Currambine vs JoondalupTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Currambine (WA 6028) is approximately 29 km north of the Perth CBD, around Currambine station. Joondalup (WA 6027) is approximately 26 km north of the Perth CBD. At the 2021 Census, Currambine had 6,834 residents with a median age of 40, and Joondalup had 9,193 residents with a median age of 39.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 7% of occupied dwellings in Currambine and 24% in Joondalup, while 22% of Currambine households rented compared with 41% in Joondalup. 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.
WA 6028 · Northern suburbs of Perth
Currambine
Currambine is a northern Perth suburb developed in the mid-1990s around its own station, with large homes and an unusual apartment component.
City of Joondalup. Approximately 29 km north of the Perth CBD, around Currambine station.
Read the full Currambine guideWA 6027 · Northern suburbs of Perth
Joondalup
Joondalup is the planned regional centre of Perth's north, with a rail station, university, major hospital and a mix of houses and apartments.
City of Joondalup. Approximately 26 km north of the Perth CBD.
Read the full Joondalup guide
What buying in Currambine and Joondalup 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 Currambine and Joondalup.
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 Currambine to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Joondalup 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.
Currambine and Joondalup: 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 | Currambine | Joondalup |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 6,834 | 9,193 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 40 | 39 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.3 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,214 | $1,688 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $400 | $360 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,000 | $1,733 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 22% | 41% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 50% | 33% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 28% | 25% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 91% | 57% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 3% | 19% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 7% | 24% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 5% | 26% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 74% | 41% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 5% | 10% |
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 Currambine and Joondalup
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.
Currambine
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Currambine station has no bus connections, so residents reach it on foot, by bicycle or by car.
- Apartments near the station can fall below the minimum internal floor area some lenders require.
- Strata levies are counted in serviceability assessments and reduce borrowing power.
- Half of households with a stated tenure had a mortgage, so budgets are sensitive to repayments.
- Properties near Marmion Avenue, Shenton Avenue or the freeway may be affected by traffic noise.
Joondalup
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Studio apartments and purpose-built student accommodation may not meet the minimum floor area or security type requirements of some lenders.
- Off-the-plan purchases are valued close to settlement, and a valuation below the contract price would need to be covered from the buyer's own funds.
- Lenders mortgage insurance is likely to apply to purchases with a small deposit, and adding the premium to the loan increases total interest costs.
- Strata levies on townhouses and apartments are counted as a living cost in serviceability assessments and reduce borrowing capacity.
- With no mandatory cooling-off period in Western Australia, a finance condition with a realistic approval date protects buyers whose loan is not yet formally approved.
Housing stock in Currambine and Joondalup compared
Currambine
- Four-bedroom family homes
- The dominant form at 1,565 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with 216 more having five or more bedrooms.
- Apartments near the station
- The 163 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 6.7 per cent of occupied homes, are unusual for the northern corridor.
- Three-bedroom houses
- The 479 three-bedroom dwellings counted at the 2021 Census are a smaller part of the market than in older corridor suburbs.
Joondalup
- Detached brick and tile houses
- Family homes on moderately sized lots, mostly built from the late twentieth century onwards; 2,037 separate houses were counted at the 2021 Census.
- Townhouses and grouped dwellings
- Lower-maintenance strata homes located close to the station, university and shopping precinct.
- Apartments and student accommodation
- Low-rise units in the city centre, including some small dwellings designed primarily for student tenants.
Official sale price and rent figures for Currambine and Joondalup
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.
Currambine
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Currambine, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Joondalup
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Joondalup, 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 Currambine and Joondalup
Currambine
Transport
- Currambine Station (train)
- Joondalup Station (train)
- Mitchell Freeway (road)
- Marmion Avenue (road)
- Shenton Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Lakeside Joondalup
- Currambine Central
- Currambine local reserves
Joondalup
Transport
- Joondalup Station (train)
- Joondalup CAT (bus)
- Mitchell Freeway (road)
- Joondalup Drive (road)
Schools and campuses
- Joondalup Primary School (primary, government)
- Lake Joondalup Baptist College (combined, independent)
- Edith Cowan University, Joondalup Campus (tertiary, university)
- North Metropolitan TAFE, Joondalup (Kendrew Crescent) (tertiary, tafe)
Amenities
- Joondalup Health Campus
- Lakeside Joondalup
- Yellagonga Regional Park
- Neil Hawkins Park
- Arena Joondalup
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the Western Australia education department.
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