Suburb guide · Inner West council area
Mortgage broker for Ashfield (2131) home buyers
1,547 Nepal-born people lived in Ashfield at the 2021 Census, the second-largest overseas-born group after China (2,814), out of 23,012 residents. Flats and apartments make up 69.9% of occupied homes, and the median strata sale in postcode 2131 was $948,000 in January to March 2026. We don't have an office in Ashfield. Sulav Adhikari works with buyers here by phone or video, from the first conversation to settlement.
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Who lives in Ashfield
- Residents
- 23,0129,266 occupied homesABS Census 2021
- Born overseas
- 50.8%Top birthplaces: China, Nepal, IndiaABS Census 2021
- Born in Nepal
- 1,5476.7% of residentsABS Census 2021
- Speak Nepali at home
- 1,5576.8% of residentsABS Census 2021
- Arrived 2016 to 2021
- 12.9%2,958 people born overseasABS Census 2021
- Median age
- 362.3 people per householdABS Census 2021
- Median household income
- $1,888/wk$98,176 a yearABS Census 2021
- Households renting
- 50.5%22.8% mortgage, 22.3% owned outrightABS Census 2021
- Flats and apartments
- 69.9%22.1% separate houses, 7.4% semis and townhousesABS Census 2021
- Median rent, new leases
- $693/wkAll dwellings, postcode 2131NSW DCJ, April to June 2026
The suburb covers 3.41 km² and is wholly in the Inner West council area. Of the 26 NSW suburbs in our guides, Ashfield has the ninth-highest Nepal-born population (1,547) and the 12th-highest median household income ($1,888 a week). At 36, the median age is among the oldest of our suburbs, and households average 2.3 people. Only 12.6% of workers used a train on Census day 2021, a lockdown day when 41.9% worked from home.
Buying costs at Ashfield's median prices
In January to March 2026, the median strata sale (mostly units and townhouses) in postcode 2131 was $948,000 from 72 sales. For houses, the median non-strata sale in Inner West council area was $2,360,000 from 311 sales. DCJ did not publish a house median for postcode 2131 this quarter (10 or fewer sales), so the house column uses the Inner West council-area median. A house costs 2.5 times as much as a unit here, a gap of $1,412,000. Against the median household income recorded here in 2021 ($98,176 a year), that is 9.7 times for a unit and 24 times for a house.
| Item | Median unit | Median house (council area) |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $948,000 | $2,360,000 |
| 5% deposit | $47,400 | $118,000 |
| 10% deposit | $94,800 | $236,000 |
| 20% deposit (no LMI) | $189,600 | $472,000 |
| Transfer duty, standard | $36,847 | $111,087 |
| Transfer duty, first home buyer | $28,998 | $111,087 |
| Registration fees | $365 | $365 |
| 5% Deposit Scheme cap ($1,500,000) | Under | Over |
| Cash needed, first home buyer, 10% deposit | $124,164 | $347,452 |
- Owner-occupier, established home, every scheme condition met. Cash needed excludes conveyancing and LMI. 2026-27 rules, checked 26 October 2026.
The median unit ($948,000) falls in the concession taper between $800,000 and $1,000,000: a first home buyer pays $28,998 instead of $36,847, saving $7,849. The median house is over $1,000,000, so no first home concession applies and every buyer pays $111,087 in duty.
With the scheme, a unit at the median needs only $47,400 down and no LMI. The council-area median house is $860,000 above the $1,500,000 cap.
Try a price other than $948,000 in the NSW stamp duty calculator
Renting vs buying in Ashfield
New leases in postcode 2131 had a median rent of $693 a week in April to June 2026, or $36,036 a year, across 306 new bonds. By size, a two-bedroom unit leased for $710 a week and a three-bedroom unit for $945.
Back in 2021, Ashfield households with a mortgage repaid a median $2,210 a month, 16% more than the median rent ($440 a week). New leases now cost 57% more than the 2021 median, although the two sources measure different things (new bonds against all renters). In 2021, the median rent took 23% of the median household income.
Put another way, 68 weeks of today's median rent would cover a 5% deposit ($47,400) on the median unit. Renters are a narrow majority (50.5% of households), while 22.8% of homes are owned with a mortgage.
| Dwelling | Weekly | Yearly | New bonds |
|---|---|---|---|
| All dwellings | $693 | $36,036 | 306 |
| 1-bedroom unit | $625 | $32,500 | 83 |
| 2-bedroom unit | $710 | $36,920 | 152 |
| 3-bedroom unit (small sample) | $945 | $49,140 | 11 to 30 |
| House (all sizes) (small sample) | $825 | $42,900 | 11 to 30 |
- No interest rate is assumed: compare with your own rate in the repayments calculator.
Where we can help in Ashfield
Buyers from the Nepali community
Nepal-born residents number 1,547 here, 6.7% of the population, with 1,557 speaking Nepali at home. For many buyers part of the deposit comes from Nepal, so we check how each lender wants that money documented before it is transferred.
Nepali community home loans NPR to AUD converter
Visa holders and new permanent residents
12.9% of Ashfield's population, 2,958 people, had arrived in Australia in the five years to 2021. Your visa changes the numbers: a temporary resident pays 9% surcharge purchaser duty, needs FIRB approval and is generally limited to new homes until 30 June 2029, while a permanent resident is treated much like a citizen. The surcharge alone is $85,320 on the median unit. Postcode 2131 is not a designated regional area, so a 491 or 494 holder bound by condition 8579 can't live here on that visa.
Visa guides: subclass 189, 190, 491, 482.
Renters ready to buy
50.5% of households rent, about half. On the median unit, a first purchase means $47,400 for a 5% deposit, $28,998 in duty and a price inside the 5% scheme cap. Lenders also look for genuine savings and steady income, and some accept a family guarantor instead of part of the deposit.
Buying a unit
69.9% of homes are flats or apartments, and lender policies differ on units, for example on minimum floor area and high-density buildings. Before you bid, read the strata report for special levies and defects, and let us confirm the building suits your lender.
Ashfield and its neighbours
The nearest suburb we cover is Burwood, 2.5 km away. All five neighbours listed have a lower median unit price than Ashfield ($948,000). Strathfield has a larger Nepal-born community (3,517 people).
| Suburb | Distance | Born in Nepal | Median rent | Median unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashfield | — | 1,547 | $693/wk | $948,000 |
| Burwood | 2.5 km | 1,487 | $850/wk | $895,000 |
| Campsie | 3.4 km | 2,392 | $600/wk | $669,000 |
| Strathfield | 4.5 km | 3,517 | $740/wk | $780,000 |
| Homebush | 5.4 km | 692 | $720/wk | $655,000 |
| Homebush West | 6.1 km | 1,113 | $720/wk | $655,000 |
- Born in Nepal: ABS Census 2021. Rent and unit price: NSW DCJ, latest quarter.
See home prices in Burwood, home prices in Campsie or home prices in Strathfield. All NSW suburb guides
Questions about buying in Ashfield
How much stamp duty would a first home buyer pay on a median Ashfield unit?
About $28,998 instead of $36,847: the $948,000 median unit is in the concession taper. Checked against Revenue NSW on 26 October 2026.
What deposit do I need to buy in Ashfield?
For the median unit ($948,000): $47,400 at 5%, $94,800 at 10% or $189,600 at 20%. The council-area median house needs $472,000 for 20%. Below 20%, expect LMI unless you use the 5% Deposit Scheme or a guarantor.
Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme in Ashfield?
The median unit ($948,000) is $552,000 under the $1,500,000 cap. The council-area median house ($2,360,000) is $860,000 over the $1,500,000 cap. You must be a citizen or permanent resident and a first home buyer.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ashfield?
That depends on the rate you are offered, so we don't assume one. New leases in postcode 2131 cost a median $36,036 a year; in 2021 the median mortgage here cost $26,520 a year in repayments.
Can I buy in Ashfield on a 491 visa?
Postcode 2131 is outside the designated regional areas, so a 491 holder can't live here under condition 8579. The permanent 191 visa removes that limit.
Talk it through with Sulav
Sulav checks your deposit, income and visa against lender policy for a unit around $948,000, in a 60-minute call by phone or video.
Sources
Data last updated . Census figures are for 2021; DCJ figures are quarterly medians.
- ABS QuickStats 2021: Ashfield (SAL10099)
- ABS Census 2021 tables for SAL10099
- ASGS Edition 3 boundaries
- Rent and Sales Report, sales January to March 2026
- Rent and Sales Report, rents April to June 2026
- Transfer duty rates
- First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme (new or existing home)
- 5% Deposit Scheme price caps
- Regional postcodes (condition 8579)
- Established dwelling ban