Elizabeth East vs SmithfieldTwo Adelaide suburbs compared for a home loan
Elizabeth East (SA 5112) is approximately 25 km north of the Adelaide CBD, east of Main North Road. Smithfield (SA 5114) is approximately 29 km north of the Adelaide CBD, west of Main North Road. At the 2021 Census, Elizabeth East had 4,607 residents with a median age of 38, and Smithfield had 2,482 residents with a median age of 35.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in Elizabeth East and 1% in Smithfield, while 45% of Elizabeth East households rented compared with 50% in Smithfield. 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.
SA 5112 · Adelaide's northern suburbs
Elizabeth East
Elizabeth East is a northern Adelaide suburb of the 1950s satellite city, with a third of homes attached and renting the largest tenure.
City of Playford. Approximately 25 km north of the Adelaide CBD, east of Main North Road.
Read the full Elizabeth East guideSA 5114 · Adelaide's northern suburbs
Smithfield
Smithfield is a small northern Adelaide suburb with its own Gawler line station, an original township grid and Munno Para Shopping City on its edge.
City of Playford. Approximately 29 km north of the Adelaide CBD, west of Main North Road.
Read the full Smithfield guide
What buying in Elizabeth East and Smithfield 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 Elizabeth East and Smithfield.
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 Elizabeth East to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Smithfield 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.
Elizabeth East and Smithfield: 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 | Elizabeth East | Smithfield |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 4,607 | 2,482 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 38 | 35 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $904 | $1,049 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $225 | $260 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,062 | $1,100 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 45% | 50% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 32% | 32% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 20% | 16% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 66% | 80% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 34% | 19% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 1% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 20% | 12% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 10% | 15% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 10% | 6% |
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 Elizabeth East and Smithfield
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.
Elizabeth East
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio in suburbs with a high concentration of former public housing.
- Median weekly household income of $904 was around half the national figure, so serviceability usually binds before deposit.
- Zoning in former Housing Trust areas often supports medium-density redevelopment, which affects both value and what can be built.
- Dwellings built before the 1980s may contain asbestos-containing materials, which inspections and some insurers consider.
- Renting is the largest tenure, so many purchases are investment lending, assessed on different terms from owner-occupied loans.
Smithfield
- First home buyers
- Investors
- The suburb is small, with 906 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, so comparable sales evidence can be thin.
- An industrial zone runs along the railway line, and lenders and valuers may take a more conservative view of security nearby.
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio in areas with a high concentration of former public housing.
- Renting accounted for half of households with a stated tenure, so many purchases are investment lending.
- Stormwater and flood overlays may apply in parts of the Smith Creek corridor on the southern side.
Housing stock in Elizabeth East and Smithfield compared
Elizabeth East
- Semi-detached and maisonette dwellings
- At 580 dwellings, or 33.7 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census, attached housing is far above the national share.
- Detached Housing Trust era houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,131 at the 2021 Census, mostly single-storey homes of the 1950s and 1960s built to standard plans.
- Three-bedroom homes
- The dominant size at 1,166 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census.
Smithfield
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 728 at the 2021 Census, 80.4 per cent of occupied homes, spanning the township grid and Housing Trust era areas.
- Semi-detached and townhouse dwellings
- At 173 dwellings, or 19.1 per cent of occupied homes, attached housing is above the national share of 12.6 per cent.
- Three-bedroom homes
- The dominant size at 640 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Elizabeth East and Smithfield
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.
Elizabeth East
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Elizabeth East, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Smithfield
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Smithfield, 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 Elizabeth East and Smithfield
Elizabeth East
Transport
- Elizabeth Station (train)
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Main North Road (road)
- Northern Expressway (road)
Amenities
- Elizabeth city centre
- Elizabeth East local shops
Smithfield
Transport
- Smithfield Station (train)
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Main North Road (road)
- Northern Expressway (road)
Amenities
- Munno Para Shopping City
- Smithfield Hotel
- Augusta Square
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the South Australia education department.
Compare Elizabeth East or Smithfield with another suburb
Change either suburb, or add a third.
Related comparisons
Request a free assessment: Elizabeth East or Smithfield
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Elizabeth East and Smithfield, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.