Median house price
$1.89M
+15% change
NSW · Sutherland Shire Council
Kareela, 2232
Est. population · Jun 2025
3,741
Growth (1 yr)
+0.4%
Growth (5 yr)
+3.0%
Median age
42
Median income
$2,765/wk
Employment rate
60.3%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,886,000
Languages at home
19.5%non-English
Most common: Mandarin, Greek, Cantonese
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Education hub
- High desirability
- National parks
- Excellent transport
Suburb profile
In Sutherland Shire Council, Kareela is a settled mid-sized suburb with a familiar suburban feel and good links to the wider city. The area suits established families and long-term locals, with plenty of young families in the mix. Local schools rate highly against similar suburbs.
Everyday cafés are limited locally, with the wider metro area covering the bigger food and entertainment trips. Outdoor life is easy here, with generous parks and room for kids, dogs and weekend strolls. Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus, with buses linking the suburb to surrounding areas.
Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs. Occasional new builds add variety while most of the suburb keeps its established look.
Community and employment, plus growth momentum push the suburb to a good desirability read, even as safety look more ordinary among similar metro suburbs.
At a glance
Kareela snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$750/wk
Houses $950 · Units $698
Population (ERP)
3,741
+0.4% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
2.4%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#19
among Metro Sydney · Emerging
Safety
52nd
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
46th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
10/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
74th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 59.5/100 — Good
- State standing
- Top 15% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 1072nd in Australia
- State rank
- 303rd in NSW
- Peer rank
- #19 among Metro Sydney · Emerging suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #222 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $698
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $950
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $750
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 259
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,886,000
- Median price change
- +15.3%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
3,741(June 2025)
+0.4% annual · +3.0% over 5 years · 46th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.4%
- 5-year growth
- +3.0%
- Change in 1 year
- +15
- Change in 5 years
- +109
- Growth rank in NSW
- 46th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~3,850), extrapolated at +0.5% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 3,572
- Median age
- 42
- Median household income / week
- $2,765
- Dwelling vacancy
- 2.4%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 29 of 1,184
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,000
- Employment rate
- 60.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,021 / 129 / 7
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 262
- Against the person
- 41
- Against property
- 57
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 70
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 87 residents
- State safety percentile
- 51.9th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -6.8%
Most common offence types
- Breach Bail Conditions516
- Domestic Violence Related Assault117
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment132
- Malicious Damage To Property146
- Transport Regulatory Offences748
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 12
- Median school ICSEA (12 schools)
- 1,064.5
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 74th
School list
- Kareela Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1102 · 85th percentile · LBOTE 27% · 272 students · Top SEA quarter 37% · 0.5 km awayView on My School →
- Bates Drive SchoolSpecial · Government · ICSEA 1018 · 55th percentile · LBOTE 39% · 62 students · Top SEA quarter 13% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
- Jannali East Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1081 · 79th percentile · LBOTE 19% · 313 students · Top SEA quarter 31% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
- Gymea North Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1075 · 77th percentile · LBOTE 21% · 362 students · Top SEA quarter 28% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
- Oyster Bay Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1098 · 84th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 416 students · Top SEA quarter 40% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Como - Oyster BayPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1127 · 91th percentile · LBOTE 26% · 414 students · Top SEA quarter 49% · 1.3 km awayView on My School →
- Gymea Technology High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1048 · 68th percentile · LBOTE 31% · 554 students · Top SEA quarter 21% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
- Sylvania Heights Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1056 · 71th percentile · LBOTE 36% · 482 students · Top SEA quarter 24% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
- Sutherland North Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1073 · 76th percentile · LBOTE 22% · 225 students · Top SEA quarter 27% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
- Kirrawee Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1050 · 68th percentile · LBOTE 32% · 326 students · Top SEA quarter 24% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
47 public transport stops in this suburb
- 106 Siandra Dr
- Siandra Dr After Freya St
- Siandra Dr Before Struen Marie St
- Siandra Dr Opp Freya St
- Siandra Dr Opp Struen Marie St
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
80 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 supermarkets · 1 playgrounds · 1 swimming pools
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus
- Decent local green space — 5 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 47 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 55/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 1.4
Shopping(1)
- ColesSupermarket
1-13 Freya Street
Community(2)
- Bates Drive Public SchoolSchool
Kareela
- Kareela Public SchoolSchool
Kareela
Sport & outdoors(13)
- Kareela Golf CourseGolf course
- Bumble Bee ParkPark
- Ingrid Road ReservePark
- Kareela Playing FieldsPark
- Park (2)
- Picnic area
- Playground
- A. R. Hurst ReserveSports field
1R The Promenade
- Harrie Dening Soccer CentreSports field
- Sports field
- Training FieldSports field
- Swimming pool
Entertainment(1)
- Viewpoint
Transport(21)
21 bus stops
Other(21)
- redibankATM
- Bench (14)
- Bleachers
- Drinking water (3)
- Acacia GardenGarden
- Bush Food GarenGarden
- Cycad GardenGarden
- Fern GardenGarden
- Garden (2)
- Joseph Banks Native Plants ReserveGarden
- Lily GardenGarden
- Shade Tolerant GardenGarden
- Silver Foliage GardenGarden
- Sun Tolerant Flowering GardenGarden
- Information
- Kareela Shopping CentreMall
- Freya Street ReserveNature Reserve
- Struen Marie ReserveNature Reserve
- Parking (6)
- Public toilets
- Waste Basket
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
5 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Bumble Bee ParkPark
- Freya Street ReserveNature reserve
- Ingrid Road ReservePark
- Kareela Playing FieldsPark
- Struen Marie ReserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 22
- Parks (OSM)
- 5
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- President Private Hospital (2.2 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 84
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 22.5
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 25° / 17°
- Rainfall
- 321 mm · ~40 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 22° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 359 mm · ~45 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 17° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 263 mm · ~33 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 12°
- Rainfall
- 242 mm · ~30 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.
2026· 10 proposals
July 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool7 INVERNESS PLACE KAREELA 2232Under Assessment
June 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure88 INGRID ROAD KAREELA 2232Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure11 DRYSDALE PLACE KAREELA 2232Under Assessment
May 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support7 MORNA PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation45 BANDAIN AVENUE KAREELA 2232Determined
April 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation36 SIANDRA DRIVE KAREELA 2232Determined
March 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure67 STRUEN MARIE STREET KAREELA 2232Determined
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation18 INGRID ROAD KAREELA 2232Determined
January 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure19 ULLADULLA PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Portable swimming pools and spas and child-resistant barriers96 INGRID ROAD KAREELA 2232Determined
2025· 10 proposals
November 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation199 GARNET ROAD KAREELA 2232Determined
October 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure39 STRUEN MARIE STREET KAREELA 2232Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure19 ULLADULLA PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
August 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Portable swimming pools and spas and child-resistant barriers96 INGRID ROAD KAREELA 2232Determined
June 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure1 BULIMBA AVENUE KAREELA 2232Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure9 MANOOKA PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
April 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support7 MORNA PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
February 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation36 SIANDRA DRIVE KAREELA 2232Determined
January 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Supporting Development32 DRYSDALE PLACE KAREELA 2232Withdrawn
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation9A ANEMONE PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
2024· 8 proposals
October 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure88 INGRID ROAD KAREELA 2232Determined
August 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation3 BULIMBA AVENUE KAREELA 2232Determined
May 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Recreation facility (outdoor)421 PRINCES HIGHWAY KAREELA 2232Operational consent issued
April 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation37 BUDERIM AVENUE KAREELA 2232Determined
March 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure106 INGRID ROAD KAREELA 2232Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation36 SIANDRA DRIVE KAREELA 2232Determined
January 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure2 BANDAIN AVENUE KAREELA 2232Determined
- Home business; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia14 SELWA PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
2023· 13 proposals
November 2023
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support2 BULIMBA AVENUE KAREELA 2232Withdrawn
October 2023
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool9A MANOOKA PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure38 BATH ROAD KAREELA 2232Determined
September 2023
- Dwelling31 BUDERIM AVENUE KAREELA 2232Determined
- Retaining walls, protection of trees7 MORNA PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
July 2023
- Dwelling35 SOLVEIG CRESCENT KAREELA 2232Determined
June 2023
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs12 MOONBI PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
- Alterations and additions to residential development20 MOONBI PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs22 INGRID ROAD KAREELA 2232Determined
- Dwelling18 FREYA STREET KAREELA 2232Determined
May 2023
- Pools / decks / fencing; Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs31 DRYSDALE PLACE KAREELA 2232Determined
April 2023
- Dwelling113 Siandra Drive, Kareela NSW 2232Determined
March 2023
- Pools / decks / fencing; Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs203 GARNET ROAD KAREELA 2232Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Cook
- Member of Parliament
- Simon KENNEDY (Liberal)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 118,855
- Turnout (2025)
- 93.7%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +4.4 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 57.2%Labor 42.8%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 1.6 km away).
Coalition 48.2%Labor 51.8%
9.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +9.2 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- KareelaLabor 53.1% · Coalition 46.9% TPP (2025)0.6 km away
- Jannali EastLabor 58.4% · Coalition 41.6% TPP (2025)0.7 km away
- Gymea NorthLabor 46.4% · Coalition 53.6% TPP (2025)1.2 km away
- Oyster BayLabor 53.5% · Coalition 46.5% TPP (2025)1.2 km away
- Oyster Bay NorthLabor 47.4% · Coalition 52.6% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Sutherland Shire Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.