Brownsville vs Kanahooka

Brownsville is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 48 in Kanahooka. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Brownsville, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Kanahooka: a median of $960,000, against $842,000 in Brownsville, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Brownsville tends to suit people living alone.

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

Kanahooka

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (42/100 vs 82/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (84% vs 57%)

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

First-home buyers

Brownsville

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($517,500 vs $820,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($841,500 vs $960,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Brownsville

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (37% vs 13%)
  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $450/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Kanahooka

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (42/100 vs 82/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 24%)
  • But Brownsville has more units and townhouses to downsize into (43% vs 16%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Brownsville Kanahooka
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.

Brownsville Kanahooka
Walkability 44 / 48
Brownsville — Walkability: 44/100 Kanahooka — Walkability: 48/100
Safety 18 / 58
Brownsville — Safety: 18/100 Kanahooka — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 100 / 72
Brownsville — Low fire risk: 100/100 Kanahooka — Low fire risk: 72/100

Demographics

Kanahooka has more residents (5,698 vs 524); Kanahooka rents higher ($450/wk vs $320/wk).

Brownsville Kanahooka
Population 524 5,698
+987% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -1.9% +2.2%
Median age 44 48
Median household income $60,320/yr $72,748/yr
+21% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk $450/wk
+41% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Brownsville Kanahooka
0-4 4.4% / 5.0%
Brownsville — 0-4: 4.4% Kanahooka — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 10.5% / 11.0%
Brownsville — 5-14: 10.5% Kanahooka — 5-14: 11.0%
15-19 5.0% / 5.3%
Brownsville — 15-19: 5.0% Kanahooka — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 5.7% / 4.6%
Brownsville — 20-24: 5.7% Kanahooka — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 13.0% / 9.4%
Brownsville — 25-34: 13.0% Kanahooka — 25-34: 9.4%
35-44 11.6% / 10.7%
Brownsville — 35-44: 11.6% Kanahooka — 35-44: 10.7%
45-54 11.1% / 11.8%
Brownsville — 45-54: 11.1% Kanahooka — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 14.5% / 11.2%
Brownsville — 55-64: 14.5% Kanahooka — 55-64: 11.2%
65-74 11.5% / 14.5%
Brownsville — 65-74: 11.5% Kanahooka — 65-74: 14.5%
75-84 10.5% / 11.5%
Brownsville — 75-84: 10.5% Kanahooka — 75-84: 11.5%
85+ 1.9% / 4.8%
Brownsville — 85+: 1.9% Kanahooka — 85+: 4.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Brownsville 50.8% lone person
Brownsville — Lone Person: 50.8% Brownsville — Couple Families: 22.6% Brownsville — One Parent Families: 22.6% Brownsville — Group Household: 1.7% Brownsville — Other Families: 2.3%
Kanahooka 38.2% lone person
Kanahooka — Lone Person: 38.2% Kanahooka — Couple Families: 43.3% Kanahooka — One Parent Families: 15.5% Kanahooka — Group Household: 2.2% Kanahooka — Other Families: 0.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Brownsville 36.8% renting
Brownsville — Owned Outright: 28.2% Brownsville — Mortgage: 35.0% Brownsville — Renting: 36.8%
Kanahooka 12.6% renting
Kanahooka — Owned Outright: 52.2% Kanahooka — Mortgage: 35.2% Kanahooka — Renting: 12.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Brownsville Kanahooka
Certificate III & IV 20.0% / 19.8%
Brownsville — Certificate III & IV: 20.0% Kanahooka — Certificate III & IV: 19.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 7.5%
Brownsville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Kanahooka — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Bachelor Degree 5.3% / 7.9%
Brownsville — Bachelor Degree: 5.3% Kanahooka — Bachelor Degree: 7.9%
Postgraduate Degree 0.8% / 2.4%
Brownsville — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8% Kanahooka — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 1.6%
Brownsville — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Kanahooka — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

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.

Brownsville Kanahooka
England 7.1% / 6.9%
Brownsville — England: 7.1% Kanahooka — England: 6.9%
Scotland 1.9% / 1.3%
Brownsville — Scotland: 1.9% Kanahooka — Scotland: 1.3%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.9%
Brownsville — New Zealand: 1.1% Kanahooka — New Zealand: 0.9%
Philippines 1.0% / 1.0%
Brownsville — Philippines: 1.0% Kanahooka — Philippines: 1.0%
Italy 0.6% / 0.9%
Brownsville — Italy: 0.6% Kanahooka — Italy: 0.9%
Germany — / 1.2%
Brownsville — Germany: not among its largest Kanahooka — Germany: 1.2%
Thailand 1.1% / —
Brownsville — Thailand: 1.1% Kanahooka — Thailand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Brownsville 57.0% houses
Brownsville — Houses: 57.0% Brownsville — Townhouses: 16.1% Brownsville — Flats / Apartments: 26.9%
Kanahooka 84.0% houses
Kanahooka — Houses: 84.0% Kanahooka — Townhouses: 14.7% Kanahooka — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Brownsville Kanahooka
Median house price $841,500 $960,000
Median unit price $517,500 $820,000
Median land price — $420,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 54 days
from 3 sales
 23 days
from 31 sales

Zoning mix

Brownsville has more land zoned for conservation (57% vs 19%).

Brownsville Kanahooka
Residential 20% 59%
Environmental 57% 19%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 9%
Parks and recreation 10% 9%
Rural and farming 3% 4%
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

Brownsville Kanahooka
New dwellings approved 1,476
across Wollongong
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
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.

Brownsville Kanahooka
Houses — 4.2%
$700/wk on $870K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Brownsville Kanahooka
House price Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
Income Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 67% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 100% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 81% of NSW

Liveability

Kanahooka scores higher overall (51 vs 39).

Brownsville Kanahooka
Grade C B
Score 39/100 51/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Kanahooka carries more bushfire risk (28 vs 0); Brownsville carries more crime risk (82 vs 42).

Brownsville Kanahooka
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
28/100
Crime High
82/100
 Moderate
42/100
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 8
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Brownsville Kanahooka
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 1
UOW Wollongong, 9.7 km
 None

Schools in Brownsville

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Kanahooka

  • Hayes Park Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Kanahooka High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Brownsville Kanahooka
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Childcare 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Fuel stations 1
same for both

Mobility

Brownsville Kanahooka
Walkability score 44/100 48/100
Distance to Sydney 94.4 km 94.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 85 min 86 min
Public transport score 36/100
Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 6.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 57.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2530
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 2530
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.

Brownsville Kanahooka
Car (driver) 63.5% / 70.8%
Brownsville — Car (driver): 63.5% Kanahooka — Car (driver): 70.8%
Worked from Home 25.3% / 23.3%
Brownsville — Worked from Home: 25.3% Kanahooka — Worked from Home: 23.3%
Car (passenger) 5.1% / 3.6%
Brownsville — Car (passenger): 5.1% Kanahooka — Car (passenger): 3.6%
Walked Only 6.2% / 0.3%
Brownsville — Walked Only: 6.2% Kanahooka — Walked Only: 0.3%
Train — / 1.1%
Brownsville — Train: not among its largest Kanahooka — Train: 1.1%
Bicycle — / 0.5%
Brownsville — Bicycle: not among its largest Kanahooka — Bicycle: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.8%).

Setting

Brownsville Kanahooka
Elevation 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.5 km 6.5 km

NBN connectivity

Brownsville Kanahooka
Connectivity score 100/100 98/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
286 premises
 96%
2,640 premises

Climate

Brownsville Kanahooka
Annual rainfall 974 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Brownsville Kanahooka
PM2.5 5.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 19.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.45 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Brownsville Kanahooka
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Wollongong
same for both

Federal electorate

Brownsville Kanahooka
Division Whitlam
same for both
Member Carol Berry
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Brownsville Kanahooka
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Brownsville

Quiet

Kanahooka

Retirees

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Full data on Brownsville Full data on Kanahooka
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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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