Hillcrest vs NorthfieldTwo Adelaide suburbs compared for a home loan
Hillcrest (SA 5086) is approximately 10 km north-east of the Adelaide CBD. Northfield (SA 5085) is approximately 9 km north-east of the Adelaide CBD. At the 2021 Census, Hillcrest had 3,659 residents with a median age of 35, and Northfield had 5,043 residents with a median age of 35.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 3% of occupied dwellings in Hillcrest and 2% in Northfield, while 34% of Hillcrest households rented compared with 42% in Northfield. 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.
SA 5086 · Adelaide's inner north-east
Hillcrest
Hillcrest is an inner north-eastern Adelaide suburb renewed since 1993, named for a former psychiatric hospital and now mostly detached housing.
City of Port Adelaide Enfield. Approximately 10 km north-east of the Adelaide CBD.
Read the full Hillcrest guideSA 5085 · Adelaide's inner north
Northfield
Northfield is an inner-northern Adelaide suburb with a quarry and prison history, now substantially renewed and with renting the largest tenure.
City of Port Adelaide Enfield. Approximately 9 km north-east of the Adelaide CBD.
Read the full Northfield guide
What buying in Hillcrest and Northfield 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 Hillcrest and Northfield.
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 Hillcrest to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Northfield 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.
Hillcrest and Northfield: 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 | Hillcrest | Northfield |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 3,659 | 5,043 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 35 | 35 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,599 | $1,420 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $319 | $307 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,602 | $1,580 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 34% | 42% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 40% | 37% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 23% | 20% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 81% | 81% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 3% | 2% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 16% | 19% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 19% | 12% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 5% | 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 Hillcrest and Northfield
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.
Hillcrest
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Stock spans original mid-century homes and recent replacements, so comparable sales need care and valuations can vary on one street.
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio where public housing was concentrated.
- Older records may describe institutional land under the Hillcrest name that now lies within Oakden.
- The northern part of the suburb was renamed Gilles Plains, so historical sales data may refer to a different area.
- First home buyer duty relief applies to new homes only, which can be relevant on renewed sites.
Northfield
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio where public housing was concentrated in the inner north.
- Narrow-lot townhouses on subdivided sites can face minimum floor area or land size requirements with some lenders.
- Land with a former institutional or industrial use may raise site history and remediation questions.
- Renting is the largest tenure, so many purchases are investment lending, assessed on different terms.
- There is no passenger railway in the suburb, so public transport depends on the bus network.
Housing stock in Hillcrest and Northfield compared
Hillcrest
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,108 at the 2021 Census, 80.9 per cent of occupied homes, above the national 72.3 per cent.
- Renewed and replacement homes
- A concerted state government effort to update the housing stock from 1993 means a notable share of dwellings are comparatively modern.
- Townhouses and semi-detached dwellings
- The 221 attached dwellings counted at the 2021 Census are largely built on renewed sites.
Northfield
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,268 at the 2021 Census, 80.6 per cent of occupied homes, above the national 72.3 per cent.
- Townhouses and semi-detached dwellings
- The 264 attached dwellings counted at the 2021 Census are largely infill on renewed and subdivided sites.
- Three-bedroom homes
- The dominant size at 1,038 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Hillcrest and Northfield
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.
Hillcrest
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Hillcrest, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Northfield
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Northfield, 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 Hillcrest and Northfield
Hillcrest
Transport
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- O-Bahn busway (bus)
- Grand Junction Road (road)
- North East Road (road)
Amenities
- River Torrens Linear Park
- Hillcrest local shops
Northfield
Transport
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Main North East Road (road)
- Grand Junction Road (road)
- Hampstead Road (road)
Amenities
- Northfield local shops
- Northfield reserves
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the South Australia education department.
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Request a free assessment: Hillcrest or Northfield
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Hillcrest and Northfield, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.