Riverstone vs Rouse HillTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Riverstone (NSW 2765) is approximately 45 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the T1 line. Rouse Hill (NSW 2155) is approximately 41 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the Metro North West Line. At the 2021 Census, Riverstone had 8,627 residents with a median age of 32, and Rouse Hill had 11,349 residents with a median age of 34.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 1% of occupied dwellings in Riverstone and 25% in Rouse Hill, while 35% of Riverstone households rented compared with 40% in Rouse Hill. 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 2765 · North-west growth corridor
Riverstone
Riverstone is an older Blacktown township now surrounded by growth corridor development, 94.5 per cent detached houses with only 27 apartments.
Blacktown. Approximately 45 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the T1 line.
Read the full Riverstone guideNSW 2155 · North-west growth corridor
Rouse Hill
Rouse Hill is a metro town centre suburb with the most mixed housing of the growth corridor, spanning houses, townhouses and apartments.
Blacktown. Approximately 41 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the Metro North West Line.
Read the full Rouse Hill guide
What buying in Riverstone and Rouse Hill 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 Riverstone and Rouse Hill.
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 Riverstone to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Rouse Hill 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.
Riverstone and Rouse Hill: 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 | Riverstone | Rouse Hill |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 8,627 | 11,349 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 32 | 34 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,138 | $2,643 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $450 | $500 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,513 | $2,730 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 35% | 40% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 45% | 44% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 19% | 16% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 94% | 54% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 4% | 20% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 1% | 25% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 9% | 25% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 50% | 55% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 5% | 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 Riverstone and Rouse Hill
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.
Riverstone
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Housing spans a wide range of ages, so comparisons should come from similar stock.
- The lowest income of this group sits alongside above-median repayments.
- No vendor building report is required, which matters given the mixed housing age.
- Some lenders apply postcode-based limits to high LVR lending in growth corridors.
- There is effectively no attached market, with only 27 apartments in the suburb.
Rouse Hill
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Single-development exposure limits bind readily where apartments came through few complexes.
- Three dwelling types trade here, so comparisons must come from the same type.
- Special levies for defect rectification can arise in recently completed buildings.
- The metro harbour crossing opened after the Census period described.
- Development around the town centre continues, so outlook may change.
Housing stock in Riverstone and Rouse Hill compared
Riverstone
- Detached houses of mixed age
- Separate houses numbered 2,642 at the 2021 Census, 94.5 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 1,144 dwellings had four bedrooms and 1,109 had three.
- Negligible attached stock
- Only 108 townhouse dwellings and 27 flats were counted at the 2021 Census.
Rouse Hill
- Detached estate houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,000 at the 2021 Census, 54.4 per cent of occupied homes.
- Apartments around the town centre
- The 932 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 25.4 per cent of occupied homes.
- Townhouses
- At 732 dwellings, or 19.9 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Riverstone and Rouse Hill
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.
Riverstone
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Riverstone, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Rouse Hill
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Rouse Hill, 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 Riverstone and Rouse Hill
Riverstone
Transport
- Riverstone Station (train)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Richmond Road (road)
- M7 Motorway (road)
Amenities
- Riverstone local shops
- Rouse Hill Town Centre
- Riverstone parklands
Rouse Hill
Transport
- Rouse Hill Metro (metro)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Windsor Road (road)
- M7 Motorway (road)
Amenities
- Rouse Hill Town Centre
- Rouse Hill Regional Park
- Rouse Hill sporting fields
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: Riverstone or Rouse Hill
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Riverstone and Rouse Hill, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.