage. Weekly rent is $391 and vacancy is 5.1%, giving investors a measurable rental base without assuming a tight-market premium. Rent growth of 37.0% supports income momentum, while 34 development applications in 12 months signal active planning activity. Balanced migration and a 1.06% annual growth trend favour measured, property-specific research over assuming rapid capital gains.
Development Activity
Total DAs
73
Last 12 Months
31
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+40.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Kilsyth
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Ghilgai School
Gladesville Primary School
Kilsyth Primary School
St Richard's Primary School
Demographics
Kilsyth has a median age of 38, which is 2 years below the national figure, and an average household size of 2.4, 0.1 below national. The profile leans Anglo: English ancestry counts 4,800, followed by Irish at 1,210 and Scottish at 1,196, while 21.4% were born overseas, 0.2 percentage points below national. University attainment is 28.1%, also 2.0 points below national, consistent with a mix of professionals, trades and clerical workers rather than a university-heavy profile. Household stability is notable: 79.6% stayed at the same address and turnover was 20.4%. No religion was reported by 5,729 people versus 4,946 identifying with Christianity, while Mandarin led listed non-English languages at 39.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.6%
Houses
14.1%
Townhouse
1.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Kilsyth's housing stock is strongly detached: 84.6% of dwellings are separate houses and 54.6% have 3 bedrooms, with another 24.8% at 4 or more bedrooms. That family format is more common than apartments, which account for 1.3%, while semi-detached homes make up 14.1%. Tenure is split between 32.9% owned outright, 44.0% mortgaged and 20.1% rented, so mortgage households are the largest group. Compared with the 27.6% mortgage-to-income ratio, rent-to-income is 23.7%, and neither measure is flagged as stress.
Mortgage / mo
$1,972
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$391
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$803
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.1%
Unoccupied
248
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
42.1%
Couples with children
37.5%
Couples, no children
19.0%
Single parent
3,266
Total families
Economy & Employment
Kilsyth's employment base combines essential services with construction and skilled work. Healthcare is the largest industry at 19.6% or 759 workers, followed by construction at 15.4% or 596, education at 12.1% or 468, manufacturing at 8.8% or 342 and professional and technical services at 7.1% or 276. Occupations reinforce that mix: professionals number 1,122 and trades 1,066, ahead of clerical and administrative workers at 805. Labour participation is 63.8%, unemployment is 3.6% and full-time employment is 61.0%, while household income ranks at the 57th percentile nationally. Compared with high-decile areas, SEIFA results are mid-range: IEO 5, IER 6, IRSD 5 and IRSAD 5, indicating neither strong advantage nor deep disadvantage.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
6,076
Unemployed
217
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.0%
Part-time
31.9%
Participation
63.8%
Employed
5,859
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.1%
Postgraduate
6.1%
Born Overseas
21.4%
Dwellings
4,592
Transport to Work
Kilsyth is practical for residents who drive or work from home. Car driving accounts for 69.9% of the transport profile, public transport for 1.4% and working from home for 23.4%, so daily access is more car-dependent than transit-led. Four local primary schools provide a mix of 2 government, 1 Catholic and 1 independent options; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address. Recorded crime is 58.0 offences per 1,000 residents, including 298 property and deception, 225 justice procedures and 113 crimes against the person offences. Compared with the highest-advantage areas, IRSAD and IRSD are both at decile 5, while IER is 6 and IEO is 5, pointing to a middle-range socioeconomic setting.
Drive
69.9%
Public Transport
1.4%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
23.4%
Population Forecast
+1.06%/yr
(+113 people/yr)
EstablishedKilsyth is tracking as an established market with a Growing (all ages) trajectory. Annual growth is forecast at 1.06%, with migration described as Balanced, so momentum is broad-based rather than tied to one inflow channel. Population change across the wider area is 16.2% over 10 years, while rent growth is 37.0% and real income growth is 16.8%. Gentrification signals are mixed: one measure gives a score of 18 and stage Not gentrifying, while the shift profile records 35 and Early signs. Compared with a rapid-redevelopment cycle, 34 development applications in 12 months and an affordability trend labelled Improving point to gradual change, not a wholesale reset.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+47
Net Internal / yr
+86
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +22% since 2011, Net internal migration +86/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
679
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
58.0
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 Kilsyth compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Kilsyth?
Kilsyth has 4 local primary schools: 2 government, 1 Catholic and 1 independent. The local mix is broader than a single-sector catchment, but it is primary-focused. Confirm enrolment zones and year-level availability for the exact address, particularly when comparing a move from Mooroolbark or Bayswater.
Is Kilsyth safe?
Recorded crime was 679 incidents, or 58.0 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 298, justice procedures 225 and crimes against the person 113. Compared with the suburb-wide rate, street-level conditions can differ, so inspect lighting, parking and nearby activity before deciding.
How is Kilsyth's population changing?
Kilsyth is on a Growing (all ages) trajectory, with annual growth of 1.06% and population change across the wider area of 16.2% over 10 years. Migration is Balanced, while the median age is 38 and young and senior shares are increasing by 1.7 and 1.6 percentage points. Compared with a single-age growth pattern, that points to broad-based change.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (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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