Lavender Bay vs Mcmahons Point

In both, most homes are flats or apartments and most households are people living alone. In Lavender Bay, most households rent. In McMahons Point, about half of households rent.

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

McMahons Point

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 52/100)
  • has more parks and reserves (14 vs 8)

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

First-home buyers

McMahons Point

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($3,925,000 vs $4,487,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lavender Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($500/wk vs $580/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

McMahons Point

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 52/100)

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

Investors

McMahons Point

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (1.6% vs -7.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Lavender Bay and Mcmahons Point drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
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.

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Walkability 100 / 100
Lavender Bay — Walkability: 100/100 Mcmahons Point — Walkability: 100/100
Safety 48 / 71
Lavender Bay — Safety: 48/100 Mcmahons Point — Safety: 71/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Lavender Bay — Low fire risk: 100/100 Mcmahons Point — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

McMahons Point has more residents (2,315 vs 870); McMahons Point rents higher ($580/wk vs $500/wk).

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Population 870 2,315
+166% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -7.5% +1.6%
Median age 43 44
Median household income $123,708/yr $133,536/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $500/wk $580/wk
+16% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
0-4 2.1% / 3.7%
Lavender Bay — 0-4: 2.1% Mcmahons Point — 0-4: 3.7%
5-14 5.9% / 4.0%
Lavender Bay — 5-14: 5.9% Mcmahons Point — 5-14: 4.0%
15-19 3.2% / 3.4%
Lavender Bay — 15-19: 3.2% Mcmahons Point — 15-19: 3.4%
20-24 6.0% / 4.8%
Lavender Bay — 20-24: 6.0% Mcmahons Point — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 19.7% / 19.9%
Lavender Bay — 25-34: 19.7% Mcmahons Point — 25-34: 19.9%
35-44 16.0% / 14.7%
Lavender Bay — 35-44: 16.0% Mcmahons Point — 35-44: 14.7%
45-54 11.5% / 13.1%
Lavender Bay — 45-54: 11.5% Mcmahons Point — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 13.4% / 14.8%
Lavender Bay — 55-64: 13.4% Mcmahons Point — 55-64: 14.8%
65-74 13.7% / 12.1%
Lavender Bay — 65-74: 13.7% Mcmahons Point — 65-74: 12.1%
75-84 7.2% / 8.0%
Lavender Bay — 75-84: 7.2% Mcmahons Point — 75-84: 8.0%
85+ 1.8% / 1.2%
Lavender Bay — 85+: 1.8% Mcmahons Point — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lavender Bay 66.0% lone person
Lavender Bay — Lone Person: 66.0% Lavender Bay — Couple Families: 20.2% Lavender Bay — One Parent Families: 6.7% Lavender Bay — Group Household: 5.7% Lavender Bay — Other Families: 1.4%
Mcmahons Point 67.2% lone person
Mcmahons Point — Lone Person: 67.2% Mcmahons Point — Couple Families: 20.1% Mcmahons Point — One Parent Families: 6.8% Mcmahons Point — Group Household: 4.6% Mcmahons Point — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lavender Bay 58.6% renting
Lavender Bay — Owned Outright: 27.0% Lavender Bay — Mortgage: 14.4% Lavender Bay — Renting: 58.6%
Mcmahons Point 53.0% renting
Mcmahons Point — Owned Outright: 31.9% Mcmahons Point — Mortgage: 15.1% Mcmahons Point — Renting: 53.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Bachelor Degree 32.6% / 34.8%
Lavender Bay — Bachelor Degree: 32.6% Mcmahons Point — Bachelor Degree: 34.8%
Postgraduate Degree 20.2% / 19.7%
Lavender Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 20.2% Mcmahons Point — Postgraduate Degree: 19.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 7.2%
Lavender Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% Mcmahons Point — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Certificate III & IV 4.6% / 5.1%
Lavender Bay — Certificate III & IV: 4.6% Mcmahons Point — Certificate III & IV: 5.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.7% / 4.0%
Lavender Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7% Mcmahons Point — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (34.8%).

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.

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
England 5.6% / 7.7%
Lavender Bay — England: 5.6% Mcmahons Point — England: 7.7%
China 3.3% / 2.0%
Lavender Bay — China: 3.3% Mcmahons Point — China: 2.0%
New Zealand 2.3% / 2.7%
Lavender Bay — New Zealand: 2.3% Mcmahons Point — New Zealand: 2.7%
India 2.4% / 1.5%
Lavender Bay — India: 2.4% Mcmahons Point — India: 1.5%
South Africa 1.5% / 2.0%
Lavender Bay — South Africa: 1.5% Mcmahons Point — South Africa: 2.0%
Philippines 1.8% / —
Lavender Bay — Philippines: 1.8% Mcmahons Point — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lavender Bay 66.7% flats / apartments
Lavender Bay — Flats / Apartments: 66.7% Lavender Bay — Townhouses: 23.3% Lavender Bay — Houses: 9.9%
Mcmahons Point 63.4% flats / apartments
Mcmahons Point — Flats / Apartments: 63.4% Mcmahons Point — Townhouses: 23.6% Mcmahons Point — Houses: 13.0%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Median house price $4,487,500 $3,925,000
Median unit price $1,300,000 $1,260,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 15 days
from 3 sales
 22 days
from 9 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
1 bed $840K / $1.1M
Lavender Bay — 1 bed: $840K (10 sales) Mcmahons Point — 1 bed: $1.1M (40 sales)

10 vs 40 sales

2 bed $1.43M / $1.54M
Lavender Bay — 2 bed: $1.43M (14 sales) Mcmahons Point — 2 bed: $1.54M (22 sales)

14 vs 22 sales

3 bed $2.94M / $4.05M
Lavender Bay — 3 bed: $2.94M (5 sales) Mcmahons Point — 3 bed: $4.05M (13 sales)

5 vs 13 sales

Zoning mix

McMahons Point has more industrially zoned land (11% vs 0%).

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Residential 63%
same for both
Infrastructure and transport 21% 7%
Parks and recreation 15% 11%
Industrial 0% 11%
Commercial 0% 4%
Environmental 0% 2%
Planning zones cover 100% of Lavender Bay and 99% of Mcmahons Point. 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

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
New dwellings approved 455
across North Sydney
same for both
Approvals change year on year -69%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
House price Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Income Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 90% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 100% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 3% of NSW Higher than 7% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 98% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW

Liveability

McMahons Point scores higher overall (96 vs 89).

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Grade A+
same for both
Score 89/100 96/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Lavender Bay carries more crime risk (52 vs 29).

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
52/100
 Low
29/100
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 4
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Australian Catholic University-North Sydney Campus, 0.8 km
 3
Australian Catholic University-North Sydney Campus, 1.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.6% 2.4%

Schools in Lavender Bay

  • Cameragal Montessori School, Lavender Bay Campus Independent · Primary

Schools in Mcmahons Point

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

Amenities in the suburb

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 1 14
Parks & reserves 8 14
Childcare 1 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1

Mobility

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Walkability score 100/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 5.1 km
+2% vs other
 5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 11 min
same for both
Public transport score 66/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 32.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 45.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.6%
postcode 2060
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 4
postcode 2060
same for both

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.

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Worked from Home 65.0% / 66.1%
Lavender Bay — Worked from Home: 65.0% Mcmahons Point — Worked from Home: 66.1%
Car (driver) 18.2% / 19.5%
Lavender Bay — Car (driver): 18.2% Mcmahons Point — Car (driver): 19.5%
Walked Only 6.0% / 5.5%
Lavender Bay — Walked Only: 6.0% Mcmahons Point — Walked Only: 5.5%
Train 6.4% / 4.9%
Lavender Bay — Train: 6.4% Mcmahons Point — Train: 4.9%
Car (passenger) 3.5% / 1.7%
Lavender Bay — Car (passenger): 3.5% Mcmahons Point — Car (passenger): 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.1%).

Setting

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Elevation 15 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 33 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.2 km
1.0 km to a named beach
 4.6 km
752 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Connectivity score 71/100 74/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 5%
615 premises
 1%
1,691 premises

Climate

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Annual rainfall 1,176 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 13.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.84 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Average residential rate $1,035/yr
same for both
Council North Sydney
same for both

Federal electorate

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Division Warringah
same for both
Member Zali Steggall
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lavender Bay Mcmahons Point
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lavender Bay

Apartments Cafe Culture Inner Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Urban

Mcmahons Point

Apartments Cafe Culture Inner Parks Professionals Townhouses Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lavender Bay

Lavender Bay vs North Sydney Lavender Bay vs Milsons Point

Other comparisons with Mcmahons Point

Mcmahons Point vs North Sydney Mcmahons Point vs Waverton
Full data on Lavender Bay Full data on Mcmahons Point
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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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