Medina vs ParmeliaTwo 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. Parmelia (WA 6167) is approximately 34 km south of the Perth CBD, near the Kwinana town centre. At the 2021 Census, Medina had 2,260 residents with a median age of 42, and Parmelia had 6,184 residents with a median age of 37.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 7% of occupied dwellings in Medina and 1% in Parmelia, while 34% of Medina households rented compared with 29% in Parmelia. 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
Parmelia
Parmelia is a City of Kwinana suburb named after the colony's first ship, with 1970s homes once occupied by BP refinery managers.
City of Kwinana. Approximately 34 km south of the Perth CBD, near the Kwinana town centre.
Read the full Parmelia guide
What buying in Medina and Parmelia 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 Parmelia.
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 Parmelia 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 Parmelia: 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 | Parmelia |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 2,260 | 6,184 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 42 | 37 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.5 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,062 | $1,297 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $270 | $280 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,200 | $1,300 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 34% | 29% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 42% | 46% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 23% | 24% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 93% | 94% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 1% | 4% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 7% | 1% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 31% | 8% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 16% | 40% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 12% | 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 Medina and Parmelia
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.
Parmelia
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- The Kwinana industrial strip lies to the west, and some lenders view residential security near heavy industry conservatively.
- Median weekly household income of $1,297 means serviceability usually binds before deposit.
- There is no mandatory seller disclosure statement in Western Australia, so amenity matters may not be volunteered.
- Larger former manager homes sit above the local range and may have thinner comparable evidence.
- Homes built before the 1980s may contain asbestos-containing materials, which inspections consider.
Housing stock in Medina and Parmelia 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.
Parmelia
- Detached houses from the 1970s
- Separate houses numbered 2,218 at the 2021 Census, 94.1 per cent of occupied homes.
- Former refinery manager homes
- Chisham Avenue features 1970s homes once occupied by managers for BP's oil refinery operations and company executives.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 1,191 dwellings had three bedrooms and 840 had four.
Official sale price and rent figures for Medina and Parmelia
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.
Parmelia
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Parmelia, 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 Parmelia
Medina
Transport
- Kwinana Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Kwinana Freeway (road)
Amenities
- Kwinana town centre
- Medina local shops
- Medina reserves
Parmelia
Transport
- Kwinana Station (train)
- Wellard Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Kwinana Freeway (road)
Amenities
- Parmelia shopping centre
- Hunt Park and Peace Park
- Kwinana town centre
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.
Compare Medina or Parmelia with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Medina or Parmelia
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Medina and Parmelia, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.