Bicton vs BooragoonTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Bicton (WA 6157) is approximately 10 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on the Swan River at Point Walter. Booragoon (WA 6154) is approximately 11 km south of the Perth CBD, around Westfield Booragoon. At the 2021 Census, Bicton had 6,961 residents with a median age of 45, and Booragoon had 5,684 residents with a median age of 43.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 5% of occupied dwellings in Bicton and 4% in Booragoon, while 22% of Bicton households rented compared with 19% in Booragoon. 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 6157 · Southern river suburbs of Perth
Bicton
Bicton is a riverside City of Melville suburb with a Class-A reserve at Point Walter, an older population and more than a quarter of homes attached.
City of Melville. Approximately 10 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on the Swan River at Point Walter.
Read the full Bicton guideWA 6154 · Southern river suburbs of Perth
Booragoon
Booragoon is the civic and retail centre of the City of Melville, home to Westfield Booragoon and the council offices, with large homes and high outright ownership.
City of Melville. Approximately 11 km south of the Perth CBD, around Westfield Booragoon.
Read the full Booragoon guide
What buying in Bicton and Booragoon 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 Bicton and Booragoon.
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 Bicton to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Booragoon 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.
Bicton and Booragoon: 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 | Bicton | Booragoon |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 6,961 | 5,684 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 45 | 43 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,007 | $1,991 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $360 | $410 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,383 | $2,500 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 22% | 19% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 33% | 32% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 42% | 46% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 67% | 68% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 28% | 28% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 5% | 4% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 23% | 19% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 35% | 52% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 8% | 9% |
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 Bicton and Booragoon
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.
Bicton
- Downsizers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- First home buyers
- More than a quarter of dwellings are attached, so strata levies and lender unit policy drive many outcomes.
- Small units can fall below the minimum internal floor area some lenders require.
- Downsizers buying before selling may need bridging finance, a common pattern given the age profile.
- The Class-A reserve at Point Walter is permanently public open space, so river frontage is public rather than private.
- Lots adjoining the Point Walter reserve may be designated bush fire prone.
Booragoon
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Strata levies on the substantial townhouse stock are counted in serviceability assessments.
- Dwellings near the centre may be treated more conservatively where they adjoin commercial premises.
- Median monthly mortgage repayments of $2,500 mean serviceability usually binds before deposit.
- Properties near Westfield Booragoon carry convenience but also traffic, parking pressure and activity.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period and no mandatory seller disclosure statement.
Housing stock in Bicton and Booragoon compared
Bicton
- Townhouses and villa units
- At 759 dwellings, or 27.7 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census, more than double the national share.
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,827 at the 2021 Census, 66.6 per cent of occupied homes, below the national 72.3 per cent.
- Three-bedroom homes
- The most common size at 1,123 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, ahead of 812 with four bedrooms.
Booragoon
- Four-bedroom family homes
- The most common size at 877 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with 234 more having five or more bedrooms.
- Townhouses and villa units
- At 594 dwellings, or 27.8 per cent of occupied homes, attached housing is more than double the national share.
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,452 at the 2021 Census, 68.0 per cent of occupied homes.
Official sale price and rent figures for Bicton and Booragoon
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.
Bicton
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Bicton, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Booragoon
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Booragoon, 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 Bicton and Booragoon
Bicton
Transport
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Canning Highway (road)
- Stock Road (road)
- Fremantle line (train)
Amenities
- Point Walter Reserve
- Swan River foreshore
- Point Walter Golf Course
Booragoon
Transport
- Booragoon Bus Station (bus)
- Routes 114 and 115 (bus)
- Canning Bridge Station (train)
- Leach Highway (road)
Amenities
- Westfield Booragoon
- City of Melville council offices
- Booragoon local reserves
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.
Compare Bicton or Booragoon with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Bicton or Booragoon
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Bicton and Booragoon, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.