Macquarie Park vs MeadowbankTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Macquarie Park (NSW 2113) is approximately 13 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the Metro line. Meadowbank (NSW 2114) is approximately 14 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the Parramatta River. At the 2021 Census, Macquarie Park had 11,071 residents with a median age of 31, and Meadowbank had 5,089 residents with a median age of 34.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments. Flats and apartments made up 89% of occupied dwellings in Macquarie Park and 97% in Meadowbank, while 66% of Macquarie Park households rented compared with 60% in Meadowbank. 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 2113 · Northern Sydney
Macquarie Park
Macquarie Park is a metro and university suburb where the 2021 Census counted no separate houses at all, 89.5 per cent apartments and 66.4 per cent renting.
City of Ryde. Approximately 13 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the Metro line.
Read the full Macquarie Park guideNSW 2114 · Northern Sydney
Meadowbank
Meadowbank is a City of Ryde riverside suburb where 96.8 per cent of homes are apartments and 59.8 per cent of households rent.
City of Ryde. Approximately 14 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the Parramatta River.
Read the full Meadowbank guide
What buying in Macquarie Park and Meadowbank 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 Macquarie Park and Meadowbank.
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 Macquarie Park to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Meadowbank 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.
Macquarie Park and Meadowbank: 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 | Macquarie Park | Meadowbank |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 11,071 | 5,089 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 31 | 34 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,886 | $1,993 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $460 | $430 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,340 | $2,148 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 66% | 60% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 21% | 26% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 10% | 13% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 0% | 2% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 10% | 1% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 89% | 97% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 89% | 82% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 1% | 2% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 18% | 12% |
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 Macquarie Park and Meadowbank
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.
Macquarie Park
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Single-development exposure limits are frequently reached in a suburb of large towers.
- Studios and one-bedroom units often fall below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- Student accommodation and serviced apartments are specialised security many lenders refuse.
- A section 66W certificate waives cooling-off and exposes a buyer to the full 10 per cent deposit.
- Renting at 66.4 per cent means most purchases are assessed as investment lending.
Meadowbank
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Single-development exposure limits can be reached in a suburb of large complexes.
- One-bedroom dwellings and studios can fall below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- Special levies for defect rectification can be significant in newer buildings.
- Former industrial land means contamination history is worth reading on the 10.7 certificate.
- A section 66W certificate waives cooling-off and exposes a buyer to the full 10 per cent deposit.
Housing stock in Macquarie Park and Meadowbank compared
Macquarie Park
- Apartments
- The 4,282 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 89.5 per cent of occupied homes.
- One and two bedroom dwellings
- At the 2021 Census, 2,607 dwellings had two bedrooms, 1,607 had one and 52 were studios.
- No separate houses
- Not one separate house was recorded among occupied private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Meadowbank
- Riverside apartments
- The 2,364 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 96.8 per cent of occupied homes.
- One and two bedroom dwellings
- At the 2021 Census, 1,282 dwellings had two bedrooms, 699 had one and 31 were studios.
- Very few houses
- Only 57 separate houses and 15 townhouse dwellings were counted at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Macquarie Park and Meadowbank
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.
Macquarie Park
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Macquarie Park, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Meadowbank
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Meadowbank, 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 Macquarie Park and Meadowbank
Macquarie Park
Transport
- Macquarie Park Metro (metro)
- Macquarie University Metro (metro)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Epping Road (road)
Amenities
- Macquarie Centre
- Macquarie University
- Lane Cove National Park
Meadowbank
Transport
- Meadowbank Station (train)
- Meadowbank Wharf (ferry)
- Victoria Road (road)
Amenities
- Parramatta River foreshore
- Top Ryde City
- Meadowbank Park
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 Macquarie Park or Meadowbank with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Macquarie Park or Meadowbank
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Macquarie Park and Meadowbank, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.