Bathurst vs Kelso

Kelso is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 41 in Bathurst. In Bathurst, most households rent and most households are people living alone. In Kelso, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Kelso: a median of $810,000, against $670,000 in Bathurst, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Bathurst tends to suit renters, people living alone, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Kelso suits families with children and couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Kelso

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 32%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (93% vs 50%)
  • carries lower crime risk (85/100 vs 95/100)
  • But Bathurst has more schools inside the suburb (7 vs 3)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Kelso

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($280,000 vs $500,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 29%)
  • But Bathurst has cheaper houses ($670,000 vs $810,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Bathurst

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (55% vs 28%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $360/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Kelso

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (170 min vs 177 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (203.5 km vs 208.1 km)
  • But Bathurst is more walkable (96/100 vs 42/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bathurst

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (12 vs 1)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (50% vs 7%)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 42/100)
  • But Kelso carries lower crime risk (85/100 vs 95/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Kelso

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (11.9% vs 1.0%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Bathurst and Kelso drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Bathurst Kelso
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Bathurst Kelso
Walkability 96 / 42
Bathurst — Walkability: 96/100 Kelso — Walkability: 42/100
Safety 5 / 15
Bathurst — Safety: 5/100 Kelso — Safety: 15/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Bathurst — Low fire risk: 100/100 Kelso — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Kelso has higher household incomes ($90,324 vs $62,868); Kelso has more residents (10,039 vs 7,001).

Bathurst Kelso
Population 7,001 10,039
+43% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.0% +11.9%
Median age 41 36
Median household income $62,868/yr $90,324/yr
+44% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $360/wk
+20% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bathurst Kelso
0-4 4.6% / 6.9%
Bathurst — 0-4: 4.6% Kelso — 0-4: 6.9%
5-14 8.1% / 15.6%
Bathurst — 5-14: 8.1% Kelso — 5-14: 15.6%
15-19 4.4% / 7.0%
Bathurst — 15-19: 4.4% Kelso — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 9.5% / 5.9%
Bathurst — 20-24: 9.5% Kelso — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 16.3% / 13.0%
Bathurst — 25-34: 16.3% Kelso — 25-34: 13.0%
35-44 10.5% / 12.0%
Bathurst — 35-44: 10.5% Kelso — 35-44: 12.0%
45-54 10.4% / 12.3%
Bathurst — 45-54: 10.4% Kelso — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 12.4% / 10.6%
Bathurst — 55-64: 12.4% Kelso — 55-64: 10.6%
65-74 11.2% / 8.9%
Bathurst — 65-74: 11.2% Kelso — 65-74: 8.9%
75-84 8.3% / 5.5%
Bathurst — 75-84: 8.3% Kelso — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 4.3% / 2.4%
Bathurst — 85+: 4.3% Kelso — 85+: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bathurst 59.1% lone person
Bathurst — Lone Person: 59.1% Bathurst — Couple Families: 17.7% Bathurst — One Parent Families: 14.2% Bathurst — Group Household: 7.2% Bathurst — Other Families: 1.9%
Kelso 28.1% lone person
Kelso — Lone Person: 28.1% Kelso — Couple Families: 45.0% Kelso — One Parent Families: 22.2% Kelso — Group Household: 3.2% Kelso — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bathurst 55.3% renting
Bathurst — Owned Outright: 28.7% Bathurst — Mortgage: 16.1% Bathurst — Renting: 55.3%
Kelso 28.4% renting
Kelso — Owned Outright: 32.6% Kelso — Mortgage: 39.0% Kelso — Renting: 28.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Bathurst Kelso
Certificate III & IV 14.3% / 18.0%
Bathurst — Certificate III & IV: 14.3% Kelso — Certificate III & IV: 18.0%
Bachelor Degree 14.0% / 8.9%
Bathurst — Bachelor Degree: 14.0% Kelso — Bachelor Degree: 8.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 6.3%
Bathurst — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Kelso — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.3%
Postgraduate Degree 5.4% / 2.2%
Bathurst — Postgraduate Degree: 5.4% Kelso — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 1.3%
Bathurst — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Kelso — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Bathurst Kelso
England 2.3% / 1.4%
Bathurst — England: 2.3% Kelso — England: 1.4%
India 2.5% / 0.6%
Bathurst — India: 2.5% Kelso — India: 0.6%
New Zealand 1.3% / 0.9%
Bathurst — New Zealand: 1.3% Kelso — New Zealand: 0.9%
Nepal 1.4% / 0.3%
Bathurst — Nepal: 1.4% Kelso — Nepal: 0.3%
Philippines 1.1% / 0.5%
Bathurst — Philippines: 1.1% Kelso — Philippines: 0.5%
Scotland — / 0.4%
Bathurst — Scotland: not among its largest Kelso — Scotland: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bathurst 50.1% houses
Bathurst — Houses: 50.1% Bathurst — Townhouses: 30.5% Bathurst — Flats / Apartments: 19.4%
Kelso 92.6% houses
Kelso — Houses: 92.6% Kelso — Townhouses: 6.3% Kelso — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bathurst Kelso
Median house price $670,000 $810,000
Median unit price $500,000 $280,000
Median land price — $410,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 42 days
from 79 sales
 37 days
from 135 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Bathurst Kelso
2 bed $555K / $443K
Bathurst — 2 bed: $555K (38 sales) Kelso — 2 bed: $443K (7 sales)

38 vs 7 sales

3 bed $665K / $685K
Bathurst — 3 bed: $665K (81 sales) Kelso — 3 bed: $685K (58 sales)

81 vs 58 sales

4 bed $830K / $844K
Bathurst — 4 bed: $830K (40 sales) Kelso — 4 bed: $844K (148 sales)

40 vs 148 sales

5 bed $940K / $1M
Bathurst — 5 bed: $940K (5 sales) Kelso — 5 bed: $1M (24 sales)

5 vs 24 sales

Zoning mix

Kelso has more rural and farming land (58% vs 1%); Bathurst has more commercially zoned land (12% vs 0%).

Bathurst Kelso
Rural and farming 1% 58%
Residential 51% 23%
Parks and recreation 16% 7%
Commercial 12% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 2%
Industrial 6% 9%
Environmental 2% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Bathurst Kelso
New dwellings approved 177
across Bathurst
same for both
Approvals change year on year -23%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Bathurst Kelso
Houses 4.0%
$580/wk on $750K
 4.0%
$655/wk on $859K
Units 3.9%
$400/wk on $534K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Bathurst Kelso
House price Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
Income Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Schools Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 4% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 43% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 71% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 19% of NSW —

Liveability

Bathurst is more walkable (96 vs 42); Bathurst scores higher overall (39 vs 34).

Bathurst Kelso
Grade C
same for both
Score 39/100 34/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
same for both

Risk profile

Bathurst carries more crime risk (95 vs 85).

Bathurst Kelso
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
95/100
 High
85/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Bathurst Kelso
Inside the suburb 7 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 6 2
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Bathurst

  • Bathurst Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Bathurst South Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Cathedral Catholic Primary School Bathurst Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Denison College of Secondary Education, Bathurst High Campus Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Stanislaus' College Independent · Secondary at peers
  • The Assumption Catholic Primary School Bathurst Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in Kelso

  • Denison College of Secondary Education, Kelso High Campus Government · Secondary at peers
  • Holy Family Catholic Primary School Kelso Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Kelso Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bathurst Kelso
Supermarkets 6 2
Cafes & restaurants 40 2
Parks & reserves 16 15
Childcare 12 6
GPs 12 1
Pharmacies 6 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 11 0
Fuel stations 5 6
EV chargers 3 0
Waterways 19 42

Mobility

Bathurst sits further from the CBD (208.1 km vs 203.5 km).

Bathurst Kelso
Walkability score 96/100 42/100
Distance to Sydney 208.1 km
+2% vs other
 203.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 177 min 170 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 76/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 157.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 123.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2795
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 2795
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Bathurst Kelso
Car (driver) 67.7% / 79.8%
Bathurst — Car (driver): 67.7% Kelso — Car (driver): 79.8%
Worked from Home 12.4% / 11.6%
Bathurst — Worked from Home: 12.4% Kelso — Worked from Home: 11.6%
Walked Only 11.8% / 1.7%
Bathurst — Walked Only: 11.8% Kelso — Walked Only: 1.7%
Car (passenger) 6.8% / 6.3%
Bathurst — Car (passenger): 6.8% Kelso — Car (passenger): 6.3%
Bicycle 0.6% / 0.3%
Bathurst — Bicycle: 0.6% Kelso — Bicycle: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.8%).

Setting

Bathurst Kelso
Elevation 678 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 683 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Bathurst Kelso
Connectivity score 59/100 78/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 25%
5,417 premises
 61%
4,953 premises

Climate

Bathurst Kelso
Annual rainfall 666 mm 644 mm
Summer max (Jan) 28.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 1.1°C 1.2°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Bathurst Kelso
PM2.5 5.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Bathurst Kelso
Average residential rate $1,301/yr
same for both
Council Bathurst
same for both

Federal electorate

Bathurst Kelso
Division Calare
same for both
Member Andrew Gee
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bathurst Kelso
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bathurst

Affordable Parks River Townhouses

Kelso

Family Regional Centre River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bathurst

Bathurst vs West Bathurst Bathurst vs South Bathurst Bathurst vs Mitchell Bathurst vs Gormans Hill

Other comparisons with Kelso

Kelso vs West Bathurst Kelso vs Eglinton Kelso vs Raglan Kelso vs Gormans Hill Kelso vs White Rock Kelso vs Brewongle
Full data on Bathurst Full data on Kelso
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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