Balcatta vs KarrinyupTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Balcatta (WA 6021) is approximately 10 km north of the Perth CBD, west of Mirrabooka Avenue. Karrinyup (WA 6018) is approximately 12 km north of the Perth CBD, around Karrinyup Shopping Centre. At the 2021 Census, Balcatta had 10,813 residents with a median age of 39, and Karrinyup had 9,886 residents with a median age of 41.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in Balcatta and 2% in Karrinyup, while 32% of Balcatta households rented compared with 18% in Karrinyup. 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 6021 · Northern suburbs of Perth
Balcatta
Balcatta is a large City of Stirling suburb where townhouses nearly match houses, shaped by market gardens, migration and a substantial industrial area.
City of Stirling. Approximately 10 km north of the Perth CBD, west of Mirrabooka Avenue.
Read the full Balcatta guideWA 6018 · Northern suburbs of Perth
Karrinyup
Karrinyup is an established City of Stirling suburb of large family homes around one of Western Australia's largest shopping centres.
City of Stirling. Approximately 12 km north of the Perth CBD, around Karrinyup Shopping Centre.
Read the full Karrinyup guide
What buying in Balcatta and Karrinyup 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 Balcatta and Karrinyup.
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 Balcatta to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Karrinyup 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.
Balcatta and Karrinyup: 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 | Balcatta | Karrinyup |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 10,813 | 9,886 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 39 | 41 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.7 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,537 | $2,456 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $340 | $450 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,756 | $2,588 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 32% | 18% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 34% | 40% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 32% | 39% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 53% | 87% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 46% | 12% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 2% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 18% | 9% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 24% | 51% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 7% | 6% |
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 Balcatta and Karrinyup
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.
Balcatta
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Attached dwellings make up nearly half of all homes, so strata levies and lender unit policy drive many outcomes.
- Much of the suburb is commercial and industrial, and lenders may view security near industrial land conservatively.
- Small units can fall below the minimum internal floor area some lenders require.
- A lot with remaining subdivision capacity is valued on different evidence from one already built out.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period and no mandatory seller disclosure statement.
Karrinyup
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Median monthly mortgage repayments of $2,588 mean serviceability usually binds before deposit.
- Only 56 flats were counted at the 2021 Census, so apartment stock is effectively unavailable.
- Density coding varies sharply between the shopping centre surrounds and the outer residential streets.
- Properties near Karrinyup Shopping Centre carry convenience alongside traffic and activity.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period and no mandatory seller disclosure statement.
Housing stock in Balcatta and Karrinyup compared
Balcatta
- Townhouses and villa units
- At 2,136 dwellings, or 46.5 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census, nearly four times the national share.
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,436 at the 2021 Census, only 53.0 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three-bedroom homes
- The dominant size at 2,621 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census.
Karrinyup
- Four-bedroom family homes
- The most common size at 1,445 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with 306 more having five or more bedrooms.
- Three-bedroom houses
- The 1,312 three-bedroom dwellings counted at the 2021 Census are generally the earlier homes on established lots.
- Townhouses
- The 393 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, against only 56 flats.
Official sale price and rent figures for Balcatta and Karrinyup
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.
Balcatta
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Balcatta, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Karrinyup
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Karrinyup, 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 Balcatta and Karrinyup
Balcatta
Transport
- Stirling Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Wanneroo Road (road)
- Reid Highway (road)
- Mitchell Freeway (road)
Amenities
- Balcatta local shops
- Karrinyup Shopping Centre
- Balcatta reserves
Karrinyup
Transport
- Stirling Station (train)
- Warwick Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Mitchell Freeway (road)
- West Coast Highway (road)
Amenities
- Karrinyup Shopping Centre
- Lake Karrinyup Country Club
- Trigg and Scarborough beaches
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.
Compare Balcatta or Karrinyup with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Balcatta or Karrinyup
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Balcatta and Karrinyup, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.