Chelmer vs GracevilleTwo Brisbane suburbs compared for a home loan
Chelmer (QLD 4068) is approximately 10 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, on a bend of the Brisbane River. Graceville (QLD 4075) is approximately 8 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, between the Brisbane River and Oxley Creek. At the 2021 Census, Chelmer had 3,325 residents with a median age of 41, and Graceville had 4,764 residents with a median age of 39.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 5% of occupied dwellings in Chelmer and 3% in Graceville, while 16% of Chelmer households rented compared with 21% in Graceville. 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.
QLD 4068 · Western Brisbane
Chelmer
Chelmer is a small riverbend suburb of large character houses where the 2021 Census recorded 94.5 per cent separate houses and no townhouses at all.
City of Brisbane. Approximately 10 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, on a bend of the Brisbane River.
Read the full Chelmer guideQLD 4075 · Western Brisbane
Graceville
Graceville is a family house suburb between the Brisbane River and Oxley Creek, recording the highest median weekly rent in this group at $495.
City of Brisbane. Approximately 8 km south-west of the Brisbane CBD, between the Brisbane River and Oxley Creek.
Read the full Graceville guide
What buying in Chelmer and Graceville 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 Chelmer and Graceville.
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 Chelmer to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Graceville 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.
Chelmer and Graceville: 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 | Chelmer | Graceville |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 3,325 | 4,764 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 41 | 39 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $3,402 | $2,929 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $490 | $495 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $3,000 | $2,600 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 16% | 21% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 44% | 42% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 39% | 35% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 95% | 88% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 0% | 8% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 5% | 3% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 9% | 10% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 61% | 50% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 5% | 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 Chelmer and Graceville
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.
Chelmer
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- No townhouse stock exists, so there is no price step between a unit and a house.
- Only 1,038 occupied dwellings, so sales evidence is thin and valuations less predictable.
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio above set property value thresholds.
- Flood exposure varies by address, so obtain a FloodWise Property Report before offering.
- Character controls may constrain demolition, so confirm the position with the council.
Graceville
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Median weekly rent of $495 was the highest in this group, from only 341 rented dwellings.
- Flood exposure varies by address, so obtain a FloodWise Property Report before offering.
- Insurers price flood risk and a lender requires building insurance at settlement.
- Body corporate levies on the townhouse stock are counted in serviceability assessments.
- Character controls may constrain demolition, so confirm the position with the council.
Housing stock in Chelmer and Graceville compared
Chelmer
- Large detached character houses
- Separate houses numbered 981 at the 2021 Census, 94.5 per cent of occupied homes.
- Four and five bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 388 dwellings had four bedrooms and 247 had five or more.
- No townhouses at all
- The 2021 Census recorded no semi-detached or townhouse dwellings and only 56 apartments.
Graceville
- Detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,428 at the 2021 Census, 88.4 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 618 dwellings had three bedrooms and 521 had four, with 293 having five or more.
- A small townhouse component
- The 129 townhouse dwellings recorded were 8.0 per cent of occupied homes, with only 54 apartments.
Official sale price and rent figures for Chelmer and Graceville
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.
Chelmer
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Chelmer, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Graceville
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Graceville, 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 Chelmer and Graceville
Chelmer
Transport
- Chelmer Station (train)
- Walter Taylor Bridge (road)
- Jack Pesch Bridge (road)
- Brisbane buses (bus)
Amenities
- Laurel Avenue heritage streetscape
- Brisbane River parkland
- Indooroopilly Shopping Centre
- Sherwood Arboretum
Graceville
Transport
- Graceville Station (train)
- Oxley Road (road)
- Brisbane buses (bus)
- Walter Taylor Bridge (road)
Amenities
- Graceville Memorial Park
- Graceville Uniting Church
- Graceville shopping precincts
- Sherwood Arboretum
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the Queensland education department.
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Request a free assessment: Chelmer or Graceville
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