Joondalup vs MorleyTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Joondalup (WA 6027) is approximately 26 km north of the Perth CBD. Morley (WA 6062) is approximately 9 km north-east of the Perth CBD. At the 2021 Census, Joondalup had 9,193 residents with a median age of 39, and Morley had 22,539 residents with a median age of 39.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 24% of occupied dwellings in Joondalup and 1% in Morley, while 41% of Joondalup households rented compared with 28% in Morley. 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 6027 · Northern suburbs of Perth
Joondalup
Joondalup is the planned regional centre of Perth's north, with a rail station, university, major hospital and a mix of houses and apartments.
City of Joondalup. Approximately 26 km north of the Perth CBD.
Read the full Joondalup guideWA 6062 · North-east metropolitan Perth
Morley
Morley is a middle-ring Perth suburb of post-war houses on subdividable lots, with a strategic retail centre and a station on the Ellenbrook Line.
City of Bayswater. Approximately 9 km north-east of the Perth CBD.
Read the full Morley guide
What buying in Joondalup and Morley 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 Joondalup and Morley.
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 Joondalup to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Morley 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.
Joondalup and Morley: 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 | Joondalup | Morley |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 9,193 | 22,539 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 39 | 39 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.5 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,688 | $1,583 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $360 | $360 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,733 | $1,733 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 41% | 28% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 33% | 35% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 25% | 35% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 57% | 83% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 19% | 16% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 24% | 1% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 26% | 9% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 41% | 38% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 10% | 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 Joondalup and Morley
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.
Joondalup
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Studio apartments and purpose-built student accommodation may not meet the minimum floor area or security type requirements of some lenders.
- Off-the-plan purchases are valued close to settlement, and a valuation below the contract price would need to be covered from the buyer's own funds.
- Lenders mortgage insurance is likely to apply to purchases with a small deposit, and adding the premium to the loan increases total interest costs.
- Strata levies on townhouses and apartments are counted as a living cost in serviceability assessments and reduce borrowing capacity.
- With no mandatory cooling-off period in Western Australia, a finance condition with a realistic approval date protects buyers whose loan is not yet formally approved.
Morley
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Western Australian contracts carry no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be written into the offer before it is signed.
- Valuers assess an older house on a subdividable lot as it stands, not on a projected development outcome, which matters for buyers paying a premium for potential.
- Building a second dwelling usually requires a construction loan drawn in stages, and some lenders treat multi-dwelling projects as commercial lending.
- Strata and survey-strata villas require a precontractual disclosure statement, and levies and insurance arrangements feed into serviceability and valuation.
- Post-war houses can contain asbestos-containing materials, original wiring and unapproved additions, which affect inspection results, insurance and renovation budgets.
Housing stock in Joondalup and Morley compared
Joondalup
- Detached brick and tile houses
- Family homes on moderately sized lots, mostly built from the late twentieth century onwards; 2,037 separate houses were counted at the 2021 Census.
- Townhouses and grouped dwellings
- Lower-maintenance strata homes located close to the station, university and shopping precinct.
- Apartments and student accommodation
- Low-rise units in the city centre, including some small dwellings designed primarily for student tenants.
Morley
- Post-war detached houses
- Single-storey family homes on traditional lots; separate houses numbered 7,257 of the 8,693 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census.
- Strata villas and townhouses
- Infill dwellings built behind or in place of original houses, usually on strata or survey-strata titles with small owner groups.
- Rebuilt and newer houses
- Two-storey and project homes constructed on original or subdivided lots, generally free of the maintenance issues of older stock.
- Activity centre apartments
- A small number of flats and apartments, with the Morley Activity Centre Plan providing for more mixed-use and residential buildings over time.
Official sale price and rent figures for Joondalup and Morley
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.
Joondalup
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Joondalup, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Morley
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Morley, 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 Joondalup and Morley
Joondalup
Transport
- Joondalup Station (train)
- Joondalup CAT (bus)
- Mitchell Freeway (road)
- Joondalup Drive (road)
Schools and campuses
- Joondalup Primary School (primary, government)
- Lake Joondalup Baptist College (combined, independent)
- Edith Cowan University, Joondalup Campus (tertiary, university)
- North Metropolitan TAFE, Joondalup (Kendrew Crescent) (tertiary, tafe)
Amenities
- Joondalup Health Campus
- Lakeside Joondalup
- Yellagonga Regional Park
- Neil Hawkins Park
- Arena Joondalup
Morley
Transport
- Morley Station (train)
- Morley Station bus interchange (bus)
- Morley Bus Station (bus)
- Tonkin Highway (road)
Schools and campuses
- Morley Primary School (primary, government)
- Weld Square Primary School (primary, government)
- Hampton Senior High School (secondary, government)
- John Forrest Secondary College (secondary, government)
- Infant Jesus School (primary, catholic)
Amenities
- Galleria Shopping Centre
- Morley Library
- Morley Sport and Recreation Centre
- City of Bayswater Civic 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: Joondalup or Morley
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Joondalup and Morley, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.