Frenchs Forest vs Oxford Falls

Frenchs Forest is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 73 in Oxford Falls. In both, the large majority of households own their home. In Frenchs Forest, the large majority of homes are detached houses and most households are couple families. In Oxford Falls, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Oxford Falls: a median of $2.82 million, against $2.4 million in Frenchs Forest, though rent is higher in Frenchs Forest. Frenchs Forest is closer to the city centre: 17 km, against 20.2 km. On these figures, Frenchs Forest tends to suit families with children and couples, while Oxford Falls suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Frenchs Forest

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (29 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (9 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Frenchs Forest

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 96%)
  • has cheaper houses ($2,400,000 vs $2,818,000)
  • But Oxford Falls has cheaper units ($1,300,000 vs $1,900,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Frenchs Forest leaves renters under less rental stress (26% vs 69%)
  • Oxford Falls has cheaper rent ($660/wk vs $800/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Frenchs Forest

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 34/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (25 min vs 30 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (17 km vs 20.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Frenchs Forest has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • Oxford Falls has more units and townhouses to downsize into (74% vs 8%)

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

Where they sit

Frenchs Forest and Oxford Falls drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
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.

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Walkability 80 / 34
Frenchs Forest — Walkability: 80/100 Oxford Falls — Walkability: 34/100
Safety 71 / 77
Frenchs Forest — Safety: 71/100 Oxford Falls — Safety: 77/100
Low fire risk 10 / 8
Frenchs Forest — Low fire risk: 10/100 Oxford Falls — Low fire risk: 8/100

Demographics

Frenchs Forest has more residents (14,267 vs 265); Frenchs Forest has higher household incomes ($161,668 vs $49,972).

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Population 14,267
+98% vs other
 265
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.9% —
Median age 40 73
Median household income $161,668/yr
+69% vs other
 $49,972/yr
Median weekly rent $800/wk
+18% vs other
 $660/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
0-4 5.7% / —
Frenchs Forest — 0-4: 5.7% Oxford Falls — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 16.5% / 3.8%
Frenchs Forest — 5-14: 16.5% Oxford Falls — 5-14: 3.8%
15-19 7.7% / 2.6%
Frenchs Forest — 15-19: 7.7% Oxford Falls — 15-19: 2.6%
20-24 5.4% / 5.3%
Frenchs Forest — 20-24: 5.4% Oxford Falls — 20-24: 5.3%
25-34 7.3% / 4.9%
Frenchs Forest — 25-34: 7.3% Oxford Falls — 25-34: 4.9%
35-44 13.5% / 4.2%
Frenchs Forest — 35-44: 13.5% Oxford Falls — 35-44: 4.2%
45-54 16.9% / 9.1%
Frenchs Forest — 45-54: 16.9% Oxford Falls — 45-54: 9.1%
55-64 11.2% / 8.7%
Frenchs Forest — 55-64: 11.2% Oxford Falls — 55-64: 8.7%
65-74 7.9% / 14.0%
Frenchs Forest — 65-74: 7.9% Oxford Falls — 65-74: 14.0%
75-84 6.1% / 29.1%
Frenchs Forest — 75-84: 6.1% Oxford Falls — 75-84: 29.1%
85+ 1.8% / 17.7%
Frenchs Forest — 85+: 1.8% Oxford Falls — 85+: 17.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Frenchs Forest 69.9% couple families
Frenchs Forest — Couple Families: 69.9% Frenchs Forest — Lone Person: 15.6% Frenchs Forest — One Parent Families: 11.7% Frenchs Forest — Group Household: 1.9% Frenchs Forest — Other Families: 0.9%
Oxford Falls 23.3% couple families
Oxford Falls — Couple Families: 23.3% Oxford Falls — Lone Person: 65.8% Oxford Falls — One Parent Families: 6.8% Oxford Falls — Group Household: 4.1% Oxford Falls — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Frenchs Forest 15.8% renting
Frenchs Forest — Owned Outright: 37.3% Frenchs Forest — Mortgage: 46.9% Frenchs Forest — Renting: 15.8%
Oxford Falls 9.3% renting
Oxford Falls — Owned Outright: 72.0% Oxford Falls — Mortgage: 18.7% Oxford Falls — Renting: 9.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Bachelor Degree 19.8% / 14.0%
Frenchs Forest — Bachelor Degree: 19.8% Oxford Falls — Bachelor Degree: 14.0%
Certificate III & IV 9.9% / 11.3%
Frenchs Forest — Certificate III & IV: 9.9% Oxford Falls — Certificate III & IV: 11.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 10.2%
Frenchs Forest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Oxford Falls — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2%
Postgraduate Degree 6.9% / 3.0%
Frenchs Forest — Postgraduate Degree: 6.9% Oxford Falls — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 1.5%
Frenchs Forest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Oxford Falls — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

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.

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
England 7.3% / 9.4%
Frenchs Forest — England: 7.3% Oxford Falls — England: 9.4%
South Africa 1.9% / 1.5%
Frenchs Forest — South Africa: 1.9% Oxford Falls — South Africa: 1.5%
New Zealand 2.2% / 1.1%
Frenchs Forest — New Zealand: 2.2% Oxford Falls — New Zealand: 1.1%
China 2.3% / —
Frenchs Forest — China: 2.3% Oxford Falls — China: not among its largest
Italy — / 2.3%
Frenchs Forest — Italy: not among its largest Oxford Falls — Italy: 2.3%
Malaysia — / 1.5%
Frenchs Forest — Malaysia: not among its largest Oxford Falls — Malaysia: 1.5%
Scotland — / 1.5%
Frenchs Forest — Scotland: not among its largest Oxford Falls — Scotland: 1.5%
India 0.9% / —
Frenchs Forest — India: 0.9% Oxford Falls — India: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Frenchs Forest 92.5% houses
Frenchs Forest — Houses: 92.5% Frenchs Forest — Townhouses: 4.3% Frenchs Forest — Flats / Apartments: 3.2%
Oxford Falls 28.6% houses
Oxford Falls — Houses: 28.6% Oxford Falls — Townhouses: 73.9% Oxford Falls — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Median house price $2,400,000 $2,818,000
Median unit price $1,900,000 $1,300,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 112 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Frenchs Forest has more land zoned for conservation (12% vs 0%).

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Other and special use 8% 83%
Residential 52% 0%
Parks and recreation 13% 14%
Environmental 12% 0%
Commercial 8% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 3%
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

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
New dwellings approved 620
across Northern Beaches
same for both
Approvals change year on year +51%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Houses 3.5%
$1,500/wk on $2.24M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
House price Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Income Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 11% of NSW
Schools Higher than 26% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 1% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 93% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 44% of NSW —

Liveability

Frenchs Forest is more walkable (80 vs 34).

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Grade B —
Score 54/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Bushfire High
90/100
 High
92/100
Crime Low
29/100
 Low
23/100
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 2
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Inside the suburb 4 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 4 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
Macquarie University Wallumattagal Campus at North Ryde, 9.7 km
 None

Schools in Frenchs Forest

  • Davidson High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Frenchs Forest Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Mimosa Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • The Forest High School Government · Secondary at peers

Schools in Oxford Falls

  • Oxford Falls Grammar School Independent · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 19 0
Parks & reserves 29 2
Childcare 9 2
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
EV chargers 3 0
Waterways 17 4

Mobility

Oxford Falls sits further from the CBD (20.2 km vs 17 km).

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Walkability score 80/100 34/100
Distance to Sydney 17 km 20.2 km
+19% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 25 min 30 min
Public transport score 94/100
Bus
 19/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 524.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 2.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.0%
postcode 2086
 2.0%
postcode 2100
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 2086
 33
postcode 2100

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.

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Car (driver) 39.4% / 58.6%
Frenchs Forest — Car (driver): 39.4% Oxford Falls — Car (driver): 58.6%
Worked from Home 53.0% / 41.4%
Frenchs Forest — Worked from Home: 53.0% Oxford Falls — Worked from Home: 41.4%
Car (passenger) 2.8% / —
Frenchs Forest — Car (passenger): 2.8% Oxford Falls — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 2.5% / —
Frenchs Forest — Bus: 2.5% Oxford Falls — Bus: not among its largest
Walked Only 1.7% / —
Frenchs Forest — Walked Only: 1.7% Oxford Falls — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (58.6%).

Setting

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Elevation 144 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 61 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.7 km
3.8 km to a named beach
 5.1 km

NBN connectivity

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Connectivity score 75/100 59/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the building
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 12%
5,277 premises
 1%
115 premises

Climate

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Annual rainfall 1,176 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.23 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Average residential rate $1,696/yr
same for both
Council Northern Beaches
same for both

Federal electorate

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Division Mackellar
same for both
Member Sophie Scamps
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Frenchs Forest Oxford Falls
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Frenchs Forest

Easy Commute Family Large Blocks Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals River Transport Hub

Oxford Falls

Middle-Ring Premium Quiet Retirees River Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Frenchs Forest

Frenchs Forest vs Belrose Frenchs Forest vs Forestville Frenchs Forest vs Beacon Hill Frenchs Forest vs Allambie Heights Frenchs Forest vs Killarney Heights Frenchs Forest vs East Killara

Other comparisons with Oxford Falls

Oxford Falls vs Belrose Oxford Falls vs Cromer Oxford Falls vs Beacon Hill Oxford Falls vs Narraweena Oxford Falls vs Ingleside
Full data on Frenchs Forest Full data on Oxford Falls
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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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