Barton vs GriffithTwo Canberra suburbs compared for a home loan
Barton (ACT 2600) is adjoining Capital Hill, within the Parliamentary Triangle precinct. Griffith (ACT 2603) is approximately 3 km south-east of the Canberra CBD, around the Manuka shops. At the 2021 Census, Barton had 1,946 residents with a median age of 39, and Griffith had 5,328 residents with a median age of 38.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments. Flats and apartments made up 91% of occupied dwellings in Barton and 53% in Griffith, while 48% of Barton households rented compared with 41% in Griffith. 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.
ACT 2600 · South Canberra
Barton
Barton adjoins Capital Hill and houses major government departments, with 90.9 per cent of its homes apartments and the smallest households in these guides.
Australian Capital Territory. Adjoining Capital Hill, within the Parliamentary Triangle precinct.
Read the full Barton guideACT 2603 · South Canberra
Griffith
Griffith is an inner south suburb renamed from southern Blandfordia in 1928, where apartments make up 53.4 per cent of homes and renting leads at 40.7 per cent.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 3 km south-east of the Canberra CBD, around the Manuka shops.
Read the full Griffith guide
What buying in Barton and Griffith 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 Barton and Griffith.
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 Barton to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Griffith 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.
Barton and Griffith: 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 | Barton | Griffith |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 1,946 | 5,328 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 39 | 38 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 1.7 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,462 | $2,542 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $525 | $462 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,015 | $2,118 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 48% | 41% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 29% | 32% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 23% | 25% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 6% | 36% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 3% | 11% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 91% | 53% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 79% | 57% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 4% | 24% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 8% | 10% |
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 Barton and Griffith
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.
Barton
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Single-development exposure limits bind readily in a suburb of 943 occupied dwellings.
- One and two bedroom dwellings can fall below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- A serviced apartment is specialised security with a materially lower maximum loan-to-value ratio.
- Heritage listing applies to several buildings and to the Barton Housing Precinct.
- Title is a Crown lease with a purpose clause, not freehold.
Griffith
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- One-bedroom dwellings can fall below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- Body corporate levies are counted in serviceability assessments and reduce borrowing power.
- A short-stay or serviced apartment is specialised security with a lower loan-to-value cap.
- Parts of the inner south fall within urban conservation areas that constrain alterations.
- Older houses warrant a check of the loose-fill asbestos register.
Housing stock in Barton and Griffith compared
Barton
- Apartments
- The 857 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 90.9 per cent of occupied homes.
- One and two bedroom dwellings
- At the 2021 Census, 388 dwellings had two bedrooms and 354 had one.
- Barton Housing Precinct houses
- Only 59 separate houses were counted at the 2021 Census, in a precinct dating from 1926 and 1927.
Griffith
- Apartments near Manuka
- The 1,238 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 53.4 per cent of occupied homes.
- Established houses
- Separate houses numbered 826 at the 2021 Census, only 35.6 per cent of occupied homes.
- Two bedroom dwellings
- At 955 dwellings, the most common size recorded at the 2021 Census, with 360 one-bedroom.
Official sale price and rent figures for Barton and Griffith
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.
Barton
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Barton, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Griffith
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Griffith, 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 Barton and Griffith
Barton
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Kings Avenue (road)
- State Circle (road)
Amenities
- Parliamentary Triangle
- Lake Burley Griffin foreshore
- Manuka shops
Griffith
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Canberra Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Manuka shops
- Manuka swimming pool
- Telopea Park
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the ACT education department.
Compare Barton or Griffith with another suburb
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Related comparisons
Request a free assessment: Barton or Griffith
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Barton and Griffith, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.