Median house price
$1.06M
+7.1% change
NSW · Wollongong Council
Kembla Grange, 2526
Est. population · Jun 2025
1,716
Growth (1 yr)
+4.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+26.9%
Median age
29
Median income
$2,574/wk
Employment rate
73.1%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,060,000
Languages at home
13.7%non-English
Most common: Malayalam, Macedonian, Serbian
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Kembla Grange is a quieter residential smaller community in Wollongong Council, more about homes and street life than a busy local strip. Still within reach of the city while offering more breathing room, it suits those who want balance over bustle. The community skews younger, with a strong presence of young families throughout.
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. Buses make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward.
Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers. Light infill development is updating a few streets while the wider area stays largely unchanged.
The overall desirability read is around average, pulled by softer growth momentum compared with similar metro suburbs, though community and employment remain brighter spots. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Kembla Grange snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$750/wk
Houses $760 · Units $460
Population (ERP)
1,716
+4.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.5%
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
#123
among Metro Sydney · Growth area
Safety
44th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
97th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
9/10
national SEIFA decile
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
- 47.9/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 35% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2445th in Australia
- State rank
- 733rd in NSW
- Peer rank
- #123 among Metro Sydney · Growth area suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #518 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 81%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $460
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $760
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $750
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 82
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,060,000
- Median price change
- +7.1%
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
1,716(June 2025)
+4.1% annual · +26.9% over 5 years · 97th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +4.1%
- 5-year growth
- +26.9%
- Change in 1 year
- +67
- Change in 5 years
- +364
- Growth rank in NSW
- 97th 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 (~2,100), extrapolated at +4.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 1,452
- Median age
- 29
- Median household income / week
- $2,574
- Dwelling vacancy
- 3.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 17 of 479
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,338
- Employment rate
- 73.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 377 / 93 / 0
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)
- 107
- Against the person
- 22
- Against property
- 45
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 62.4
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 66 residents
- State safety percentile
- 44.1th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -5.9%
Most common offence types
- Fraud78
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment71
- Malicious Damage To Property66
- Steal From Motor Vehicle71
- Transport Regulatory Offences121
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
Public transport
41 public transport stops in this suburb
- CCP West Dapto Rd
- Kembla Grange Station
- Kembla Grange Station, Platform 1
- Kembla Grange Station, West Dapto Rd
- Princes Hwy Opp Kembla Grange Station
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
21 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
2 playgrounds
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 5 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 41 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 30/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 3.44
Sport & outdoors(3)
- Kembla Grange Golf ClubGolf course
- Playground (2)
Transport(2)
2 bus stops
Other(9)
- Australian Motorlife Museum And Visitor CentreInformation
- Glengarry CottageInformation
- Parking (4)
- Public toilets
- Wollongong Waste and Resource Recovery ParkRecycling
- Shelter
- Track (5)
- West Dapto XC CourseTrack
- Weighbridge
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
4 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Ian McLennan ParkPark
- McPhail ReservePark
- Mogomorra ParkPark
- Stane Dyke ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 7
- 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
- Figtree Private Hospital (5.8 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)
- 68
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 39.6
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· 13 proposals
July 2026
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)9 ELEVATION STREET STREAM HILL 2526Under Assessment
- Residential flat building; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure141 DARKES ROAD STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Industrial development; Erection of a new structure88 WEST DAPTO ROAD KEMBLA GRANGE 2526Under Assessment
June 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Supporting Development100 WYLLIE ROAD KEMBLA GRANGE 2526Determined
May 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool11 ACREAGE STREET STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool11 RIVERSLEIGH STREET STREAM HILL 2526Determined
April 2026
- Industrial development; Hours of operation and trading1 CANTERBURY ROAD KEMBLA GRANGE 2526Determined
- Subdivision290 WEST DAPTO ROAD STREAM HILL 2526Under Assessment
- Subdivision636A NORTHCLIFFE DRIVE KEMBLA GRANGE 2526Determined
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation3 MAPLETON TERRACE STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)86 NEESON ROAD STREAM HILL 2526Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool46 EMILA ROAD STREAM HILL 2526Determined
January 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Recreation facility (indoor)441 PRINCES HIGHWAY KEMBLA GRANGE 2526Additional Information Requested
2025· 21 proposals
October 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support45 PASTURELAND STREET STREAM HILL 2526Withdrawn
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Light industry10 CANTERBURY ROAD KEMBLA GRANGE 2526Determined
- Multi-dwelling housing; Medium Density Housing; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation20 BISHOP DRIVE STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool1 FARMSTEAD CLOSE STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (external)57 NEESON ROAD STREAM HILL 2526Determined
September 2025
- Warehouse or distribution centre; Erection of a new structure; Light industry; Local distribution premise1 CANTERBURY ROAD KEMBLA GRANGE 2526Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool12 CLAYTON CLOSE STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure49 PASTURELAND STREET STREAM HILL 2526Determined
August 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure5 DUFFY STREET STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Multi-dwelling housing (terraces); Residential Accommodation1 LLOYD DAVIES AVENUE STREAM HILL 2526Determined
July 2025
- Subdivision141 DARKES ROAD STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool23 SANCTUARY STREET STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Subdivision141 DARKES ROAD STREAM HILL 2526Determined
April 2025
- Industrial development; Erection of a new structure1 CANTERBURY ROAD KEMBLA GRANGE 2526Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space451 Princes Highway Kembla Grange 2526Withdrawn
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure45 PASTURELAND STREET STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Early Education and Care Facility; Centre-based child care150 SHEAFFES ROAD STREAM HILL 2526Determined
March 2025
- Resource recovery facility; Hours of operation and trading; Waste or resource management facility132 West Dapto Road KEMBLA GRANGEDetermined
February 2025
- Subdivision105 DARKES ROAD KEMBLA GRANGE 2526Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure49 PASTURELAND STREET STREAM HILL 2526Withdrawn
January 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support68 NEESON ROAD STREAM HILL 2526Determined
2024· 9 proposals
November 2024
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Light industry10 CANTERBURY ROAD KEMBLA GRANGE 2526Determined
August 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structureLot 52, 3 Springvale Street STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Dual occupancy; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached); Residential Accommodation86 NEESON ROAD STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure4 RIVERSLEIGH STREET STREAM HILL 2526Withdrawn
- Shed; Erection of a new structure7 PHARLAP AVENUE KEMBLA GRANGE 2526Determined
July 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool9 LEMON GROVE STREAM HILL 2526Determined
May 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure19 MAPLETON TERRACE STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure47 PASTURELAND STREET STREAM HILL 2526Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool; Supporting Development11 SPRINGVALE STREET STREAM HILL 2526Determined
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
- Whitlam
- Member of Parliament
- Carol BERRY (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 130,093
- Turnout (2025)
- 93.2%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- -2.1 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 43.8%Labor 56.3%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 6.1 km away).
Coalition 39.2%Labor 60.8%
4.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -5.7 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- BrownsvilleLabor 57.5% · Coalition 42.5% TPP (2025)2.3 km away
- KanahookaLabor 60.1% · Coalition 39.9% TPP (2025)3.6 km away
- HorsleyLabor 61.3% · Coalition 38.7% TPP (2025)3.7 km away
- DaptoLabor 59.4% · Coalition 40.6% TPP (2025)3.8 km away
- Horsley SouthLabor 62.3% · Coalition 37.7% TPP (2025)4.1 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)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 9/10
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
More in Wollongong Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.