Forrestfield vs KenwickTwo 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. Kenwick (WA 6107) is approximately 14 km south-east of the Perth CBD, beside the Canning River. At the 2021 Census, Forrestfield had 13,181 residents with a median age of 38, and Kenwick had 5,684 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 Forrestfield and 0% in Kenwick, while 23% of Forrestfield households rented compared with 29% in Kenwick. 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 6107 · South-east metropolitan Perth
Kenwick
Kenwick is a small City of Gosnells suburb of older detached houses, with a station on the Armadale Line and a large industrial and rural area.
City of Gosnells. Approximately 14 km south-east of the Perth CBD, beside the Canning River.
Read the full Kenwick guide
What buying in Forrestfield and Kenwick 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 Kenwick.
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 Kenwick 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 Kenwick: 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 | Kenwick |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 13,181 | 5,684 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 38 | 35 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,614 | $1,433 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $350 | $300 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,733 | $1,517 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 23% | 29% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 46% | 45% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 28% | 25% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 89% | 98% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 9% | 1% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 0% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 9% | 6% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 45% | 43% |
| 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 Kenwick
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.
Kenwick
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- With fewer than two thousand occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, comparable sales are limited and a valuation can differ from the contract price.
- Valuers may comment on proximity to the passenger and freight railways, Albany Highway or industrial premises where these affect a particular property.
- Rural or industrial zoned land, and larger lots, may fall outside standard residential lending policy and can require a larger deposit.
- Lenders generally value a house on its existing use, so a premium paid for subdivision potential may not be reflected in the valuation.
- An older house may attract comments on condition, asbestos-containing materials or additions without approval, and a lender can request further reports.
- With no mandatory cooling-off period in Western Australia, finance and inspection conditions have to be included in the offer before it is signed.
Housing stock in Forrestfield and Kenwick 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.
Kenwick
- Older three-bedroom houses
- Established single-storey homes on full-sized lots; the 2021 Census counted 951 three-bedroom dwellings.
- Four-bedroom family houses
- The 2021 Census counted 745 four-bedroom homes and a further 109 with five or more bedrooms.
- Rural and semi-rural lots
- Larger properties north of the housing area, much of it zoned or proposed for industrial and business uses under separate planning controls.
Official sale price and rent figures for Forrestfield and Kenwick
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.
Kenwick
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Kenwick, 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 Kenwick
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
Kenwick
Transport
- Kenwick Station (train)
- Route 227 (bus)
- Route 220 (bus)
- Albany Highway (road)
- Kenwick Link (road)
- Tonkin Highway (road)
Schools and campuses
- East Kenwick Primary School (primary, government)
- Kenwick School (special, government)
- Rehoboth Christian College, Kenwick campus (combined, independent)
- Communicare Academy (secondary, independent)
Amenities
- Oliphant Park
- Aldinga Street Reserve
- Brixton Street Conservation Area
- Kenwick Pioneer Cemetery
- Maddington Central (Maddington)
- Westfield Carousel (Cannington)
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: Forrestfield or Kenwick
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