Downer vs LynehamTwo 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. Lyneham (ACT 2602) is approximately 4 km north of the Canberra city centre, on the light rail line. At the 2021 Census, Downer had 4,296 residents with a median age of 35, and Lyneham had 5,703 residents with a median age of 35.
The most common occupied dwelling was separate houses in Downer and flats and apartments in Lyneham. Flats and apartments made up 17% of occupied dwellings in Downer and 37% in Lyneham, while 36% of Downer households rented compared with 49% in Lyneham. 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
Lyneham
Lyneham was gazetted in 1928 but not developed until 1958, and now has the most evenly mixed housing of the inner north with 48.7 per cent renting.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 4 km north of the Canberra city centre, on the light rail line.
Read the full Lyneham guide
What buying in Downer and Lyneham 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 Lyneham.
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 Lyneham 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 Lyneham: 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 | Lyneham |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 4,296 | 5,703 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 35 | 35 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,267 | $2,084 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $420 | $425 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,167 | $1,800 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 36% | 49% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 35% | 26% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 27% | 23% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 67% | 27% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 16% | 36% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 17% | 37% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 28% | 54% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 27% | 13% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 6% | 9% |
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 Lyneham
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.
Lyneham
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- One-bedroom dwellings and studios can fall below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- Purpose-built student accommodation is specialised security many lenders refuse.
- Body corporate levies are counted in serviceability assessments and reduce borrowing power.
- Renting at 48.7 per cent means most purchases are assessed as investment lending.
- Special levies for defect rectification can arise in newer corridor buildings.
Housing stock in Downer and Lyneham 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.
Lyneham
- Apartments
- The 921 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 36.6 per cent of occupied homes.
- Townhouses
- At 903 dwellings, or 35.9 per cent of occupied homes, nearly three times the national share.
- Detached houses from 1958 onward
- Separate houses numbered 675 at the 2021 Census, only 26.8 per cent of occupied homes.
Official sale price and rent figures for Downer and Lyneham
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.
Lyneham
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Lyneham, 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 Lyneham
Downer
Transport
- Downer light rail stop (light rail)
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Northbourne Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Downer shops
- Dickson group centre
- Watson Woodlands
Lyneham
Transport
- Lyneham light rail stops (light rail)
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Northbourne Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Lyneham shops
- Lyneham sporting precinct
- Dickson group centre
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 Lyneham
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Downer and Lyneham, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.