Chermside vs New FarmTwo Brisbane suburbs compared for a home loan
Chermside (QLD 4032) is approximately 10 km north of the Brisbane CBD, on Gympie Road. New Farm (QLD 4005) is approximately 2 km east of the Brisbane CBD, on a peninsula of the Brisbane River. At the 2021 Census, Chermside had 11,426 residents with a median age of 35, and New Farm had 12,197 residents with a median age of 39.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments. Flats and apartments made up 59% of occupied dwellings in Chermside and 74% in New Farm, while 64% of Chermside households rented compared with 54% in New Farm. 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 4005 · Inner Brisbane
New Farm
A guide to buying in New Farm, Brisbane's riverside peninsula of character houses and apartments, covering overlays, flood mapping and lending.
Brisbane City Council. Approximately 2 km east of the Brisbane CBD, on a peninsula of the Brisbane River.
Read the full New Farm guide
What buying in Chermside and New Farm 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 New Farm.
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
- $1,437,960
- Loan to value ratio
- 93.2%
- Transfer duty, Queensland
- $58,450
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- $57,960
- Upfront cash needed
- $161,450
- At these prices, New Farm costs $0 more a month than Chermside.
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 New Farm: 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 | New Farm |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 11,426 | 12,197 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 35 | 39 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 1.9 | 1.9 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,419 | $2,069 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $370 | $405 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,690 | $2,264 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 64% | 54% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 17% | 21% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 15% | 24% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 21% | 20% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 20% | 4% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 59% | 74% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 63% | 63% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 6% | 12% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 8% | 12% |
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 New Farm
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.
New Farm
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Very small apartments, and units in buildings with a large short-stay or commercial component, may be treated as non-standard security with lower maximum loan-to-value ratios.
- Body corporate levies in amenity-rich riverfront buildings are counted as living expenses and reduce assessed borrowing capacity.
- Flood mapping for river and overland flow can affect insurance cost and availability, which lenders may wish to confirm before settlement.
- Character houses have few direct comparable sales, so valuations can differ from the contract price and a deposit buffer may be useful.
- Renovation plans for pre-1947 houses depend on overlay approvals, which affects the timing and structure of any construction loan.
Housing stock in Chermside and New Farm 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.
New Farm
- Character houses
- Queenslander, Federation and interwar timber houses on compact lots, many covered by character or heritage overlays.
- Interwar and art deco flats
- Small walk-up brick blocks with period features, limited parking and modest body corporate funds.
- Modern riverfront apartments
- Buildings from the 1990s onward on former wharf and industrial land, often with lifts, pools and higher levies.
Official sale price and rent figures for Chermside and New Farm
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).
New Farm
- Median house price, 2026 Q1 (Brisbane City LGA)
- $1,480,000
- Median unit price, 2026 Q1 (Brisbane City LGA)
- $888,000
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat, 2026 Q2
- $740
- Median weekly rent, all dwellings, 2026 Q2
- $700
Source: Queensland Government Statistician's Office, Queensland Treasury; Residential Tenancies Authority (Queensland).
Transport, schools and amenities in Chermside and New Farm
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
New Farm
Transport
- New Farm Park ferry terminal (ferry)
- Sydney Street ferry terminal (ferry)
- Route 199 (bus)
- Route 196 (bus)
- Brunswick Street (road)
Schools and campuses
- New Farm State School (primary, government)
- Holy Spirit School (primary, catholic)
- Fortitude Valley State Secondary College (secondary, government)
Amenities
- New Farm Park
- Brisbane Powerhouse
- Merthyr Village Shopping Centre
- New Farm Library
- Merthyr Park
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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