Merrylands vs ParramattaTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Merrylands (NSW 2160) is approximately 24 km west of the Sydney CBD, near Parramatta. Parramatta (NSW 2150) is approximately 24 km west of the Sydney CBD. At the 2021 Census, Merrylands had 32,472 residents with a median age of 33, and Parramatta had 30,211 residents with a median age of 32.
The most common occupied dwelling was separate houses in Merrylands and flats and apartments in Parramatta. Flats and apartments made up 37% of occupied dwellings in Merrylands and 86% in Parramatta, while 48% of Merrylands households rented compared with 71% in Parramatta. 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 2160 · Western Sydney
Merrylands
Merrylands is a large Cumberland family suburb of 32,472 residents, where houses hold 48.8 per cent of homes and the average household is 3.0 people.
Cumberland. Approximately 24 km west of the Sydney CBD, near Parramatta.
Read the full Merrylands guideNSW 2150 · Western Sydney
Parramatta
A buyer's guide to Parramatta NSW 2150, covering its apartment-led housing, rail and metro projects, flood and strata checks, and home loan matters.
City of Parramatta. Approximately 24 km west of the Sydney CBD.
Read the full Parramatta guide
What buying in Merrylands and Parramatta 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 Merrylands and Parramatta.
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 Merrylands to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
- Loan amount
- $523,640
- Loan to value ratio
- 83.9%
- Transfer duty, New South Wales
- $22,087
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- $3,640
- Upfront cash needed
- $125,087
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.
Merrylands and Parramatta: 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 | Merrylands | Parramatta |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 32,472 | 30,211 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 33 | 32 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 3.0 | 2.4 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,470 | $2,092 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $400 | $440 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,100 | $2,080 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 48% | 71% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 27% | 18% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 23% | 10% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 49% | 8% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 14% | 6% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 37% | 86% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 43% | 80% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 25% | 4% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 9% | 13% |
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 Merrylands and Parramatta
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.
Merrylands
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- A median income of $1,470 against repayments of $2,100 means serviceability binds early.
- A lender assesses the applicants' income, not the whole household's.
- Strata levies reduce borrowing power further on top of the income position.
- Parramatta Light Rail and Metro West both affect accessibility from this area.
- Comparable evidence should come from the same part of a suburb this large.
Parramatta
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Some lenders cap loan-to-value ratios or total exposure in postcodes with a high concentration of apartments, which can increase the deposit required.
- Apartments with a small internal floor area may not meet the minimum size policies of certain lenders or mortgage insurers.
- A strata report can identify special levies, defect claims and the adequacy of the capital works fund before contracts are exchanged.
- The council identifies the Parramatta CBD as highly flash flood affected, so flood related planning controls and building insurance terms are worth confirming early.
- Off-the-plan valuations at settlement can differ from the contract price, which may require additional funds from the buyer.
Housing stock in Merrylands and Parramatta compared
Merrylands
- Detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 4,842 at the 2021 Census, 48.8 per cent of occupied homes.
- Apartments near the centre
- The 3,630 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 36.6 per cent of occupied homes.
- Family-sized homes
- At the 2021 Census, 1,740 dwellings had four bedrooms and 704 had five or more.
Parramatta
- High-rise apartments
- Towers in and around the commercial core form the largest share of stock, mostly one and two bedroom layouts with shared facilities.
- Walk-up unit blocks
- Older brick blocks outside the core generally offer larger floor areas and lower levies, without lifts.
- Townhouses and villas
- Medium-density developments on former house lots provide an intermediate option for households needing more space.
- Period cottages
- A small number of older houses remain, some within or beside heritage conservation areas.
Official sale price and rent figures for Merrylands and Parramatta
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.
Merrylands
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Merrylands, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Parramatta
- Median dwelling price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2150)
- $620,000
- Median unit price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2150)
- $620,000
- Median weekly rent, house (all bedrooms), 2026 Q2 (postcode 2150)
- $750
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat/unit, 2026 Q2 (postcode 2150)
- $700
Source: NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
Transport, schools and amenities in Merrylands and Parramatta
Merrylands
Transport
- Merrylands Station (train)
- Parramatta Light Rail (light rail)
- Parramatta Metro (metro)
- Sydney buses (bus)
Amenities
- Stockland Merrylands
- Merrylands Park
- Parramatta CBD
Parramatta
Transport
- Parramatta Station (train)
- Parramatta Light Rail (light rail)
- Sydney Metro West (metro)
- Parramatta Wharf (ferry)
- M4 Motorway (road)
Schools and campuses
- Parramatta Public School (primary, government)
- Arthur Phillip High School (secondary, government)
- Parramatta High School (secondary, government)
- Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta (secondary, independent)
- Western Sydney University, Parramatta City campus (tertiary, university)
Amenities
- Westfield Parramatta
- Parramatta Park
- CommBank Stadium
- Parramatta Square
- St John's Cathedral
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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