Medina vs WellardTwo 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. Wellard (WA 6170) is approximately 37 km south of the Perth CBD, around Wellard station. At the 2021 Census, Medina had 2,260 residents with a median age of 42, and Wellard had 14,127 residents with a median age of 31.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 7% of occupied dwellings in Medina and 2% in Wellard, while 34% of Medina households rented compared with 26% in Wellard. 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 6170 · Southern suburbs of Perth
Wellard
Wellard is a City of Kwinana suburb built around Perth's first transit-oriented development, which grew more than fourfold in the decade to 2021.
City of Kwinana. Approximately 37 km south of the Perth CBD, around Wellard station.
Read the full Wellard guide
What buying in Medina and Wellard 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 Wellard.
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 Wellard 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 Wellard: 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 | Wellard |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 2,260 | 14,127 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 42 | 31 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.1 | 3.0 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,062 | $2,115 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $270 | $350 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,200 | $1,902 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 34% | 26% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 42% | 65% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 23% | 9% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 93% | 95% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 1% | 2% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 7% | 2% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 31% | 5% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 16% | 62% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 12% | 6% |
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 Wellard
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.
Wellard
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Outright ownership of only 9.1 per cent means budgets are highly sensitive to changes in repayments.
- High loan-to-value borrowing is common, so lenders mortgage insurance or the 5% Deposit Scheme is often relevant.
- The development will ultimately hold 1,700 households, so new stock continues to compete with resales.
- Construction loans are drawn in stages and valued on an as-if-complete basis.
- Developer encumbrances controlling design and external appearance may remain registered on titles.
Housing stock in Medina and Wellard 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.
Wellard
- Four-bedroom estate homes
- The dominant size at 2,612 dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with 246 more having five or more bedrooms.
- Three-bedroom houses
- The 1,446 three-bedroom dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, with only 201 two-bedroom homes.
- Apartments near the station
- The 107 flats counted at the 2021 Census form part of the transit-oriented development around the station.
Official sale price and rent figures for Medina and Wellard
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.
Wellard
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Wellard, 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 Wellard
Medina
Transport
- Kwinana Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Kwinana Freeway (road)
Amenities
- Kwinana town centre
- Medina local shops
- Medina reserves
Wellard
Transport
- Wellard Station (train)
- Transperth buses (bus)
- Kwinana Freeway (road)
Amenities
- The Village at Wellard
- Kwinana town centre
- Wellard local 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.
Compare Medina or Wellard with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Medina or Wellard
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