Suburb guide · Strathfield council area
Mortgage broker for Homebush (2140) home buyers
11,660 people lived in Homebush at the 2021 Census, about two-thirds of them born overseas, most commonly in India and China; 692 were born in Nepal. It is mostly a unit market: 81.7% of homes are flats or apartments, and the median unit in postcode 2140 sold for $655,000 in January to March 2026. Our office isn't local: we meet Homebush clients by phone or video, at morning, midday or evening times, seven days a week.
On this page
Homebush at a glance
- Residents
- 11,6604,399 occupied homesABS Census 2021
- Born overseas
- 67.8%Top birthplaces: India, China, South KoreaABS Census 2021
- Born in Nepal
- 6925.9% of residentsABS Census 2021
- Speak Nepali at home
- 6755.8% of residentsABS Census 2021
- Arrived 2016 to 2021
- 25.8%3,010 people born overseasABS Census 2021
- Median age
- 312.5 people per householdABS Census 2021
- Median household income
- $2,101/wk$109,252 a yearABS Census 2021
- Households renting
- 56.6%30.1% mortgage, 10.8% owned outrightABS Census 2021
- Flats and apartments
- 81.7%12.3% separate houses, 4.8% semis and townhousesABS Census 2021
- Median rent, new leases
- $720/wkAll dwellings, postcode 2140NSW DCJ, April to June 2026
All of Homebush (2.05 km²) is in Strathfield council area. Across our 26 NSW suburb guides it ranks 18th for Nepal-born residents and sixth for household income, at $109,252 a year. A median age of 31 makes it one of the younger suburbs we cover, with 2.5 people in the average household. Homebush shares postcode 2140 with Homebush West, so the DCJ sale and rent figures cover the whole postcode, not Homebush alone. Only 13.8% of workers used a train on Census day 2021, a lockdown day when 39.9% worked from home.
The cost of buying in Homebush
In January to March 2026, the median strata sale (mostly units and townhouses) in postcode 2140 was $655,000 from 121 sales. For houses, the median non-strata sale in Strathfield council area was $2,825,000. DCJ did not publish a house median for postcode 2140 this quarter (10 or fewer sales), so the house column uses the Strathfield council-area median. A house costs 4.3 times as much as a unit here, a gap of $2,170,000. Against the median household income recorded here in 2021 ($109,252 a year), that is 6 times for a unit and 25.9 times for a house.
| Item | Median unit | Median house (council area) |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $655,000 | $2,825,000 |
| 5% deposit | $32,750 | $141,250 |
| 10% deposit | $65,500 | $282,500 |
| 20% deposit (no LMI) | $131,000 | $565,000 |
| Transfer duty, standard | $23,662 | $136,662 |
| Transfer duty, first home buyer | $0 | $136,662 |
| Registration fees | $365 | $365 |
| 5% Deposit Scheme cap ($1,500,000) | Under | Over |
| Cash needed, first home buyer, 10% deposit | $65,865 | $419,527 |
- Owner-occupier, established home, every scheme condition met. Cash needed excludes conveyancing and LMI. 2026-27 rules, checked 26 October 2026.
At $655,000, the median unit is under the $800,000 limit of the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme, so an eligible first home buyer pays no transfer duty instead of $23,662. No first home concession reaches the council-area median house; at that price the duty is $136,662 for everyone.
The $1,500,000 scheme cap leaves $845,000 of room above the median unit, but the council-area median house is out of range by $1,325,000.
Try a price other than $655,000 in the NSW stamp duty calculator
Rent in Homebush compared with buying
The median rent on a new lease in postcode 2140 was $720 a week in April to June 2026, based on 369 bonds lodged, which adds up to $37,440 over a year. By size, a two-bedroom unit leased for $730 a week and a three-bedroom unit for $860.
Back in 2021, Homebush households with a mortgage repaid a median $2,167 a month, 6% more than the median rent ($470 a week). Today's new-lease median is 53% above that 2021 rent. DCJ counts only new bonds and the Census counts every renting household, so read the gap as a direction, not an exact rise. That 2021 rent was 22% of a median household's income.
Put another way, 45 weeks of today's median rent would cover a 5% deposit ($32,750) on the median unit. Renters are a narrow majority (56.6% of households), while 30.1% of homes are owned with a mortgage.
| Dwelling | Weekly | Yearly | New bonds |
|---|---|---|---|
| All dwellings | $720 | $37,440 | 369 |
| 1-bedroom unit | $635 | $33,020 | 82 |
| 2-bedroom unit | $730 | $37,960 | 215 |
| 3-bedroom unit | $860 | $44,720 | 41 |
| House (all sizes) (small sample) | $710 | $36,920 | 11 to 30 |
- No interest rate is assumed: compare with your own rate in the repayments calculator.
Homebush buyers we work with
Nepali-speaking households
Nepal-born residents number 692 here, 5.9% of the population, with 675 speaking Nepali at home. We often help document a gift from family in Nepal, explain how lenders treat savings held overseas, and turn lakh and crore figures into a deposit in Australian dollars.
Nepali community home loans NPR to AUD converter
Recent arrivals and visa holders
3,010 residents (25.8%) arrived in Australia between 2016 and Census night 2021. On a temporary visa you are a foreign person, so FIRB approval, the ban on established homes (to 30 June 2029) and 9% surcharge purchaser duty all apply; permanent residents usually avoid all three. The surcharge alone is $58,950 on the median unit. Postcode 2140 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.
First home buyers
56.6% of households rent, almost three in five. On the median unit, a first purchase means $32,750 for a 5% deposit, no transfer duty and a price inside the 5% scheme cap. A gift from family or a guarantor can close the gap, but lenders still want to see your own savings history.
Owners with a mortgage
30.1% of Homebush homes are owned with a mortgage, with a median repayment of $26,004 a year in 2021. Loans taken out before a move to permanent residency are often worth a second look. Refinancing
Units and strata
With units making up 81.7% of homes, the building matters: some lenders limit loans on small or high-density apartments. Before you bid, read the strata report for special levies and defects, and let us confirm the building suits your lender.
Compare nearby suburbs
Homebush West is the closest suburb in our guides, 1.1 km from Homebush. One of the five neighbours listed has a lower median unit price than Homebush's $655,000. Auburn has a larger Nepal-born community (5,009 people).
| Suburb | Distance | Born in Nepal | Median rent | Median unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homebush | — | 692 | $720/wk | $655,000 |
| Homebush West | 1.1 km | 1,113 | $720/wk | $655,000 |
| Strathfield | 2.1 km | 3,517 | $740/wk | $780,000 |
| Burwood | 2.9 km | 1,487 | $850/wk | $895,000 |
| Lidcombe | 3.1 km | 1,491 | $780/wk | $807,000 |
| Auburn | 5 km | 5,009 | $680/wk | $610,000 |
- Born in Nepal: ABS Census 2021. Rent and unit price: NSW DCJ, latest quarter.
See our Homebush West guide, Strathfield rents and prices or buying in Burwood. All NSW suburb guides
Homebush buyers often ask
How much stamp duty would a first home buyer pay on a median Homebush unit?
None, if you qualify for the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme: the $655,000 median unit is under the exemption limit. Other buyers pay $23,662. Checked against Revenue NSW on 26 October 2026.
What deposit do I need to buy in Homebush?
For the median unit ($655,000): $32,750 at 5%, $65,500 at 10% or $131,000 at 20%. The council-area median house needs $565,000 for 20%. Below 20%, expect LMI unless you use the 5% Deposit Scheme or a guarantor.
Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme in Homebush?
The median unit ($655,000) is $845,000 under the $1,500,000 cap. The council-area median house ($2,825,000) is $1,325,000 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 Homebush?
We can't say without your rate. For scale: a year of median rent on a new lease is $37,440, and 2021 mortgage repayments ran at a median $26,004 a year.
Can I buy in Homebush on a 491 visa?
Not to live in while you hold the 491: postcode 2140 is not a designated regional area, and condition 8579 requires you to live in one. Once you hold the 191 permanent visa, that restriction ends.
Talk it through with Sulav
Sulav checks your deposit, income and visa against lender policy for a unit around $655,000, 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: Homebush (SAL11936)
- ABS Census 2021 tables for SAL11936
- 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