Ainslie vs CampbellTwo Canberra suburbs compared for a home loan
Ainslie (ACT 2602) is approximately 3 km north-east of the Canberra city centre, below Mount Ainslie. Campbell (ACT 2612) is approximately 3 km east of the Canberra city centre, at the base of Mount Ainslie. At the 2021 Census, Ainslie had 5,376 residents with a median age of 42, and Campbell had 6,564 residents with a median age of 28.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 10% of occupied dwellings in Ainslie and 38% in Campbell, while 33% of Ainslie households rented compared with 38% in Campbell. 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.
ACT 2602 · North Canberra
Ainslie
Ainslie is an established inner north suburb whose division name was gazetted in 1928, built mostly of houses with evenly divided tenure.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 3 km north-east of the Canberra city centre, below Mount Ainslie.
Read the full Ainslie guideACT 2612 · North Canberra
Campbell
Campbell contains the Royal Military College Duntroon, ADFA and the Australian War Memorial, which shape its young age profile and high vacancy rate.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 3 km east of the Canberra city centre, at the base of Mount Ainslie.
Read the full Campbell guide
What buying in Ainslie and Campbell 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 Ainslie and Campbell.
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 Ainslie to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Campbell 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.
Ainslie and Campbell: 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 | Ainslie | Campbell |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 5,376 | 6,564 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 42 | 28 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,434 | $3,052 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $367 | $500 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,600 | $2,400 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 33% | 38% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 30% | 30% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 31% | 30% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 73% | 51% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 17% | 11% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 10% | 38% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 25% | 34% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 31% | 34% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 7% | 19% |
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 Ainslie and Campbell
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.
Ainslie
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Older houses warrant a check of the loose-fill asbestos register before an offer.
- A cleared or recently built block may have been part of the buyback and demolition scheme.
- Ainslie has seen far less redevelopment than Braddon, so density potential should not be assumed.
- Heritage listing in urban conservation areas can constrain demolition and alterations.
- Median monthly mortgage repayments of $2,600 mean serviceability usually binds before deposit.
Campbell
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Downsizers
- A large share of residents live in institutional accommodation, so the buyable market is smaller.
- At 1,981 occupied dwellings split between two housing types, comparable evidence is limited.
- One-bedroom dwellings can fall below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- Body corporate levies on the apartment stock are counted in serviceability assessments.
- Older houses warrant a check of the loose-fill asbestos register.
Housing stock in Ainslie and Campbell compared
Ainslie
- Established detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,464 at the 2021 Census, 72.5 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 860 dwellings had three bedrooms and 486 had four.
- Townhouses and apartments
- The 339 townhouse dwellings and 204 flats counted at the 2021 Census.
Campbell
- Established detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,010 at the 2021 Census, 51.0 per cent of occupied homes.
- Apartments
- The 755 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 38.1 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 624 dwellings had three bedrooms and 525 had four.
Official sale price and rent figures for Ainslie and Campbell
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.
Ainslie
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Ainslie, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Campbell
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Campbell, 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 Ainslie and Campbell
Ainslie
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Limestone Avenue (road)
- Wakefield Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Ainslie shops
- Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve
- Dickson shops
Campbell
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Anzac Parade (road)
- Fairbairn Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Australian War Memorial
- Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve
- Daley Park
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the ACT education department.
Compare Ainslie or Campbell with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Ainslie or Campbell
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Ainslie and Campbell, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.