Kembla Grange vs Unanderra

Kembla Grange is the younger of the two, with a median age of 29 against 42 in Unanderra. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Kembla Grange, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Kembla Grange: a median of $2 million, against $950,000 in Unanderra, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Kembla Grange tends to suit young adults, families with children, and couples, while Unanderra suits people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Unanderra

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 1)
  • But Kembla Grange is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 53%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Kembla Grange leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 37%)
  • Unanderra has cheaper houses ($950,000 vs $2,000,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Unanderra

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 22%)
  • has cheaper rent ($285/wk vs $570/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Unanderra

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 8/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (91.5 km vs 94.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Unanderra

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 8/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 6%)

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

Investors

Kembla Grange

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (476.2% vs 0.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kembla Grange Unanderra
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.

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Walkability 8 / 89
Kembla Grange — Walkability: 8/100 Unanderra — Walkability: 89/100
Safety 15 / 14
Kembla Grange — Safety: 15/100 Unanderra — Safety: 14/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Kembla Grange — Low fire risk: 100/100 Unanderra — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Unanderra has more residents (5,476 vs 1,452); Kembla Grange has higher household incomes ($133,848 vs $62,972).

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Population 1,452 5,476
+277% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +476.2% +0.8%
Median age 29 42
Median household income $133,848/yr
+53% vs other
 $62,972/yr
Median weekly rent $570/wk
+50% vs other
 $285/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kembla Grange Unanderra
0-4 13.1% / 5.8%
Kembla Grange — 0-4: 13.1% Unanderra — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 13.9% / 11.1%
Kembla Grange — 5-14: 13.9% Unanderra — 5-14: 11.1%
15-19 5.7% / 5.9%
Kembla Grange — 15-19: 5.7% Unanderra — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 5.9% / 5.6%
Kembla Grange — 20-24: 5.9% Unanderra — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 22.9% / 13.1%
Kembla Grange — 25-34: 22.9% Unanderra — 25-34: 13.1%
35-44 16.9% / 11.3%
Kembla Grange — 35-44: 16.9% Unanderra — 35-44: 11.3%
45-54 8.4% / 10.9%
Kembla Grange — 45-54: 8.4% Unanderra — 45-54: 10.9%
55-64 6.5% / 11.1%
Kembla Grange — 55-64: 6.5% Unanderra — 55-64: 11.1%
65-74 4.5% / 10.8%
Kembla Grange — 65-74: 4.5% Unanderra — 65-74: 10.8%
75-84 1.5% / 8.3%
Kembla Grange — 75-84: 1.5% Unanderra — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ 0.3% / 5.8%
Kembla Grange — 85+: 0.3% Unanderra — 85+: 5.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kembla Grange 65.9% couple families
Kembla Grange — Couple Families: 65.9% Kembla Grange — Lone Person: 16.5% Kembla Grange — One Parent Families: 12.2% Kembla Grange — Group Household: 2.8% Kembla Grange — Other Families: 2.6%
Unanderra 31.3% couple families
Unanderra — Couple Families: 31.3% Unanderra — Lone Person: 41.7% Unanderra — One Parent Families: 21.6% Unanderra — Group Household: 3.4% Unanderra — Other Families: 2.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kembla Grange 21.7% renting
Kembla Grange — Owned Outright: 12.8% Kembla Grange — Mortgage: 65.5% Kembla Grange — Renting: 21.7%
Unanderra 44.4% renting
Unanderra — Owned Outright: 29.1% Unanderra — Mortgage: 26.5% Unanderra — Renting: 44.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Certificate III & IV 17.1% / 17.2%
Kembla Grange — Certificate III & IV: 17.1% Unanderra — Certificate III & IV: 17.2%
Bachelor Degree 12.8% / 8.3%
Kembla Grange — Bachelor Degree: 12.8% Unanderra — Bachelor Degree: 8.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 6.2%
Kembla Grange — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Unanderra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 2.0%
Kembla Grange — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Unanderra — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 1.0%
Kembla Grange — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Unanderra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.2%).

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.

Kembla Grange Unanderra
England 2.2% / 3.7%
Kembla Grange — England: 2.2% Unanderra — England: 3.7%
India 2.4% / 0.8%
Kembla Grange — India: 2.4% Unanderra — India: 0.8%
New Zealand 1.0% / 0.9%
Kembla Grange — New Zealand: 1.0% Unanderra — New Zealand: 0.9%
Italy — / 1.5%
Kembla Grange — Italy: not among its largest Unanderra — Italy: 1.5%
Philippines 0.3% / 1.2%
Kembla Grange — Philippines: 0.3% Unanderra — Philippines: 1.2%
Ireland 0.8% / —
Kembla Grange — Ireland: 0.8% Unanderra — Ireland: not among its largest
Thailand 0.7% / —
Kembla Grange — Thailand: 0.7% Unanderra — Thailand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kembla Grange 81.1% houses
Kembla Grange — Houses: 81.1% Kembla Grange — Townhouses: 20.0% Kembla Grange — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Unanderra 78.0% houses
Unanderra — Houses: 78.0% Unanderra — Townhouses: 9.4% Unanderra — Flats / Apartments: 12.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Median house price $2,000,000 $950,000
Median unit price — $760,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 19 days
from 21 sales

Zoning mix

Kembla Grange has more land zoned for conservation (31% vs 2%); Unanderra has more industrially zoned land (46% vs 24%).

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Industrial 24% 46%
Environmental 31% 2%
Residential 12% 30%
Parks and recreation 17% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 8% 13%
Rural and farming 7% 0%
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

Kembla Grange Unanderra
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.

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Houses — 4.1%
$750/wk on $955K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Kembla Grange Unanderra
House price Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 42% of NSW
Income Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 25% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 19% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 38% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 82% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 77% of NSW

Liveability

Unanderra is more walkable (89 vs 8); Kembla Grange scores higher overall (50 vs 38).

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Grade B C
Score 50/100 38/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
85/100
 High
86/100
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
 18
within 5 km

Schools

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Inside the suburb 0 6
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 3
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
UOW Wollongong, 9.1 km
 1
UOW Wollongong, 5.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.7% 1.0%

Schools in Kembla Grange

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

Schools in Unanderra

  • Cedars Christian College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Farmborough Road Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Pius X Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Aspect South Coast School, Farmborough Heights Independent · Combined · Special school
  • Aspect South Coast School, Unanderra Independent · Primary · Special school
  • Cedars Christian College - Aspire Independent · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 4 6
Childcare 1 5
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 3
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 4 22

Mobility

Kembla Grange sits further from the CBD (94.3 km vs 91.5 km).

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Walkability score 8/100 89/100
Distance to Sydney 94.3 km
+3% vs other
 91.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 87 min
same for both
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 48.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 186.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 2526
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 2526
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.

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Car (driver) 68.4% / 66.6%
Kembla Grange — Car (driver): 68.4% Unanderra — Car (driver): 66.6%
Worked from Home 27.4% / 22.9%
Kembla Grange — Worked from Home: 27.4% Unanderra — Worked from Home: 22.9%
Car (passenger) 2.2% / 5.7%
Kembla Grange — Car (passenger): 2.2% Unanderra — Car (passenger): 5.7%
Walked Only 2.0% / 1.9%
Kembla Grange — Walked Only: 2.0% Unanderra — Walked Only: 1.9%
Bus — / 2.0%
Kembla Grange — Bus: not among its largest Unanderra — Bus: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.4%).

Setting

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Elevation 40 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 20 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.7 km 3.9 km

NBN connectivity

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Connectivity score 94/100 67/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 90%
951 premises
 41%
3,480 premises

Climate

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Annual rainfall 974 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Kembla Grange Unanderra
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

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Wollongong
same for both

Federal electorate

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Division Whitlam Cunningham
Member Carol Berry Alison Byrnes
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kembla Grange Unanderra
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kembla Grange

Family Premium Townhouses Young Families

Unanderra

River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kembla Grange

Kembla Grange vs Dapto Kembla Grange vs Berkeley Kembla Grange vs Kanahooka Kembla Grange vs Farmborough Heights Kembla Grange vs Brownsville Kembla Grange vs Dombarton

Other comparisons with Unanderra

Unanderra vs Figtree Unanderra vs Berkeley Unanderra vs Cordeaux Heights Unanderra vs Farmborough Heights Unanderra vs Cringila Unanderra vs Spring Hill
Full data on Kembla Grange Full data on Unanderra
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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