Kensington vs South PerthTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Kensington (WA 6151) is approximately 3 km south-east of the Perth CBD, between Canning Highway and Kent Street. South Perth (WA 6151) is approximately 3 km south of the Perth CBD, across the Swan River. At the 2021 Census, Kensington had 4,627 residents with a median age of 38, and South Perth had 12,596 residents with a median age of 42.
The most common occupied dwelling was separate houses in Kensington and townhouses and terraces in South Perth. Flats and apartments made up 6% of occupied dwellings in Kensington and 29% in South Perth, while 28% of Kensington households rented compared with 43% in South Perth. 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 6151 · Southern river suburbs of Perth
Kensington
Kensington is an inner suburb split between two councils and named after a racecourse, where 41.0 per cent of households hold a mortgage and houses dominate.
City of South Perth. Approximately 3 km south-east of the Perth CBD, between Canning Highway and Kent Street.
Read the full Kensington guideWA 6151 · Inner Perth
South Perth
South Perth faces the Perth CBD across the Swan River, with a ferry, Perth Zoo, riverfront apartment towers and a large share of renters.
City of South Perth. Approximately 3 km south of the Perth CBD, across the Swan River.
Read the full South Perth guide
What buying in Kensington and South Perth 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 Kensington and South Perth.
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 Kensington to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for South Perth 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.
Kensington and South Perth: 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 | Kensington | South Perth |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 4,627 | 12,596 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 38 | 42 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,496 | $2,026 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $375 | $375 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,600 | $2,200 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 28% | 43% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 41% | 22% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 29% | 33% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 82% | 34% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 12% | 37% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 6% | 29% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 23% | 42% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 36% | 20% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 9% | 16% |
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 Kensington and South Perth
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.
Kensington
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Two councils apply within the one suburb, the City of South Perth and the Town of Victoria Park.
- Kensington shares postcode 6151 with South Perth, which differs in housing profile and price.
- At 1,632 occupied dwellings, comparable sales evidence is limited for valuation.
- Median monthly mortgage repayments of $2,600 mean serviceability binds before deposit.
- Canning Highway on the western boundary carries substantial traffic.
South Perth
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Most dwellings are strata titled, so levies, reserve funds, insurance and planned remedial works affect both valuation and serviceability assessments.
- Some lenders limit exposure to high-density buildings or postcodes and apply minimum internal floor areas, which can reduce the loan available for small apartments.
- Off-the-plan purchases are valued near completion, so a gap between the contract price and the final valuation is a risk that buyers may wish to plan for.
- Parts of the peninsula fall within state floodplain mapping for the Swan River, which may affect insurance premiums and the questions a lender or valuer asks.
- Premiums paid for river and city views are difficult for valuers to support without comparable sales, and development on neighbouring sites can alter an outlook.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance, inspection and strata review conditions need to be written into the offer.
Housing stock in Kensington and South Perth compared
Kensington
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,337 at the 2021 Census, 81.9 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 654 dwellings had three bedrooms and 480 had four.
- Townhouses
- The 203 semi-detached or townhouse dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with 95 flats.
South Perth
- Townhouses, villas and semi-detached homes
- The largest category at the 2021 Census, with 2,055 occupied dwellings, ranging from older villas to modern two-storey townhouses.
- Apartments and older flats
- Walk-up flats on the ridge and towers on the peninsula; 529 occupied apartments were in blocks of nine or more storeys at the 2021 Census.
- Character and contemporary houses
- Federation and inter-war homes, some on the City's Heritage List, alongside rebuilt family houses; detached houses near the river are scarce.
Official sale price and rent figures for Kensington and South Perth
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.
Kensington
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Kensington, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
South Perth
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for South Perth, 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 Kensington and South Perth
Kensington
Transport
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Canning Highway (road)
- Kent Street (road)
- Kwinana Freeway (road)
Amenities
- Kensington Bushland Reserve
- Kensington local shops
- Collier Park Golf Course
South Perth
Transport
- Mends Street Jetty (ferry)
- Transperth routes 30 and 31 (bus)
- Mandurah Line (train)
- Kwinana Freeway (road)
- Canning Highway (road)
Schools and campuses
- South Perth Primary School (primary, government)
- St Columba's Catholic Primary School (primary, catholic)
- Wesley College (combined, independent)
Amenities
- Perth Zoo
- Sir James Mitchell Park and the South Perth Foreshore
- South Perth Hospital
- The Old Mill
- Mends Street precinct and Mindeerup
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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