North Curl Curl vs Brookvale

Brookvale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 40 in North Curl Curl. In North Curl Curl, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. In Brookvale, about half of households rent and most homes are flats or apartments. Houses cost more in North Curl Curl: a median of $3.9 million, against $2.3 million in Brookvale, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, North Curl Curl tends to suit families with children and couples, while Brookvale suits renters, young adults, and people living alone.

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

North Curl Curl

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (89% vs 18%)
  • carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 95/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 49%)
  • But Brookvale has more childcare (15 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Brookvale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($2,302,000 vs $3,900,000)
  • has cheaper units ($1,050,000 vs $1,443,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Brookvale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (45% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($550/wk vs $700/wk)
  • But North Curl Curl leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 26%)

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

Commuting to the city

Brookvale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (92/100 vs 61/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Brookvale

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (82% vs 11%)
  • has more GPs (6 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (92/100 vs 61/100)
  • But North Curl Curl carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 95/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

North Curl Curl Brookvale
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.

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Walkability 61 / 92
North Curl Curl — Walkability: 61/100 Brookvale — Walkability: 92/100
Safety 78 / 5
North Curl Curl — Safety: 78/100 Brookvale — Safety: 5/100
Low fire risk 100 / 58
North Curl Curl — Low fire risk: 100/100 Brookvale — Low fire risk: 58/100

Demographics

North Curl Curl has higher household incomes ($187,772 vs $110,604); North Curl Curl rents higher ($700/wk vs $550/wk).

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Population 4,288
+21% vs other
 3,389
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.2% +7.2%
Median age 40 37
Median household income $187,772/yr
+41% vs other
 $110,604/yr
Median weekly rent $700/wk
+21% vs other
 $550/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

North Curl Curl Brookvale
0-4 4.9% / 6.7%
North Curl Curl — 0-4: 4.9% Brookvale — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 17.3% / 7.9%
North Curl Curl — 5-14: 17.3% Brookvale — 5-14: 7.9%
15-19 9.2% / 3.8%
North Curl Curl — 15-19: 9.2% Brookvale — 15-19: 3.8%
20-24 6.5% / 6.5%
North Curl Curl — 20-24: 6.5% Brookvale — 20-24: 6.5%
25-34 6.6% / 21.4%
North Curl Curl — 25-34: 6.6% Brookvale — 25-34: 21.4%
35-44 11.8% / 18.3%
North Curl Curl — 35-44: 11.8% Brookvale — 35-44: 18.3%
45-54 19.1% / 12.6%
North Curl Curl — 45-54: 19.1% Brookvale — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 12.3% / 11.3%
North Curl Curl — 55-64: 12.3% Brookvale — 55-64: 11.3%
65-74 6.9% / 6.7%
North Curl Curl — 65-74: 6.9% Brookvale — 65-74: 6.7%
75-84 3.9% / 2.6%
North Curl Curl — 75-84: 3.9% Brookvale — 75-84: 2.6%
85+ 1.2% / 2.7%
North Curl Curl — 85+: 1.2% Brookvale — 85+: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

North Curl Curl 65.9% couple families
North Curl Curl — Couple Families: 65.9% North Curl Curl — Lone Person: 17.0% North Curl Curl — One Parent Families: 13.4% North Curl Curl — Group Household: 3.1% North Curl Curl — Other Families: 0.6%
Brookvale 34.2% couple families
Brookvale — Couple Families: 34.2% Brookvale — Lone Person: 42.9% Brookvale — One Parent Families: 14.5% Brookvale — Group Household: 6.8% Brookvale — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

North Curl Curl 18.5% renting
North Curl Curl — Owned Outright: 40.5% North Curl Curl — Mortgage: 41.0% North Curl Curl — Renting: 18.5%
Brookvale 45.4% renting
Brookvale — Owned Outright: 16.4% Brookvale — Mortgage: 38.2% Brookvale — Renting: 45.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Bachelor Degree 21.5% / 19.9%
North Curl Curl — Bachelor Degree: 21.5% Brookvale — Bachelor Degree: 19.9%
Certificate III & IV 8.6% / 12.9%
North Curl Curl — Certificate III & IV: 8.6% Brookvale — Certificate III & IV: 12.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 8.8%
North Curl Curl — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Brookvale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 7.4% / 6.1%
North Curl Curl — Postgraduate Degree: 7.4% Brookvale — Postgraduate Degree: 6.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / 2.2%
North Curl Curl — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% Brookvale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).

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.

North Curl Curl Brookvale
England 8.6% / 5.9%
North Curl Curl — England: 8.6% Brookvale — England: 5.9%
China 0.7% / 3.3%
North Curl Curl — China: 0.7% Brookvale — China: 3.3%
New Zealand 1.4% / 2.4%
North Curl Curl — New Zealand: 1.4% Brookvale — New Zealand: 2.4%
South Africa 1.0% / 2.0%
North Curl Curl — South Africa: 1.0% Brookvale — South Africa: 2.0%
Italy 0.8% / 2.2%
North Curl Curl — Italy: 0.8% Brookvale — Italy: 2.2%
Philippines — / 2.6%
North Curl Curl — Philippines: not among its largest Brookvale — Philippines: 2.6%
Canada 0.8% / —
North Curl Curl — Canada: 0.8% Brookvale — Canada: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

North Curl Curl 88.8% houses
North Curl Curl — Houses: 88.8% North Curl Curl — Flats / Apartments: 6.9% North Curl Curl — Townhouses: 4.3%
Brookvale 18.3% houses
Brookvale — Houses: 18.3% Brookvale — Flats / Apartments: 65.5% Brookvale — Townhouses: 16.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Median house price $3,900,000 $2,302,000
Median unit price $1,443,000 $1,050,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 36 days
from 18 sales
 23 days
from 4 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.

North Curl Curl Brookvale
3 bed $3.4M / $2.2M
North Curl Curl — 3 bed: $3.4M (19 sales) Brookvale — 3 bed: $2.2M (5 sales)

19 vs 5 sales

4 bed $4.4M / $2.37M
North Curl Curl — 4 bed: $4.4M (25 sales) Brookvale — 4 bed: $2.37M (7 sales)

25 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Brookvale has more industrially zoned land (55% vs 1%).

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Residential 83% 23%
Industrial 1% 55%
Parks and recreation 15% 6%
Commercial 1% 8%
Environmental 0% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 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

North Curl Curl Brookvale
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.

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Houses 1.8%
$1,525/wk on $4.5M
 —
Units — 4.3%
$732/wk on $890K

Ranking within NSW

North Curl Curl Brookvale
House price Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Income Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 15% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 1% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 35% of NSW

Liveability

Brookvale is more walkable (92 vs 61); North Curl Curl scores higher overall (86 vs 59).

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Grade A B
Score 86/100 59/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Brookvale carries more bushfire risk (42 vs 0); Brookvale carries more crime risk (95 vs 22).

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
42/100
Crime Low
22/100
 High
95/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
21/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Inside the suburb 2
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km None 1
Australian Catholic University-North Sydney Campus, 9.9 km

Schools in North Curl Curl

  • Northern Beaches Secondary College Manly Campus Government · Secondary at peers
  • Curl Curl North Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Brookvale

  • Brookvale Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Augustine's College Sydney Independent · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 4 23
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Childcare 1 15
GPs 0 6
Pharmacies 0 6
Banks & Bank@Post 1 6
Fuel stations 0 3

Mobility

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Walkability score 61/100 92/100
Distance to Sydney 18.3 km
+9% vs other
 16.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 31 min 28 min
Public transport score 94/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 72.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 300.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.4%
postcode 2099
 2.0%
postcode 2100
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 17
postcode 2099
 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.

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Worked from Home 55.5% / 38.4%
North Curl Curl — Worked from Home: 55.5% Brookvale — Worked from Home: 38.4%
Car (driver) 36.0% / 42.1%
North Curl Curl — Car (driver): 36.0% Brookvale — Car (driver): 42.1%
Walked Only 2.7% / 8.6%
North Curl Curl — Walked Only: 2.7% Brookvale — Walked Only: 8.6%
Bus 2.1% / 5.8%
North Curl Curl — Bus: 2.1% Brookvale — Bus: 5.8%
Car (passenger) 2.9% / 3.5%
North Curl Curl — Car (passenger): 2.9% Brookvale — Car (passenger): 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (55.5%).

Setting

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Elevation 15 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 26 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 837 m
888 m to a named beach
 2.4 km
2.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Connectivity score 88/100 56/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 50%
1,421 premises
 7%
4,530 premises

Climate

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

Air quality (annual mean)

North Curl Curl Brookvale
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

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

Federal electorate

North Curl Curl Brookvale
Division Mackellar Warringah
Member Sophie Scamps Zali Steggall
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

North Curl Curl

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

Brookvale

Apartments Coastal Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with North Curl Curl

North Curl Curl vs Dee Why North Curl Curl vs Curl Curl

Other comparisons with Brookvale

Brookvale vs Dee Why Brookvale vs Beacon Hill Brookvale vs Allambie Heights Brookvale vs Narraweena Brookvale vs North Manly Brookvale vs Curl Curl
Full data on North Curl Curl Full data on Brookvale
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or