Thinking about buying your first home in Kurnell (2231)? This page brings together 17 data cards from NSW government, the ABS, Transport for NSW, and Domain auction results to help you decide if Kurnell is the right fit. The analysis covers affordability and FHB scheme eligibility, schools and childcare, dealbreakers like flood and bushfire, and how the suburb is changing. Jump between the four sections using the sticky navigation, or scroll through the full analysis below.
Is Kurnell a good suburb to buy in 2026?
Kurnell (2231) scores a Stickybeak Grade across safety, family fit, financial picture, and lifestyle. Scroll down for the full 17-card analysis, or use the section navigation to jump to what matters most.
Tick the places you actually go and how often. We'll work out your typical travel time from this suburb, so you can compare suburbs against the trips you really do.
Your typical trip from hereTick a destination below
41 min
49 min
69 min
68 min
22 min
Approximate off-peak driving times: straight-line distance × a Sydney detour factor at 35 km/h. Real road times will vary. Saved on this device.
The verdict
Who it is for
Kurnell suits a specific buyer: someone who genuinely wants to live at the end of a peninsula, values low-density living, and does not need to walk anywhere. The suburb is 81% owner-occupied, almost entirely separate houses, and carries a SEIFA decile of 8, so neighbours are generally comfortable. Air quality is excellent at a median AQI of 31. If your household can absorb a $1,722,500 median and you work remotely or have a very flexible commute, the isolation becomes a feature rather than a flaw.
Who would not love it
The walkability score sits at the 6th percentile across Sydney. There are no supermarkets, no cafes, and no medical services within 1.6 kilometres. There is no secondary school in the postcode, so families with teenagers face daily travel. Over half the postcode area is classified bushfire-prone land. The house median has also slipped 2.7% year-on-year across only 18 sales, meaning the price signal is thin and you are buying into a market with very limited liquidity.
What to verify before you bid
- Check the specific bushfire attack level (BAL) rating for any property you consider, given 53.4% of the postcode is bushfire-prone land. Construction standards and insurance costs vary significantly by BAL rating. - Confirm your secondary schooling plan before committing. There is no high school in the postcode, so you need to map transport routes and travel times for children. - The unit median of $1,065,000 rests on just three sales. Treat that figure with caution and request comparable sales data directly from the agent before forming a view on value.
Refreshed fortnightly; last refresh 12 May 2026. Verify any specific fact against its source card below.
SAFETY
Will I feel safe and comfortable in Kurnell?
BOCSAR · KURNELL 2231
Recorded incidents reported to police
12-month rolling total at suburb level, indexed against Greater Sydney.
RATE PER 100K6,64612 mo to Dec 2025
VS GREATER SYDNEY−17%Below Sydney average
5-YR TREND (LGA)Sutherland
Within LGA: Sutherland
TOP OFFENCE CATEGORIES
OTHER OFFENCES51%50 reports
THEFT28%27 reports
MALICIOUS DAMAGE TO PROPERTY21%21 reports
ASSAULT SPLIT (DOMESTIC VS NON-DOMESTIC)
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FLAGGED59%
NON-DOMESTIC41%
Across 17 assault reports in this window.
DV-flagged assault has risen statewide as reporting has improved. Compare with caution to suburbs whose population has changed materially.
BOCSAR Recorded Criminal Incidents · Updated March 2026 · CC BY 4.0
Air quality
Air quality in Kurnell
20
GoodAQI · NSW DCCEEW
13:49 AEST
Randwick station · 11.2 km from centroid
12-month median:AQI 31 · Good
Air quality is generally safe for outdoor activity.
Pollutants
nearest station
PM2.5i
3.9µg/m³
24-hr avg
PM10i
9.9µg/m³
24-hr avg
NO₂i
0.6pphm
1hr reading
AQI · last 12 months · daily mean
Randwick station · 365 daily points
Source: NSW DCCEEW Air Quality API↗ (CC BY 4.0). Historical data updated weekly; live readings cached 60 minutes.
Median weekly rent from lodged bonds. Sep 2025. Bond count suppressed by DCJ (30 or fewer lodgements this quarter).
Rents here are at the higher end for Sydney. Higher holding costs for investors; higher savings pressure for renters.
Median weekly rent · All dwellings · All
Small sample
$750per week
Sep 2025 · bond count suppressed
Quarterly trend · last 12 quarters
Nearby suburbs · same combination
Sans Souci2219
…
5.6 km away
Cronulla2230
…
6.0 km away
Caringbah2229
…
6.4 km away
Kogarah2217
…
7.2 km away
NSW DCJ Rental Bond Board↗ · Sep 2025 · CC BY. Cells with 10 or fewer bond lodgements are suppressed; cells with 30 or fewer have the bond count suppressed but rent published. Figures are transacted rents, not asking rents.
DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE · NSW PLANNING PORTAL · 2231
What’s in the pipeline
NSW Planning Portal feed paused at the source for postcode 2231. Expected back by Q3 2026.
Get one email when Kurnell's prices, FHB eligibility, or strata health change. No newsletter, no upsell, unsubscribe with one click.
Your email is used only for this notification. Unsubscribe in one click.
Compare Kurnell with another suburb
Also in Sutherland
Comparing suburbs in the same area can sharpen your decision. Browse suburb insights for other Sutherland postcodes, or explore the full Sutherland suburb index.
Kurnell is the primary suburb with postcode 2231 in New South Wales. In some cases multiple suburbs share the same postcode — Kurnell is the main locality.
Which local government area is Kurnell in?
Kurnell (2231) is located in the Sutherland local government area in New South Wales.
What data does Stickybeak show for Kurnell?
Stickybeak shows 16 data cards for Kurnell (2231) covering affordability (median sale prices, rental yield, first home buyer eligibility), lifestyle (schools, childcare, walkability, commute times), risk factors (flood zones, bushfire prone land, air quality, traffic volume), and suburb growth signals (development pipeline, price trajectory, demographics).
Is Kurnell flood prone?
Flood risk varies street by street in Kurnell. Check the Dealbreakers section on this page for the latest NSW flood zone mapping sourced from official state government data. Always verify at the property level with a Section 10.7 certificate before purchasing.
What are the best schools near Kurnell?
The Schools card on this page lists primary and secondary schools within the catchment area for Kurnell (2231), including their NAPLAN performance data and distance from the suburb centre.
Is Kurnell (2231) eligible for the First Home Buyer scheme?
The First Home Buyer eligibility card on this page shows which NSW and federal government schemes — including the First Home Guarantee, stamp duty exemptions, and the First Home Super Saver scheme — apply to purchases in Kurnell (2231). Eligibility depends on the purchase price and your individual circumstances.
How is Kurnell changing?
The Change section on this page covers new housing supply from the development pipeline, historical price trajectory, and demographic shifts for Kurnell (2231) using data from NSW Planning, the ATO, and the ABS.
