The sub-$500,000 capital city house options: Cameron Kusher

EXPERT OBSERVATION

Finding a house close to the city centre for under $500,000 is becoming increasingly difficult.

We look at the five suburbs in each capital city that are closest to the city centre and have a median house value under $500,000.  

Obviously the options and distance from the city centre vary greatly across each of the individual capital cities.

Suburbs closest to a capital city GPO with a median house value of less than $500,000

• Sydney 

Bar Point is the suburb closest to the CBD with a median house value below $500,000. Sitting on the Central Coast as the crow flies it is 39.5 kilometres away from the CBD. There are only two suburbs within 50 kilometres of the CBD with a median house value below $500,000.

• Melbourne

Dallas is the suburb closest to the Melbourne CBD with a median house value of less than $500,000. Located 16.1 kilometres from the CBD, the typical house costs less than $450,000.  There are only two suburbs within 20 kilometres of the CBD with a median house values of less than $500,000.

• Brisbane 

Rocklea is the closest suburb to the city with a median house value below $500,000 and it is the only suburb below that price point within 10 kilometres of the CBD.  Once you move more than 10 kilometres from the CBD there are many options under $500,000.

• Adelaide

Hindmarsh is just 3.5 kilometres from the Adelaide CBD and has a median house value well below $500,000. The five suburbs listed are all less than 5 kilometres from the city centre which highlights the affordability of well-located housing in Adelaide relative to other capital cities.

• Perth

Glendalough which is just over 5 kilometres from the Perth CBD is the closest suburb to the city centre with a median house value below $500,000.  Relative to other cities there are quite a number of suburbs relatively close to the city centre with a median house value below $500,000.

• Hobart 

Montagu Bay which is 3 kilometres from Hobart’s city centre is the closest suburb with a median house value of less than $500,000. Hobart remains the nation’s most affordable capital city housing market and, despite strong value growth recently, still has many suburbs with a median below $500,000 quite close to the city centre.

• Darwin

Millner (8.1 kilometres from the CBD) is the suburb of Darwin closest to the city centre with a median house value under $500,000. Millner is also the only suburb with a median house value within 10 kilometres of the city centre.

• Canberra

There is only one suburb in Canberra (Charnwood) that has a current median house value below $500,000.  This highlights the lack of affordable options in Canberra despite the fact that it is one of the smallest capital cities.