Mosman vs WilloughbyTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Mosman (NSW 2088) is approximately 8 km north-east of the Sydney CBD, on Sydney Harbour. Willoughby (NSW 2068) is approximately 7 km north of the Sydney CBD, beside Chatswood. At the 2021 Census, Mosman had 28,329 residents with a median age of 45, and Willoughby had 7,124 residents with a median age of 40.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Mosman and separate houses in Willoughby. Flats and apartments made up 52% of occupied dwellings in Mosman and 32% in Willoughby, while 33% of Mosman households rented compared with 31% in Willoughby. 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 2088 · Lower North Shore
Mosman
Mosman is a harbour municipality of 28,329 residents where apartments hold 52.0 per cent of homes and mortgage repayments reach $3,870 a month.
Mosman. Approximately 8 km north-east of the Sydney CBD, on Sydney Harbour.
Read the full Mosman guideNSW 2068 · Lower North Shore
Willoughby
Willoughby is a lower North Shore suburb where houses hold 56.5 per cent of homes and tenure divides almost perfectly evenly three ways.
Willoughby. Approximately 7 km north of the Sydney CBD, beside Chatswood.
Read the full Willoughby guide
What buying in Mosman and Willoughby 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 Mosman and Willoughby.
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 Mosman to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Willoughby 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.
Mosman and Willoughby: 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 | Mosman | Willoughby |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 28,329 | 7,124 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 45 | 40 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,892 | $2,995 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $590 | $583 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $3,870 | $3,500 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 33% | 31% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 26% | 34% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 39% | 34% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 35% | 56% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 52% | 32% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 46% | 37% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 28% | 31% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 11% | 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 Mosman and Willoughby
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.
Mosman
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Median monthly repayments of $3,870 are the second highest recorded in these guides.
- Older walk-up apartment blocks can carry an impending special levy.
- Sea walls, jetties and retaining structures may be owner responsibilities.
- Harbourside houses are not directly comparable, so valuations are less predictable.
- Military Road traffic and the Spit Bridge affect practical access.
Willoughby
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Median monthly repayments of $3,500 mean serviceability binds well before deposit.
- Some lenders apply a lower maximum loan-to-value ratio above value thresholds.
- At 2,489 occupied dwellings, sales volume in any period is modest.
- Heritage listing can raise insurance and the cost of compliant repairs.
- There is no station in the suburb, though Chatswood serves two rail systems.
Housing stock in Mosman and Willoughby compared
Mosman
- Apartments
- The 6,001 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 52.0 per cent of occupied homes.
- Harbourside houses
- Separate houses numbered 4,028 at the 2021 Census, with 1,183 dwellings having five or more bedrooms.
- Townhouses
- At 1,389 dwellings, or 12.0 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census.
Willoughby
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,406 at the 2021 Census, 56.5 per cent of occupied homes.
- Apartments toward Chatswood
- The 788 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 31.7 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 802 dwellings had three bedrooms and 592 had four, with 179 having five or more.
Official sale price and rent figures for Mosman and Willoughby
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.
Mosman
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Mosman, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Willoughby
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Willoughby, 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 Mosman and Willoughby
Mosman
Transport
- Mosman Bay Wharf (ferry)
- Taronga Zoo Wharf (ferry)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Military Road (road)
Amenities
- Balmoral Beach
- Taronga Zoo
- Military Road shops
Willoughby
Transport
- Chatswood Station (train)
- Chatswood Metro (metro)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Pacific Highway (road)
Amenities
- Chatswood Chase
- Willoughby local parks
- Willoughby Incinerator
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: Mosman or Willoughby
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Mosman and Willoughby, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.