Belmont vs RivervaleTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Belmont (WA 6104) is approximately 7 km east of the Perth CBD, on the southern bank of the Swan River. Rivervale (WA 6103) is approximately 5 km east of the Perth CBD, near the Swan River. At the 2021 Census, Belmont had 6,959 residents with a median age of 36, and Rivervale had 10,897 residents with a median age of 34.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 6% of occupied dwellings in Belmont and 36% in Rivervale, while 45% of Belmont households rented compared with 54% in Rivervale. 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 6104 · Inner eastern suburbs of Perth
Belmont
Belmont is a mixed-use inner-eastern Perth suburb on the Swan River, part industrial and part residential, where 45 per cent of households rent.
City of Belmont. Approximately 7 km east of the Perth CBD, on the southern bank of the Swan River.
Read the full Belmont guideWA 6103 · Inner eastern suburbs of Perth
Rivervale
Rivervale is an inner-eastern Perth suburb where apartments make up over a third of homes, renting exceeds half of households and vacancy is high.
City of Belmont. Approximately 5 km east of the Perth CBD, near the Swan River.
Read the full Rivervale guide
What buying in Belmont and Rivervale 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 Belmont and Rivervale.
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 Belmont to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Rivervale 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.
Belmont and Rivervale: 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 | Belmont | Rivervale |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 6,959 | 10,897 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 36 | 34 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,557 | $1,723 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $350 | $350 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,733 | $1,760 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 45% | 54% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 32% | 29% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 22% | 16% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 75% | 43% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 18% | 21% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 6% | 36% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 23% | 46% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 25% | 17% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 12% | 15% |
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 Belmont and Rivervale
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.
Belmont
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- The western part of the suburb is industrial and commercial, and lenders may view nearby security conservatively.
- Perth Airport lies a short distance east, so aircraft movements can be audible in parts of the suburb.
- Renting at 45.2 per cent means investment lending is common and assessed on different terms.
- Strata levies on townhouse and apartment stock are counted in serviceability assessments.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period and no mandatory seller disclosure statement.
Rivervale
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- 765 one-bedroom and 1,475 two-bedroom dwellings mean much of the stock sits near lenders' minimum floor areas.
- Many lenders limit exposure to a single building, which can affect approval even when the borrower qualifies.
- Strata levies are counted in serviceability assessments, and defect rectification levies can be significant.
- 886 dwellings were unoccupied on Census night, about 15 per cent, which bears on rental demand.
- New apartment supply competes with established stock, which affects both resale values and rents.
Housing stock in Belmont and Rivervale compared
Belmont
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,156 at the 2021 Census, 75.4 per cent of occupied homes in the eastern and northern residential areas.
- Townhouses and semi-detached dwellings
- At 525 dwellings, or 18.4 per cent of occupied homes, attached infill is above the national share.
- Three-bedroom homes
- The dominant size at 1,420 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, against 630 with four bedrooms.
Rivervale
- Apartments
- At 1,760 dwellings, or 36.1 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census, well above the national 14.2 per cent.
- Townhouses and semi-detached dwellings
- The 1,034 attached dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, 21.2 per cent of occupied homes.
- Older detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,075 at the 2021 Census, only 42.6 per cent of occupied homes, mostly in interior streets.
Official sale price and rent figures for Belmont and Rivervale
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.
Belmont
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Belmont, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Rivervale
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Rivervale, 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 Belmont and Rivervale
Belmont
Transport
- Redcliffe Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Great Eastern Highway (road)
- Belmont Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Belmont Forum
- Swan River foreshore
- Belmont Oasis
Rivervale
Transport
- Route 935 (bus)
- Route 940 (bus)
- Route 270 (bus)
- Redcliffe Station (train)
- Great Eastern Highway (road)
Amenities
- Swan River foreshore
- Belmont Forum
- Optus Stadium and Burswood precinct
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: Belmont or Rivervale
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Belmont and Rivervale, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.