Harrison vs NgunnawalTwo Canberra suburbs compared for a home loan
Harrison (ACT 2914) is approximately 9 km north of the Canberra city centre, on the light rail line. Ngunnawal (ACT 2913) is approximately 12 km north of the Canberra city centre, in northern Gungahlin. At the 2021 Census, Harrison had 8,244 residents with a median age of 31, and Ngunnawal had 10,957 residents with a median age of 34.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 30% of occupied dwellings in Harrison and 0% in Ngunnawal, while 46% of Harrison households rented compared with 26% in Ngunnawal. 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 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 guideACT 2913 · Gungahlin
Ngunnawal
Ngunnawal is the largest suburb in these Canberra guides by population, with no apartments and 49.7 per cent of households holding a mortgage.
Australian Capital Territory. Approximately 12 km north of the Canberra city centre, in northern Gungahlin.
Read the full Ngunnawal guide
What buying in Harrison and Ngunnawal 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 Harrison and Ngunnawal.
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 Harrison to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Ngunnawal 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.
Harrison and Ngunnawal: 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 | Harrison | Ngunnawal |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 8,244 | 10,957 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 31 | 34 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,636 | $2,219 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $450 | $450 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,000 | $1,950 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 46% | 26% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 42% | 50% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 11% | 21% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 55% | 67% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 15% | 33% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 30% | 0% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 27% | 13% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 52% | 24% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 5% | 4% |
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 Harrison and Ngunnawal
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.
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.
Ngunnawal
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- The suburb's size gives a valuer ample close comparable evidence.
- Single-development exposure limits still apply to any particular townhouse complex.
- Complexes from the 1990s warrant close review of sinking fund adequacy.
- Estate design guidelines can differ between areas released at different times.
- The suburb postdates the loose-fill asbestos installation period entirely.
Housing stock in Harrison and Ngunnawal compared
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.
Ngunnawal
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,728 at the 2021 Census, 67.3 per cent of occupied homes.
- Townhouses
- At 1,321 dwellings, or 32.6 per cent of occupied homes, well above the national share.
- Three bedroom homes
- At 2,522 dwellings, the dominant size recorded at the 2021 Census, ahead of 812 four-bedroom.
Official sale price and rent figures for Harrison and Ngunnawal
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.
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.
Ngunnawal
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Ngunnawal, 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 Harrison and Ngunnawal
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
Ngunnawal
Transport
- Transport Canberra buses (bus)
- Gundaroo Drive (road)
- Barton Highway (road)
Amenities
- Ngunnawal local shops
- Gungahlin Town Centre
- Gungaderra Grasslands Nature Reserve
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.
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Request a free assessment: Harrison or Ngunnawal
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Harrison and Ngunnawal, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.