Fremantle vs RockinghamTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Fremantle (WA 6160) is approximately 19 km south-west of the Perth CBD, at the mouth of the Swan River. Rockingham (WA 6168) is approximately 40 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on Cockburn Sound. At the 2021 Census, Fremantle had 9,251 residents with a median age of 41, and Rockingham had 15,312 residents with a median age of 49.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 27% of occupied dwellings in Fremantle and 14% in Rockingham, while 42% of Fremantle households rented compared with 38% in Rockingham. 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 6160 · South-west metropolitan Perth
Fremantle
Fremantle is Perth's historic port city, with heritage cottages, townhouses and apartments, a rail terminus and a high share of renters.
City of Fremantle. Approximately 19 km south-west of the Perth CBD, at the mouth of the Swan River.
Read the full Fremantle guideWA 6168 · Perth's southern coastal corridor
Rockingham
Rockingham is a coastal strategic centre south of Perth with older houses, villas and foreshore apartments, an older population and many renters.
City of Rockingham. Approximately 40 km south-west of the Perth CBD, on Cockburn Sound.
Read the full Rockingham guide
What buying in Fremantle and Rockingham 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 Fremantle and Rockingham.
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 Fremantle to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Rockingham 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.
Fremantle and Rockingham: 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 | Fremantle | Rockingham |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 9,251 | 15,312 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 41 | 49 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,822 | $1,169 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $380 | $300 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,167 | $1,517 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 42% | 38% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 28% | 27% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 29% | 34% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 40% | 66% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 32% | 20% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 27% | 14% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 52% | 27% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 13% | 30% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 14% | 14% |
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 Fremantle and Rockingham
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.
Fremantle
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Heritage listing on the local Heritage List or the State Register can restrict alterations, and valuers factor these limits and repair costs into their assessments.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be written into the offer before it is signed.
- Mixed-use buildings and converted warehouses may be assessed more conservatively by some lenders, which can lower the maximum loan-to-value ratio offered.
- Small apartments and older flats may fall below the minimum internal floor area that certain lenders and mortgage insurers require.
- Strata levies, reserve fund balances and planned remedial works in older or coastal buildings affect both valuation and borrowing capacity assessments.
- Unusual period homes have fewer comparable sales, so a valuation below the contract price is a possibility that buyers with small deposits may wish to plan for.
Rockingham
- Downsizers
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Some lenders restrict serviced or short-stay apartments and set minimum internal floor areas, which can narrow the choice of lender for foreshore units.
- Strata levies, reserve fund balances and planned remedial works in coastal buildings affect both valuation and borrowing capacity assessments.
- Borrowers close to retirement are usually asked for an exit strategy, and the loan term offered may be shorter than the standard term.
- Downsizers buying before selling may need bridging finance or an offer made subject to the sale of their existing home.
- Property within mapped coastal hazard or bush fire prone areas may cost more to insure, and lenders require insurance at settlement.
Housing stock in Fremantle and Rockingham compared
Fremantle
- Heritage cottages and period homes
- Limestone and brick cottages, terraces and Federation homes, many subject to local or state heritage controls.
- Townhouses and terraces
- Semi-detached, terrace and townhouse dwellings made up 1,306 of the occupied homes counted at the 2021 Census.
- Apartments and older flats
- Mid-century walk-up flats and newer strata complexes near the town centre and harbour, some in mixed-use buildings.
- Warehouse and commercial conversions
- Former wool stores and warehouses adapted to apartments, which some lenders assess more conservatively.
Rockingham
- Older single-storey houses
- Separate houses on traditional lots made up 4,526 of the occupied homes counted at the 2021 Census, in widely varying condition.
- Villas, duplexes and townhouses
- The 2021 Census counted 1,390 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings, typically strata titled and a smaller alternative to a detached house.
- Foreshore apartments
- Flats and apartments numbered 977 at the 2021 Census, concentrated near the beach, some with short-stay use in the building.
Official sale price and rent figures for Fremantle and Rockingham
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.
Fremantle
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Fremantle, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Rockingham
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Rockingham, 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 Fremantle and Rockingham
Fremantle
Transport
- Fremantle Station (train)
- Fremantle Station bus services (bus)
- Fremantle Traffic Bridge (road)
Schools and campuses
- John Curtin College of the Arts (secondary, government)
- Fremantle Primary School (primary, government)
- CBC Fremantle (secondary, catholic)
- University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle Campus (tertiary, university)
Amenities
- Fremantle Hospital
- Fremantle Markets
- Fremantle Prison
- WA Maritime Museum
Rockingham
Transport
- Rockingham Station (train)
- Route 555 (bus)
- Patterson Road and Ennis Avenue (road)
- Rockingham Beach Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Rockingham Senior High School (secondary, government)
- Rockingham Beach Primary School (primary, government)
- Bungaree Primary School (primary, government)
- Kolbe Catholic College (secondary, catholic)
- Star of the Sea Primary School (primary, catholic)
- South Metropolitan TAFE, Rockingham campus (tertiary, tafe)
Amenities
- Rockingham Beach Foreshore
- Rockingham General Hospital (Cooloongup)
- Rockingham Centre
- Lake Richmond
- Churchill Park and Bell Park
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: Fremantle or Rockingham
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