Illawong vs MenaiTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Illawong (NSW 2234) is approximately 27 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, on the Georges River. Menai (NSW 2234) is approximately 28 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, above the Woronora River. At the 2021 Census, Illawong had 7,427 residents with a median age of 44, and Menai had 10,419 residents with a median age of 39.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 3% of occupied dwellings in Illawong and 3% in Menai, while 8% of Illawong households rented compared with 15% in Menai. 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 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 guideNSW 2234 · Sutherland Shire
Menai
Menai is a Sutherland Shire family suburb of large homes with a substantial townhouse component, where 47.9 per cent of households hold a mortgage.
Sutherland Shire. Approximately 28 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, above the Woronora River.
Read the full Menai guide
What buying in Illawong and Menai 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 Illawong and Menai.
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 Illawong to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Menai 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.
Illawong and Menai: 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 | Illawong | Menai |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 7,427 | 10,419 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 44 | 39 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.0 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,778 | $2,575 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $650 | $560 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,976 | $2,600 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 8% | 15% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 41% | 48% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 50% | 36% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 93% | 75% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 5% | 22% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 3% | 3% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 4% | 5% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 74% | 54% |
| 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 Illawong and Menai
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.
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.
Menai
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Bushland and river valley interface land is commonly mapped as bush fire prone.
- Complying development is unavailable on BAL-40 and BAL-FZ land, requiring a full DA.
- Single-development exposure limits apply to any particular townhouse complex.
- Only 14.8 per cent of households rented, so the tenant pool is small.
- The plateau location means limited access routes over the river bridges.
Housing stock in Illawong and Menai compared
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.
Menai
- Large detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,583 at the 2021 Census, 75.2 per cent of occupied homes.
- Townhouses
- At 739 dwellings, or 21.5 per cent of occupied homes, substantial by Shire standards.
- Four bedroom homes
- At 1,416 dwellings, the most common size recorded at the 2021 Census, with 429 having five or more.
Official sale price and rent figures for Illawong and Menai
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.
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.
Menai
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Menai, 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 Illawong and Menai
Illawong
Transport
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Alfords Point Road (road)
- Sutherland Station (train)
Amenities
- Georges River foreshore
- Menai Marketplace
- Illawong local shops
Menai
Transport
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Menai Road (road)
- Alfords Point Bridge (road)
Amenities
- Menai Marketplace
- Woronora River foreshore
- Menai sporting fields
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.
Compare Illawong or Menai with another suburb
Change either suburb, or add a third.
Related comparisons
Request a free assessment: Illawong or Menai
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Illawong and Menai, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.