Kin Kora
A 13.0% vacancy rate in a suburb where median house prices sit at $385,000 tells a story of oversupply rather than opportunity. Kin Kora, located in Gladstone, carries a SEIFA IEO decile of 1, placing it in the bottom 10% nationally for education and occupation advantage, while IRSAD decile 2 confirms deep relative disadvantage. Population has fallen 14.9% over the decade and continues declining at 0.7% per year, driven by net internal outflow averaging 27 people annually. Against those headwinds, housing affordability is a genuine point of difference: rent-to-income sits at 16.5% and mortgage-to-income at 21.0%, both well below stress thresholds compared to most Australian markets.
Population
2,396
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,702/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$385K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $385,000 is substantially below the Queensland state median, making entry costs comparatively low. The stock is heavily oriented toward detached houses at 90.2%, with 3-bedroom dwellings accounting for 49.0% and 4-plus bedrooms a further 45.0%, so buyers have genuine space. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,545, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.0%, well under the 30% stress benchmark. Outright owners make up 27.3% of households and mortgage holders 41.6%, reflecting a community still building equity. The 13.0% vacancy rate means buyers face minimal competition for individual properties, though it also signals weak underlying demand relative to supply.
For Buyers
The median house price of $385,000 is substantially below the Queensland state median, making entry costs comparatively low. The stock is heavily oriented toward detached houses at 90.2%, with 3-bedroom dwellings accounting for 49.0% and 4-plus bedrooms a further 45.0%, so buyers have genuine space. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,545, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.0%, well under the 30% stress benchmark. Outright owners make up 27.3% of households and mortgage holders 41.6%, reflecting a community still building equity. The 13.0% vacancy rate means buyers face minimal competition for individual properties, though it also signals weak underlying demand relative to supply.
For Investors
The investor case is mixed. Weekly rent of $280 against a $385,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.8%, above many coastal Queensland markets, but the 13.0% vacancy rate is a material risk to rental income continuity. Renting households make up 31.1% of the suburb, providing a tenant base, though demand is fragile given population declining at 0.7% per year. Net internal migration averages negative 27 per year, meaning more residents are leaving the area than arriving domestically. Overseas migration adds about 10 per year, a thin offset. With no development activity recorded in the past 12 months and forecasts projecting the local SA2 population to fall from roughly 3,581 to 3,382 by 2031, capital growth is not a near-term expectation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
33
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 Kin Kora iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Kin Kora State School
Prep-6 · 783 students
Demographics
The median age of 37 is 3.0 years below the national figure, pointing to a younger working-age profile than most Australian suburbs. Overseas-born residents make up 13.2% of the population, which is 8.4 percentage points below the national average, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (979 residents), Irish (253) and Scottish (242). University qualifications reach only 18.9%, which is 11.2 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with the IEO decile 1 score. Average household size is 2.5, matching the national figure. Couples with children account for 783 families compared to 513 couples without children, suggesting a family-oriented composition despite the suburb's low education and income indicators.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.2%
Houses
9.8%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Detached houses dominate at 90.2% of dwellings, with semi-detached properties accounting for the remaining 9.8% and virtually no apartment stock. Bedroom distribution skews large: 49.0% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 45.0% have 4 or more, so buyers and renters get substantial space at a median price of $385,000. Tenure splits into 27.3% outright owners, 41.6% with a mortgage and 31.1% renting. Rent-to-income at 16.5% is below stress levels and well lower than most Queensland urban markets. The 13.0% vacancy rate stands out as high nationally, indicating more available stock than the market can readily absorb, which suppresses upward price pressure and keeps rents in check at $280 per week.
Mortgage / mo
$1,545
Rent / wk
$280
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$855
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.0%
Unoccupied
135
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.0%
Couples, no children
1,899
Total families
Economy & Employment
Manufacturing leads the local industry mix at 16.8% of employed residents (124 workers), reflecting Gladstone's industrial base including aluminium smelting and the port. Healthcare follows at 13.0% and Education at 12.6%, providing more stable public-sector employment. Transport and Construction round out the top five at 10.0% and 9.5% respectively. By occupation, the spread is broad: Professionals (169), Machinery and Drivers (139), Labourers (136) and Clerical/Admin (133) are close in count, illustrating a working-class economy. Unemployment sits at 7.0%, above the national average, and the full-time employment rate of 68.7% is moderate. The IRSD decile 3 score places this suburb below average nationally on relative disadvantage measures.
Unemployment
4.7%
Labour Force
2,002
Unemployed
95
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.7%
Part-time
24.3%
Participation
62.8%
Employed
1,095
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.9%
Postgraduate
3.6%
Born Overseas
13.2%
Dwellings
889
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total at 89.8% of commuters driving, with only 0.5% using public transport, the lowest tier nationally. This reflects Gladstone's dispersed layout and limited bus network. No schools are recorded inside Kin Kora's 1.91 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families depend on nearby Gladstone schools. Crime data is not available for this suburb. On housing affordability, Kin Kora ranks well below stress thresholds: rent at 16.5% of income and mortgage at 21.0% of income compare favourably to state and national averages for mortgage burden. The volunteering rate of 18.2% suggests reasonable community participation despite the suburb's IRSAD decile 2 disadvantage classification.
Drive
89.8%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.7%/yr
(-25 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation is contracting. The annual decline of 0.7%, or roughly 25 people per year, follows a 14.9% fall over the prior decade. Net internal migration averages negative 27 per year as residents move to other parts of Queensland or interstate, with overseas arrivals adding only 10 to partially offset losses. The medium forecast projects the broader SA2 population falling from around 3,581 in 2025 to approximately 3,382 by 2031. Affordability improved over the decade, with the ratio falling from 45.2% in 2011 to 33.8% in 2021, but that improvement reflects falling demand rather than rising incomes: real income growth over the period was actually negative at negative 15.1%. Gentrification scoring is zero, consistent with a suburb not attracting investment-led renovation.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+10
Net Internal / yr
-27
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kin Kora compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kin Kora a good suburb to live in?
Kin Kora offers affordable housing at a $385,000 median with mortgage-to-income of 21.0%, well below stress thresholds compared to most Queensland suburbs. The trade-offs include a SEIFA IEO decile 1 score (bottom 10% nationally for education and occupation), a 7.0% unemployment rate, and a 13.0% vacancy rate that reflects weak demand relative to supply.
What is the median house price in Kin Kora?
The median house price is approximately $385,000 (estimated from 2025 rental data). Weekly rent averages $280, producing a rent-to-income ratio of 16.5%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,545, which is a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.0%, below the 30% stress benchmark.
What schools are in Kin Kora?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.91 km2 Kin Kora boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in surrounding Gladstone suburbs. University qualifications in the suburb reach 18.9% of residents, which is 11.2 percentage points below the national average.
Is Kin Kora safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Kin Kora in this dataset. As context, the suburb scores SEIFA IRSD decile 3 and IRSAD decile 2, placing it in the lower range nationally on disadvantage measures. About 4.9% of residents (111 people) require daily assistance, slightly above the national average.
Is Kin Kora good for property investment?
The $280 weekly rent against a $385,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.8%, higher than many coastal Queensland markets, but the 13.0% vacancy rate poses a real income continuity risk. Population is declining at 0.7% per year with net internal outflow of 27 annually, limiting capital growth prospects. The medium forecast projects the broader area falling to around 3,382 residents by 2031.
How is Kin Kora's population changing?
Population is declining at 0.7% per year (about 25 people annually) and fell 14.9% over the prior decade. Net internal migration averages negative 27 per year, with overseas arrivals adding only 10 to offset losses. Medium forecasts project continued decline from roughly 3,581 in 2025 to approximately 3,382 by 2031.
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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