Downer vs HackettTwo Canberra suburbs compared for a home loan
Downer (ACT 2602) is approximately 5 km north of the Canberra city centre, on the light rail line. Hackett (ACT 2602) is approximately 5 km north-east of the Canberra city centre, below Mount Majura. At the 2021 Census, Downer had 4,296 residents with a median age of 35, and Hackett had 3,227 residents with a median age of 40.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 17% of occupied dwellings in Downer and 9% in Hackett, while 36% of Downer households rented compared with 23% in Hackett. 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.
ACT 2602 · North Canberra
Downer
Downer is a light rail suburb gazetted in 1960 and named after Sir John Downer, built mostly of houses with tenure close to the national pattern.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 5 km north of the Canberra city centre, on the light rail line.
Read the full Downer guideACT 2602 · North Canberra
Hackett
Hackett is an established inner north suburb gazetted in 1960, built mostly of houses, where renting is only 23.5 per cent and rent is below the national median.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 5 km north-east of the Canberra city centre, below Mount Majura.
Read the full Hackett guide
What buying in Downer and Hackett 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 Downer and Hackett.
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 Downer to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Hackett 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.
Downer and Hackett: 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 | Downer | Hackett |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 4,296 | 3,227 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 35 | 40 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,267 | $2,623 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $420 | $374 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,167 | $2,500 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 36% | 23% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 35% | 38% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 27% | 37% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 67% | 76% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 16% | 14% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 17% | 9% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 28% | 20% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 27% | 41% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 6% | 6% |
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 Downer and Hackett
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.
Downer
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Houses built around 1960 fall within the loose-fill asbestos installation period.
- A cleared or recently built block may have been part of the buyback and demolition scheme.
- Density potential near a light rail stop must be confirmed, not inferred from neighbours.
- Body corporate levies on the attached stock are counted in serviceability assessments.
- Title is a Crown lease with a purpose clause, not freehold.
Hackett
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Houses built around 1960 fall within the loose-fill asbestos installation period.
- Only 23.5 per cent of households rented, so the tenant pool is small for investors.
- Density potential should not be assumed from redevelopment along the light rail corridor.
- Nature reserves to the east mean the suburb's housing supply is effectively fixed.
- Median monthly mortgage repayments of $2,500 mean serviceability usually binds.
Housing stock in Downer and Hackett compared
Downer
- Detached houses from around 1960
- Separate houses numbered 1,092 at the 2021 Census, 67.2 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 725 dwellings had three bedrooms and 345 had four.
- Apartments and townhouses
- The 274 flats and 261 townhouse dwellings counted at the 2021 Census.
Hackett
- Detached family houses from around 1960
- Separate houses numbered 900 at the 2021 Census, 76.2 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 456 dwellings had three bedrooms and 396 had four, with 94 having five or more.
- Townhouses
- The 170 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with 109 flats.
Official sale price and rent figures for Downer and Hackett
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.
Downer
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Downer, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Hackett
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Hackett, 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 Downer and Hackett
Downer
Transport
- Downer light rail stop (light rail)
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Northbourne Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Downer shops
- Dickson group centre
- Watson Woodlands
Hackett
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Phillip Avenue (road)
- Antill Street (road)
Amenities
- Hackett shops
- Mount Majura Nature Reserve
- Mount Ainslie Nature Reserve
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the ACT education department.
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Request a free assessment: Downer or Hackett
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Downer and Hackett, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.