Box Hill vs BrunswickTwo Melbourne suburbs compared for a home loan
Box Hill (VIC 3128) is approximately 14 km east of the Melbourne CBD. Brunswick (VIC 3056) is approximately 5 km north of the Melbourne CBD. At the 2021 Census, Box Hill had 14,353 residents with a median age of 33, and Brunswick had 24,896 residents with a median age of 34.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Box Hill and separate houses in Brunswick. Flats and apartments made up 53% of occupied dwellings in Box Hill and 34% in Brunswick, while 59% of Box Hill households rented compared with 49% in Brunswick. 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.
VIC 3128 · Eastern Melbourne
Box Hill
Box Hill is a high-density centre in Melbourne's east with a rail, tram and bus interchange, major hospitals, a TAFE and a new rail loop station underway.
City of Whitehorse. Approximately 14 km east of the Melbourne CBD.
Read the full Box Hill guideVIC 3056 · Inner North Melbourne
Brunswick
Brunswick is an inner-north Melbourne suburb on the Upfield line and Sydney Road tram, with period cottages, townhouses and newer apartments.
City of Merri-bek. Approximately 5 km north of the Melbourne CBD.
Read the full Brunswick guide
What buying in Box Hill and Brunswick 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 Box Hill and Brunswick.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
- Loan amount
- $1,666,158
- Loan to value ratio
- 94.1%
- Transfer duty, Victoria
- $93,445
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- $67,158
- Upfront cash needed
- $196,445
- Loan amount
- $1,267,072
- Loan to value ratio
- 92.4%
- Transfer duty, Victoria
- $72,380
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- $51,072
- Upfront cash needed
- $175,380
- At these prices, Box Hill costs $2,418 more a month than Brunswick and needs $21,065 more cash upfront.
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.
Box Hill and Brunswick: 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 | Box Hill | Brunswick |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 14,353 | 24,896 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 33 | 34 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,267 | $2,096 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $381 | $441 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,950 | $2,162 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 59% | 49% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 18% | 26% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 20% | 24% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 22% | 35% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 25% | 29% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 53% | 34% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 69% | 59% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 12% | 11% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 18% | 13% |
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 Box Hill and Brunswick
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.
Box Hill
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Some lenders restrict high-rise apartment lending by postcode, building or loan-to-value ratio, which is directly relevant in Box Hill.
- Minimum floor area rules can exclude studios and small one-bedroom units from standard lending and mortgage insurance.
- Off-the-plan contract prices may not be supported by the valuation at completion, so a cash buffer may be needed.
- Student-oriented and serviced apartments are accepted by fewer lenders and their rental income is assessed conservatively.
- Owners corporation levies, cladding and defect matters differ between towers and can affect valuation and serviceability.
Brunswick
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Cottages on small lots without parking have fewer comparable sales, which can lead to valuation shortfalls after an auction.
- Renovation lending usually depends on permits being in place, and heritage overlays lengthen that process.
- Apartment lending can be affected by floor area, building size and investor concentration, depending on the lender.
- New housing on former industrial land may carry environmental audit conditions that buyers should confirm have been met.
- Owners corporation records should be checked for defect, cladding and special levy matters before signing.
Housing stock in Box Hill and Brunswick compared
Box Hill
- High-rise apartments
- Towers around the station and Whitehorse Road, mostly one-bedroom and two-bedroom units with a high share of investor owners.
- Villa units and townhouses
- Older single-storey strata units and newer townhouse developments on former house blocks.
- Detached houses
- Edwardian, interwar and post-war homes in the surrounding streets, some under heritage controls and many on sites with redevelopment interest.
Brunswick
- Victorian and Edwardian cottages
- Single-fronted and double-fronted timber and brick houses on small lots, often within heritage overlays and with limited parking.
- Townhouses
- Infill and former factory site developments, which made up about 29.3 per cent of occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census.
- Low-rise and mid-rise apartments
- Warehouse conversions, newer complexes near Sydney Road and the rail line, and older walk-up flats.
Official sale price and rent figures for Box Hill and Brunswick
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.
Box Hill
- Median house price, 2025
- $1,699,000
- Median unit price, 2025
- $547,000
- Median weekly rent, 3 bedroom house, 2025 Q3
- $650
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat, 2025 Q3
- $610
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning), State of Victoria; Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (Homes Victoria).
Brunswick
- Median house price, 2025
- $1,316,000
- Median unit price, 2025
- $599,000
- Median weekly rent, 3 bedroom house, 2025 Q3
- $850
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat, 2025 Q3
- $600
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (Department of Transport and Planning), State of Victoria; Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing (Homes Victoria).
Transport, schools and amenities in Box Hill and Brunswick
Box Hill
Transport
- Box Hill Station (train)
- Route 109 (tram)
- Box Hill bus interchange (bus)
- Suburban Rail Loop East (metro)
- Whitehorse Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Box Hill High School (secondary, government)
- Our Lady of Sion College (secondary, catholic)
- Kingswood College (combined, independent)
- St Francis Xavier Primary School (primary, catholic)
- Box Hill Institute (tertiary, tafe)
Amenities
- Box Hill Hospital
- Epworth Eastern
- Box Hill Central
- Box Hill Gardens
- Aqualink Box Hill
- Box Hill Town Hall and Whitehorse Art Gallery
Brunswick
Transport
- Jewell, Brunswick and Anstey stations (train)
- Route 19 (tram)
- Lygon Street trams (tram)
- Sydney Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Brunswick Secondary College (secondary, government)
- Brunswick North Primary School (primary, government)
- RMIT University Brunswick Campus (tertiary, university)
Amenities
- Sydney Road shopping strip
- Barkly Square
- Brunswick Baths
- Gillon Oval
- Gilpin Park
- Clifton Park
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the Victoria education department.
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