Chermside vs MaroochydoreTwo suburbs compared for a home loan
Chermside (QLD 4032) is approximately 10 km north of the Brisbane CBD, on Gympie Road. Maroochydore (QLD 4558) is approximately 100 km north of the Brisbane CBD, at the mouth of the Maroochy River. At the 2021 Census, Chermside had 11,426 residents with a median age of 35, and Maroochydore had 20,629 residents with a median age of 47.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Chermside and separate houses in Maroochydore. Flats and apartments made up 59% of occupied dwellings in Chermside and 37% in Maroochydore, while 64% of Chermside households rented compared with 43% in Maroochydore. 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 4032 · Brisbane Northside
Chermside
A guide to buying in Chermside, the northside Brisbane centre of units and post-war houses, covering renewal planning, body corporate costs and lending.
Brisbane City Council. Approximately 10 km north of the Brisbane CBD, on Gympie Road.
Read the full Chermside guideQLD 4558 · Central Sunshine Coast
Maroochydore
A guide to buying in Maroochydore, the Sunshine Coast's emerging city centre, covering the new CBD, canal and beach housing, flood mapping and lending.
Sunshine Coast Council. Approximately 100 km north of the Brisbane CBD, at the mouth of the Maroochy River.
Read the full Maroochydore guide
What buying in Chermside and Maroochydore 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 Chermside and Maroochydore.
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
- $1,437,960
- Loan to value ratio
- 93.2%
- Transfer duty, Queensland
- $58,450
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- $57,960
- Upfront cash needed
- $161,450
- Loan amount
- $1,260,820
- Loan to value ratio
- 92.4%
- Transfer duty, Queensland
- $48,675
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- $50,820
- Upfront cash needed
- $151,675
- At these prices, Chermside costs $1,073 more a month than Maroochydore and needs $9,775 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.
Chermside and Maroochydore: 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 | Chermside | Maroochydore |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 11,426 | 20,629 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 35 | 47 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,419 | $1,360 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $370 | $410 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,690 | $1,733 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 64% | 43% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 17% | 22% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 15% | 32% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 21% | 38% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 20% | 24% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 59% | 37% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 63% | 43% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 6% | 15% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 8% | 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 Chermside and Maroochydore
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.
Chermside
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Small units and apartments in large, investor-heavy complexes may be subject to lower maximum loan-to-value ratios or postcode exposure limits.
- Body corporate levies are counted as living expenses, so levy differences between buildings change assessed borrowing capacity.
- Off-the-plan purchases are valued near settlement, and a shortfall against the contract price must be covered from the buyer's own funds.
- Low-deposit buyers may wish to check that a unit meets minimum size and property type rules for lenders mortgage insurance or the 5% Deposit Scheme.
- Planned renewal around the centre may add competing unit supply, which valuers and lenders take into account.
Maroochydore
- Downsizers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Resort-style units with on-site letting, small holiday units and mixed hotel and residential buildings may be treated as non-standard security.
- Off-the-plan apartments are valued near completion, and any shortfall against the contract price must be funded by the buyer.
- Age-restricted or unusually titled villa complexes are not accepted by many lenders and should be identified before an offer is made.
- Flood and storm tide exposure can affect insurance availability and cost, which lenders may require to be confirmed.
- Borrowers approaching retirement may need to show an exit strategy, which can influence the loan term and deposit required.
Housing stock in Chermside and Maroochydore compared
Chermside
- Mid-rise and high-rise apartments
- Newer buildings clustered around the centre with lifts and basement parking, where levies and build quality merit review.
- Older unit blocks and townhouses
- Two and three storey complexes from the 1970s onward, often with lower levies but ageing common property.
- Post-war houses
- Modest detached houses on suburban lots, increasingly scarce near the centre and often needing renovation.
Maroochydore
- Detached houses, including canal homes
- Brick and tile houses from the 1980s and 1990s, with waterfront homes on the canals carrying revetment and pontoon upkeep.
- Beachside and Cotton Tree apartments
- Older walk-up holiday units alongside newer mid-rise and high-rise buildings, with varied lender treatment.
- Townhouses and villas
- Numerous complexes across the inland streets, some oriented to retirees, all under body corporate management.
- New city centre apartments
- Staged off-the-plan buildings in the Priority Development Area, valued by lenders close to completion.
Official sale price and rent figures for Chermside and Maroochydore
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.
Chermside
- Median house price, 2026 Q1 (Brisbane City LGA)
- $1,480,000
- Median unit price, 2026 Q1 (Brisbane City LGA)
- $888,000
- Median weekly rent, 3 bedroom house, 2026 Q2
- $730
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat, 2026 Q2
- $650
Source: Queensland Government Statistician's Office, Queensland Treasury; Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland).
Maroochydore
- Median house price, 2026 Q1 (Sunshine Coast Regional LGA)
- $1,310,000
- Median unit price, 2026 Q1 (Sunshine Coast Regional LGA)
- $910,000
- Median weekly rent, 3 bedroom house, 2026 Q2
- $850
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat, 2026 Q2
- $710
Source: Queensland Government Statistician's Office, Queensland Treasury; Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland).
Transport, schools and amenities in Chermside and Maroochydore
Chermside
Transport
- Chermside bus interchange (bus)
- Gympie Road (road)
- Rode Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Craigslea State School (primary, government)
- Craigslea State High School (secondary, government)
- Wavell State High School (secondary, government)
Amenities
- The Prince Charles Hospital
- Westfield Chermside
- Chermside Library
- Chermside Aquatic Centre and Water Park
- 7th Brigade Park
- Marchant Park
Maroochydore
Transport
- Sunshine Plaza bus interchange (bus)
- Sunshine Coast Airport (airport)
- The Wave (Stage 3) (metro)
Schools and campuses
- Maroochydore State School (primary, government)
- Maroochydore State High School (secondary, government)
- Stella Maris School (primary, catholic)
Amenities
- Sunshine Plaza
- Sunshine Coast City Hall
- Maroochydore Beach
- Maroochy River and Cotton Tree foreshore
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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