Karrinyup vs ScarboroughTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Karrinyup (WA 6018) is approximately 12 km north of the Perth CBD, around Karrinyup Shopping Centre. Scarborough (WA 6019) is approximately 14 km north-west of the Perth CBD, on the Indian Ocean coast. At the 2021 Census, Karrinyup had 9,886 residents with a median age of 41, and Scarborough had 17,605 residents with a median age of 36.
The most common occupied dwelling was separate houses in Karrinyup and townhouses and terraces in Scarborough. Flats and apartments made up 2% of occupied dwellings in Karrinyup and 16% in Scarborough, while 18% of Karrinyup households rented compared with 40% in Scarborough. 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 6018 · Northern suburbs of Perth
Karrinyup
Karrinyup is an established City of Stirling suburb of large family homes around one of Western Australia's largest shopping centres.
City of Stirling. Approximately 12 km north of the Perth CBD, around Karrinyup Shopping Centre.
Read the full Karrinyup guideWA 6019 · Perth's northern coastal suburbs
Scarborough
Scarborough is a Perth beachside suburb where townhouses and villas outnumber houses, with a redeveloped foreshore and a large rental market.
City of Stirling. Approximately 14 km north-west of the Perth CBD, on the Indian Ocean coast.
Read the full Scarborough guide
What buying in Karrinyup and Scarborough 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 Karrinyup and Scarborough.
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 Karrinyup to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Scarborough 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.
Karrinyup and Scarborough: 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 | Karrinyup | Scarborough |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 9,886 | 17,605 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 41 | 36 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,456 | $2,107 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $450 | $405 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,588 | $2,167 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 18% | 40% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 40% | 35% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 39% | 24% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 87% | 36% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 12% | 48% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 2% | 16% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 9% | 35% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 51% | 15% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 6% | 13% |
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 Karrinyup and Scarborough
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.
Karrinyup
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Median monthly mortgage repayments of $2,588 mean serviceability usually binds before deposit.
- Only 56 flats were counted at the 2021 Census, so apartment stock is effectively unavailable.
- Density coding varies sharply between the shopping centre surrounds and the outer residential streets.
- Properties near Karrinyup Shopping Centre carry convenience alongside traffic and activity.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period and no mandatory seller disclosure statement.
Scarborough
- Upgraders
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Most dwellings are strata titled, so levies, reserve funds and planned works affect both valuation and serviceability.
- Coastal exposure accelerates corrosion and concrete deterioration, and lenders expect borrowers to meet higher insurance and maintenance costs.
- Serviced, short-stay and very small apartments near the beachfront may be restricted or declined by some lenders.
- View premiums are difficult for valuers to support without comparable sales, so a valuation shortfall is possible.
- With no mandatory cooling-off period in Western Australia, finance and inspection conditions need to be included in the offer itself.
Housing stock in Karrinyup and Scarborough compared
Karrinyup
- Four-bedroom family homes
- The most common size at 1,445 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with 306 more having five or more bedrooms.
- Three-bedroom houses
- The 1,312 three-bedroom dwellings counted at the 2021 Census are generally the earlier homes on established lots.
- Townhouses
- The 393 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, against only 56 flats.
Scarborough
- Townhouses, villas and duplexes
- The dominant dwelling type, produced by decades of lot redevelopment; 3,635 such dwellings were counted at the 2021 Census.
- Detached houses
- A mix of remaining mid-century houses on larger lots and newer architect-designed homes oriented to ocean views.
- Apartments and older flats
- Walk-up flats from earlier decades and mid-rise buildings near the beachfront, some with short-stay use.
Official sale price and rent figures for Karrinyup and Scarborough
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.
Karrinyup
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Karrinyup, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Scarborough
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Scarborough, 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 Karrinyup and Scarborough
Karrinyup
Transport
- Stirling Station (train)
- Warwick Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Mitchell Freeway (road)
- West Coast Highway (road)
Amenities
- Karrinyup Shopping Centre
- Lake Karrinyup Country Club
- Trigg and Scarborough beaches
Scarborough
Transport
- Surf CAT (bus)
- Transperth route 990 (bus)
- Stirling Station (train)
- Scarborough Beach Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Scarborough Primary School (primary, government)
Amenities
- Scarborough Beach
- Scarborough Beach Pool
- Sunset Hill
- Whale Playground
- Scarborough Amphitheatre
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.
Compare Karrinyup or Scarborough with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Karrinyup or Scarborough
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Karrinyup and Scarborough, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.