East Perth vs Mount LawleyTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
East Perth (WA 6004) is approximately 2 km east of the Perth CBD, on the Swan River. Mount Lawley (WA 6050) is approximately 3 km north-east of the Perth CBD. At the 2021 Census, East Perth had 11,681 residents with a median age of 35, and Mount Lawley had 11,328 residents with a median age of 38.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in East Perth and separate houses in Mount Lawley. Flats and apartments made up 90% of occupied dwellings in East Perth and 28% in Mount Lawley, while 62% of East Perth households rented compared with 37% in Mount Lawley. 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 6004 · Inner Perth
East Perth
East Perth is an apartment-dominated suburb beside the Perth CBD and the Swan River, where strata records, building condition and lender policy matter.
City of Perth and City of Vincent. Approximately 2 km east of the Perth CBD, on the Swan River.
Read the full East Perth guideWA 6050 · Inner northern suburbs of Perth
Mount Lawley
Mount Lawley is an inner northern Perth suburb of character homes and flats around Beaufort Street, split between three councils with heritage controls.
City of Stirling, City of Vincent and City of Bayswater. Approximately 3 km north-east of the Perth CBD.
Read the full Mount Lawley guide
What buying in East Perth and Mount Lawley 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 East Perth and Mount Lawley.
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 East Perth to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Mount Lawley 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.
East Perth and Mount Lawley: 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 | East Perth | Mount Lawley |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 11,681 | 11,328 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 35 | 38 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 1.8 | 2.2 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,005 | $2,108 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $410 | $350 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,950 | $2,200 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 62% | 37% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 21% | 32% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 16% | 30% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 4% | 53% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 6% | 20% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 90% | 28% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 72% | 42% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 4% | 25% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 21% | 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 East Perth and Mount Lawley
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.
East Perth
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Studios and small one-bedroom apartments may fall below the minimum internal floor area that many lenders and mortgage insurers require.
- Some lenders apply lower maximum loan-to-value ratios or exposure limits to high-density buildings and particular inner-city postcodes.
- Serviced, short-stay and mixed-use apartments are assessed more conservatively by some lenders and may need a larger deposit.
- Strata levies, the ten-year maintenance plan and the reserve fund balance affect valuation and reduce assessed borrowing capacity.
- Off-the-plan purchases are valued at completion, so a shortfall against the contract price is possible and must be funded from savings.
- Parts of the foreshore are within mapped Swan River floodplain, which can affect insurance terms and should be checked for a specific building.
Mount Lawley
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Character retention and heritage controls limit demolition and alteration, which valuers take into account when assessing redevelopment potential.
- Planning rules differ between the Cities of Stirling, Vincent and Bayswater, so the applicable council should be confirmed before relying on any control.
- Renovations and extensions are usually funded through a construction loan with progress payments, which requires approvals and a fixed-price contract.
- Small one-bedroom flats may fall below the minimum internal floor area that some lenders and mortgage insurers accept.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be included in the offer.
- Individual character houses vary widely, so a valuation below the contract price is a possibility for buyers with small deposits.
Housing stock in East Perth and Mount Lawley compared
East Perth
- High-rise apartments
- Apartments in blocks of nine or more storeys accounted for 2,743 of the occupied dwellings counted at the 2021 Census.
- Low and mid-rise apartments
- The 2021 Census counted 1,602 apartments in blocks of four to eight storeys, alongside smaller low-rise buildings near Claisebrook Cove.
- Townhouses and terraces
- Only 338 semi-detached, terrace and townhouse dwellings were counted at the 2021 Census, so this dwelling type is scarce.
Mount Lawley
- Character houses
- Federation and Colonial style brick and tile houses on large lots, most within the City of Stirling Heritage Protection Area.
- Older flats and apartments
- Flats and apartments made up 1,291 of the occupied dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, many of them small units in older blocks.
- Townhouses, villas and terraces
- Group dwellings dispersed through the suburb, particularly around Beaufort Street, accounted for 922 occupied homes at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for East Perth and Mount Lawley
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.
East Perth
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for East Perth, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Mount Lawley
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Mount Lawley, 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 East Perth and Mount Lawley
East Perth
Transport
- Claisebrook Station (train)
- East Perth Station (train)
- Transwa regional trains (train)
- Red CAT and Yellow CAT (bus)
Schools and campuses
- Trinity College (combined, catholic)
- North Metropolitan TAFE, East Perth campus (tertiary, tafe)
- Mercedes College (Victoria Square, Perth) (secondary, catholic)
Amenities
- WACA Ground
- Claisebrook Cove
- Queens Gardens
- Mardalup Park
- Matagarup Bridge
- Royal Perth Hospital (Wellington Street, Perth)
Mount Lawley
Transport
- Mount Lawley Station (train)
- Beaufort Street (road)
- Walcott Street (road)
Schools and campuses
- Mount Lawley Senior High School (secondary, government)
- Mount Lawley Primary School (primary, government)
- Perth College (combined, independent)
- St Paul's Primary School (primary, catholic)
- North Metropolitan TAFE, Mount Lawley campus (tertiary, tafe)
Amenities
- Mount Lawley Hospital
- Beaufort Street town centre
- Astor Theatre
- Hamer Park
- Mount Lawley Bowling Club
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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Request a free assessment: East Perth or Mount Lawley
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in East Perth and Mount Lawley, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.