Forrestfield vs KalamundaTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Forrestfield (WA 6058) is approximately 15 km south-east of the Perth CBD, at the base of the Darling Scarp. Kalamunda (WA 6076) is approximately 25 km east of the Perth CBD, on the Darling Scarp at 250 to 300 metres elevation. At the 2021 Census, Forrestfield had 13,181 residents with a median age of 38, and Kalamunda had 7,163 residents with a median age of 49.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in Forrestfield and 1% in Kalamunda, while 23% of Forrestfield households rented compared with 15% in Kalamunda. 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 6058 · Eastern foothills of Perth
Forrestfield
Forrestfield is a City of Kalamunda foothills suburb of post-war housing beside a major rail freight precinct, where 46.2 per cent of households hold a mortgage.
City of Kalamunda. Approximately 15 km south-east of the Perth CBD, at the base of the Darling Scarp.
Read the full Forrestfield guideWA 6076 · Perth Hills
Kalamunda
Kalamunda is a Perth Hills town on the Darling Scarp where 49.6 per cent of households own outright, with bushfire and sloping-site issues central to buying.
City of Kalamunda. Approximately 25 km east of the Perth CBD, on the Darling Scarp at 250 to 300 metres elevation.
Read the full Kalamunda guide
What buying in Forrestfield and Kalamunda 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 Forrestfield and Kalamunda.
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 Forrestfield to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Kalamunda 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.
Forrestfield and Kalamunda: 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 | Forrestfield | Kalamunda |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 13,181 | 7,163 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 38 | 49 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,614 | $1,622 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $350 | $360 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,733 | $2,100 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 23% | 15% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 46% | 34% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 28% | 50% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 89% | 89% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 9% | 9% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 1% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 9% | 13% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 45% | 49% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 6% | 7% |
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 Forrestfield and Kalamunda
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.
Forrestfield
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- The 241 hectare marshalling yard and industrial precinct sits immediately north of the residential area.
- Some lenders and insurers treat adjoining industrial land as a valuation or acceptability factor.
- The Airport line terminus is at High Wycombe, not in Forrestfield, despite the project's original name.
- The suburb adjoins the southern border of Perth Airport, so flight paths are worth checking.
- Housing spans the 1950s to recent estates, so inspection priorities vary widely by street.
Kalamunda
- Downsizers
- Upgraders
- Land is commonly designated bush fire prone, which triggers a Bushfire Attack Level assessment for building work.
- Bushfire designation can raise insurance premiums materially and make cover harder to place.
- Larger lots can fall into a lender's rural or lifestyle category with a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio.
- Sloping, treed sites raise retaining, stormwater and emergency vehicle access questions.
- Deep clay soils mean site classification for footings differs from coastal plain suburbs.
Housing stock in Forrestfield and Kalamunda compared
Forrestfield
- Post-war and 1960s detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 4,511 at the 2021 Census, 88.5 per cent of occupied homes.
- Later estate housing
- Four-bedroom homes numbered 1,999 at the 2021 Census, against 2,276 with three bedrooms.
- Townhouses
- The 462 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with only 9 flats.
Kalamunda
- Detached houses on treed hills lots
- Separate houses numbered 2,518 at the 2021 Census, 89.3 per cent of occupied homes.
- Four and five bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 1,056 dwellings had four bedrooms and 319 had five or more.
- Town centre townhouses
- The 261 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings and 36 flats counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Forrestfield and Kalamunda
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.
Forrestfield
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Forrestfield, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Kalamunda
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Kalamunda, 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 Forrestfield and Kalamunda
Forrestfield
Transport
- High Wycombe Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Roe Highway (road)
- Tonkin Highway (road)
Amenities
- Hartfield Park Recreation Centre
- Forrestfield Forum
- Darling Scarp reserves
Kalamunda
Transport
- Kalamunda Bus Station (bus)
- High Wycombe Station (train)
- Kalamunda Road (road)
- Zig Zag scenic drive (road)
Amenities
- Kalamunda National Park
- Bibbulmun Track northern terminus
- Kalamunda 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.
Compare Forrestfield or Kalamunda with another suburb
Change either suburb, or add a third.
Related comparisons
Request a free assessment: Forrestfield or Kalamunda
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Forrestfield and Kalamunda, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.