Menai vs SutherlandTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Menai (NSW 2234) is approximately 28 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, above the Woronora River. Sutherland (NSW 2232) is approximately 26 km south of the Sydney CBD, at the Shire's rail interchange. At the 2021 Census, Menai had 10,419 residents with a median age of 39, and Sutherland had 11,570 residents with a median age of 37.
The most common occupied dwelling was separate houses in Menai and flats and apartments in Sutherland. Flats and apartments made up 3% of occupied dwellings in Menai and 67% in Sutherland, while 15% of Menai households rented compared with 43% in Sutherland. 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 2234 · Sutherland Shire
Menai
Menai is a Sutherland Shire family suburb of large homes with a substantial townhouse component, where 47.9 per cent of households hold a mortgage.
Sutherland Shire. Approximately 28 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, above the Woronora River.
Read the full Menai guideNSW 2232 · Sutherland Shire
Sutherland
Sutherland is the Shire's administrative and rail centre, and its outlier: 66.7 per cent apartments and 42.9 per cent renting, unlike the suburbs around it.
Sutherland Shire. Approximately 26 km south of the Sydney CBD, at the Shire's rail interchange.
Read the full Sutherland guide
What buying in Menai and Sutherland 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 Menai and Sutherland.
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 Menai to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Sutherland 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.
Menai and Sutherland: 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 | Menai | Sutherland |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 10,419 | 11,570 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 39 | 37 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 3.0 | 2.1 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,575 | $1,949 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $560 | $450 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,600 | $2,167 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 15% | 43% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 48% | 33% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 36% | 23% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 75% | 19% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 22% | 14% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 3% | 67% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 5% | 68% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 54% | 10% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 3% | 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 Menai and Sutherland
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.
Menai
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Bushland and river valley interface land is commonly mapped as bush fire prone.
- Complying development is unavailable on BAL-40 and BAL-FZ land, requiring a full DA.
- Single-development exposure limits apply to any particular townhouse complex.
- Only 14.8 per cent of households rented, so the tenant pool is small.
- The plateau location means limited access routes over the river bridges.
Sutherland
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Sutherland is a distinct market from the house-dominated suburbs around it.
- Single-development exposure limits apply where apartments came through large complexes.
- One-bedroom dwellings and studios can fall below minimum internal floor areas.
- Comparable evidence is concentrated in two-bedroom apartments.
- Properties near the station and Princes Highway differ in amenity from quieter streets.
Housing stock in Menai and Sutherland compared
Menai
- Large detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,583 at the 2021 Census, 75.2 per cent of occupied homes.
- Townhouses
- At 739 dwellings, or 21.5 per cent of occupied homes, substantial by Shire standards.
- Four bedroom homes
- At 1,416 dwellings, the most common size recorded at the 2021 Census, with 429 having five or more.
Sutherland
- Apartments around the station
- The 3,433 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 66.7 per cent of occupied homes.
- Two bedroom dwellings
- At 3,150 dwellings, dominating the profile recorded at the 2021 Census.
- A smaller house market
- Separate houses numbered 992 at the 2021 Census, 19.3 per cent of occupied homes.
Official sale price and rent figures for Menai and Sutherland
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.
Menai
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Menai, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Sutherland
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Sutherland, 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 Menai and Sutherland
Menai
Transport
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Menai Road (road)
- Alfords Point Bridge (road)
Amenities
- Menai Marketplace
- Woronora River foreshore
- Menai sporting fields
Sutherland
Transport
- Sutherland Station (train)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Princes Highway (road)
Amenities
- Sutherland town centre
- Woronora River foreshore
- Sutherland Leisure Centre
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: Menai or Sutherland
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Menai and Sutherland, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.