Ashfield vs StrathfieldTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Ashfield (NSW 2131) is approximately 8 km west of the Sydney CBD, on the Main Suburban line. Strathfield (NSW 2135) is approximately 12 km west of the Sydney CBD, at a major rail interchange. At the 2021 Census, Ashfield had 23,012 residents with a median age of 36, and Strathfield had 25,915 residents with a median age of 32.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments. Flats and apartments made up 70% of occupied dwellings in Ashfield and 49% in Strathfield, while 51% of Ashfield households rented compared with 45% in Strathfield. 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 2135 · Inner West Sydney
Strathfield
Strathfield is a major rail interchange with two distinct markets: large family houses, including 1,428 with five or more bedrooms, and dense apartment stock.
Strathfield. Approximately 12 km west of the Sydney CBD, at a major rail interchange.
Read the full Strathfield guide
What buying in Ashfield and Strathfield 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 Strathfield.
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 Strathfield 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 Strathfield: 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 | Strathfield |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 23,012 | 25,915 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 36 | 32 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.8 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,888 | $2,262 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $440 | $480 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,210 | $2,765 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 51% | 45% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 23% | 24% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 23% | 29% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 22% | 45% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 7% | 5% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 70% | 49% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 67% | 46% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 11% | 33% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 11% | 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 Ashfield and Strathfield
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.
Strathfield
- Upgraders
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Large houses may attract a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio above value thresholds.
- Individually extended homes are less comparable, so upper-end valuations are less predictable.
- Student accommodation, if present, is specialised security many lenders refuse.
- Metro West construction near North Strathfield will affect parts of the area before 2032.
- Heritage listing can constrain extension or redevelopment of older large houses.
Housing stock in Ashfield and Strathfield 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.
Strathfield
- Very large family houses
- At the 2021 Census, 1,428 dwellings had five or more bedrooms and 1,429 had four.
- Apartments around the interchange
- The 4,227 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 49.3 per cent of occupied homes.
- Very few townhouses
- Only 394 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings were counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Ashfield and Strathfield
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.
Strathfield
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Strathfield, 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 Strathfield
Ashfield
Transport
- Ashfield Station (train)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Parramatta Road (road)
- Liverpool Road (road)
Amenities
- Ashfield Mall
- Ashfield Park
- Ashfield Aquatic Centre
Strathfield
Transport
- Strathfield Station (train)
- North Strathfield Metro (metro)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Parramatta Road (road)
Amenities
- Strathfield Plaza
- Strathfield Park
- Westfield Burwood
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 Strathfield
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