Baldivis vs RockinghamTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Baldivis (WA 6171) is approximately 46 km south of the Perth CBD. Rockingham (WA 6168) is approximately 40 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on Cockburn Sound. At the 2021 Census, Baldivis had 37,697 residents with a median age of 31, and Rockingham had 15,312 residents with a median age of 49.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in Baldivis and 14% in Rockingham, while 22% of Baldivis households rented compared with 38% in Rockingham. 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 6171 · Perth's southern growth corridor
Baldivis
Baldivis is a large growth suburb in the City of Rockingham where four-bedroom detached houses dominate and most households have a mortgage.
City of Rockingham. Approximately 46 km south of the Perth CBD.
Read the full Baldivis guideWA 6168 · Perth's southern coastal corridor
Rockingham
Rockingham is a coastal strategic centre south of Perth with older houses, villas and foreshore apartments, an older population and many renters.
City of Rockingham. Approximately 40 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on Cockburn Sound.
Read the full Rockingham guide
What buying in Baldivis and Rockingham 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 Baldivis and Rockingham.
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 Baldivis to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Rockingham 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.
Baldivis and Rockingham: 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 | Baldivis | Rockingham |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 37,697 | 15,312 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 31 | 49 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.9 | 2.0 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,096 | $1,169 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $360 | $300 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,900 | $1,517 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 22% | 38% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 60% | 27% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 16% | 34% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 96% | 66% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 3% | 20% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 14% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 7% | 27% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 70% | 30% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 6% | 14% |
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 Baldivis and Rockingham
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.
Baldivis
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- High loan-to-value borrowing is common, so lenders mortgage insurance or eligibility for the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme is often relevant.
- Construction loans are drawn in stages and valued on an as-if-complete basis, which differs from lending on an established home.
- Ongoing release of new homes nearby can influence how valuers assess recently built houses against established sales.
- Properties designated as bushfire prone may face higher construction standards and insurance costs for new building work.
- Rural residential lots with large land areas may fall outside standard residential lending policy with some lenders.
Rockingham
- Downsizers
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Some lenders restrict serviced or short-stay apartments and set minimum internal floor areas, which can narrow the choice of lender for foreshore units.
- Strata levies, reserve fund balances and planned remedial works in coastal buildings affect both valuation and borrowing capacity assessments.
- Borrowers close to retirement are usually asked for an exit strategy, and the loan term offered may be shorter than the standard term.
- Downsizers buying before selling may need bridging finance or an offer made subject to the sale of their existing home.
- Property within mapped coastal hazard or bush fire prone areas may cost more to insure, and lenders require insurance at settlement.
Housing stock in Baldivis and Rockingham compared
Baldivis
- Four-bedroom project homes
- Single-storey brick family homes built by volume builders; four-bedroom dwellings numbered 7,893 at the 2021 Census.
- House and land packages
- Vacant lots in newer estates bought with a separate building contract and funded by a construction loan.
- Cottage lots and compact homes
- Smaller lots in newer estates, some with rear laneway garages, offering a lower entry point than traditional lots.
- Rural residential properties
- Larger holdings on the fringes of the suburb, which some lenders assess under different policy because of land size.
Rockingham
- Older single-storey houses
- Separate houses on traditional lots made up 4,526 of the occupied homes counted at the 2021 Census, in widely varying condition.
- Villas, duplexes and townhouses
- The 2021 Census counted 1,390 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings, typically strata titled and a smaller alternative to a detached house.
- Foreshore apartments
- Flats and apartments numbered 977 at the 2021 Census, concentrated near the beach, some with short-stay use in the building.
Official sale price and rent figures for Baldivis and Rockingham
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.
Baldivis
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Baldivis, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Rockingham
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Rockingham, 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 Baldivis and Rockingham
Baldivis
Transport
- Kwinana Freeway (road)
- Safety Bay Road (road)
- Warnbro Station (train)
- Transperth Baldivis bus routes (bus)
Schools and campuses
- Baldivis Primary School (primary, government)
- Baldivis Secondary College (secondary, government)
- Ridge View Secondary College (secondary, government)
- Tranby College (combined, independent)
- Mother Teresa Catholic College (combined, catholic)
Amenities
- Stockland Baldivis
- Mary Davies Library and Community Centre
- Baldivis Indoor Sports Complex
- Baldivis South Community Centre
Rockingham
Transport
- Rockingham Station (train)
- Route 555 (bus)
- Patterson Road and Ennis Avenue (road)
- Rockingham Beach Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Rockingham Senior High School (secondary, government)
- Rockingham Beach Primary School (primary, government)
- Bungaree Primary School (primary, government)
- Kolbe Catholic College (secondary, catholic)
- Star of the Sea Primary School (primary, catholic)
- South Metropolitan TAFE, Rockingham campus (tertiary, tafe)
Amenities
- Rockingham Beach Foreshore
- Rockingham General Hospital (Cooloongup)
- Rockingham Centre
- Lake Richmond
- Churchill Park and Bell Park
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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