North Manly

North Manly has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of North Manly is around 3,573. This reflects an increase of 177 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,396. The change is inferred from the resident population of 3,559, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 9 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 3,248 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. North Manly's growth of 5.2% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (3.3%), along with the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 65.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends anticipate lower quartile growth of Australian statistical areas, with the suburb expected to increase by 124 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 3.1% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in North Manly according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows North Manly had approximately 6 dwellings receiving development approval annually over the past 5 financial years. This totals an estimated 34 homes from FY-21 to FY-25. So far in FY-26, 6 approvals have been recorded.

On average, each dwelling has added around 2.8 new residents per year during this period, indicating steady demand that supports property values. The average construction cost value of new homes is $1,054,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Compared to Greater Sydney, North Manly shows approximately 67% of the construction activity per person, placing it among the 28th percentile of areas assessed nationally. This results in relatively constrained buyer choice, supporting interest in existing properties. This level is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New development in North Manly consists of 50% standalone homes and 50% attached dwellings, marking a significant departure from existing housing patterns (currently 83% houses).

This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. It also suggests diminishing developable land availability and responds to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. With around 591 people per dwelling approval, North Manly reflects a highly mature market. Future projections show North Manly adding approximately 110 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

North Manly has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 12 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are The Alba, Freshwater Beach Masterplan, Warringah Mall Mixed Use Redevelopment, and Brookvale Structure Plan Implementation. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in North Manly demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

North Manly has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector prominently represented. Its unemployment rate is 2.5%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 2,141 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.6% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in North Manly is 78.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%. A high proportion, 53.2% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts may have influenced this figure. The leading employment industries are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and construction. North Manly has a strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

However, health care & social assistance is under-represented, at 10.9% compared to Greater Sydney's 14.1%. While local employment opportunities exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work. Between December 2024 and December 2025, North Manly's labour force increased by 0.2%, while employment declined by 0.6%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that North Manly's employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

North Manly's median taxpayer income was $62,741 with an average of $112,220 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Nationally, this is exceptionally high, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,023. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $68,300 (median) and $122,163 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in North Manly, between the 87th and 98th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that 38.2% of locals (1,364 people) are in the $4000+ category, contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. Economic strength emerges through 52.1% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 16.0% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 97th percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

North Manly is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

North Manly's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in North Manly stood at 34.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.9% and rented ones at 21.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $3,600, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in North Manly was $675, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, North Manly's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

North Manly features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 81.6% of all households, including 49.8% couples with children, 21.2% couples without children, and 9.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 18.4%, with lone person households at 16.3% and group households comprising 2.4%. The median household size is 3.1 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

North Manly demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

North Manly's educational attainment exceeds national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 41.8% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 28.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 27.4% of residents holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.0%) and certificates (15.4%).

Educational participation is high, with 34.7% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.3% in primary, 11.2% in secondary, and 5.1% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

North Manly has 38 operational public transport stops, all serving buses. These are covered by 37 different routes, offering a total of 3,271 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents averaging 144 meters from the nearest stop. In this predominantly residential zone, most commuters travel outwards. Cars remain the primary mode at 77%, followed by buses at 8% and walking at 7%. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling, exceeding the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 53.2% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. Daily service frequency across all routes averages 467 trips, translating to roughly 86 weekly trips per individual stop.

North Manly's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows excellent results in North Manly, with AreaSearch's assessment indicating low mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, especially among younger cohorts. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 71% of the total population (2,541 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 5.6 and 5.5% of residents respectively.

A total of 77.7% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The area has 15.5% of residents aged 65 and over (553 people). Health outcomes among seniors are strong but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in North Manly was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

North Manly, surveyed in 2016, had a higher proportion of residents speaking languages other than English at home, with 16.6%, compared to most local areas. Born overseas, 31.5% of North Manly's population was recorded in 2016. Christianity dominated religious affiliation in North Manly as of 2016, with 50.6%.

Judaism, however, was more prominent in North Manly than the Greater Sydney average (0.2% vs 0.8%) in 2016. Regarding ancestry, English heritage was most prevalent at 30.0%, higher than the regional average of 19.0%. Australian and Irish heritages followed at 22.2% and 8.6% respectively. Noteworthy differences existed for French (1.0% vs regional 0.5%), New Zealand (1.2% vs 0.5%), and Spanish (0.8% vs 0.6%) ancestry in North Manly compared to the region as of 2016.

North Manly's population is slightly older than the national pattern

North Manly has a median age of 40, which is higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38 years. The 45-54 cohort is notably over-represented in North Manly at 16.4%, compared to the Greater Sydney average. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 8.6%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 12.1% to 13.9%, while the 75-84 cohort has increased from 4.3% to 5.5%. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age group has declined from 17.6% to 16.0%, and the 45-54 group has dropped from 17.9% to 16.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests North Manly's age profile will change significantly. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to grow by 107 people (55%), from 196 to 304. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 95% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, the 25-34 and 45-54 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.