Balcatta vs Osborne ParkTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Balcatta (WA 6021) is approximately 10 km north of the Perth CBD, west of Mirrabooka Avenue. Osborne Park (WA 6017) is approximately 7 km north-west of the Perth CBD, between Herdsman Lake and Main Street. At the 2021 Census, Balcatta had 10,813 residents with a median age of 39, and Osborne Park had 4,463 residents with a median age of 34.
The most common occupied dwelling was separate houses in Balcatta and townhouses and terraces in Osborne Park. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in Balcatta and 24% in Osborne Park, while 32% of Balcatta households rented compared with 55% in Osborne Park. 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 6017 · Inner northern suburbs of Perth
Osborne Park
Osborne Park is an inner-northern Perth suburb split between two councils, where only 17.6 per cent of homes are houses and 55 per cent of households rent.
City of Stirling and City of Vincent. Approximately 7 km north-west of the Perth CBD, between Herdsman Lake and Main Street.
Read the full Osborne Park guide
What buying in Balcatta and Osborne Park 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 Osborne Park.
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 Osborne Park 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 Osborne Park: 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 | Osborne Park |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 10,813 | 4,463 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 39 | 34 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,537 | $1,478 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $340 | $290 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,756 | $1,546 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 32% | 55% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 34% | 26% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 32% | 18% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 53% | 18% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 46% | 58% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 24% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 18% | 59% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 24% | 6% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 7% | 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 Balcatta and Osborne Park
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.
Osborne Park
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- One and two bedroom dwellings dominate, and many sit near or below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- The suburb lies in two council areas, so confirm which council applies for rates, planning and approvals.
- Apartments adjoining commercial premises may be treated as mixed-use security with a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio.
- Renting at 55.0 per cent means most purchases are investment lending, assessed on different terms.
- Former market garden land on peaty soil can raise ground condition and fill history questions.
Housing stock in Balcatta and Osborne Park 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.
Osborne Park
- Townhouses and villa units
- The dominant form at 1,228 dwellings, or 57.9 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census.
- Apartments
- The 515 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 24.3 per cent of occupied homes, well above the national 14.2 per cent.
- Small dwellings
- At the 2021 Census, 954 dwellings had two bedrooms and 292 had one, so much of the stock is compact.
Official sale price and rent figures for Balcatta and Osborne Park
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.
Osborne Park
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Osborne Park, 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 Osborne Park
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
Osborne Park
Transport
- Glendalough Station (train)
- Stirling Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Mitchell Freeway (road)
Amenities
- Herdsman Lake
- Main Street commercial precinct
- Osborne Park light industrial area
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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Request a free assessment: Balcatta or Osborne Park
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Balcatta and Osborne Park, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.