Balcatta vs NollamaraTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Balcatta (WA 6021) is approximately 10 km north of the Perth CBD, west of Mirrabooka Avenue. Nollamara (WA 6061) is approximately 9 km north of the Perth CBD, west of Mirrabooka. At the 2021 Census, Balcatta had 10,813 residents with a median age of 39, and Nollamara had 12,779 residents with a median age of 34.
The most common occupied dwelling was separate houses in Balcatta and townhouses and terraces in Nollamara. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in Balcatta and 0% in Nollamara, while 32% of Balcatta households rented compared with 47% in Nollamara. 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 6061 · Northern suburbs of Perth
Nollamara
Nollamara is a City of Stirling suburb from the State Housing Commission's Mirrabooka Project, now majority townhouses after sustained redevelopment.
City of Stirling. Approximately 9 km north of the Perth CBD, west of Mirrabooka.
Read the full Nollamara guide
What buying in Balcatta and Nollamara 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 Nollamara.
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 Nollamara 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 Nollamara: 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 | Nollamara |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 10,813 | 12,779 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 39 | 34 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.2 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,537 | $1,492 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $340 | $340 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,756 | $1,582 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 32% | 47% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 34% | 33% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 32% | 19% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 53% | 47% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 46% | 53% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 0% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 18% | 16% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 24% | 7% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 7% | 8% |
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 Nollamara
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.
Nollamara
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio where former public housing is concentrated.
- Strata levies on the majority townhouse stock are counted in serviceability assessments.
- A remaining undeveloped lot is valued partly as development land rather than purely as a home.
- Continuing new townhouse supply competes with established stock, which a valuer takes into account.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period and no mandatory seller disclosure statement.
Housing stock in Balcatta and Nollamara 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.
Nollamara
- Townhouses and villa units
- The majority form at 2,805 dwellings, or 52.7 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census.
- Original detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,497 at the 2021 Census, 46.9 per cent of occupied homes, many on subdividable lots.
- Three-bedroom homes
- Overwhelmingly dominant at 3,995 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Balcatta and Nollamara
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.
Nollamara
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Nollamara, 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 Nollamara
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
Nollamara
Transport
- Stirling Station (train)
- Glendalough Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Wanneroo Road (road)
Amenities
- Des Penman Reserve
- Nollamara local shops
- Mirrabooka Square
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 Nollamara with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Balcatta or Nollamara
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Balcatta and Nollamara, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.