High Wycombe vs KalamundaTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
High Wycombe (WA 6057) is approximately 18 km east of the Perth CBD, at the base of the Darling Scarp. Kalamunda (WA 6076) is approximately 25 km east of the Perth CBD, on the Darling Scarp at 250 to 300 metres elevation. At the 2021 Census, High Wycombe had 12,198 residents with a median age of 38, and Kalamunda had 7,163 residents with a median age of 49.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in High Wycombe and 1% in Kalamunda, while 22% of High Wycombe households rented compared with 15% in Kalamunda. 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 6057 · Eastern foothills of Perth
High Wycombe
High Wycombe is a City of Kalamunda suburb that gained the Airport line terminus in 2022, is 96.2 per cent detached houses, and sits east of Perth Airport.
City of Kalamunda. Approximately 18 km east of the Perth CBD, at the base of the Darling Scarp.
Read the full High Wycombe guideWA 6076 · Perth Hills
Kalamunda
Kalamunda is a Perth Hills town on the Darling Scarp where 49.6 per cent of households own outright, with bushfire and sloping-site issues central to buying.
City of Kalamunda. Approximately 25 km east of the Perth CBD, on the Darling Scarp at 250 to 300 metres elevation.
Read the full Kalamunda guide
What buying in High Wycombe and Kalamunda 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 High Wycombe and Kalamunda.
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 High Wycombe to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Kalamunda 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.
High Wycombe and Kalamunda: 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 | High Wycombe | Kalamunda |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 12,198 | 7,163 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 38 | 49 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,758 | $1,622 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $380 | $360 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,733 | $2,100 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 22% | 15% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 46% | 34% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 30% | 50% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 96% | 89% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 4% | 9% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 1% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 7% | 13% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 51% | 49% |
| 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 High Wycombe and Kalamunda
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.
High Wycombe
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Attached stock is very scarce, so a new apartment near the station may lack local comparable sales.
- The suburb sits directly east of Perth Airport, so flight paths are worth checking for a specific address.
- The 2021 Census predates the station opening, so it does not reflect redevelopment since.
- Lenders assess security on current use and value, not on proposed redevelopment.
- Roe Highway on the eastern boundary carries freight traffic.
Kalamunda
- Downsizers
- Upgraders
- Land is commonly designated bush fire prone, which triggers a Bushfire Attack Level assessment for building work.
- Bushfire designation can raise insurance premiums materially and make cover harder to place.
- Larger lots can fall into a lender's rural or lifestyle category with a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio.
- Sloping, treed sites raise retaining, stormwater and emergency vehicle access questions.
- Deep clay soils mean site classification for footings differs from coastal plain suburbs.
Housing stock in High Wycombe and Kalamunda compared
High Wycombe
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 4,399 at the 2021 Census, 96.2 per cent of occupied homes.
- Four bedroom family homes
- At the 2021 Census, 2,058 dwellings had four bedrooms against 1,868 with three.
- Limited attached stock
- Only 165 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings and 5 flats were counted at the 2021 Census.
Kalamunda
- Detached houses on treed hills lots
- Separate houses numbered 2,518 at the 2021 Census, 89.3 per cent of occupied homes.
- Four and five bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 1,056 dwellings had four bedrooms and 319 had five or more.
- Town centre townhouses
- The 261 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings and 36 flats counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for High Wycombe and Kalamunda
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.
High Wycombe
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for High Wycombe, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Kalamunda
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Kalamunda, 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 High Wycombe and Kalamunda
High Wycombe
Transport
- High Wycombe Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Roe Highway (road)
- Kalamunda Road (road)
Amenities
- Scott Reserve
- Fleming Reserve
- High Wycombe local shops
Kalamunda
Transport
- Kalamunda Bus Station (bus)
- High Wycombe Station (train)
- Kalamunda Road (road)
- Zig Zag scenic drive (road)
Amenities
- Kalamunda National Park
- Bibbulmun Track northern terminus
- Kalamunda town centre
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: High Wycombe or Kalamunda
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