Elizabeth Vale vs SmithfieldTwo Adelaide suburbs compared for a home loan
Elizabeth Vale (SA 5112) is approximately 23 km north of the Adelaide CBD, north of the Little Para River. Smithfield (SA 5114) is approximately 29 km north of the Adelaide CBD, west of Main North Road. At the 2021 Census, Elizabeth Vale had 4,331 residents with a median age of 36, 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 8% of occupied dwellings in Elizabeth Vale and 1% in Smithfield, while 51% of Elizabeth Vale 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 Vale
Elizabeth Vale is a northern Adelaide suburb built around the Lyell McEwin Hospital, where renting is the majority tenure and attached housing is common.
City of Playford and City of Salisbury. Approximately 23 km north of the Adelaide CBD, north of the Little Para River.
Read the full Elizabeth Vale 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 Vale 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 Vale 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 Vale 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 Vale 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 Vale | Smithfield |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 4,331 | 2,482 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 36 | 35 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.5 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $851 | $1,049 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $233 | $260 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,083 | $1,100 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 51% | 50% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 25% | 32% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 21% | 16% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 59% | 80% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 33% | 19% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 8% | 1% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 27% | 12% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 11% | 15% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 7% | 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 Vale 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 Vale
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Renting is the majority tenure, so many purchases are investment lending, assessed on different terms from owner-occupied loans.
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio in areas with a high concentration of former public housing.
- Small units near the hospital precinct can fall below the minimum internal floor area some lenders require.
- Strata and community corporation levies are counted in serviceability assessments and reduce borrowing power.
- Flood and stormwater overlays apply in parts of the Little Para River corridor on the southern boundary.
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 Vale and Smithfield compared
Elizabeth Vale
- Semi-detached and maisonette dwellings
- At 543 dwellings, or 33.3 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 956 at the 2021 Census, 58.7 per cent of occupied homes, well below the national 72.3 per cent.
- Flats and apartments
- The 128 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 7.9 per cent of occupied homes, are concentrated near the hospital precinct.
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 Vale 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 Vale
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Elizabeth Vale, 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 Vale and Smithfield
Elizabeth Vale
Transport
- Elizabeth Station (train)
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Main North Road (road)
- John Rice Avenue (road)
Amenities
- Lyell McEwin Hospital
- Central Districts Hospital
- Little Para River corridor
- Elizabeth city centre
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.
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Request a free assessment: Elizabeth Vale or Smithfield
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