Braddon vs O'ConnorTwo Canberra suburbs compared for a home loan
Braddon (ACT 2612) is immediately north of the Canberra city centre, on the light rail line. O'Connor (ACT 2602) is approximately 4 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, near the ANU. At the 2021 Census, Braddon had 6,383 residents with a median age of 30, and O'Connor had 5,917 residents with a median age of 35.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Braddon and separate houses in O'Connor. Flats and apartments made up 81% of occupied dwellings in Braddon and 18% in O'Connor, while 61% of Braddon households rented compared with 38% in O'Connor. 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 2612 · North Canberra
Braddon
Braddon adjoins the city centre on the light rail line, where apartments make up 80.7 per cent of homes and 60.8 per cent of households rent.
Australian Capital Territory. Immediately north of the Canberra city centre, on the light rail line.
Read the full Braddon guideACT 2602 · North Canberra
O'Connor
O'Connor is an established inner north suburb gazetted in 1928, built mostly of houses, with a student population from the nearby university.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 4 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, near the ANU.
Read the full O'Connor guide
What buying in Braddon and O'Connor 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 Braddon and O'Connor.
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 Braddon to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for O'Connor 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.
Braddon and O'Connor: 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 | Braddon | O'Connor |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 6,383 | 5,917 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 30 | 35 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 1.8 | 2.5 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,259 | $2,518 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $495 | $451 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,803 | $2,500 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 61% | 38% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 27% | 29% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 11% | 32% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 5% | 66% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 14% | 16% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 81% | 18% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 81% | 31% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 4% | 32% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 13% | 7% |
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 Braddon and O'Connor
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.
Braddon
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- One-bedroom dwellings and studios often fall below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- Single-development exposure limits can be reached in the suburb's large complexes.
- Many buildings sit on Crown leases permitting mixed commercial and residential use.
- Renting at 60.8 per cent means most purchases are assessed as investment lending.
- Special levies for defect rectification can arise in newer apartment buildings.
O'Connor
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Purpose-built student accommodation is specialised security many lenders refuse.
- A house let room by room to students is assessed differently by some lenders.
- Older houses warrant a check of the loose-fill asbestos register.
- Density potential should be confirmed rather than assumed from corridor suburbs.
- Black Mountain Nature Reserve to the south fixes part of the suburb's boundary.
Housing stock in Braddon and O'Connor compared
Braddon
- Apartments
- The 2,728 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 80.7 per cent of occupied homes.
- One and two bedroom dwellings
- At the 2021 Census, 1,410 dwellings had two bedrooms and 1,321 had one.
- Townhouses
- The 478 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with only 165 houses.
O'Connor
- Established detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,486 at the 2021 Census, 66.0 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 822 dwellings had three bedrooms and 556 had four, with 163 having five or more.
- Apartments and townhouses
- The 416 flats and 353 townhouse dwellings counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Braddon and O'Connor
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.
Braddon
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Braddon, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
O'Connor
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for O'Connor, 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 Braddon and O'Connor
Braddon
Transport
- Braddon light rail stops (light rail)
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Northbourne Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Lonsdale Street precinct
- Canberra Centre
- Haig Park
O'Connor
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Macarthur Avenue (road)
- Dryandra Street (road)
Amenities
- O'Connor shops
- Black Mountain Nature Reserve
- Australian National University
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: Braddon or O'Connor
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Braddon and O'Connor, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.