Marrickville vs ZetlandTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Marrickville (NSW 2204) is approximately 7 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, in the inner west. Zetland (NSW 2017) is approximately 4 km south of the Sydney CBD, in the Green Square renewal area. At the 2021 Census, Marrickville had 26,570 residents with a median age of 37, and Zetland had 12,622 residents with a median age of 30.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments. Flats and apartments made up 47% of occupied dwellings in Marrickville and 92% in Zetland, while 47% of Marrickville households rented compared with 71% in Zetland. 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 2017 · Inner South Sydney
Zetland
Zetland sits at the centre of the Green Square renewal area, where 92.5 per cent of homes are apartments and 71.1 per cent of households rent.
City of Sydney. Approximately 4 km south of the Sydney CBD, in the Green Square renewal area.
Read the full Zetland guide
What buying in Marrickville and Zetland 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 Zetland.
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.
Enter a price for Zetland 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.
Marrickville and Zetland: 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 | Zetland |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 26,570 | 12,622 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 37 | 30 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,170 | $2,192 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $480 | $600 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,600 | $2,642 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 47% | 71% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 28% | 20% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 24% | 8% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 32% | 0% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 19% | 7% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 47% | 92% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 57% | 86% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 14% | 2% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 9% | 15% |
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 Zetland
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.
Zetland
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Single-development exposure limits are frequently reached in a suburb of large towers.
- One-bedroom dwellings and studios often fall below minimum internal floor areas.
- Special levies for defect rectification can be significant in recent high-rise.
- Green Square is still being built out, so outlook and sunlight may change.
- Former industrial land means contamination history is worth reading on the 10.7 certificate.
Housing stock in Marrickville and Zetland 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.
Zetland
- Recently built apartments
- The 5,597 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 92.5 per cent of occupied homes.
- One and two bedroom dwellings
- At the 2021 Census, 3,400 dwellings had two bedrooms, 1,773 had one and 59 were studios.
- Almost no houses
- Only 21 separate houses were counted among occupied private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Marrickville and Zetland
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.
Zetland
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Zetland, 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 Marrickville and Zetland
Marrickville
Transport
- Marrickville Station (train)
- Sydenham Metro (metro)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Marrickville Road (road)
Amenities
- Marrickville Road shops
- Marrickville Metro
- Cooks River foreshore
Zetland
Transport
- Green Square Station (train)
- Waterloo Metro (metro)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Botany Road (road)
Amenities
- Green Square town centre
- Green Square Library
- Gunyama 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.
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Request a free assessment: Marrickville or Zetland
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Marrickville and Zetland, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.