Campbell vs Canberra CityTwo Canberra suburbs compared for a home loan
Campbell (ACT 2612) is approximately 3 km east of the Canberra city centre, at the base of Mount Ainslie. Canberra City (ACT 2601) is the Canberra city centre, also known as Civic. At the 2021 Census, Campbell had 6,564 residents with a median age of 28, and Canberra City had 4,835 residents with a median age of 27.
The most common occupied dwelling was separate houses in Campbell and flats and apartments in Canberra City. Flats and apartments made up 38% of occupied dwellings in Campbell and 100% in Canberra City, while 38% of Campbell households rented compared with 62% in Canberra City. 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
Campbell
Campbell contains the Royal Military College Duntroon, ADFA and the Australian War Memorial, which shape its young age profile and high vacancy rate.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 3 km east of the Canberra city centre, at the base of Mount Ainslie.
Read the full Campbell guideACT 2601 · North Canberra
Canberra City
Canberra City, also known as Civic, is the city centre, where the 2021 Census counted no houses at all and 99.6 per cent of homes were apartments.
Australian Capital Territory. The Canberra city centre, also known as Civic.
Read the full Canberra City guide
What buying in Campbell and Canberra City 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 Campbell and Canberra City.
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 Campbell to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Canberra City 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.
Campbell and Canberra City: 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 | Campbell | Canberra City |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 6,564 | 4,835 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 28 | 27 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $3,052 | $2,232 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $500 | $550 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,400 | $1,950 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 38% | 62% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 30% | 21% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 30% | 16% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 51% | 0% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 11% | 0% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 38% | 100% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 34% | 89% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 34% | 0% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 19% | 21% |
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 Campbell and Canberra City
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.
Campbell
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Downsizers
- A large share of residents live in institutional accommodation, so the buyable market is smaller.
- At 1,981 occupied dwellings split between two housing types, comparable evidence is limited.
- One-bedroom dwellings can fall below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- Body corporate levies on the apartment stock are counted in serviceability assessments.
- Older houses warrant a check of the loose-fill asbestos register.
Canberra City
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Single-development exposure limits are frequently reached in a city centre of large towers.
- Studios and one-bedroom units often fall below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- Student accommodation and serviced apartments are specialised security many lenders refuse.
- A building with a commercial purpose clause can attract restrictive lending treatment.
- Renting at 62.2 per cent means most purchases are assessed as investment lending.
Housing stock in Campbell and Canberra City compared
Campbell
- Established detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,010 at the 2021 Census, 51.0 per cent of occupied homes.
- Apartments
- The 755 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 38.1 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 624 dwellings had three bedrooms and 525 had four.
Canberra City
- City centre apartments
- The 1,788 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 99.6 per cent of occupied homes.
- One and two bedroom dwellings
- At the 2021 Census, 887 dwellings had two bedrooms, 667 had one and 44 were studios.
- No houses or townhouses
- Neither a separate house nor a townhouse dwelling was recorded at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Campbell and Canberra City
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.
Campbell
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Campbell, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Canberra City
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Canberra City, 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 Campbell and Canberra City
Campbell
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Anzac Parade (road)
- Fairbairn Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Australian War Memorial
- Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve
- Daley Park
Canberra City
Transport
- Alinga Street light rail (light rail)
- City bus interchange (bus)
- Northbourne Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Canberra Centre
- Australian National University
- Glebe Park
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: Campbell or Canberra City
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Campbell and Canberra City, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.