Lane Cove vs WilloughbyTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Lane Cove (NSW 2066) is approximately 8 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, above the Lane Cove River. Willoughby (NSW 2068) is approximately 7 km north of the Sydney CBD, beside Chatswood. At the 2021 Census, Lane Cove had 12,363 residents with a median age of 38, and Willoughby had 7,124 residents with a median age of 40.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Lane Cove and separate houses in Willoughby. Flats and apartments made up 62% of occupied dwellings in Lane Cove and 32% in Willoughby, while 38% of Lane Cove households rented compared with 31% in Willoughby. 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 2066 · Lower North Shore
Lane Cove
Lane Cove is a lower North Shore centre where apartments hold 62.4 per cent of homes and renting leads at 37.6 per cent, with no railway station.
Lane Cove. Approximately 8 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, above the Lane Cove River.
Read the full Lane Cove guideNSW 2068 · Lower North Shore
Willoughby
Willoughby is a lower North Shore suburb where houses hold 56.5 per cent of homes and tenure divides almost perfectly evenly three ways.
Willoughby. Approximately 7 km north of the Sydney CBD, beside Chatswood.
Read the full Willoughby guide
What buying in Lane Cove and Willoughby 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 Lane Cove and Willoughby.
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 Lane Cove to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Willoughby 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.
Lane Cove and Willoughby: 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 | Lane Cove | Willoughby |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 12,363 | 7,124 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 38 | 40 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,539 | $2,995 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $533 | $583 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,905 | $3,500 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 38% | 31% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 33% | 34% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 27% | 34% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 30% | 56% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 7% | 11% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 62% | 32% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 55% | 37% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 19% | 31% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 9% | 8% |
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 Lane Cove and Willoughby
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.
Lane Cove
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- There is no railway station, so test the actual bus or metro journey.
- Older walk-up blocks and recent buildings raise different strata questions.
- One-bedroom dwellings and studios can fall below minimum internal floor areas.
- Land near the national park may be mapped as bush fire prone.
- Epping Road and the Lane Cove Tunnel carry substantial through traffic.
Willoughby
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Median monthly repayments of $3,500 mean serviceability binds well before deposit.
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio above value thresholds.
- At 2,489 occupied dwellings, sales volume in any period is modest.
- Heritage listing can raise insurance and the cost of compliant repairs.
- There is no station in the suburb, though Chatswood serves two rail systems.
Housing stock in Lane Cove and Willoughby compared
Lane Cove
- Apartments near the village
- The 3,093 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 62.4 per cent of occupied homes.
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,501 at the 2021 Census, 30.3 per cent of occupied homes.
- Two bedroom dwellings
- At 2,046 dwellings, the most common size recorded at the 2021 Census.
Willoughby
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,406 at the 2021 Census, 56.5 per cent of occupied homes.
- Apartments toward Chatswood
- The 788 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 31.7 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 802 dwellings had three bedrooms and 592 had four, with 179 having five or more.
Official sale price and rent figures for Lane Cove and Willoughby
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.
Lane Cove
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Lane Cove, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Willoughby
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Willoughby, 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 Lane Cove and Willoughby
Lane Cove
Transport
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Crows Nest Metro (metro)
- Epping Road (road)
- Pacific Highway (road)
Amenities
- Lane Cove village centre
- Lane Cove National Park
- Lane Cove Aquatic Centre
Willoughby
Transport
- Chatswood Station (train)
- Chatswood Metro (metro)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Pacific Highway (road)
Amenities
- Chatswood Chase
- Willoughby local parks
- Willoughby Incinerator
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.
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Request a free assessment: Lane Cove or Willoughby
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Lane Cove and Willoughby, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.