Wilston vs Kelvin Grove

Kelvin Grove is the younger of the two, with a median age of 28 against 37 in Wilston. In Wilston, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. In Kelvin Grove, most households rent and most homes are flats or apartments. Houses cost more in Wilston: a median of $2.03 million, against $1.5 million in Kelvin Grove. Kelvin Grove is closer to the city centre: 3.8 km, against 5.6 km. On these figures, Wilston tends to suit families with children and couples, while Kelvin Grove suits renters, young adults, and 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

Wilston

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (70% vs 31%)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 37%)
  • But Kelvin Grove has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Kelvin Grove

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,500,000 vs $2,030,000)
  • has cheaper units ($720,000 vs $798,500)
  • But Wilston leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 28%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Wilston leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 24%)
  • Kelvin Grove has a bigger rental market to choose from (66% vs 35%)

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

Commuting to the city

Wilston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (8% vs 2%)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Wilston carries lower crime risk (61/100 vs 73/100)
  • Kelvin Grove has more units and townhouses to downsize into (69% vs 30%)

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

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

Wilston Kelvin Grove
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.

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Walkability 79 / 85
Wilston — Walkability: 79/100 Kelvin Grove — Walkability: 85/100
Safety 39 / 27
Wilston — Safety: 39/100 Kelvin Grove — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Wilston — Low fire risk: 100/100 Kelvin Grove — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Kelvin Grove has more residents (7,909 vs 4,110); Wilston has higher household incomes ($154,492 vs $86,840).

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Population 4,110 7,909
+92% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.4% -0.2%
Median age 37 28
Median household income $154,492/yr
+44% vs other
 $86,840/yr
Median weekly rent $405/wk
+1% vs other
 $400/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Wilston Kelvin Grove
0-4 5.1% / 3.8%
Wilston — 0-4: 5.1% Kelvin Grove — 0-4: 3.8%
5-14 13.4% / 9.6%
Wilston — 5-14: 13.4% Kelvin Grove — 5-14: 9.6%
15-19 7.4% / 9.4%
Wilston — 15-19: 7.4% Kelvin Grove — 15-19: 9.4%
20-24 7.7% / 17.8%
Wilston — 20-24: 7.7% Kelvin Grove — 20-24: 17.8%
25-34 13.4% / 22.8%
Wilston — 25-34: 13.4% Kelvin Grove — 25-34: 22.8%
35-44 14.3% / 14.1%
Wilston — 35-44: 14.3% Kelvin Grove — 35-44: 14.1%
45-54 16.8% / 10.4%
Wilston — 45-54: 16.8% Kelvin Grove — 45-54: 10.4%
55-64 11.7% / 5.8%
Wilston — 55-64: 11.7% Kelvin Grove — 55-64: 5.8%
65-74 6.4% / 3.6%
Wilston — 65-74: 6.4% Kelvin Grove — 65-74: 3.6%
75-84 2.8% / 1.9%
Wilston — 75-84: 2.8% Kelvin Grove — 75-84: 1.9%
85+ 0.9% / 1.0%
Wilston — 85+: 0.9% Kelvin Grove — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Wilston 49.9% couple families
Wilston — Couple Families: 49.9% Wilston — Lone Person: 30.0% Wilston — Group Household: 7.7% Wilston — One Parent Families: 10.5% Wilston — Other Families: 1.8%
Kelvin Grove 25.7% couple families
Kelvin Grove — Couple Families: 25.7% Kelvin Grove — Lone Person: 40.5% Kelvin Grove — Group Household: 19.2% Kelvin Grove — One Parent Families: 11.7% Kelvin Grove — Other Families: 2.9%
Couple Families Lone Person Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Wilston 34.6% renting
Wilston — Owned Outright: 30.7% Wilston — Mortgage: 34.7% Wilston — Renting: 34.6%
Kelvin Grove 66.0% renting
Kelvin Grove — Owned Outright: 13.1% Kelvin Grove — Mortgage: 20.9% Kelvin Grove — Renting: 66.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Bachelor Degree 27.3% / 25.1%
Wilston — Bachelor Degree: 27.3% Kelvin Grove — Bachelor Degree: 25.1%
Postgraduate Degree 10.0% / 12.7%
Wilston — Postgraduate Degree: 10.0% Kelvin Grove — Postgraduate Degree: 12.7%
Certificate III & IV 7.2% / 7.0%
Wilston — Certificate III & IV: 7.2% Kelvin Grove — Certificate III & IV: 7.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.8% / 7.4%
Wilston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8% Kelvin Grove — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.1% / 3.2%
Wilston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1% Kelvin Grove — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.3%).

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.

Wilston Kelvin Grove
England 3.9% / 2.5%
Wilston — England: 3.9% Kelvin Grove — England: 2.5%
China 0.5% / 5.7%
Wilston — China: 0.5% Kelvin Grove — China: 5.7%
India 1.4% / 3.6%
Wilston — India: 1.4% Kelvin Grove — India: 3.6%
New Zealand 2.1% / 2.3%
Wilston — New Zealand: 2.1% Kelvin Grove — New Zealand: 2.3%
Vietnam — / 2.1%
Wilston — Vietnam: not among its largest Kelvin Grove — Vietnam: 2.1%
Italy 0.9% / —
Wilston — Italy: 0.9% Kelvin Grove — Italy: not among its largest
South Africa 0.8% / —
Wilston — South Africa: 0.8% Kelvin Grove — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Wilston 70.3% houses
Wilston — Houses: 70.3% Wilston — Flats / Apartments: 20.9% Wilston — Townhouses: 8.8%
Kelvin Grove 31.2% houses
Kelvin Grove — Houses: 31.2% Kelvin Grove — Flats / Apartments: 62.5% Kelvin Grove — Townhouses: 6.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Median house price $2,030,000 $1,500,000
Median unit price $798,500 $720,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 36 sales
 25 days
from 37 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.

Wilston Kelvin Grove
2 bed $1.47M / $1.2M
Wilston — 2 bed: $1.47M (8 sales) Kelvin Grove — 2 bed: $1.2M (10 sales)

8 vs 10 sales

3 bed $1.55M / $1.51M
Wilston — 3 bed: $1.55M (22 sales) Kelvin Grove — 3 bed: $1.51M (36 sales)

22 vs 36 sales

4 bed $2.06M / $1.55M
Wilston — 4 bed: $2.06M (28 sales) Kelvin Grove — 4 bed: $1.55M (16 sales)

28 vs 16 sales

Development activity

Wilston Kelvin Grove
New dwellings approved 9,382
across Brisbane
same for both
Approvals change year on year +9%
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.

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Houses —
same for both
Units — 4.9%
$665/wk on $704K

Ranking within QLD

Wilston Kelvin Grove
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 97% of QLD Higher than 60% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 39% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 95% of QLD Higher than 97% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 97% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of QLD Higher than 91% of QLD
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 71% of QLD

Liveability

Wilston scores higher overall (84 vs 62).

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Grade A+ B
Score 84/100 62/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Kelvin Grove carries more crime risk (73 vs 61).

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
61/100
 High
73/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 3
Kelvin Grove, 1.8 km
 3
Kelvin Grove, 0.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.4% 14.2%

Schools in Wilston

  • St Columba's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers

Schools in Kelvin Grove

  • Compass Independent School Independent · Combined below peers
  • Kelvin Grove State College Government · Combined below peers
  • Queensland Academy for Creative Industries Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 16 14
Parks & reserves 5 12
Childcare 2 4
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1 2
EV chargers 0 2
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Walkability score 79/100 85/100
Distance to Brisbane 5.6 km
+32% vs other
 3.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 13 min 9 min
Public transport score 90/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 51.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 236.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.6%
postcode 4051
 2.6%
postcode 4059
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 38
postcode 4051
 23
postcode 4059

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.

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Car (driver) 46.1% / 41.5%
Wilston — Car (driver): 46.1% Kelvin Grove — Car (driver): 41.5%
Worked from Home 33.6% / 25.2%
Wilston — Worked from Home: 33.6% Kelvin Grove — Worked from Home: 25.2%
Bus 2.2% / 15.4%
Wilston — Bus: 2.2% Kelvin Grove — Bus: 15.4%
Walked Only 4.1% / 9.2%
Wilston — Walked Only: 4.1% Kelvin Grove — Walked Only: 9.2%
Train 7.6% / 1.6%
Wilston — Train: 7.6% Kelvin Grove — Train: 1.6%
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 4.3%
Wilston — Car (passenger): 3.8% Kelvin Grove — Car (passenger): 4.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (46.1%).

Setting

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Elevation 22 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 48 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.0 km
1.5 km to a named beach
 10.9 km
3.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Connectivity score 75/100 79/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 1%
1,803 premises
 22%
3,155 premises

Climate

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Annual rainfall 1,032 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Wilston Kelvin Grove
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Average residential rate $1,519/yr
same for both
Council Brisbane
same for both

Federal electorate

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Division Brisbane
same for both
Member Madonna Jarrett
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Wilston Kelvin Grove
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Wilston

Inner Luxury Parks Professionals Trains Transport Hub

Kelvin Grove

Apartments Inner Parks Professionals Students Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Wilston

Wilston vs Windsor Wilston vs Newmarket Wilston vs Grange Wilston vs Herston

Other comparisons with Kelvin Grove

Kelvin Grove vs Brisbane City Kelvin Grove vs Spring Hill Kelvin Grove vs Red Hill Kelvin Grove vs Newmarket Kelvin Grove vs Herston Kelvin Grove vs Petrie Terrace
Full data on Wilston Full data on Kelvin Grove
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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