Alkimos vs JoondalupTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Alkimos (WA 6038) is approximately 41 km north-north-west of the Perth CBD, on the Indian Ocean coast. Joondalup (WA 6027) is approximately 26 km north of the Perth CBD. At the 2021 Census, Alkimos had 10,203 residents with a median age of 31, and Joondalup had 9,193 residents with a median age of 39.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in Alkimos and 24% in Joondalup, while 29% of Alkimos households rented compared with 41% in Joondalup. 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.
WA 6038 · Outer northern coastal Perth
Alkimos
Alkimos is a master-planned coastal suburb in Perth's outer north, with new detached houses, mostly mortgaged households and a station opened in 2024.
City of Wanneroo. Approximately 41 km north-north-west of the Perth CBD, on the Indian Ocean coast.
Read the full Alkimos guideWA 6027 · Northern suburbs of Perth
Joondalup
Joondalup is the planned regional centre of Perth's north, with a rail station, university, major hospital and a mix of houses and apartments.
City of Joondalup. Approximately 26 km north of the Perth CBD.
Read the full Joondalup guide
What buying in Alkimos and Joondalup 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 Alkimos and Joondalup.
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 Alkimos to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Joondalup 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.
Alkimos and Joondalup: 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 | Alkimos | Joondalup |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 10,203 | 9,193 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 31 | 39 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.3 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,035 | $1,688 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $360 | $360 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,950 | $1,733 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 29% | 41% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 63% | 33% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 8% | 25% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 98% | 57% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 2% | 19% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 24% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 3% | 26% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 55% | 41% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 7% | 10% |
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 Alkimos and Joondalup
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.
Alkimos
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Construction loans are drawn in progress payments and valued on an as-if-complete basis, which differs from lending on an established home.
- High loan-to-value borrowing is common, so lenders mortgage insurance or the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme is often relevant.
- Much of Alkimos is designated bushfire prone, which can require a Bushfire Attack Level assessment and raise construction and insurance costs.
- Land sold before titles are issued does not transfer until the Certificate of Title exists, so finance approvals may need to be extended or renewed.
- Restrictive covenants and estate design requirements on a title can govern materials, fencing and the form of the house a lender is asked to fund.
- Where new lots are still being released nearby, valuers may compare a resale with the cost of building new, which affects owners with little equity.
Joondalup
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Studio apartments and purpose-built student accommodation may not meet the minimum floor area or security type requirements of some lenders.
- Off-the-plan purchases are valued close to settlement, and a valuation below the contract price would need to be covered from the buyer's own funds.
- Lenders mortgage insurance is likely to apply to purchases with a small deposit, and adding the premium to the loan increases total interest costs.
- Strata levies on townhouses and apartments are counted as a living cost in serviceability assessments and reduce borrowing capacity.
- With no mandatory cooling-off period in Western Australia, a finance condition with a realistic approval date protects buyers whose loan is not yet formally approved.
Housing stock in Alkimos and Joondalup compared
Alkimos
- Four-bedroom project homes
- Single-storey brick family homes built by volume builders; four-bedroom dwellings numbered 1,844 at the 2021 Census.
- Three-bedroom homes on compact lots
- Smaller detached houses on medium density lots; 1,428 dwellings had three bedrooms at the 2021 Census.
- House and land packages
- Vacant estate lots bought with a separate building contract and funded by a construction loan drawn in stages.
Joondalup
- Detached brick and tile houses
- Family homes on moderately sized lots, mostly built from the late twentieth century onwards; 2,037 separate houses were counted at the 2021 Census.
- Townhouses and grouped dwellings
- Lower-maintenance strata homes located close to the station, university and shopping precinct.
- Apartments and student accommodation
- Low-rise units in the city centre, including some small dwellings designed primarily for student tenants.
Official sale price and rent figures for Alkimos and Joondalup
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.
Alkimos
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Alkimos, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Joondalup
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Joondalup, 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 Alkimos and Joondalup
Alkimos
Transport
- Alkimos Station (train)
- Alkimos Station bus interchange (bus)
- Marmion Avenue (road)
- Mitchell Freeway (road)
Schools and campuses
- Alkimos College (secondary, government)
- Alkimos Primary School (primary, government)
- Alkimos Beach Primary School (primary, government)
- Shorehaven Primary School (primary, government)
- St James' Anglican School (combined, independent)
- Northshore Christian Grammar School (combined, independent)
Amenities
- Alkimos Aquatic and Recreation Centre (opening expected November 2026)
- Trinity Village Shopping Centre
- Alkimos Beach
- Shorehaven Beach
- Halesworth Park sporting complex (Butler)
- Joondalup Health Campus (Joondalup)
Joondalup
Transport
- Joondalup Station (train)
- Joondalup CAT (bus)
- Mitchell Freeway (road)
- Joondalup Drive (road)
Schools and campuses
- Joondalup Primary School (primary, government)
- Lake Joondalup Baptist College (combined, independent)
- Edith Cowan University, Joondalup Campus (tertiary, university)
- North Metropolitan TAFE, Joondalup (Kendrew Crescent) (tertiary, tafe)
Amenities
- Joondalup Health Campus
- Lakeside Joondalup
- Yellagonga Regional Park
- Neil Hawkins Park
- Arena Joondalup
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the Western Australia education department.
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