Gungahlin vs HarrisonTwo Canberra suburbs compared for a home loan
Gungahlin (ACT 2912) is approximately 10 km north of Canberra's city centre. Harrison (ACT 2914) is approximately 9 km north of the Canberra city centre, on the light rail line. At the 2021 Census, Gungahlin had 8,586 residents with a median age of 31, and Harrison had 8,244 residents with a median age of 31.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Gungahlin and separate houses in Harrison. Flats and apartments made up 47% of occupied dwellings in Gungahlin and 30% in Harrison, while 53% of Gungahlin households rented compared with 46% in Harrison. 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.
ACT 2912 · Gungahlin district, northern Canberra
Gungahlin
A guide to buying in Gungahlin, the light rail terminus and town centre of northern Canberra, covering modern homes, apartments and lending.
Australian Capital Territory (no local councils), Gungahlin district. Approximately 10 km north of Canberra's city centre.
Read the full Gungahlin guideACT 2914 · Gungahlin
Harrison
Harrison is a Gungahlin suburb named after the city planner Peter Harrison, on the light rail line, where 42.4 per cent of households hold a mortgage.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 9 km north of the Canberra city centre, on the light rail line.
Read the full Harrison guide
What buying in Gungahlin and Harrison 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 Gungahlin and Harrison.
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 Gungahlin to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Harrison 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.
Gungahlin and Harrison: 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 | Gungahlin | Harrison |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 8,586 | 8,244 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 31 | 31 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,208 | $2,636 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $450 | $450 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,801 | $2,000 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 53% | 46% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 33% | 42% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 13% | 11% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 36% | 55% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 17% | 15% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 47% | 30% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 48% | 27% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 31% | 52% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 9% | 5% |
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 Gungahlin and Harrison
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.
Gungahlin
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- As-if-complete valuations for new homes in the district can fall below the total contract cost where many similar dwellings are being delivered nearby.
- Apartments above commercial premises, or in buildings with a high share of investor owners, may be assessed more conservatively by some lenders.
- Owners corporation levies for townhouses and apartments are counted as living expenses in borrowing capacity assessments.
- Purchases with a small deposit are likely to attract lenders mortgage insurance, and insurers may apply their own minimum size rules to apartments.
- Land is held under a Crown lease, which lenders accept as standard security, and any building obligations in a new lease should be confirmed before finance is arranged.
Harrison
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- One-bedroom dwellings can fall below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- Body corporate levies are counted in serviceability assessments and reduce borrowing power.
- Estate design guidelines bind later buyers, not only the original purchaser.
- Only 10.8 per cent own outright, so almost every purchase involves borrowing.
- Builder contract variations after loan approval can leave a funding gap.
Housing stock in Gungahlin and Harrison compared
Gungahlin
- Detached homes on compact blocks
- Modern houses, many of two storeys, built within a relatively short period and broadly similar in design.
- Townhouses and terraces
- Attached dwellings, often held under units plans with an owners corporation responsible for common property.
- Town centre apartments
- Mid-rise and taller buildings near the light rail, frequently above ground-floor commercial premises.
Harrison
- Four bedroom family houses
- At 1,249 dwellings, the dominant size recorded at the 2021 Census, ahead of 536 three-bedroom.
- Apartments on the light rail corridor
- The 820 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 29.6 per cent of occupied homes.
- Townhouses
- The 418 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Gungahlin and Harrison
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.
Gungahlin
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Gungahlin, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Harrison
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Harrison, 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 Gungahlin and Harrison
Gungahlin
Transport
- Gungahlin Place (light rail)
- Gungahlin Place bus interchange (bus)
- Flemington Road (road)
- Gungahlin Drive (road)
- Horse Park Drive (road)
Schools and campuses
- Gungahlin College (secondary, government)
- Burgmann Anglican School (Valley Campus) (combined, independent)
- Harrison School (combined, government)
- Palmerston District Primary School (primary, government)
- Holy Spirit Primary School (primary, catholic)
Amenities
- Marketplace Gungahlin
- Yerrabi Pond
- Gungahlin Leisure Centre
- Gungahlin Public Library
- Gungahlin Community Centre
Harrison
Transport
- Harrison light rail stops (light rail)
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Flemington Road (road)
Amenities
- Gungahlin Town Centre
- Harrison local shops
- Yerrabi Pond District Park
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the ACT education department.
Compare Gungahlin or Harrison with another suburb
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Related comparisons
Request a free assessment: Gungahlin or Harrison
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Gungahlin and Harrison, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.