Blair Athol vs KilkennyTwo Adelaide suburbs compared for a home loan
Blair Athol (SA 5084) is approximately 7 km north of the Adelaide CBD, along Prospect Road. Kilkenny (SA 5009) is approximately 6 km north-west of the Adelaide CBD, on the Outer Harbor line. At the 2021 Census, Blair Athol had 5,274 residents with a median age of 32, and Kilkenny had 1,846 residents with a median age of 39.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 5% of occupied dwellings in Blair Athol and 12% in Kilkenny, while 46% of Blair Athol households rented compared with 32% in Kilkenny. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
SA 5084 · Adelaide's inner north
Blair Athol
Blair Athol is an inner-northern Adelaide suburb named after a stud farm, with a young population, a large rental market and a noted Afghan retail strip.
City of Port Adelaide Enfield. Approximately 7 km north of the Adelaide CBD, along Prospect Road.
Read the full Blair Athol guideSA 5009 · Adelaide's inner north-west
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a small inner north-western Adelaide suburb with its own station on the Outer Harbor line and an unusually even three-way split of tenure.
City of Charles Sturt. Approximately 6 km north-west of the Adelaide CBD, on the Outer Harbor line.
Read the full Kilkenny guide
What buying in Blair Athol and Kilkenny would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Blair Athol and Kilkenny.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Blair Athol to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Kilkenny to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Blair Athol and Kilkenny: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Blair Athol | Kilkenny |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 5,274 | 1,846 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 32 | 39 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.5 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,459 | $1,399 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $321 | $320 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,600 | $1,517 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 46% | 32% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 31% | 29% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 22% | 31% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 79% | 66% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 14% | 22% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 5% | 12% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 22% | 33% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 18% | 14% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 7% | 5% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Blair Athol and Kilkenny
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Blair Athol
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Blair Athol shares postcode 5084 with Kilburn, so confirm how a postcode-based lender or insurer policy treats the suburb.
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio where public housing was concentrated in the inner north.
- Narrow-lot townhouses on subdivided sites can face minimum floor area or land size requirements with some lenders.
- Renting is the largest tenure, so many purchases are investment lending, assessed on different terms.
- Redevelopment potential should be confirmed against the zone rather than assumed from allotment size.
Kilkenny
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Downsizers
- The suburb is small, with 712 occupied dwellings, so comparable sales evidence can be thin.
- Small units can fall below the minimum internal floor area some lenders require.
- Corporation levies are counted in serviceability assessments and reduce borrowing power.
- Older records may describe the northern half of the suburb as Challa Gardens, Woodville East or Kilkenny North.
- Redeveloped allotments near surrounding industrial land can raise site history questions.
Housing stock in Blair Athol and Kilkenny compared
Blair Athol
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,401 at the 2021 Census, 79.0 per cent of occupied homes, above the national 72.3 per cent.
- Townhouses and semi-detached dwellings
- The 253 attached dwellings counted at the 2021 Census are largely infill on subdivided allotments.
- Three-bedroom homes
- The dominant size at 1,027 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census.
Kilkenny
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 469 at the 2021 Census, 65.9 per cent of occupied homes, below the national 72.3 per cent.
- Townhouses and semi-detached dwellings
- At 154 dwellings, or 21.6 per cent of occupied homes, attached housing is well above the national share.
- Flats and apartments
- The 82 flats counted at the 2021 Census are mostly in small groups throughout the suburb.
Official sale price and rent figures for Blair Athol and Kilkenny
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Blair Athol
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Blair Athol, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Kilkenny
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Kilkenny, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Blair Athol and Kilkenny
Blair Athol
Transport
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Prospect Road (road)
- Main North Road (road)
- Grand Junction Road (road)
Amenities
- Prospect Road retail strip
- Gepps Cross retail precinct
- Gepps Cross Hotel
Kilkenny
Transport
- Kilkenny Station (train)
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Torrens Road (road)
- Port Road (road)
Amenities
- Kilkenny local shops
- Austral Picture Palace building
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the South Australia education department.
Compare Blair Athol or Kilkenny with another suburb
Change either suburb, or add a third.
Related comparisons
Request a free assessment: Blair Athol or Kilkenny
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Blair Athol and Kilkenny, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.