Armadale vs RockinghamTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Armadale (WA 6112) is approximately 28 km south-east of the Perth CBD, at the foot of the Darling Range. Rockingham (WA 6168) is approximately 40 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on Cockburn Sound. At the 2021 Census, Armadale had 13,415 residents with a median age of 39, and Rockingham had 15,312 residents with a median age of 49.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 2% of occupied dwellings in Armadale and 14% in Rockingham, while 41% of Armadale households rented compared with 38% in Rockingham. 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 6112 · South-east metropolitan Perth
Armadale
Armadale is a strategic metropolitan centre in Perth's outer south-east with a rebuilt elevated station, older houses and villas, and many renters.
City of Armadale. Approximately 28 km south-east of the Perth CBD, at the foot of the Darling Range.
Read the full Armadale guideWA 6168 · Perth's southern coastal corridor
Rockingham
Rockingham is a coastal strategic centre south of Perth with older houses, villas and foreshore apartments, an older population and many renters.
City of Rockingham. Approximately 40 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on Cockburn Sound.
Read the full Rockingham guide
What buying in Armadale and Rockingham 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 Armadale and Rockingham.
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 Armadale to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Rockingham 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.
Armadale and Rockingham: 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 | Armadale | Rockingham |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 13,415 | 15,312 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 39 | 49 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.0 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,020 | $1,169 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $270 | $300 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,300 | $1,517 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 41% | 38% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 31% | 27% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 24% | 34% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 67% | 66% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 31% | 20% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 2% | 14% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 18% | 27% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 19% | 30% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 11% | 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 Armadale and Rockingham
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.
Armadale
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Some lenders and mortgage insurers vary maximum loan-to-value ratios by postcode, so it may be prudent to confirm policy for postcode 6112 early.
- Small deposits are common, which makes lenders mortgage insurance or the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme relevant to many purchases.
- Older houses may draw valuer comments about condition, asbestos-containing materials or unapproved additions, and lenders can ask for further reports.
- Small villas may fall below the minimum internal floor area that certain lenders require, and strata levies reduce assessed borrowing capacity.
- Properties within the mapped Neerigen Brook floodplain or a bush fire prone area may cost more to insure, and insurance is required at settlement.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be written into the offer.
Rockingham
- Downsizers
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Some lenders restrict serviced or short-stay apartments and set minimum internal floor areas, which can narrow the choice of lender for foreshore units.
- Strata levies, reserve fund balances and planned remedial works in coastal buildings affect both valuation and borrowing capacity assessments.
- Borrowers close to retirement are usually asked for an exit strategy, and the loan term offered may be shorter than the standard term.
- Downsizers buying before selling may need bridging finance or an offer made subject to the sale of their existing home.
- Property within mapped coastal hazard or bush fire prone areas may cost more to insure, and lenders require insurance at settlement.
Housing stock in Armadale and Rockingham compared
Armadale
- Older three-bedroom houses
- Single-storey houses on traditional lots; three-bedroom dwellings numbered 3,321 at the 2021 Census.
- Villas, duplexes and townhouses
- Semi-detached, terrace and townhouse dwellings made up 1,683 of the occupied homes counted at the 2021 Census, most in small strata groups.
- Flats and apartments
- Only 89 flats or apartments were counted at the 2021 Census, so apartment stock in the suburb is minimal.
Rockingham
- Older single-storey houses
- Separate houses on traditional lots made up 4,526 of the occupied homes counted at the 2021 Census, in widely varying condition.
- Villas, duplexes and townhouses
- The 2021 Census counted 1,390 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings, typically strata titled and a smaller alternative to a detached house.
- Foreshore apartments
- Flats and apartments numbered 977 at the 2021 Census, concentrated near the beach, some with short-stay use in the building.
Official sale price and rent figures for Armadale and Rockingham
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.
Armadale
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Armadale, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Rockingham
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Rockingham, 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 Armadale and Rockingham
Armadale
Transport
- Armadale Station (train)
- Byford Rail Extension (train)
- Route 220 (bus)
- Armadale Station bus services (bus)
- Albany Highway and South Western Highway (road)
- Armadale Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Armadale Senior High School (secondary, government)
- Cecil Andrews College (secondary, government)
- Armadale Primary School (primary, government)
- Neerigen Brook Primary School (primary, government)
- Kingsley Primary School (primary, government)
- South Metropolitan TAFE, Armadale campus (tertiary, tafe)
Amenities
- Armadale Health Service (Mount Nasura)
- Armadale Central Shopping Centre
- Armadale Shopping City
- Jull Street Mall
- Minnawarra Park
- Memorial Park
Rockingham
Transport
- Rockingham Station (train)
- Route 555 (bus)
- Patterson Road and Ennis Avenue (road)
- Rockingham Beach Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Rockingham Senior High School (secondary, government)
- Rockingham Beach Primary School (primary, government)
- Bungaree Primary School (primary, government)
- Kolbe Catholic College (secondary, catholic)
- Star of the Sea Primary School (primary, catholic)
- South Metropolitan TAFE, Rockingham campus (tertiary, tafe)
Amenities
- Rockingham Beach Foreshore
- Rockingham General Hospital (Cooloongup)
- Rockingham Centre
- Lake Richmond
- Churchill Park and Bell Park
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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