Kilburn vs Port AdelaideTwo Adelaide suburbs compared for a home loan
Kilburn (SA 5084) is approximately 7 km north of the Adelaide CBD, west of Prospect. Port Adelaide (SA 5015) is approximately 14 km north-west of the Adelaide CBD, on the Port River. At the 2021 Census, Kilburn had 5,633 residents with a median age of 34, and Port Adelaide had 1,338 residents with a median age of 45.
The most common occupied dwelling was separate houses in Kilburn and townhouses and terraces in Port Adelaide. Flats and apartments made up 11% of occupied dwellings in Kilburn and 10% in Port Adelaide, while 56% of Kilburn households rented compared with 55% in Port Adelaide. 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
Kilburn
Kilburn is an inner-northern Adelaide suburb once named Chicago, where attached dwellings nearly match houses and renting exceeds half of households.
City of Port Adelaide Enfield. Approximately 7 km north of the Adelaide CBD, west of Prospect.
Read the full Kilburn guideSA 5015 · Adelaide's inner west
Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a historic port centre with a State Heritage Area, where townhouses outnumber houses two to one and renting is the majority tenure.
City of Port Adelaide Enfield. Approximately 14 km north-west of the Adelaide CBD, on the Port River.
Read the full Port Adelaide guide
What buying in Kilburn and Port Adelaide 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 Kilburn and Port Adelaide.
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 Kilburn to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Port Adelaide 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.
Kilburn and Port Adelaide: 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 | Kilburn | Port Adelaide |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 5,633 | 1,338 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 34 | 45 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,179 | $1,230 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $270 | $293 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,472 | $1,672 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 56% | 55% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 24% | 24% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 18% | 21% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 46% | 28% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 42% | 58% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 11% | 10% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 34% | 48% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 15% | 8% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 9% | 14% |
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 Kilburn and Port Adelaide
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.
Kilburn
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Attached dwellings dominate, so lender policy on units, minimum floor areas and corporation levies drive the outcome.
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio where public housing was concentrated.
- Kilburn shares postcode 5084 with Blair Athol, so confirm how a postcode-based lender or insurer policy treats the suburb.
- Renting exceeded half of households with a stated tenure, so many purchases are investment lending.
- Properties near the industrial land at Wingfield and Regency Park may be affected by traffic and activity.
Port Adelaide
- Investors
- Downsizers
- First home buyers
- Most stock is attached, so corporation levies, sinking funds and lender policy on units drive the lending outcome.
- Properties within the State Heritage Area declared in May 1982 face constraints on alteration, demolition and new work.
- Renewal sites on former industrial and port land can raise site history, remediation and acid sulfate soil questions.
- Renting is the majority tenure, so many purchases are investment lending, assessed on different terms.
- Some lenders limit exposure to a single building, which can affect approval even when the borrower qualifies.
Housing stock in Kilburn and Port Adelaide compared
Kilburn
- Semi-detached and townhouse dwellings
- At 856 dwellings, or 42.4 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census, attached housing nearly matches detached.
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 922 at the 2021 Census, only 45.7 per cent of occupied homes against 72.3 per cent nationally.
- Flats and apartments
- The 222 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 11.0 per cent of occupied homes, are mostly in small older groups.
Port Adelaide
- Townhouses and semi-detached dwellings
- The dominant form at 372 dwellings, or 58.4 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census, far above the national 12.6 per cent.
- Apartments and conversions
- The 63 flats counted at the 2021 Census include dwellings created within and around the heritage town centre.
- Separate houses
- Only 179 were recorded at the 2021 Census, 28.1 per cent of occupied homes, well below the national 72.3 per cent.
Official sale price and rent figures for Kilburn and Port Adelaide
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.
Kilburn
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Kilburn, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Port Adelaide
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Port Adelaide, 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 Kilburn and Port Adelaide
Kilburn
Transport
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Main North Road (road)
- Grand Junction Road (road)
- Churchill Road (road)
Amenities
- Kilburn local shops
- Gepps Cross retail precinct
Port Adelaide
Transport
- Port Adelaide Station (train)
- Port Dock Station (train)
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Port River Expressway (road)
Amenities
- Port Adelaide town centre
- Port Adelaide waterfront
- Port Adelaide heritage precinct
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 Kilburn or Port Adelaide with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Kilburn or Port Adelaide
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Kilburn and Port Adelaide, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.