Charnwood vs LathamTwo Canberra suburbs compared for a home loan
Charnwood (ACT 2615) is approximately 13 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, in western Belconnen. Latham (ACT 2615) is approximately 13 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, in western Belconnen. At the 2021 Census, Charnwood had 3,055 residents with a median age of 35, and Latham had 3,767 residents with a median age of 38.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in Charnwood and 2% in Latham, while 32% of Charnwood households rented compared with 21% in Latham. 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 2615 · Belconnen
Charnwood
Charnwood is a Radburn-designed Belconnen suburb gazetted in 1971, where loose-fill asbestos was concentrated and incomes are the lowest in these Canberra guides.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 13 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, in western Belconnen.
Read the full Charnwood guideACT 2615 · Belconnen
Latham
Latham is a western Belconnen suburb named after Chief Justice John Latham, built 88.1 per cent of houses with 45.3 per cent holding a mortgage.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 13 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, in western Belconnen.
Read the full Latham guide
What buying in Charnwood and Latham 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 Charnwood and Latham.
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 Charnwood to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Latham 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.
Charnwood and Latham: 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 | Charnwood | Latham |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 3,055 | 3,767 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 35 | 38 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,818 | $2,125 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $380 | $400 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,755 | $2,000 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 32% | 21% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 46% | 45% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 23% | 32% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 87% | 88% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 13% | 11% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 2% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 11% | 11% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 20% | 40% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 6% | 4% |
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 Charnwood and Latham
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.
Charnwood
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Loose-fill asbestos was concentrated in Charnwood, so the register must be checked for any address.
- A cleared or recently built block may have been part of the buyback and demolition scheme.
- The Radburn layout means houses face parkland with rear vehicle access, unlike a conventional lot.
- At 1,167 occupied dwellings, comparable sales evidence is limited for valuation.
- Title is a Crown lease with a purpose clause, not freehold.
Latham
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Early 1970s housing falls within the loose-fill asbestos installation period.
- A cleared or recently built block may have been part of the buyback and demolition scheme.
- At 1,401 occupied dwellings, sales volume in any period is modest.
- Density potential should not be assumed given how little redevelopment has occurred.
- Attached stock is scarce, so a townhouse has thin local comparable evidence.
Housing stock in Charnwood and Latham compared
Charnwood
- Radburn-design detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,021 at the 2021 Census, 87.5 per cent of occupied homes, facing common parkland.
- Three bedroom homes
- At 793 dwellings, the dominant size recorded at the 2021 Census, against 200 four-bedroom.
- Townhouses
- The 148 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with only 3 flats.
Latham
- Detached houses from the early 1970s
- Separate houses numbered 1,234 at the 2021 Census, 88.1 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 672 dwellings had three bedrooms and 472 had four, with 91 having five or more.
- Limited attached stock
- Only 148 townhouse dwellings and 22 flats were counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Charnwood and Latham
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.
Charnwood
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Charnwood, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Latham
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Latham, 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 Charnwood and Latham
Charnwood
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Ginninderra Drive (road)
- Southern Cross Drive (road)
Amenities
- Charnwood group centre
- Belconnen Town Centre
- Charnwood common parkland
Latham
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Ginninderra Drive (road)
- Southern Cross Drive (road)
Amenities
- Kippax group centre
- Belconnen Town Centre
- Umbagong District 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: Charnwood or Latham
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Charnwood and Latham, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.