Barton vs YarralumlaTwo Canberra suburbs compared for a home loan
Barton (ACT 2600) is adjoining Capital Hill, within the Parliamentary Triangle precinct. Yarralumla (ACT 2600) is approximately 3 km south-west of the Canberra CBD, on Lake Burley Griffin. At the 2021 Census, Barton had 1,946 residents with a median age of 39, and Yarralumla had 3,120 residents with a median age of 50.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Barton and separate houses in Yarralumla. Flats and apartments made up 91% of occupied dwellings in Barton and 7% in Yarralumla, while 48% of Barton households rented compared with 23% in Yarralumla. 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 2600 · South Canberra
Yarralumla
Yarralumla is a lakeside inner south suburb whose name dates from an 1832 property, with the oldest population and highest outright ownership in these guides.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 3 km south-west of the Canberra CBD, on Lake Burley Griffin.
Read the full Yarralumla guide
What buying in Barton and Yarralumla 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 Yarralumla.
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 Yarralumla 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 Yarralumla: 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 | Yarralumla |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 1,946 | 3,120 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 39 | 50 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 1.7 | 2.4 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,462 | $3,327 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $525 | $547 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,015 | $3,425 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 48% | 23% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 29% | 27% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 23% | 48% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 6% | 65% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 3% | 27% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 91% | 7% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 79% | 18% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 4% | 42% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 8% | 11% |
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 Yarralumla
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.
Yarralumla
- Downsizers
- Upgraders
- Many lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio above certain property value thresholds.
- Turnover is low at 48.0 per cent outright ownership, so sales evidence is thin.
- Single-development exposure limits can bind on townhouses in a suburb of 1,233 dwellings.
- Government House and diplomatic missions mean tighter planning controls than usual.
- Older houses warrant a check of the loose-fill asbestos register.
Housing stock in Barton and Yarralumla 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.
Yarralumla
- Substantial detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 803 at the 2021 Census, 65.1 per cent of occupied homes.
- Townhouses
- At 337 dwellings, or 27.3 per cent of occupied homes, more than double the national share.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 489 dwellings had three bedrooms and 383 had four, with 140 having five or more.
Official sale price and rent figures for Barton and Yarralumla
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.
Yarralumla
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Yarralumla, 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 Yarralumla
Barton
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Kings Avenue (road)
- State Circle (road)
Amenities
- Parliamentary Triangle
- Lake Burley Griffin foreshore
- Manuka shops
Yarralumla
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Adelaide Avenue (road)
- Lake Burley Griffin paths (road)
Amenities
- Government House
- Yarralumla shops
- Lake Burley Griffin foreshore
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.
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Request a free assessment: Barton or Yarralumla
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Barton and Yarralumla, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.