Mount Keira
Household income in the 92nd percentile nationally and a $1,200,000 median house price define Mount Keira as one of the Illawarra's most prosperous addresses. With 92% separate houses and 53.4% of dwellings carrying four or more bedrooms, the suburb is overwhelmingly built for families rather than renters, who make up only 15.5% of occupants. University qualifications reach 44.8%, which is 14.7 percentage points above the national average. The population of 1,691 across 6.99 square kilometres stays stable and deeply rooted, with 84.9% of residents unchanged at the same address over five years.
Population
1,691
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,476/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
13
Median House
$1.2M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,200,000 median house price reflects a market that has moved quickly, rising from $1,130,000 in 2024 to $1,222,504 in 2025, an 8.2% gain in one year. Separate houses dominate at 92% of stock, and four-plus bedroom dwellings account for 53.4% of all homes, making this a suburb where large family homes are the norm rather than the exception. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,468, translating to a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite the elevated price point. Outright owners at 43.3% outnumber mortgage holders at 41.2%, a sign that much of the established base acquired homes before recent price growth. Buyers seeking entry to the Wollongong metropolitan area will find fewer apartments here than almost anywhere nearby.
For Buyers
The $1,200,000 median house price reflects a market that has moved quickly, rising from $1,130,000 in 2024 to $1,222,504 in 2025, an 8.2% gain in one year. Separate houses dominate at 92% of stock, and four-plus bedroom dwellings account for 53.4% of all homes, making this a suburb where large family homes are the norm rather than the exception. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,468, translating to a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite the elevated price point. Outright owners at 43.3% outnumber mortgage holders at 41.2%, a sign that much of the established base acquired homes before recent price growth. Buyers seeking entry to the Wollongong metropolitan area will find fewer apartments here than almost anywhere nearby.
For Investors
With only 15.5% of residents renting and a vacancy rate of 5.6%, the rental market is thin and tightly held. Weekly rent of $420 against the $1,200,000 median implies a gross yield below 2%, low relative to national averages. Development activity is modest at 13 applications in the past 12 months, predominantly alterations and one subdivision, confirming this as an upgrade market rather than a construction pipeline story. The high proportion of outright owners at 43.3% means few forced sales. Investment returns here depend almost entirely on capital growth, and the 8.2% price rise year on year from 2024 to 2025 shows the suburb is capable of delivering that, though the small population of 1,691 means liquidity is limited and transaction volume stays low.
Development Activity
Total DAs
87
Last 12 Months
13
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-23.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mount Keira iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Mount Keira Public School
K-6 · 91 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 matches the national median precisely, but the demographic composition diverges noticeably from the national average. University qualifications at 44.8% run 14.7 percentage points above national, placing the suburb firmly among the more educated addresses in regional NSW. Overseas-born residents account for 20.1%, slightly below the national figure. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (584), Irish (180), Scottish (177) and Italian (145) dominate, consistent with the established Wollongong hillside settlement pattern. Average household size of 2.9 is above the national figure by 0.4, driven by the prevalence of couples with children, who represent 633 of 1,421 families. The volunteering rate of 19% is higher than most comparable suburbs.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.0%
Houses
2.7%
Townhouse
5.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership rates signal long-term wealth accumulation: 43.3% own outright and 41.2% carry a mortgage, while renters at 15.5% represent one of the lowest renter shares in the region. The stock is shaped around large detached houses: 92% separate dwellings, with 53.4% having four or more bedrooms and 35% having three. Apartments account for just 5.3% and semi-detached 2.7%, offering virtually no entry-level density. The median price climbed from $1,130,000 in 2024 to $1,222,504 in 2025, an annual gain of 8.2%. Mortgage-to-income at 23% and rent-to-income at 17% both sit below stress thresholds, which means the household budget remains manageable at current prices and income levels. The vacancy rate of 5.6% is moderately elevated, signalling some softness in the thin rental segment.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,468
Rent / wk
$420
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$935
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.6%
Unoccupied
33
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.9%
Couples, no children
1,421
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 20.1% of the workforce (133 workers), followed closely by Education at 18.6% (123 workers), a combined 38.7% that reflects the suburb's proximity to Wollongong's hospital and university precinct. Professional/Tech accounts for 9.8% and Public Admin for 8.2%. By occupation, Professionals (293) and Managers (127) are the two largest groups, consistent with household income in the 92nd percentile nationally. The unemployment rate of 4.6% is slightly above the national trend, but the participation rate of 59.2% is held down by 421 residents not in the labour force, which aligns with the older homeowner profile. Full-time employment among those working sits at 57.6%, relatively healthy for a suburban residential base.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.6%
Part-time
37.8%
Participation
59.2%
Employed
772
Occupations
Top Industries
University
44.8%
Postgraduate
14.9%
Born Overseas
20.1%
Dwellings
562
Transport to Work
Mount Keira is heavily car-dependent: 87.8% of residents drive to work, while just 1.7% use public transport, which is well below the state average for urban NSW. This reflects the hillside location above central Wollongong rather than a lack of infrastructure nearby. Walking and cycling accounts for 3.3%. Crime statistics are not available in the current dataset, but the suburb's high income percentile at 92nd nationally and the low disadvantage profile are indirect indicators consistent with low crime rates in comparable areas. The need-for-assistance rate of 5% (82 residents) is low. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families attend institutions in nearby Wollongong suburbs. The mortgage stress rate of 23% and rent stress rate of 17% are both well below the thresholds that indicate financial strain.
Drive
87.8%
Public Transport
1.7%
Walk / Cycle
3.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mount Keira compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mount Keira a good suburb to live in?
Mount Keira has household income in the 92nd percentile nationally, a $1,200,000 median house price and an ownership rate of 84.5% (owned outright plus mortgage). University qualifications reach 44.8%, which is 14.7 percentage points above the national average. The main trade-off is near-total car dependence, with only 1.7% of residents using public transport.
What is the median house price in Mount Keira?
The median house price is $1,200,000. It rose 8.2% from $1,130,000 in 2024 to $1,222,504 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,468, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23%, below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $420.
What schools are in Mount Keira?
No schools are recorded inside the Mount Keira boundary in this dataset. Families access schools in neighbouring Wollongong suburbs. Despite the absence of a local school, 44.8% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 14.7 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Mount Keira safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Mount Keira in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, household income sits in the 92nd percentile nationally, only 5% of residents (82 people) need daily assistance, and the ownership rate is above 84%, all consistent with a low-disadvantage residential area in comparable suburbs.
Is Mount Keira good for property investment?
The 8.2% price growth from $1,130,000 in 2024 to $1,222,504 in 2025 is a positive signal, but the gross rental yield is below 2% against weekly rent of $420 and a $1,200,000 median. Only 15.5% of residents rent, vacancy is 5.6%, and just 13 development applications were lodged in 12 months, so returns depend on capital growth rather than yield.
How is Mount Keira's population changing?
Mount Keira has a population of 1,691 across 6.99 square kilometres. Residential stability is high, with 84.9% of residents at the same address over five years, well above typical suburban turnover rates. Development activity is minimal at 13 applications in 12 months, and the small population base means even modest migration flows can shift the local profile.
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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