Kealba vs Keilor Downs

Kealba is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 43 in Keilor Downs. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Keilor Downs: a median of $868,000, against $772,000 in Kealba. Kealba is closer to the city centre: 21.7 km, against 24.4 km.

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

Keilor Downs

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (21 vs 3)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 4)

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

First-home buyers

Kealba

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($494,500 vs $622,000)
  • has cheaper land ($650,000 vs $780,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($771,500 vs $868,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

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

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Kealba sits closer to the CBD (21.7 km vs 24.4 km)
  • Keilor Downs is more walkable (84/100 vs 54/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Keilor Downs

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (84/100 vs 54/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 76/100)

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

Investors

Kealba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.9% vs 3.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kealba Keilor Downs
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.

Kealba Keilor Downs
Walkability 54 / 84
Kealba — Walkability: 54/100 Keilor Downs — Walkability: 84/100
Safety 24 / 42
Kealba — Safety: 24/100 Keilor Downs — Safety: 42/100
Low fire risk 80 / 100
Kealba — Low fire risk: 80/100 Keilor Downs — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 48 / 65
Kealba — Low flood risk: 48/100 Keilor Downs — Low flood risk: 65/100

Demographics

Keilor Downs has more residents (9,857 vs 3,226); Keilor Downs skews older (43 vs 39).

Kealba Keilor Downs
Population 3,226 9,857
+206% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.0% -1.4%
Median age 39 43
Median household income $80,184/yr $81,016/yr
+1% vs other
Median weekly rent $370/wk
+3% vs other
 $360/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kealba Keilor Downs
0-4 5.6% / 4.9%
Kealba — 0-4: 5.6% Keilor Downs — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 11.6% / 10.4%
Kealba — 5-14: 11.6% Keilor Downs — 5-14: 10.4%
15-19 5.3% / 5.5%
Kealba — 15-19: 5.3% Keilor Downs — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 6.1% / 6.2%
Kealba — 20-24: 6.1% Keilor Downs — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 15.8% / 12.7%
Kealba — 25-34: 15.8% Keilor Downs — 25-34: 12.7%
35-44 13.4% / 11.7%
Kealba — 35-44: 13.4% Keilor Downs — 35-44: 11.7%
45-54 12.9% / 11.6%
Kealba — 45-54: 12.9% Keilor Downs — 45-54: 11.6%
55-64 12.3% / 14.8%
Kealba — 55-64: 12.3% Keilor Downs — 55-64: 14.8%
65-74 11.9% / 13.6%
Kealba — 65-74: 11.9% Keilor Downs — 65-74: 13.6%
75-84 4.2% / 6.4%
Kealba — 75-84: 4.2% Keilor Downs — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ 1.2% / 2.1%
Kealba — 85+: 1.2% Keilor Downs — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kealba 45.4% couple families
Kealba — Couple Families: 45.4% Kealba — Lone Person: 27.0% Kealba — One Parent Families: 23.7% Kealba — Group Household: 2.5% Kealba — Other Families: 1.5%
Keilor Downs 49.9% couple families
Keilor Downs — Couple Families: 49.9% Keilor Downs — Lone Person: 25.1% Keilor Downs — One Parent Families: 21.3% Keilor Downs — Group Household: 2.3% Keilor Downs — Other Families: 1.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kealba 18.8% renting
Kealba — Owned Outright: 41.1% Kealba — Mortgage: 40.1% Kealba — Renting: 18.8%
Keilor Downs 18.6% renting
Keilor Downs — Owned Outright: 49.7% Keilor Downs — Mortgage: 31.6% Keilor Downs — Renting: 18.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Kealba Keilor Downs
Certificate III & IV 12.7% / 12.7%
Kealba — Certificate III & IV: 12.7% Keilor Downs — Certificate III & IV: 12.7%
Bachelor Degree 12.3% / 11.2%
Kealba — Bachelor Degree: 12.3% Keilor Downs — Bachelor Degree: 11.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 7.0%
Kealba — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Keilor Downs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Postgraduate Degree 2.4% / 3.0%
Kealba — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4% Keilor Downs — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 1.5%
Kealba — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Keilor Downs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.7%).

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.

Kealba Keilor Downs
Vietnam 9.5% / 5.3%
Kealba — Vietnam: 9.5% Keilor Downs — Vietnam: 5.3%
Italy 2.0% / 2.2%
Kealba — Italy: 2.0% Keilor Downs — Italy: 2.2%
India 1.4% / 2.6%
Kealba — India: 1.4% Keilor Downs — India: 2.6%
Greece 1.1% / 2.5%
Kealba — Greece: 1.1% Keilor Downs — Greece: 2.5%
New Zealand 1.4% / 1.3%
Kealba — New Zealand: 1.4% Keilor Downs — New Zealand: 1.3%
Philippines 1.1% / 1.4%
Kealba — Philippines: 1.1% Keilor Downs — Philippines: 1.4%
Iraq 1.4% / —
Kealba — Iraq: 1.4% Keilor Downs — Iraq: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kealba 92.9% houses
Kealba — Houses: 92.9% Kealba — Townhouses: 5.1% Kealba — Flats / Apartments: 1.9%
Keilor Downs 85.3% houses
Keilor Downs — Houses: 85.3% Keilor Downs — Townhouses: 14.1% Keilor Downs — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Kealba Keilor Downs
Median house price $771,500 $868,500
Median unit price $494,500 $622,000
Median land price $650,000 $780,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 23 sales
 25 days
from 90 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.

Kealba Keilor Downs
3 bed $749K / $793K
Kealba — 3 bed: $749K (39 sales) Keilor Downs — 3 bed: $793K (78 sales)

39 vs 78 sales

4 bed $788K / $922K
Kealba — 4 bed: $788K (42 sales) Keilor Downs — 4 bed: $922K (63 sales)

42 vs 63 sales

5 bed $970K / $903K
Kealba — 5 bed: $970K (7 sales) Keilor Downs — 5 bed: $903K (8 sales)

7 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Kealba Keilor Downs
Residential 43% 70%
Parks and recreation 29% 19%
Other and special use 11% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 8%
Industrial 7% 0%
Commercial 1% 3%
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

Kealba Keilor Downs
New dwellings approved 670
across Brimbank
same for both
Approvals change year on year +40%
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.

Kealba Keilor Downs
Houses 4.9%
$650/wk on $690K
 3.7%
$570/wk on $802K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Kealba Keilor Downs
House price Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 53% of VIC
Income Higher than 47% of VIC Higher than 48% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 56% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 51% of VIC Higher than 43% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 69% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 84% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 45% of VIC

Liveability

Keilor Downs is more walkable (84 vs 54); Keilor Downs scores higher overall (62 vs 44).

Kealba Keilor Downs
Grade C B
Score 44/100 62/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
same for both

Risk profile

Kealba carries more bushfire risk (20 vs 0); Kealba carries more flood risk (52 vs 35).

Kealba Keilor Downs
Bushfire Low
20/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
76/100
 Moderate
58/100
Flood Moderate
52/100
 Low
35/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Moderate
50/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Kealba Keilor Downs
Inside the suburb 1 4
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 1
Victoria University Footscray Park, 9.1 km
 None

Schools in Kealba

  • St Paul's Kealba Catholic School Catholic · Primary above peers

Schools in Keilor Downs

  • Keilor Downs Secondary College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Keilor Views Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Monmia Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Mary MacKillop Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Kealba Keilor Downs
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 3 21
Childcare 4 7
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 1 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 2 0
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 2 7

Mobility

Keilor Downs sits further from the CBD (24.4 km vs 21.7 km).

Kealba Keilor Downs
Walkability score 54/100 84/100
Distance to Melbourne 21.7 km 24.4 km
+12% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 26 min 28 min
Public transport score 77/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 44.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 98.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3021
 0.8%
postcode 3038
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 27
postcode 3021
 36
postcode 3038

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.

Kealba Keilor Downs
Car (driver) 68.2% / 66.7%
Kealba — Car (driver): 68.2% Keilor Downs — Car (driver): 66.7%
Worked from Home 24.1% / 23.8%
Kealba — Worked from Home: 24.1% Keilor Downs — Worked from Home: 23.8%
Car (passenger) 3.7% / 4.8%
Kealba — Car (passenger): 3.7% Keilor Downs — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Train 2.6% / 3.3%
Kealba — Train: 2.6% Keilor Downs — Train: 3.3%
Bus 0.6% / 0.6%
Kealba — Bus: 0.6% Keilor Downs — Bus: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.2%).

Setting

Kealba Keilor Downs
Elevation 65 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 88 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 13.5 km 16.1 km

NBN connectivity

Kealba Keilor Downs
Connectivity score 75/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
1,309 premises
 3%
3,906 premises

Climate

Kealba Keilor Downs
Annual rainfall 534 mm 518 mm
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C 6.0°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Kealba Keilor Downs
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 18.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Kealba Keilor Downs
Average residential rate $1,847/yr
same for both
Council Brimbank
same for both

Federal electorate

Kealba Keilor Downs
Division Fraser Gorton
Member Daniel Mulino Alice Jordan-Baird
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kealba Keilor Downs
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kealba

Large Blocks Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Quiet River

Keilor Downs

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kealba

Kealba vs St Albans Kealba vs Keilor East Kealba vs Sunshine North Kealba vs Keilor

Other comparisons with Keilor Downs

Keilor Downs vs St Albans Keilor Downs vs Taylors Lakes Keilor Downs vs Sydenham Keilor Downs vs Delahey Keilor Downs vs Keilor
Full data on Kealba Full data on Keilor Downs
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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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