Marrickville vs NewtownTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Marrickville (NSW 2204) is approximately 7 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, in the inner west. Newtown (NSW 2042) is approximately 4 km south-west of the Sydney CBD. At the 2021 Census, Marrickville had 26,570 residents with a median age of 37, and Newtown had 14,690 residents with a median age of 34.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Marrickville and townhouses and terraces in Newtown. Flats and apartments made up 47% of occupied dwellings in Marrickville and 40% in Newtown, while 47% of Marrickville households rented compared with 58% in Newtown. 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 2204 · Inner West Sydney
Marrickville
Marrickville is a large inner west suburb with a genuine mix of houses, terraces and apartments, and a rail line being converted for metro operation.
Inner West. Approximately 7 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, in the inner west.
Read the full Marrickville guideNSW 2042 · Inner West
Newtown
A buyer's guide to Newtown NSW 2042, covering Victorian terraces and older apartments, heritage controls, aircraft noise, transport and home loan matters.
City of Sydney and Inner West Council. Approximately 4 km south-west of the Sydney CBD.
Read the full Newtown guide
What buying in Marrickville and Newtown 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 Marrickville and Newtown.
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 Marrickville to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
- Loan amount
- $1,912,070
- Loan to value ratio
- 94.8%
- Transfer duty, New South Wales
- $87,712
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- $77,070
- Upfront cash needed
- $190,712
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.
Marrickville and Newtown: 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 | Marrickville | Newtown |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 26,570 | 14,690 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 37 | 34 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,170 | $2,330 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $480 | $550 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,600 | $3,000 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 47% | 58% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 28% | 24% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 24% | 17% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 32% | 5% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 19% | 52% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 47% | 40% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 57% | 64% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 14% | 10% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 9% | 11% |
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 Marrickville and Newtown
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.
Marrickville
- Upgraders
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Parts of the suburb sit under Sydney Airport flight paths, and exposure varies by address.
- Warehouse conversions and mixed-use buildings can attract different lending treatment.
- Heritage listing can raise insurance and the cost of compliant repairs.
- Older terraces raise damp, structural and asbestos questions on inspection.
- There is no cooling-off period at auction, a common sale method in the inner west.
Newtown
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Studios and small one bedroom units may fall below the minimum internal floor area accepted by many lenders and mortgage insurers.
- Valuations of terraces can vary considerably with width, parking, condition and land size, which matters most at auction where there is no cooling-off period.
- Heritage conservation controls can limit additions and raise renovation costs, and renovation lending usually depends on approved plans and a fixed price contract.
- Company title and mixed use or shop-top properties are accepted by fewer lenders than standard strata or Torrens title homes.
- Building and pest inspections often identify damp, roof, party wall or termite issues in period housing that can affect valuation.
Housing stock in Marrickville and Newtown compared
Marrickville
- Apartments and warehouse conversions
- The 5,020 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 47.2 per cent of occupied homes.
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 3,404 at the 2021 Census, 32.0 per cent of occupied homes.
- Terraces and semi-detached dwellings
- At 1,969 dwellings, or 18.5 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census.
Newtown
- Victorian and Federation terraces
- Single and two storey terraces on narrow lots form the majority of dwellings, mostly without off-street parking.
- Workers' cottages
- Modest single storey cottages on small lots, often within heritage conservation areas.
- Older apartment blocks
- Walk-up blocks and shop-top units, including many studios and one bedroom dwellings.
- Warehouse conversions
- Converted industrial buildings and a small number of recent mid-rise developments.
Official sale price and rent figures for Marrickville and Newtown
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.
Marrickville
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Marrickville, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Newtown
- Median dwelling price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2042)
- $1,465,000
- Median house price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2042)
- $1,935,000
- Median unit price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2042)
- $958,000
- Median weekly rent, house (all bedrooms), 2026 Q2 (postcode 2042)
- $950
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat/unit, 2026 Q2 (postcode 2042)
- $850
Source: NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
Transport, schools and amenities in Marrickville and Newtown
Marrickville
Transport
- Marrickville Station (train)
- Sydenham Metro (metro)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Marrickville Road (road)
Amenities
- Marrickville Road shops
- Marrickville Metro
- Cooks River foreshore
Newtown
Transport
- Newtown Station (train)
- King Street bus corridor (bus)
- King Street (Princes Highway) (road)
Schools and campuses
- Newtown Public School (primary, government)
- Newtown North Public School (primary, government)
- Australia Street Infants School (primary, government)
- Newtown High School of the Performing Arts (secondary, government)
- University of Sydney (adjoining, Camperdown) (tertiary, university)
Amenities
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (Camperdown)
- King Street retail strip
- Camperdown Memorial Rest Park
- Enmore Theatre
- New Theatre
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 Marrickville or Newtown with another suburb
Change either suburb, or add a third.
Related comparisons
Request a free assessment: Marrickville or Newtown
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Marrickville and Newtown, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.