East Perth vs SubiacoTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
East Perth (WA 6004) is approximately 2 km east of the Perth CBD, on the Swan River. Subiaco (WA 6008) is approximately 3 km west of the Perth CBD. At the 2021 Census, East Perth had 11,681 residents with a median age of 35, and Subiaco had 9,940 residents with a median age of 40.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments. Flats and apartments made up 90% of occupied dwellings in East Perth and 42% in Subiaco, while 62% of East Perth households rented compared with 45% in Subiaco. 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 6008 · Inner western suburbs of Perth
Subiaco
Subiaco is an inner western Perth suburb of heritage houses, townhouses and apartments, with an underground rail station and the Subi East renewal area.
City of Subiaco. Approximately 3 km west of the Perth CBD.
Read the full Subiaco guide
What buying in East Perth and Subiaco 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 Subiaco.
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 Subiaco 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 Subiaco: 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 | Subiaco |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 11,681 | 9,940 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 35 | 40 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 1.8 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,005 | $2,219 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $410 | $438 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,950 | $2,498 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 62% | 45% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 21% | 24% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 16% | 29% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 4% | 39% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 6% | 19% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 90% | 42% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 72% | 52% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 4% | 15% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 21% | 12% |
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 Subiaco
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.
Subiaco
- Downsizers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Heritage List entries and heritage areas can restrict alterations, and valuers factor those limits and likely repair costs into their assessments.
- Western Australian contracts carry no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be written into the offer itself.
- Narrow-lot period houses have few close comparables, so a valuation below the contract price is possible for buyers with small deposits.
- Some lenders restrict small apartments, mixed-use buildings or their total exposure to one building, which can lower the maximum loan available.
- Strata levies, the ten-year maintenance plan and the reserve fund balance affect both valuation and serviceability for apartments and townhouses.
- Off-the-plan apartments at Subi East would be valued and assessed again near settlement, so an early approval is not a guarantee of finance.
Housing stock in East Perth and Subiaco 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.
Subiaco
- Period houses and cottages
- Mostly single-storey brick and weatherboard houses from the 1890s to the 1920s on narrow lots, many within designated heritage areas.
- Townhouses and terraces
- Semi-detached, terrace and townhouse dwellings, including Subi Centro stock, made up 863 of the occupied homes counted at the 2021 Census.
- Apartments
- The largest dwelling category at the 2021 Census, in low and mid-rise strata buildings, with further sites planned at Subi East.
Official sale price and rent figures for East Perth and Subiaco
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.
Subiaco
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Subiaco, 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 Subiaco
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)
Subiaco
Transport
- Subiaco Station (train)
- West Leederville Station (train)
- Roberts Road, Hay Street and Thomas Street buses (bus)
Schools and campuses
- Subiaco Primary School (primary, government)
- Bob Hawke College (secondary, government)
- Perth Modern School (secondary, government)
Amenities
- King Edward Memorial Hospital
- St John of God Subiaco Hospital
- Lords Recreation Centre
- Subiaco Oval
- Subiaco Museum
- Rokeby Road and Hay Street town centre
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 Subiaco
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in East Perth and Subiaco, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.