Balga vs GirrawheenTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Balga (WA 6061) is approximately 13 km north of the Perth CBD, bounded by Wanneroo Road and Reid Highway. Girrawheen (WA 6064) is approximately 12 km north of the Perth CBD. At the 2021 Census, Balga had 13,864 residents with a median age of 32, and Girrawheen had 8,897 residents with a median age of 36.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 3% of occupied dwellings in Balga and 0% in Girrawheen, while 49% of Balga households rented compared with 35% in Girrawheen. 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 6061 · Northern suburbs of Perth
Balga
Balga is a State Housing Commission suburb from the Mirrabooka Project, with the lowest outright ownership and highest rental share of the Stirling group.
City of Stirling and City of Wanneroo. Approximately 13 km north of the Perth CBD, bounded by Wanneroo Road and Reid Highway.
Read the full Balga guideWA 6064 · Northern metropolitan Perth
Girrawheen
Girrawheen is a 1970s City of Wanneroo suburb of three-bedroom houses, villas and townhouses, with a high renter share and widespread dual density coding.
City of Wanneroo. Approximately 12 km north of the Perth CBD.
Read the full Girrawheen guide
What buying in Balga and Girrawheen 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 Balga and Girrawheen.
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 Balga to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Girrawheen 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.
Balga and Girrawheen: 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 | Balga | Girrawheen |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 13,864 | 8,897 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 32 | 36 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.6 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,299 | $1,239 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $310 | $293 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,482 | $1,400 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 49% | 35% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 34% | 39% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 16% | 25% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 67% | 77% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 29% | 22% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 3% | 0% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 16% | 10% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 10% | 20% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 10% | 7% |
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 Balga and Girrawheen
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.
Balga
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio where former public housing is concentrated.
- Outright ownership of only 15.5 per cent is the lowest in this cluster, so budgets are repayment sensitive.
- The suburb lies in two council areas, so confirm which council applies for rates, planning and approvals.
- Median weekly household income of $1,299 means serviceability usually binds before deposit.
- Records predating 1995 may cover land now in Westminster, which affects historical sales research.
Girrawheen
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Some lenders and mortgage insurers apply lower maximum loan-to-value ratios to particular postcodes or property types, so policy is worth checking before an offer is made.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, which makes finance and inspection conditions important for houses of this age.
- Unrenovated former public housing may attract valuer comment on condition, and repairs flagged in a building report can affect the amount a lender will advance.
- Subdividing or adding a second dwelling usually requires a construction loan with staged drawdowns, and lenders value the property as it stands.
- Survey-strata and built strata lots are generally accepted as security, although shared driveways and common property may be noted in the valuation.
- With a small deposit, lenders mortgage insurance is likely to apply unless the buyer is eligible for the Australian Government 5% Deposit Scheme.
Housing stock in Balga and Girrawheen compared
Balga
- Original detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 3,583 at the 2021 Census, 67.4 per cent of occupied homes, from the 1960s State Housing Commission era.
- Townhouses and villa units
- At 1,548 dwellings, or 29.1 per cent of occupied homes, more than double the national share.
- Three-bedroom homes
- Overwhelmingly dominant at 3,751 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census.
Girrawheen
- Original three-bedroom houses
- Brick and tile houses from the 1970s and early 1980s; three-bedroom dwellings numbered 2,210 at the 2021 Census.
- Villas, duplexes and townhouses
- Semi-detached and townhouse dwellings made up 733 of the occupied homes counted at the 2021 Census.
- Infill dwellings on subdivided lots
- Newer homes on survey-strata, built strata or green title lots created under R20/40 and R20/60 dual coding.
Official sale price and rent figures for Balga and Girrawheen
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.
Balga
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Balga, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Girrawheen
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Girrawheen, 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 Balga and Girrawheen
Balga
Transport
- Stirling Station (train)
- Warwick Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Reid Highway (road)
- Wanneroo Road (road)
Amenities
- Mirrabooka Square
- Balga local shops
- Balga reserves
Girrawheen
Transport
- Warwick Station (train)
- Transperth route 970 (bus)
- Transperth routes 386 and 389 (bus)
- Transperth routes 448, 450 and 451 (bus)
- Mirrabooka Bus Station (bus)
- Wanneroo Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Girrawheen Senior High School (secondary, government)
- Hudson Park Primary School (primary, government)
- Roseworth Primary School (primary, government)
- Roseworth Education Support Centre (special, government)
- Our Lady of Mercy Primary School (primary, catholic)
- Emmanuel Christian Community School (combined, independent)
Amenities
- Girrawheen Hub and Girrawheen Library
- Hainsworth Community Centre
- Girrawheen skate park, Hainsworth Avenue
- Montrose Park
- Blackmore 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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