Gymea Bay vs IllawongTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Gymea Bay (NSW 2227) is approximately 24 km south of the Sydney CBD, on Gymea Bay. Illawong (NSW 2234) is approximately 27 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, on the Georges River. At the 2021 Census, Gymea Bay had 6,983 residents with a median age of 42, and Illawong had 7,427 residents with a median age of 44.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 1% of occupied dwellings in Gymea Bay and 3% in Illawong, while 7% of Gymea Bay households rented compared with 8% in Illawong. 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.
NSW 2227 · Sutherland Shire
Gymea Bay
Gymea Bay is a Sutherland Shire waterside suburb of large family houses where only 7.4 per cent of households rent, the lowest share in these guides.
Sutherland Shire. Approximately 24 km south of the Sydney CBD, on Gymea Bay.
Read the full Gymea Bay guideNSW 2234 · Sutherland Shire
Illawong
Illawong is a Sutherland Shire river suburb that is 92.6 per cent detached houses, where 49.8 per cent of households own outright and 8.0 per cent rent.
Sutherland Shire. Approximately 27 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, on the Georges River.
Read the full Illawong guide
What buying in Gymea Bay and Illawong 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 Gymea Bay and Illawong.
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 Gymea Bay to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Illawong 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.
Gymea Bay and Illawong: 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 | Gymea Bay | Illawong |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 6,983 | 7,427 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 42 | 44 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $3,047 | $2,778 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $680 | $650 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $3,033 | $2,976 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 7% | 8% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 48% | 41% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 45% | 50% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 90% | 93% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 9% | 5% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 1% | 3% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 5% | 4% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 60% | 74% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 3% | 3% |
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 Gymea Bay and Illawong
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.
Gymea Bay
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Only 7.4 per cent of households rented, the lowest share recorded in these guides.
- Bush fire prone land can raise insurance premiums and make cover harder to place.
- Complying development is unavailable on BAL-40 and BAL-FZ land, requiring a full DA.
- Waterside homes are not directly comparable, so upper-end valuations are less predictable.
- Sloping blocks raise retaining, drainage and stormwater questions on inspection.
Illawong
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Only 8.0 per cent of households rented, among the lowest shares in these guides.
- Bushland along the river corridors can be mapped as bush fire prone land.
- Complying development is unavailable on BAL-40 and BAL-FZ land, requiring a full DA.
- Riverside homes are not directly comparable, so upper-end valuations are less predictable.
- The peninsula location means limited access routes through neighbouring suburbs.
Housing stock in Gymea Bay and Illawong compared
Gymea Bay
- Large detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,979 at the 2021 Census, 90.3 per cent of occupied homes.
- Four and five bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 937 dwellings had four bedrooms and 370 had five or more.
- Almost no apartments
- Only 24 flats and 187 townhouse dwellings were counted at the 2021 Census.
Illawong
- Large detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,172 at the 2021 Census, 92.6 per cent of occupied homes.
- Four and five bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 1,230 dwellings had four bedrooms and 515 had five or more.
- Very little attached stock
- Only 117 townhouse dwellings and 62 flats were counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Gymea Bay and Illawong
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.
Gymea Bay
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Gymea Bay, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Illawong
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Illawong, 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 Gymea Bay and Illawong
Gymea Bay
Transport
- Gymea Station (train)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Princes Highway (road)
Amenities
- Gymea Bay Baths
- Port Hacking foreshore
- Westfield Miranda
Illawong
Transport
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Alfords Point Road (road)
- Sutherland Station (train)
Amenities
- Georges River foreshore
- Menai Marketplace
- Illawong local shops
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the New South Wales education department.
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Request a free assessment: Gymea Bay or Illawong
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