Mount Keira vs Balgownie

In both, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Mount Keira, most households are couple families. In Balgownie, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Balgownie: a median of $1.43 million, against $1.25 million in Mount Keira, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Mount Keira tends to suit 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 Keira

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (92% vs 72%)
  • But Balgownie has more childcare (7 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Mount Keira

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 29%)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,245,500 vs $1,425,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Mount Keira

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 24%)

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

  • Mount Keira sits closer to the CBD (80.6 km vs 84.9 km)
  • Balgownie is more walkable (65/100 vs 26/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Balgownie

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (28% vs 8%)
  • is more walkable (65/100 vs 26/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (21% 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

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

Mount Keira Balgownie
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.

Mount Keira Balgownie
Walkability 26 / 65
Mount Keira — Walkability: 26/100 Balgownie — Walkability: 65/100
Safety 66 / 60
Mount Keira — Safety: 66/100 Balgownie — Safety: 60/100
Low fire risk 18 / 100
Mount Keira — Low fire risk: 18/100 Balgownie — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Balgownie has more residents (5,722 vs 1,691); Mount Keira has higher household incomes ($128,752 vs $99,424).

Mount Keira Balgownie
Population 1,691 5,722
+238% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.6% +3.6%
Median age 40 42
Median household income $128,752/yr
+23% vs other
 $99,424/yr
Median weekly rent $420/wk $450/wk
+7% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mount Keira Balgownie
0-4 5.0% / 5.8%
Mount Keira — 0-4: 5.0% Balgownie — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 14.3% / 12.6%
Mount Keira — 5-14: 14.3% Balgownie — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 7.3% / 5.3%
Mount Keira — 15-19: 7.3% Balgownie — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 7.4% / 5.8%
Mount Keira — 20-24: 7.4% Balgownie — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 9.5% / 10.4%
Mount Keira — 25-34: 9.5% Balgownie — 25-34: 10.4%
35-44 13.1% / 12.7%
Mount Keira — 35-44: 13.1% Balgownie — 35-44: 12.7%
45-54 14.8% / 12.7%
Mount Keira — 45-54: 14.8% Balgownie — 45-54: 12.7%
55-64 12.7% / 13.1%
Mount Keira — 55-64: 12.7% Balgownie — 55-64: 13.1%
65-74 9.7% / 11.2%
Mount Keira — 65-74: 9.7% Balgownie — 65-74: 11.2%
75-84 4.8% / 8.1%
Mount Keira — 75-84: 4.8% Balgownie — 75-84: 8.1%
85+ 1.8% / 2.2%
Mount Keira — 85+: 1.8% Balgownie — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mount Keira 57.8% couple families
Mount Keira — Couple Families: 57.8% Mount Keira — Lone Person: 23.0% Mount Keira — One Parent Families: 14.1% Mount Keira — Group Household: 4.3% Mount Keira — Other Families: 0.7%
Balgownie 47.3% couple families
Balgownie — Couple Families: 47.3% Balgownie — Lone Person: 30.9% Balgownie — One Parent Families: 17.6% Balgownie — Group Household: 3.4% Balgownie — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mount Keira 15.5% renting
Mount Keira — Owned Outright: 43.3% Mount Keira — Mortgage: 41.2% Mount Keira — Renting: 15.5%
Balgownie 22.3% renting
Balgownie — Owned Outright: 46.8% Balgownie — Mortgage: 30.9% Balgownie — Renting: 22.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mount Keira Balgownie
Bachelor Degree 17.0% / 15.2%
Mount Keira — Bachelor Degree: 17.0% Balgownie — Bachelor Degree: 15.2%
Certificate III & IV 12.2% / 14.4%
Mount Keira — Certificate III & IV: 12.2% Balgownie — Certificate III & IV: 14.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.0% / 8.4%
Mount Keira — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0% Balgownie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Postgraduate Degree 8.5% / 5.3%
Mount Keira — Postgraduate Degree: 8.5% Balgownie — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.7% / 2.6%
Mount Keira — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7% Balgownie — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

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.

Mount Keira Balgownie
England 3.7% / 2.8%
Mount Keira — England: 3.7% Balgownie — England: 2.8%
Italy 1.2% / 3.0%
Mount Keira — Italy: 1.2% Balgownie — Italy: 3.0%
India 1.8% / 0.8%
Mount Keira — India: 1.8% Balgownie — India: 0.8%
New Zealand 1.3% / 0.9%
Mount Keira — New Zealand: 1.3% Balgownie — New Zealand: 0.9%
China 0.5% / 1.2%
Mount Keira — China: 0.5% Balgownie — China: 1.2%
Scotland 0.8% / 0.7%
Mount Keira — Scotland: 0.8% Balgownie — Scotland: 0.7%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mount Keira 91.8% houses
Mount Keira — Houses: 91.8% Mount Keira — Townhouses: 2.7% Mount Keira — Flats / Apartments: 5.5%
Balgownie 71.8% houses
Balgownie — Houses: 71.8% Balgownie — Townhouses: 26.1% Balgownie — Flats / Apartments: 2.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mount Keira Balgownie
Median house price $1,245,500 $1,425,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 10 sales
 38 days
from 30 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.

Mount Keira Balgownie
3 bed $1.17M / $1.22M
Mount Keira — 3 bed: $1.17M (18 sales) Balgownie — 3 bed: $1.22M (25 sales)

18 vs 25 sales

4 bed $1.23M / $1.55M
Mount Keira — 4 bed: $1.23M (9 sales) Balgownie — 4 bed: $1.55M (28 sales)

9 vs 28 sales

5 bed $1.97M / $1.56M
Mount Keira — 5 bed: $1.97M (7 sales) Balgownie — 5 bed: $1.56M (15 sales)

7 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

Mount Keira has more land zoned for conservation (85% vs 38%).

Mount Keira Balgownie
Environmental 85% 38%
Residential 8% 52%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 5%
Parks and recreation 1% 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

Mount Keira Balgownie
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.

Mount Keira Balgownie
Houses — 4.3%
$950/wk on $1.15M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Mount Keira Balgownie
House price Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Income Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 86% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 100% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 86% of NSW

Liveability

Balgownie is more walkable (65 vs 26); Balgownie scores higher overall (69 vs 48).

Mount Keira Balgownie
Grade C B
Score 48/100 69/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Mount Keira carries more bushfire risk (82 vs 0).

Mount Keira Balgownie
Bushfire High
82/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
34/100
 Moderate
40/100
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 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Mount Keira Balgownie
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
UOW Wollongong, 4.6 km
 1
UOW Wollongong, 5.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.1% 2.7%

Schools in Mount Keira

  • Mount Keira Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Balgownie

  • Balgownie Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mount Keira Balgownie
Parks & reserves 5 2
Childcare 0 7
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Balgownie sits further from the CBD (84.9 km vs 80.6 km).

Mount Keira Balgownie
Walkability score 26/100 65/100
Distance to Sydney 80.6 km 84.9 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 77 min 81 min
Public transport score 67/100
Bus
 76/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 26.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 82.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 2500
 1.3%
postcode 2519
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 14
postcode 2500
 30
postcode 2519

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.

Mount Keira Balgownie
Car (driver) 56.6% / 60.0%
Mount Keira — Car (driver): 56.6% Balgownie — Car (driver): 60.0%
Worked from Home 35.6% / 33.6%
Mount Keira — Worked from Home: 35.6% Balgownie — Worked from Home: 33.6%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 3.7%
Mount Keira — Car (passenger): 4.6% Balgownie — Car (passenger): 3.7%
Walked Only 1.1% / 1.0%
Mount Keira — Walked Only: 1.1% Balgownie — Walked Only: 1.0%
Bicycle 1.0% / 0.4%
Mount Keira — Bicycle: 1.0% Balgownie — Bicycle: 0.4%
Train 0.4% / 0.8%
Mount Keira — Train: 0.4% Balgownie — Train: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.0%).

Setting

Mount Keira Balgownie
Elevation 382 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 40 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.6 km
4.7 km to a named beach
 3.4 km
3.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Mount Keira Balgownie
Connectivity score 100/100 80/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
617 premises
 64%
2,429 premises

Climate

Mount Keira Balgownie
Annual rainfall 974 mm 1,038 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Mount Keira Balgownie
PM2.5 6.2 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.66 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Mount Keira Balgownie
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Wollongong
same for both

Federal electorate

Mount Keira Balgownie
Division Cunningham
same for both
Member Alison Byrnes
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Mount Keira

Acreage Professionals Quiet

Balgownie

Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mount Keira

Mount Keira vs Figtree Mount Keira vs West Wollongong Mount Keira vs Keiraville Mount Keira vs Tarrawanna Mount Keira vs Mount Ousley Mount Keira vs Mount Pleasant

Other comparisons with Balgownie

Balgownie vs Fairy Meadow Balgownie vs Tarrawanna Balgownie vs Mount Pleasant Balgownie vs Fernhill
Full data on Mount Keira Full data on Balgownie
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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