The top first-home suburbs in every capital, and the stamp duty a first-home buyer pays there
We rank suburbs in each capital for first-home buyers on price, walkability, growth, safety and distance to the CBD. At the median asking price in the top-ranked suburbs, an eligible first-home buyer pays no stamp duty on a unit in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or Canberra, and nothing on a house in Canberra. In Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin there is no concession for an established home at all.
Our first-home buyer lists rank every suburb in each capital on price against the rest of that city, walkability, population growth, safety (bushfire, crime and flood risk) and distance to the CBD, with houses and units ranked separately. Stamp duty is not part of the ranking. It is one of the largest costs a first-home buyer pays upfront, and each state's concession works differently.
We took the median asking price in the top-ranked suburbs and worked out the duty an eligible first-home buyer would pay on an established home at that price.
| Top-ranked for houses | Median asking | First-home duty | Top-ranked for units | Median asking | First-home duty | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Kingswood | $852,000 | $10,189 | Wentworthville | $560,000 | $0 |
| Melbourne | Braybrook | $710,000 | $27,625 | Moonee Ponds | $514,000 | $0 |
| Brisbane | Woodridge | $622,000 | $0 | Bowen Hills | $682,000 | $0 |
| Perth | Perth | $750,000 | $24,225 | Wembley | $539,000 | $0 |
| Adelaide | Blair Athol | $774,000 | $36,400 | Plympton | $524,000 | $22,650 |
| Hobart | Moonah | $695,000 | $26,535 | New Town | $462,000 | $16,632 |
| Canberra | Franklin | $737,000 | $0 | Macquarie | $365,000 | $0 |
| Darwin | Anula | $688,000 | $34,056 | Parap | $455,000 | $20,430 |
Units: no duty in four capitals
In Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Canberra, an eligible first-home buyer would pay no duty at the median asking price in any of the five top-ranked suburbs for units. The Sydney five run from $519,000 in Merrylands to $709,000 in Wentworth Point, all under the New South Wales exemption limit of $800,000. Melbourne's run from $375,000 in Maidstone to $540,000 in Brunswick East, under Victoria's $600,000. Perth's run from $499,000 in East Victoria Park to $600,000 in Perth and Northbridge, at or under Western Australia's $600,000.
Brisbane is closer to its limit. Bowen Hills ($682,000) is under Queensland's $700,000 limit, but Fortitude Valley, Brisbane City, Spring Hill and Lutwyche are between $760,000 and $778,000, where the concession tapers: about $13,000 to $16,000 in duty instead of about $20,000.
Houses: the limits are close to the prices
The top-ranked suburbs for houses sit near or above each state's limit. In Sydney, Kingswood ($852,000) and Girraween ($895,000) get a partial concession, $10,189 and $18,614 instead of $32,527 and $34,462. The next three, Blacktown, Rooty Hill and Liverpool, are over $1 million and get none: about $40,000 to $42,000.
In Melbourne, Werribee, Tarneit, Roxburgh Park and Braybrook ($685,000 to $710,000) are in Victoria's taper between $600,000 and $750,000, and pay $20,000 to $28,000. Glenroy, at $774,000, is past it and pays the full $41,510.
In Brisbane, Woodridge ($622,000) is under the limit and pays nothing. The next four, Taigum, Loganlea, Richlands and Strathpine, are between $839,000 and $899,000. That is above the $800,000 at which the concession for an established home ends, so the duty is the full $23,600 to $26,300. Queensland's concession for a new home or vacant land has no price limit.
In Perth, Western Australia charges a lower rate above $600,000 up to $800,000, but near the top of that range it saves little: in Nollamara and Westminster, both at $799,000, the saving is $126.
Three capitals with no concession on an established home
South Australia's concession is for new homes only, at any price. An established house in Salisbury North ($699,000) carries $32,275 in duty and a unit in the Adelaide CBD ($589,000) $26,225, the same as for any other buyer.
Tasmania's first-home concession ended on 30 June 2026 and was not replaced. A house in Moonah ($695,000) now carries $26,535.
The Northern Territory has no stamp duty concession for first-home buyers; its help comes as cash grants. A house in Anula ($688,000) carries $34,056.
Canberra is the other way round: since 1 July 2026, an eligible first-home buyer in the ACT pays no duty at any price, on any type of home.
How we measured
- The rankings are our first-home buyer lists: 35% price against the rest of the city, 20% walkability, 15% population and dwelling growth (2016 to 2021 Census), 15% safety and 10% distance to the CBD.
- Prices are the median asking price of recent listings in each suburb, for houses or for units, apartments and townhouses. Asking prices are not sale prices.
- Duty is for an eligible first-home buyer, buying an established home to live in at that price, under the rules in force from 1 July 2026, as calculated by our stamp duty calculator. Each state's eligibility rules apply; new homes and vacant land are treated differently in several states.
For Melbourne in more detail, see where a first home comes with no stamp duty.