Berowra Waters vs Fiddletown

Fiddletown is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 56 in Berowra Waters. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Berowra Waters, about half of households are people living alone. In Fiddletown, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Fiddletown: a median of $4.54 million, against $908,000 in Berowra Waters, though rent is higher in Berowra Waters. Berowra Waters is closer to the city centre: 45.2 km, against 52.7 km. On these figures, Berowra Waters tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Fiddletown suits families with children and couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Fiddletown

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 66/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 38%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Berowra Waters

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($907,500 vs $4,539,988)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fiddletown

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (18% vs 32%)
  • has cheaper rent ($455/wk vs $575/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Berowra Waters

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (45.2 km vs 52.7 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (61 min vs 66 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Berowra Waters has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 14%)
  • Fiddletown carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 66/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Where they sit

Berowra Waters and Fiddletown drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Walkability 0 / 0
Berowra Waters — Walkability: 0/100 Fiddletown — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 34 / 86
Berowra Waters — Safety: 34/100 Fiddletown — Safety: 86/100
Low fire risk 3 / 23
Berowra Waters — Low fire risk: 3/100 Fiddletown — Low fire risk: 23/100

Demographics

Fiddletown has more residents (259 vs 169); Fiddletown has higher household incomes ($133,224 vs $94,224).

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Population 169 259
+53% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — +11.2%
Median age 56 40
Median household income $94,224/yr $133,224/yr
+41% vs other
Median weekly rent $575/wk
+21% vs other
 $455/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
0-4 5.3% / 7.3%
Berowra Waters — 0-4: 5.3% Fiddletown — 0-4: 7.3%
5-14 7.1% / 15.4%
Berowra Waters — 5-14: 7.1% Fiddletown — 5-14: 15.4%
15-19 4.1% / 5.8%
Berowra Waters — 15-19: 4.1% Fiddletown — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 — / 4.6%
Berowra Waters — 20-24: not among its largest Fiddletown — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 7.1% / 10.8%
Berowra Waters — 25-34: 7.1% Fiddletown — 25-34: 10.8%
35-44 7.1% / 12.4%
Berowra Waters — 35-44: 7.1% Fiddletown — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 16.6% / 16.2%
Berowra Waters — 45-54: 16.6% Fiddletown — 45-54: 16.2%
55-64 23.7% / 13.9%
Berowra Waters — 55-64: 23.7% Fiddletown — 55-64: 13.9%
65-74 17.2% / 8.1%
Berowra Waters — 65-74: 17.2% Fiddletown — 65-74: 8.1%
75-84 12.4% / 3.9%
Berowra Waters — 75-84: 12.4% Fiddletown — 75-84: 3.9%
85+ — / 2.3%
Berowra Waters — 85+: not among its largest Fiddletown — 85+: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Berowra Waters 38.2% couple families
Berowra Waters — Couple Families: 38.2% Berowra Waters — Lone Person: 52.9% Berowra Waters — One Parent Families: 0.0% Berowra Waters — Group Household: 8.8%
Fiddletown 53.4% couple families
Fiddletown — Couple Families: 53.4% Fiddletown — Lone Person: 24.1% Fiddletown — One Parent Families: 17.2% Fiddletown — Group Household: 5.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Berowra Waters 0.0% renting
Berowra Waters — Owned Outright: 64.4% Berowra Waters — Mortgage: 35.6% Berowra Waters — Renting: 0.0%
Fiddletown 13.6% renting
Fiddletown — Owned Outright: 45.5% Fiddletown — Mortgage: 40.9% Fiddletown — Renting: 13.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
England 9.5% / 5.8%
Berowra Waters — England: 9.5% Fiddletown — England: 5.8%
New Zealand 3.6% / 1.9%
Berowra Waters — New Zealand: 3.6% Fiddletown — New Zealand: 1.9%
Singapore 3.6% / —
Berowra Waters — Singapore: 3.6% Fiddletown — Singapore: not among its largest
China — / 2.7%
Berowra Waters — China: not among its largest Fiddletown — China: 2.7%
Italy — / 1.2%
Berowra Waters — Italy: not among its largest Fiddletown — Italy: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.5%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Bachelor Degree 20.1% / 14.3%
Berowra Waters — Bachelor Degree: 20.1% Fiddletown — Bachelor Degree: 14.3%
Certificate III & IV 11.2% / 13.5%
Berowra Waters — Certificate III & IV: 11.2% Fiddletown — Certificate III & IV: 13.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 12.4% / 5.8%
Berowra Waters — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.4% Fiddletown — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8%
Postgraduate Degree 8.3% / 5.8%
Berowra Waters — Postgraduate Degree: 8.3% Fiddletown — Postgraduate Degree: 5.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.9% / 1.2%
Berowra Waters — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.9% Fiddletown — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Berowra Waters 103.3% houses
Berowra Waters — Houses: 103.3% Berowra Waters — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Fiddletown 98.5% houses
Fiddletown — Houses: 98.5% Fiddletown — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Median house price $907,500 $4,539,988
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Fiddletown has more land zoned for conservation (91% vs 70%).

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Environmental 70% 91%
Parks and recreation 29% 3%
Rural and farming 0% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 0%
Planning zones cover 99% of Berowra Waters and 100% of Fiddletown. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
New dwellings approved 260
across Hornsby
same for both
Approvals change year on year -79%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
House price Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Income Higher than 61% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 5% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 4% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW

Liveability

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Berowra Waters carries more crime risk (66 vs 14); Berowra Waters carries more bushfire risk (97 vs 77).

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Bushfire High
97/100
 High
77/100
Crime Moderate
66/100
 Low
14/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Berowra Waters

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Fiddletown

  • Northholm Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Waterways 2 7

Mobility

Fiddletown sits further from the CBD (52.7 km vs 45.2 km).

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 45.2 km 52.7 km
+17% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 61 min 66 min
Electric vehicle share 1.4%
postcode 2082
 1.4%
postcode 2159
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 49
postcode 2082
 53
postcode 2159

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Worked from Home 62.5% / 60.4%
Berowra Waters — Worked from Home: 62.5% Fiddletown — Worked from Home: 60.4%
Car (driver) 23.2% / 39.6%
Berowra Waters — Car (driver): 23.2% Fiddletown — Car (driver): 39.6%
Walked Only 14.3% / —
Berowra Waters — Walked Only: 14.3% Fiddletown — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.5%).

Setting

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Elevation 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 185 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.7 km 12.5 km

NBN connectivity

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Connectivity score 36/100 28/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
55 premises
 0%
67 premises

Climate

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Annual rainfall 1,176 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³ 6.1 µg/m³
PM10 14.2 µg/m³ 15.5 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.23 pphm 0.53 pphm

Council rates

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Average residential rate $1,488/yr
same for both
Council Hornsby
same for both

Federal electorate

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Division Berowra
same for both
Member Julian Leeser
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Berowra Waters Fiddletown
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Berowra Waters

Outer Professionals Retirees River

Fiddletown

Family Luxury Outer

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Berowra Waters

Berowra Waters vs Berowra Heights Berowra Waters vs Arcadia Berowra Waters vs Cowan Berowra Waters vs Berrilee Berowra Waters vs Canoelands

Other comparisons with Fiddletown

Fiddletown vs Glenorie Fiddletown vs Arcadia Fiddletown vs Canoelands Fiddletown vs Forest Glen
Full data on Berowra Waters Full data on Fiddletown
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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