Kareela vs Kirrawee

Kirrawee is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 42 in Kareela. In both, most households own their home. In Kareela, the large majority of homes are detached houses and most households are couple families. On these figures, Kareela tends to suit couples, while Kirrawee suits 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

Kareela

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 53/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (88% vs 50%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (82% vs 59%)
  • But Kirrawee has more childcare (11 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Kirrawee

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (31% vs 5%)
  • has cheaper rent ($500/wk vs $695/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Kirrawee

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 75/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Kirrawee

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (50% vs 12%)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 1)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 75/100)
  • But Kareela carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 53/100)

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

Investors

Kirrawee

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (18.6% vs 3.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kareela Kirrawee
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.

Kareela Kirrawee
Walkability 75 / 96
Kareela — Walkability: 75/100 Kirrawee — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 78 / 47
Kareela — Safety: 78/100 Kirrawee — Safety: 47/100
Low fire risk 100 / 6
Kareela — Low fire risk: 100/100 Kirrawee — Low fire risk: 6/100

Demographics

Kirrawee has more residents (11,007 vs 3,572); Kareela rents higher ($695/wk vs $500/wk).

Kareela Kirrawee
Population 3,572 11,007
+208% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.3% +18.6%
Median age 42 39
Median household income $143,780/yr
+25% vs other
 $107,640/yr
Median weekly rent $695/wk
+28% vs other
 $500/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kareela Kirrawee
0-4 5.6% / 6.7%
Kareela — 0-4: 5.6% Kirrawee — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 15.5% / 11.6%
Kareela — 5-14: 15.5% Kirrawee — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 6.3% / 5.6%
Kareela — 15-19: 6.3% Kirrawee — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 5.0% / 5.5%
Kareela — 20-24: 5.0% Kirrawee — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 6.4% / 13.7%
Kareela — 25-34: 6.4% Kirrawee — 25-34: 13.7%
35-44 14.7% / 14.6%
Kareela — 35-44: 14.7% Kirrawee — 35-44: 14.6%
45-54 14.5% / 13.0%
Kareela — 45-54: 14.5% Kirrawee — 45-54: 13.0%
55-64 10.2% / 10.2%
Kareela — 55-64: 10.2% Kirrawee — 55-64: 10.2%
65-74 11.7% / 8.5%
Kareela — 65-74: 11.7% Kirrawee — 65-74: 8.5%
75-84 8.8% / 6.6%
Kareela — 75-84: 8.8% Kirrawee — 75-84: 6.6%
85+ 1.6% / 4.1%
Kareela — 85+: 1.6% Kirrawee — 85+: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kareela 69.6% couple families
Kareela — Couple Families: 69.6% Kareela — Lone Person: 17.0% Kareela — One Parent Families: 12.1% Kareela — Group Household: 0.9% Kareela — Other Families: 0.4%
Kirrawee 44.8% couple families
Kirrawee — Couple Families: 44.8% Kirrawee — Lone Person: 36.5% Kirrawee — One Parent Families: 13.8% Kirrawee — Group Household: 3.9% Kirrawee — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kareela 4.9% renting
Kareela — Owned Outright: 47.4% Kareela — Mortgage: 47.7% Kareela — Renting: 4.9%
Kirrawee 30.8% renting
Kirrawee — Owned Outright: 30.3% Kirrawee — Mortgage: 38.8% Kirrawee — Renting: 30.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Kareela Kirrawee
Bachelor Degree 16.6% / 16.2%
Kareela — Bachelor Degree: 16.6% Kirrawee — Bachelor Degree: 16.2%
Certificate III & IV 12.5% / 14.0%
Kareela — Certificate III & IV: 12.5% Kirrawee — Certificate III & IV: 14.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.6% / 9.7%
Kareela — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.6% Kirrawee — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7%
Postgraduate Degree 5.9% / 5.1%
Kareela — Postgraduate Degree: 5.9% Kirrawee — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 1.8%
Kareela — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Kirrawee — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

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.

Kareela Kirrawee
England 3.8% / 3.6%
Kareela — England: 3.8% Kirrawee — England: 3.6%
China 3.8% / 2.2%
Kareela — China: 3.8% Kirrawee — China: 2.2%
New Zealand 1.5% / 1.7%
Kareela — New Zealand: 1.5% Kirrawee — New Zealand: 1.7%
Philippines 0.7% / 1.0%
Kareela — Philippines: 0.7% Kirrawee — Philippines: 1.0%
Greece 0.7% / 0.5%
Kareela — Greece: 0.7% Kirrawee — Greece: 0.5%
Germany 1.0% / —
Kareela — Germany: 1.0% Kirrawee — Germany: not among its largest
India — / 0.7%
Kareela — India: not among its largest Kirrawee — India: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kareela 88.5% houses
Kareela — Houses: 88.5% Kareela — Flats / Apartments: 0.3% Kareela — Townhouses: 11.2%
Kirrawee 49.5% houses
Kirrawee — Houses: 49.5% Kirrawee — Flats / Apartments: 35.2% Kirrawee — Townhouses: 15.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Kareela Kirrawee
Median house price $1,741,000 $1,792,500
Median unit price — $857,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 53 sales
 22 days
from 73 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.

Kareela Kirrawee
3 bed $1.59M / $1.65M
Kareela — 3 bed: $1.59M (23 sales) Kirrawee — 3 bed: $1.65M (52 sales)

23 vs 52 sales

4 bed $1.74M / $1.87M
Kareela — 4 bed: $1.74M (43 sales) Kirrawee — 4 bed: $1.87M (42 sales)

43 vs 42 sales

5 bed $2.01M / $2.1M
Kareela — 5 bed: $2.01M (18 sales) Kirrawee — 5 bed: $2.1M (10 sales)

18 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Kareela has more land zoned for conservation (34% vs 10%); Kirrawee has more industrially zoned land (16% vs 0%).

Kareela Kirrawee
Residential 33% 59%
Environmental 34% 10%
Parks and recreation 28% 2%
Industrial 0% 16%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 12%
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

Kareela Kirrawee
New dwellings approved 1,449
across Sutherland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +117%
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.

Kareela Kirrawee
Houses — 3.5%
$1,150/wk on $1.7M
Units — 4.2%
$720/wk on $882K

Ranking within NSW

Kareela Kirrawee
House price Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Income Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Schools Higher than 12% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 90% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 46% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 33% of NSW

Liveability

Kirrawee is more walkable (96 vs 75); Kareela scores higher overall (69 vs 56).

Kareela Kirrawee
Grade B
same for both
Score 69/100 56/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Kirrawee carries more bushfire risk (94 vs 0); Kirrawee carries more crime risk (53 vs 22).

Kareela Kirrawee
Bushfire None
0/100
 High
94/100
Crime Low
22/100
 Moderate
53/100
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 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Kareela Kirrawee
Inside the suburb 3 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Kareela

  • Kareela Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Aspect South East Sydney School, Kareela Independent · Primary · Special school
  • Bates Drive School Government · Combined · Special school

Schools in Kirrawee

  • Kirrawee High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Kirrawee Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Kareela Kirrawee
Supermarkets 1 5
Cafes & restaurants 0 22
Parks & reserves 14 13
Childcare 2 11
GPs 1 4
Pharmacies 0 2
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 4
EV chargers 0 2
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Kareela Kirrawee
Walkability score 75/100 96/100
Distance to Sydney 29 km 30.4 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 37 min 41 min
Public transport score 76/100
Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 73.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 112.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 2232
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 22
postcode 2232
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.

Kareela Kirrawee
Worked from Home 49.0% / 44.5%
Kareela — Worked from Home: 49.0% Kirrawee — Worked from Home: 44.5%
Car (driver) 43.2% / 45.1%
Kareela — Car (driver): 43.2% Kirrawee — Car (driver): 45.1%
Train 2.9% / 4.7%
Kareela — Train: 2.9% Kirrawee — Train: 4.7%
Car (passenger) 3.1% / 2.8%
Kareela — Car (passenger): 3.1% Kirrawee — Car (passenger): 2.8%
Walked Only 0.9% / 2.5%
Kareela — Walked Only: 0.9% Kirrawee — Walked Only: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (49.0%).

Setting

Kareela Kirrawee
Elevation 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 93 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.9 km 5.2 km

NBN connectivity

Kareela Kirrawee
Connectivity score 78/100 83/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 11%
1,253 premises
 44%
6,078 premises

Climate

Kareela Kirrawee
Annual rainfall 1,038 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Kareela Kirrawee
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.79 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Kareela Kirrawee
Average residential rate $1,552/yr
same for both
Council Sutherland
same for both

Federal electorate

Kareela Kirrawee
Division Cook
same for both
Member Simon Kennedy
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kareela Kirrawee
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kareela

Outer Parks Quiet River

Kirrawee

Apartments Outer Parks Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kareela

Kareela vs Sylvania Kareela vs Gymea Kareela vs Jannali Kareela vs Oyster Bay

Other comparisons with Kirrawee

Kirrawee vs Sutherland Kirrawee vs Gymea Kirrawee vs Jannali Kirrawee vs Grays Point
Full data on Kareela Full data on Kirrawee
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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