East Perth vs South PerthTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
East Perth (WA 6004) is approximately 2 km east of the Perth CBD, on the Swan River. South Perth (WA 6151) is approximately 3 km south of the Perth CBD, across the Swan River. At the 2021 Census, East Perth had 11,681 residents with a median age of 35, and South Perth had 12,596 residents with a median age of 42.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in East Perth and townhouses and terraces in South Perth. Flats and apartments made up 90% of occupied dwellings in East Perth and 29% in South Perth, while 62% of East Perth households rented compared with 43% in South Perth. 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 6151 · Inner Perth
South Perth
South Perth faces the Perth CBD across the Swan River, with a ferry, Perth Zoo, riverfront apartment towers and a large share of renters.
City of South Perth. Approximately 3 km south of the Perth CBD, across the Swan River.
Read the full South Perth guide
What buying in East Perth and South Perth 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 South Perth.
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 South Perth 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 South Perth: 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 | South Perth |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 11,681 | 12,596 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 35 | 42 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 1.8 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,005 | $2,026 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $410 | $375 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,950 | $2,200 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 62% | 43% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 21% | 22% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 16% | 33% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 4% | 34% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 6% | 37% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 90% | 29% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 72% | 42% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 4% | 20% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 21% | 16% |
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 South Perth
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.
South Perth
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Most dwellings are strata titled, so levies, reserve funds, insurance and planned remedial works affect both valuation and serviceability assessments.
- Some lenders limit exposure to high-density buildings or postcodes and apply minimum internal floor areas, which can reduce the loan available for small apartments.
- Off-the-plan purchases are valued near completion, so a gap between the contract price and the final valuation is a risk that buyers may wish to plan for.
- Parts of the peninsula fall within state floodplain mapping for the Swan River, which may affect insurance premiums and the questions a lender or valuer asks.
- Premiums paid for river and city views are difficult for valuers to support without comparable sales, and development on neighbouring sites can alter an outlook.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance, inspection and strata review conditions need to be written into the offer.
Housing stock in East Perth and South Perth 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.
South Perth
- Townhouses, villas and semi-detached homes
- The largest category at the 2021 Census, with 2,055 occupied dwellings, ranging from older villas to modern two-storey townhouses.
- Apartments and older flats
- Walk-up flats on the ridge and towers on the peninsula; 529 occupied apartments were in blocks of nine or more storeys at the 2021 Census.
- Character and contemporary houses
- Federation and inter-war homes, some on the City's Heritage List, alongside rebuilt family houses; detached houses near the river are scarce.
Official sale price and rent figures for East Perth and South Perth
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.
South Perth
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for South Perth, 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 South Perth
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)
South Perth
Transport
- Mends Street Jetty (ferry)
- Transperth routes 30 and 31 (bus)
- Mandurah Line (train)
- Kwinana Freeway (road)
- Canning Highway (road)
Schools and campuses
- South Perth Primary School (primary, government)
- St Columba's Catholic Primary School (primary, catholic)
- Wesley College (combined, independent)
Amenities
- Perth Zoo
- Sir James Mitchell Park and the South Perth Foreshore
- South Perth Hospital
- The Old Mill
- Mends Street precinct and Mindeerup
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 South Perth
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in East Perth and South Perth, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.