Kembla Heights vs Mount Kembla

In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Kembla Heights, the large majority of households rent. In Mount Kembla, the large majority of households own their home and most households are couple families. On these figures, Kembla Heights tends to suit renters and share households, while Mount Kembla suits 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

Mount Kembla

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 86/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 51%)

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

Renters

Kembla Heights

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (100% vs 7%)
  • has cheaper rent ($355/wk vs $440/wk)
  • But Mount Kembla leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 28%)

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

Commuting to the city

Kembla Heights

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (86.2 km vs 90.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mount Kembla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 86/100)

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

Investors

Mount Kembla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (1.4% vs -26.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Kembla Heights and Mount Kembla 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 Heights Mount Kembla
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 Heights Mount Kembla
Walkability 35 / 40
Kembla Heights — Walkability: 35/100 Mount Kembla — Walkability: 40/100
Safety 14 / 73
Kembla Heights — Safety: 14/100 Mount Kembla — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 18 / 32
Kembla Heights — Low fire risk: 18/100 Mount Kembla — Low fire risk: 32/100

Demographics

Mount Kembla has more residents (1,083 vs 88); Mount Kembla has higher household incomes ($146,848 vs $65,780).

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Population 88 1,083
+1131% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -26.1% +1.4%
Median age 44 42
Median household income $65,780/yr $146,848/yr
+123% vs other
Median weekly rent $355/wk $440/wk
+24% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
0-4 4.5% / 3.9%
Kembla Heights — 0-4: 4.5% Mount Kembla — 0-4: 3.9%
5-14 13.6% / 16.6%
Kembla Heights — 5-14: 13.6% Mount Kembla — 5-14: 16.6%
15-19 5.7% / 7.2%
Kembla Heights — 15-19: 5.7% Mount Kembla — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 5.7% / 5.7%
Kembla Heights — 20-24: 5.7% Mount Kembla — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 10.2% / 7.6%
Kembla Heights — 25-34: 10.2% Mount Kembla — 25-34: 7.6%
35-44 14.8% / 12.1%
Kembla Heights — 35-44: 14.8% Mount Kembla — 35-44: 12.1%
45-54 21.6% / 14.0%
Kembla Heights — 45-54: 21.6% Mount Kembla — 45-54: 14.0%
55-64 10.2% / 15.8%
Kembla Heights — 55-64: 10.2% Mount Kembla — 55-64: 15.8%
65-74 6.8% / 9.6%
Kembla Heights — 65-74: 6.8% Mount Kembla — 65-74: 9.6%
75-84 9.1% / 5.0%
Kembla Heights — 75-84: 9.1% Mount Kembla — 75-84: 5.0%
85+ — / 1.3%
Kembla Heights — 85+: not among its largest Mount Kembla — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kembla Heights 14.3% couple families
Kembla Heights — Couple Families: 14.3% Kembla Heights — One Parent Families: 37.1% Kembla Heights — Lone Person: 25.7% Kembla Heights — Group Household: 22.9%
Mount Kembla 66.5% couple families
Mount Kembla — Couple Families: 66.5% Mount Kembla — One Parent Families: 11.6% Mount Kembla — Lone Person: 19.9% Mount Kembla — Group Household: 2.0%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kembla Heights 100.0% renting
Kembla Heights — Owned Outright: 0.0% Kembla Heights — Mortgage: 0.0% Kembla Heights — Renting: 100.0%
Mount Kembla 7.2% renting
Mount Kembla — Owned Outright: 53.0% Mount Kembla — Mortgage: 39.8% Mount Kembla — Renting: 7.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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 Heights Mount Kembla
England 4.5% / 4.7%
Kembla Heights — England: 4.5% Mount Kembla — England: 4.7%
New Zealand — / 1.5%
Kembla Heights — New Zealand: not among its largest Mount Kembla — New Zealand: 1.5%
India — / 1.2%
Kembla Heights — India: not among its largest Mount Kembla — India: 1.2%
Ireland — / 0.8%
Kembla Heights — Ireland: not among its largest Mount Kembla — Ireland: 0.8%
Italy — / 0.6%
Kembla Heights — Italy: not among its largest Mount Kembla — Italy: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

Qualifications

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

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Certificate III & IV 19.3% / 13.9%
Kembla Heights — Certificate III & IV: 19.3% Mount Kembla — Certificate III & IV: 13.9%
Bachelor Degree 8.0% / 18.1%
Kembla Heights — Bachelor Degree: 8.0% Mount Kembla — Bachelor Degree: 18.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 7.3%
Kembla Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Mount Kembla — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3%
Postgraduate Degree — / 6.6%
Kembla Heights — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Mount Kembla — Postgraduate Degree: 6.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 3.6%
Kembla Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Mount Kembla — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kembla Heights 100.0% houses
Kembla Heights — Houses: 100.0% Kembla Heights — Townhouses: 0.0% Kembla Heights — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Mount Kembla 98.0% houses
Mount Kembla — Houses: 98.0% Mount Kembla — Townhouses: 1.4% Mount Kembla — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Median house price — $1,217,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 26 days
from 7 sales

Zoning mix

Kembla Heights has more land zoned for conservation (95% vs 82%).

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Environmental 95% 82%
Rural and farming 4% 14%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 2%
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 Heights Mount Kembla
New dwellings approved 1,476
across Wollongong
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
House price — Higher than 65% of NSW
Income Higher than 28% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 76% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 82% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW

Liveability

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Grade — B
Score — 55/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Kembla Heights carries more crime risk (86 vs 27); Kembla Heights carries more bushfire risk (82 vs 68).

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Bushfire High
82/100
 Moderate
68/100
Crime High
86/100
 Low
27/100
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 5
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
UOW Wollongong, 7.8 km
 1
UOW Wollongong, 6.5 km

Schools in Kembla Heights

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

Schools in Mount Kembla

  • Mount Kembla Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 0 1
Waterways 1 5

Mobility

Mount Kembla sits further from the CBD (90.5 km vs 86.2 km).

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Walkability score 35/100 40/100
Distance to Sydney 86.2 km 90.5 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 85 min 87 min
Public transport score 23/100
Bus
 38/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 2.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 10.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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 Heights Mount Kembla
Car (driver) 83.8% / 56.8%
Kembla Heights — Car (driver): 83.8% Mount Kembla — Car (driver): 56.8%
Worked from Home 16.2% / 40.5%
Kembla Heights — Worked from Home: 16.2% Mount Kembla — Worked from Home: 40.5%
Car (passenger) — / 2.0%
Kembla Heights — Car (passenger): not among its largest Mount Kembla — Car (passenger): 2.0%
Walked Only — / 0.7%
Kembla Heights — Walked Only: not among its largest Mount Kembla — Walked Only: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.8%).

Setting

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Elevation 254 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 78 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.0 km 6.8 km

NBN connectivity

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Connectivity score 17/100 80/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
7 premises
 64%
375 premises

Climate

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

Air quality (annual mean)

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
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 Heights Mount Kembla
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Wollongong
same for both

Federal electorate

Kembla Heights Mount Kembla
Division Cunningham
same for both
Member Alison Byrnes
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Kembla Heights

Rural

Mount Kembla

Acreage Professionals Quiet

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Other comparisons with Mount Kembla

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Full data on Kembla Heights Full data on Mount Kembla
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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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