Dunlop vs MacgregorTwo Canberra suburbs compared for a home loan
Dunlop (ACT 2615) is approximately 15 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, on the western edge of Belconnen. Macgregor (ACT 2615) is approximately 14 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, in western Belconnen. At the 2021 Census, Dunlop had 7,265 residents with a median age of 36, and Macgregor had 7,049 residents with a median age of 34.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 1% of occupied dwellings in Dunlop and 0% in Macgregor, while 18% of Dunlop households rented compared with 20% in Macgregor. 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 2615 · Belconnen
Dunlop
Dunlop is the newest Belconnen suburb, named after the surgeon Sir Edward Dunlop, where 61.0 per cent of households hold a mortgage, the highest in Canberra.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 15 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, on the western edge of Belconnen.
Read the full Dunlop guideACT 2615 · Belconnen
Macgregor
Macgregor is a western Belconnen suburb gazetted in 1971 and later extended, where 57.9 per cent of households hold a mortgage and houses dominate.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 14 km north-west of the Canberra city centre, in western Belconnen.
Read the full Macgregor guide
What buying in Dunlop and Macgregor 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 Dunlop and Macgregor.
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 Dunlop to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Macgregor 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.
Dunlop and Macgregor: 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 | Dunlop | Macgregor |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 7,265 | 7,049 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 36 | 34 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.9 | 2.7 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,503 | $2,344 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $465 | $464 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 18% | 20% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 61% | 58% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 20% | 21% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 92% | 91% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 7% | 9% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 1% | 0% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 4% | 7% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 54% | 32% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 3% | 4% |
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 Dunlop and Macgregor
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.
Dunlop
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Mortgaged ownership of 61.0 per cent is the highest share in these guides.
- Only 18.4 per cent of households rented, so the tenant pool is small for investors.
- Estate design guidelines from the original land release may still run with the land.
- Some lenders apply location-based policies on the district's outer edge.
- The suburb postdates the loose-fill asbestos installation period entirely.
Macgregor
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Mortgaged ownership of 57.9 per cent means most households are active borrowers.
- The mix of original and later housing means comparisons should come from the same area.
- Original 1970s housing falls within the loose-fill asbestos installation period.
- Estate design guidelines may apply to newer areas but not to the older ones.
- Only 20.5 per cent of households rented, so the tenant pool is limited.
Housing stock in Dunlop and Macgregor compared
Dunlop
- Large detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,233 at the 2021 Census, 92.1 per cent of occupied homes.
- Four bedroom homes
- At 1,161 dwellings, the dominant size recorded at the 2021 Census, ahead of 989 three-bedroom.
- Minimal attached stock
- Only 168 townhouse dwellings and 28 flats were counted at the 2021 Census.
Macgregor
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,266 at the 2021 Census, 90.6 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three bedroom homes
- At 1,504 dwellings, the dominant size recorded at the 2021 Census, against 694 four-bedroom.
- Limited attached stock
- Only 226 townhouse dwellings and 6 flats were counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Dunlop and Macgregor
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.
Dunlop
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Dunlop, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Macgregor
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Macgregor, 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 Dunlop and Macgregor
Dunlop
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Ginninderra Drive (road)
Amenities
- Kippax group centre
- Belconnen Town Centre
- Dunlop Grasslands Nature Reserve
Macgregor
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Ginninderra Drive (road)
Amenities
- Kippax group centre
- Belconnen Town Centre
- Macgregor local shops
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: Dunlop or Macgregor
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Dunlop and Macgregor, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.