Medina vs OreliaTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Medina (WA 6167) is approximately 32 km south of the Perth CBD, the first of the Kwinana neighbourhood units. Orelia (WA 6167) is approximately 33 km south of the Perth CBD, around Orelia Avenue. At the 2021 Census, Medina had 2,260 residents with a median age of 42, and Orelia had 4,535 residents with a median age of 38.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 7% of occupied dwellings in Medina and 16% in Orelia, while 34% of Medina households rented compared with 33% in Orelia. 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 6167 · Southern suburbs of Perth
Medina
Medina is a small 1950s Kwinana suburb designed by Perth's first female town planner, built for refinery workers and now the most affordable in these guides.
City of Kwinana. Approximately 32 km south of the Perth CBD, the first of the Kwinana neighbourhood units.
Read the full Medina guideWA 6167 · Southern suburbs of Perth
Orelia
Orelia is a City of Kwinana suburb developed from 1952, with a marked east-west split in housing age and an apartment share unusual for the area.
City of Kwinana. Approximately 33 km south of the Perth CBD, around Orelia Avenue.
Read the full Orelia guide
What buying in Medina and Orelia 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 Medina and Orelia.
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 Medina to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Orelia 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.
Medina and Orelia: 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 | Medina | Orelia |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 2,260 | 4,535 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 42 | 38 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.4 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,062 | $1,246 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $270 | $250 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,200 | $1,343 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 34% | 33% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 42% | 43% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 23% | 23% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 93% | 82% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 1% | 2% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 7% | 16% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 31% | 17% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 16% | 39% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 12% | 10% |
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 Medina and Orelia
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.
Medina
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio where former public housing is concentrated.
- The suburb is small, with 1,007 occupied dwellings, so comparable sales evidence is thin.
- Smaller two-bedroom dwellings may fall below the minimum floor area some lenders require.
- Asbestos-containing materials are likely in 1950s housing, which inspections and insurers consider.
- The Kwinana industrial strip to the west can affect amenity and lender appetite for nearby security.
Orelia
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Housing differs markedly between the older western side and the newer eastern side, so comparables need care.
- Small units can fall below the minimum internal floor area some lenders require.
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio where former public housing is concentrated.
- Strata levies on the apartment stock are counted in serviceability assessments.
- The Kwinana industrial strip to the west can affect amenity and lender appetite for nearby security.
Housing stock in Medina and Orelia compared
Medina
- 1950s neighbourhood unit housing
- Separate houses numbered 933 at the 2021 Census, 92.7 per cent of occupied homes, built for industrial workers.
- Smaller dwellings
- At the 2021 Census, 263 dwellings had two bedrooms and 512 had three, with only 136 having four.
- Flats and apartments
- The 69 flats counted at the 2021 Census are a small but notable component for a suburb of this size.
Orelia
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,434 at the 2021 Census, 81.8 per cent of occupied homes, split between older western and newer eastern stock.
- Flats and apartments
- At 282 dwellings, or 16.1 per cent of occupied homes, an apartment share unusual for the outer southern corridor.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 727 dwellings had three bedrooms and 645 had four.
Official sale price and rent figures for Medina and Orelia
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.
Medina
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Medina, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Orelia
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Orelia, 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 Medina and Orelia
Medina
Transport
- Kwinana Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Kwinana Freeway (road)
Amenities
- Kwinana town centre
- Medina local shops
- Medina reserves
Orelia
Transport
- Kwinana Station (train)
- Route 540 (bus)
- Route 541 (bus)
- Kwinana Freeway (road)
Amenities
- Kwinana town centre
- Orelia local shops
- Orelia reserves
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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Request a free assessment: Medina or Orelia
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Medina and Orelia, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.