Kelso is a settled mid-to-large suburb in Queensland within the Townsville local government area (postcode 4815). The area has roughly 10,599 residents and a mix of young professionals and families, with a median age of 34. Households earn a median income of $85K per year, with an average household size of 2.8 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement staying broadly stable across the broader catchment, with population growth running at +1.1% year-on-year at the LGA level. QLD employment has moved +0.9% year-on-year in the official Jobs and Skills Australia NERO series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. QLD also had 32 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 12 underway, and 50 in planning as at 2 October 2024, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are community & personal service, technicians & trades, labourers. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and retail trade. The top ancestries reported are Australian, English, Aboriginal Australian.
Kelso has a median house price of $389,000, which has climbed sharply by 16% year-on-year. Units have a median price of $313,000 (-35.6% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $530. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 7.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,496.
Kelso is served by 1 school, including 1 primary. The average ICSEA score is 828, which is well below the national average of 1,000. The crime rate in the Townsville LGA is higher than average at 10,578 incidents per 100,000 population.
On the investment side, Kelso shows a gross rental yield of approximately 7.1%, rated as high yield. Property prices sit below the state median ($389K/$1.1M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 4.6x is considered affordable. House prices have moved +16.0% year-on-year. Population growth of +1.1% year-on-year points to stable demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.