Manly vs North Manly

In Manly, about half of households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. In North Manly, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Manly: a median of $4.17 million, against $3.25 million in North Manly, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Manly tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while North Manly suits families with children, couples, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Manly has more schools inside the suburb (8 vs 0)
  • North Manly has more separate houses rather than flats (82% vs 11%)

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

First-home buyers

North Manly

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($1,030,000 vs $1,650,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($3,250,000 vs $4,175,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Manly

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (53% vs 22%)

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

Manly

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (89% vs 18%)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • But North Manly carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 76/100)

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

Investors

North Manly

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (9.9% vs 2.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Manly North Manly
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.

Manly North Manly
Walkability 90 / 85
Manly — Walkability: 90/100 North Manly — Walkability: 85/100
Safety 24 / 76
Manly — Safety: 24/100 North Manly — Safety: 76/100
Low fire risk 49 / 100
Manly — Low fire risk: 49/100 North Manly — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Manly has more residents (16,296 vs 3,396); North Manly skews older (40 vs 38).

Manly North Manly
Population 16,296
+79% vs other
 3,396
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.7% +9.9%
Median age 38 40
Median household income $164,528/yr $164,788/yr
Median weekly rent $725/wk
+7% vs other
 $675/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Manly North Manly
0-4 5.2% / 5.0%
Manly — 0-4: 5.2% North Manly — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 8.2% / 17.7%
Manly — 5-14: 8.2% North Manly — 5-14: 17.7%
15-19 3.6% / 7.7%
Manly — 15-19: 3.6% North Manly — 15-19: 7.7%
20-24 4.5% / 4.4%
Manly — 20-24: 4.5% North Manly — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 21.8% / 9.1%
Manly — 25-34: 21.8% North Manly — 25-34: 9.1%
35-44 17.2% / 14.0%
Manly — 35-44: 17.2% North Manly — 35-44: 14.0%
45-54 12.6% / 18.0%
Manly — 45-54: 12.6% North Manly — 45-54: 18.0%
55-64 11.4% / 10.3%
Manly — 55-64: 11.4% North Manly — 55-64: 10.3%
65-74 8.0% / 7.6%
Manly — 65-74: 8.0% North Manly — 65-74: 7.6%
75-84 5.2% / 4.3%
Manly — 75-84: 5.2% North Manly — 75-84: 4.3%
85+ 2.2% / 2.2%
Manly — 85+: 2.2% North Manly — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Manly 32.6% couple families
Manly — Couple Families: 32.6% Manly — Lone Person: 46.9% Manly — One Parent Families: 8.3% Manly — Group Household: 11.3% Manly — Other Families: 0.9%
North Manly 63.1% couple families
North Manly — Couple Families: 63.1% North Manly — Lone Person: 20.4% North Manly — One Parent Families: 12.5% North Manly — Group Household: 3.0% North Manly — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Manly 52.7% renting
Manly — Owned Outright: 28.7% Manly — Mortgage: 18.6% Manly — Renting: 52.7%
North Manly 22.0% renting
North Manly — Owned Outright: 34.5% North Manly — Mortgage: 43.5% North Manly — Renting: 22.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Manly North Manly
Bachelor Degree 32.1% / 20.1%
Manly — Bachelor Degree: 32.1% North Manly — Bachelor Degree: 20.1%
Postgraduate Degree 13.3% / 7.4%
Manly — Postgraduate Degree: 13.3% North Manly — Postgraduate Degree: 7.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 8.4%
Manly — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% North Manly — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Certificate III & IV 5.3% / 8.1%
Manly — Certificate III & IV: 5.3% North Manly — Certificate III & IV: 8.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / 1.9%
Manly — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% North Manly — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (32.1%).

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.

Manly North Manly
England 11.7% / 7.2%
Manly — England: 11.7% North Manly — England: 7.2%
New Zealand 3.2% / 2.8%
Manly — New Zealand: 3.2% North Manly — New Zealand: 2.8%
South Africa 1.7% / 1.4%
Manly — South Africa: 1.7% North Manly — South Africa: 1.4%
Brazil 1.9% / 1.0%
Manly — Brazil: 1.9% North Manly — Brazil: 1.0%
Germany 1.4% / 1.1%
Manly — Germany: 1.4% North Manly — Germany: 1.1%
Italy — / 1.8%
Manly — Italy: not among its largest North Manly — Italy: 1.8%
France 1.5% / —
Manly — France: 1.5% North Manly — France: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Manly 11.3% houses
Manly — Houses: 11.3% Manly — Flats / Apartments: 77.2% Manly — Townhouses: 11.5%
North Manly 81.6% houses
North Manly — Houses: 81.6% North Manly — Flats / Apartments: 11.5% North Manly — Townhouses: 6.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Manly North Manly
Median house price $4,175,000 $3,250,000
Median unit price $1,650,000 $1,030,000
Median land price — $1,750,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 17 sales
 26 days
from 16 sales

House price by bedroom count

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

Manly North Manly
3 bed $4.14M / $2.95M
Manly — 3 bed: $4.14M (12 sales) North Manly — 3 bed: $2.95M (15 sales)

12 vs 15 sales

4 bed $5.1M / $3.45M
Manly — 4 bed: $5.1M (8 sales) North Manly — 4 bed: $3.45M (23 sales)

8 vs 23 sales

Zoning mix

Manly has more land zoned for conservation (47% vs 0%).

Manly North Manly
Residential 23% 68%
Environmental 47% 0%
Parks and recreation 13% 23%
Infrastructure and transport 10% 6%
Commercial 4% 0%
Industrial 0% 2%
Planning zones cover 97% of Manly and 100% of North Manly. 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

Manly North Manly
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.

Manly North Manly
Houses 2.8%
$1,950/wk on $3.6M
 —
Units 3.9%
$1,100/wk on $1.48M
 —

Ranking within NSW

Manly North Manly
House price Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Income Higher than 97% of NSW
same for both
Schools Higher than 6% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 18% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 15% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 19% of NSW —

Liveability

North Manly scores higher overall (91 vs 55).

Manly North Manly
Grade B A+
Score 55/100 91/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Manly carries more bushfire risk (51 vs 0); Manly carries more crime risk (76 vs 24).

Manly North Manly
Bushfire Moderate
51/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
76/100
 Low
24/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
31/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Manly North Manly
Inside the suburb 8 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 1
Australian Catholic University-North Sydney Campus, 8.4 km
 1
Australian Catholic University-North Sydney Campus, 9.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.2% 2.8%

Schools in Manly

  • Manly Village Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Stella Maris College Independent · Secondary at peers
  • St Mary's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • St Paul's Catholic College Catholic · Secondary below peers
  • Farmhouse Montessori School, North Head Independent · Primary
  • Headland Montessori ELC Independent · Primary

Schools in North Manly

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

Amenities in the suburb

Manly North Manly
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 77 1
Parks & reserves 14 5
Childcare 9 3
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 5 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Fuel stations 3 1
Beaches 6 0
Waterways 3 2

Mobility

Manly North Manly
Walkability score 90/100 85/100
Distance to Sydney 15.8 km
+3% vs other
 15.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 29 min 26 min
Public transport score 94/100
Bus · Ferry
 94/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 426.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 128.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.8%
postcode 2095
 2.0%
postcode 2100
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 8
postcode 2095
 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.

Manly North Manly
Worked from Home 67.5% / 54.1%
Manly — Worked from Home: 67.5% North Manly — Worked from Home: 54.1%
Car (driver) 21.3% / 33.8%
Manly — Car (driver): 21.3% North Manly — Car (driver): 33.8%
Walked Only 5.2% / 3.2%
Manly — Walked Only: 5.2% North Manly — Walked Only: 3.2%
Bus 2.9% / 3.5%
Manly — Bus: 2.9% North Manly — Bus: 3.5%
Car (passenger) 1.3% / 3.5%
Manly — Car (passenger): 1.3% North Manly — Car (passenger): 3.5%
Bicycle 1.3% / 1.7%
Manly — Bicycle: 1.3% North Manly — Bicycle: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.5%).

Setting

Manly North Manly
Elevation 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 19 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 351 m
397 m to a named beach
 1.8 km
1.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Manly North Manly
Connectivity score 76/100 87/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 9%
10,634 premises
 54%
1,220 premises

Climate

Manly North Manly
Annual rainfall 1,176 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Manly North Manly
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

Manly North Manly
Average residential rate $1,696/yr
same for both
Council Northern Beaches
same for both

Federal electorate

Manly North Manly
Division Warringah
same for both
Member Zali Steggall
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Manly North Manly
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Manly

Apartments Beach Beachfront Cafe Culture Coastal Easy Commute Middle-Ring Nightlife Parks Premium Professionals Transport Hub

North Manly

Coastal Easy Commute Family Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals River Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Manly

Manly vs Manly Vale Manly vs Fairlight Manly vs Queenscliff

Other comparisons with North Manly

North Manly vs Freshwater North Manly vs Allambie Heights North Manly vs Manly Vale North Manly vs Queenscliff North Manly vs Brookvale North Manly vs Curl Curl
Full data on Manly Full data on North Manly
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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