Cronulla vs NewtownTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Cronulla (NSW 2230) is approximately 26 km south of the Sydney CBD. Newtown (NSW 2042) is approximately 4 km south-west of the Sydney CBD. At the 2021 Census, Cronulla had 17,899 residents with a median age of 43, and Newtown had 14,690 residents with a median age of 34.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Cronulla and townhouses and terraces in Newtown. Flats and apartments made up 73% of occupied dwellings in Cronulla and 40% in Newtown, while 42% of Cronulla households rented compared with 58% in Newtown. 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.
NSW 2230 · Sutherland Shire
Cronulla
A guide to buying in Cronulla, a beachside peninsula suburb with its own rail terminus, covering strata apartments, coastal exposure and lending.
Sutherland Shire Council. Approximately 26 km south of the Sydney CBD.
Read the full Cronulla guideNSW 2042 · Inner West
Newtown
A buyer's guide to Newtown NSW 2042, covering Victorian terraces and older apartments, heritage controls, aircraft noise, transport and home loan matters.
City of Sydney and Inner West Council. Approximately 4 km south-west of the Sydney CBD.
Read the full Newtown guide
What buying in Cronulla and Newtown 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 Cronulla and Newtown.
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
- $2,543,000
- Loan to value ratio
- 96.2%
- Transfer duty, New South Wales
- $126,652
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- Deposit under 5%
- Upfront cash needed
- $229,652
- Loan amount
- $1,912,070
- Loan to value ratio
- 94.8%
- Transfer duty, New South Wales
- $87,712
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- $77,070
- Upfront cash needed
- $190,712
- At these prices, Cronulla costs $3,823 more a month than Newtown and needs $38,940 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.
Cronulla and Newtown: 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 | Cronulla | Newtown |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 17,899 | 14,690 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 43 | 34 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,058 | $2,330 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $500 | $550 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,404 | $3,000 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 42% | 58% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 24% | 24% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 34% | 17% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 20% | 5% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 6% | 52% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 73% | 40% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 60% | 64% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 14% | 10% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 11% | 11% |
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 Cronulla and Newtown
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.
Cronulla
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Valuers and lenders look closely at the condition of older coastal strata buildings, including concrete, balconies and waterproofing.
- Planned special levies and ordinary strata levies are counted in serviceability and can reduce borrowing capacity.
- Serviced apartments, very small studios and buildings with a holiday letting component may fall outside standard residential lending policy.
- Any company title building should be identified early, as a number of lenders restrict this form of ownership.
- Coastal or flood notations on a planning certificate can affect insurance, which lenders require to be in place at settlement.
Newtown
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Studios and small one bedroom units may fall below the minimum internal floor area accepted by many lenders and mortgage insurers.
- Valuations of terraces can vary considerably with width, parking, condition and land size, which matters most at auction where there is no cooling-off period.
- Heritage conservation controls can limit additions and raise renovation costs, and renovation lending usually depends on approved plans and a fixed price contract.
- Company title and mixed use or shop-top properties are accepted by fewer lenders than standard strata or Torrens title homes.
- Building and pest inspections often identify damp, roof, party wall or termite issues in period housing that can affect valuation.
Housing stock in Cronulla and Newtown compared
Cronulla
- Older walk-up strata apartments
- Low-rise blocks between the station and the beaches, often without lifts and with limited parking.
- Beachfront and boutique apartment buildings
- Taller or newer buildings with larger floor plans, lifts and views, carrying higher levies.
- Detached houses
- Scarce freestanding homes in the quieter streets away from the town centre and beachfront.
Newtown
- Victorian and Federation terraces
- Single and two storey terraces on narrow lots form the majority of dwellings, mostly without off-street parking.
- Workers' cottages
- Modest single storey cottages on small lots, often within heritage conservation areas.
- Older apartment blocks
- Walk-up blocks and shop-top units, including many studios and one bedroom dwellings.
- Warehouse conversions
- Converted industrial buildings and a small number of recent mid-rise developments.
Official sale price and rent figures for Cronulla and Newtown
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.
Cronulla
- Median dwelling price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2230)
- $1,350,000
- Median house price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2230)
- $2,643,000
- Median unit price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2230)
- $1,200,000
- Median weekly rent, house (all bedrooms), 2026 Q2 (postcode 2230)
- $1,250
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat/unit, 2026 Q2 (postcode 2230)
- $750
Source: NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
Newtown
- Median dwelling price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2042)
- $1,465,000
- Median house price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2042)
- $1,935,000
- Median unit price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2042)
- $958,000
- Median weekly rent, house (all bedrooms), 2026 Q2 (postcode 2042)
- $950
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat/unit, 2026 Q2 (postcode 2042)
- $850
Source: NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
Transport, schools and amenities in Cronulla and Newtown
Cronulla
Transport
- Cronulla Station (train)
- Cronulla to Bundeena ferry (ferry)
- Cronulla Station bus stands (bus)
- Kingsway (road)
Schools and campuses
- Cronulla Public School (primary, government)
- Cronulla South Public School (primary, government)
- Cronulla High School (secondary, government)
Amenities
- Cronulla Beach
- North Cronulla Beach
- Gunnamatta Park and baths
- Cronulla Street mall
- Don Lucas Reserve
- Monro Park
Newtown
Transport
- Newtown Station (train)
- King Street bus corridor (bus)
- King Street (Princes Highway) (road)
Schools and campuses
- Newtown Public School (primary, government)
- Newtown North Public School (primary, government)
- Australia Street Infants School (primary, government)
- Newtown High School of the Performing Arts (secondary, government)
- University of Sydney (adjoining, Camperdown) (tertiary, university)
Amenities
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Camperdown)
- King Street retail strip
- Camperdown Memorial Rest Park
- Enmore Theatre
- New Theatre
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the New South Wales education department.
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