Ashfield vs MarrickvilleTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Ashfield (NSW 2131) is approximately 8 km west of the Sydney CBD, on the Main Suburban line. Marrickville (NSW 2204) is approximately 7 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, in the inner west. At the 2021 Census, Ashfield had 23,012 residents with a median age of 36, and Marrickville had 26,570 residents with a median age of 37.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments. Flats and apartments made up 70% of occupied dwellings in Ashfield and 47% in Marrickville, while 51% of Ashfield households rented compared with 47% in Marrickville. 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.
NSW 2131 · Inner West Sydney
Ashfield
Ashfield is an established inner west suburb where apartments hold 69.9 per cent of homes and tenure divides almost evenly between owning and renting.
Inner West. Approximately 8 km west of the Sydney CBD, on the Main Suburban line.
Read the full Ashfield guideNSW 2204 · Inner West Sydney
Marrickville
Marrickville is a large inner west suburb with a genuine mix of houses, terraces and apartments, and a rail line being converted for metro operation.
Inner West. Approximately 7 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, in the inner west.
Read the full Marrickville guide
What buying in Ashfield and Marrickville 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 Ashfield and Marrickville.
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 Ashfield to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Marrickville 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.
Ashfield and Marrickville: 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 | Ashfield | Marrickville |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 23,012 | 26,570 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 36 | 37 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,888 | $2,170 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $440 | $480 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,210 | $2,600 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 51% | 47% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 23% | 28% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 23% | 24% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 22% | 32% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 7% | 19% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 70% | 47% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 67% | 57% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 11% | 14% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 11% | 9% |
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 Ashfield and Marrickville
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.
Ashfield
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Older walk-up blocks can carry deferred maintenance not visible in an individual unit.
- A special levy for roofing, plumbing or fire safety upgrades is a realistic prospect.
- Some lenders apply additional scrutiny to buildings without lifts or with few lots.
- Heritage listing on older housing can constrain demolition and alterations.
- Parramatta Road and Liverpool Road carry heavy traffic near the suburb.
Marrickville
- Upgraders
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Parts of the suburb sit under Sydney Airport flight paths, and exposure varies by address.
- Warehouse conversions and mixed-use buildings can attract different lending treatment.
- Heritage listing can raise insurance and the cost of compliant repairs.
- Older terraces raise damp, structural and asbestos questions on inspection.
- There is no cooling-off period at auction, a common sale method in the inner west.
Housing stock in Ashfield and Marrickville compared
Ashfield
- Mid twentieth century apartments
- The 6,474 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 69.9 per cent of occupied homes.
- Two bedroom dwellings
- At 4,777 dwellings, the most common size recorded at the 2021 Census.
- Federation and interwar houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,047 at the 2021 Census, 22.1 per cent of occupied homes.
Marrickville
- Apartments and warehouse conversions
- The 5,020 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 47.2 per cent of occupied homes.
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 3,404 at the 2021 Census, 32.0 per cent of occupied homes.
- Terraces and semi-detached dwellings
- At 1,969 dwellings, or 18.5 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Ashfield and Marrickville
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.
Ashfield
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Ashfield, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Marrickville
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Marrickville, 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 Ashfield and Marrickville
Ashfield
Transport
- Ashfield Station (train)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Parramatta Road (road)
- Liverpool Road (road)
Amenities
- Ashfield Mall
- Ashfield Park
- Ashfield Aquatic Centre
Marrickville
Transport
- Marrickville Station (train)
- Sydenham Metro (metro)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Marrickville Road (road)
Amenities
- Marrickville Road shops
- Marrickville Metro
- Cooks River foreshore
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the New South Wales education department.
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Request a free assessment: Ashfield or Marrickville
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Ashfield and Marrickville, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.