North Sydney vs Kirribilli

North Sydney is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 44 in Kirribilli. In both, most households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. Units cost more in Kirribilli: a median of $1.2 million, against $1.04 million in North Sydney, though rent is higher in North Sydney. On these figures, Kirribilli tends to suit 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

North Sydney

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (14 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (11 vs 3)
  • has more parks and reserves (16 vs 9)

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

First-home buyers

North Sydney

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($3,200,000 vs $6,875,000)
  • has cheaper units ($1,045,000 vs $1,200,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Kirribilli

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($520/wk vs $575/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

North Sydney

ahead on the one thing that separates them

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

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

Downsizers and retirees

North Sydney

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (100/100 vs 92/100)
  • But Kirribilli has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 14%)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • North Sydney is growing faster (16.3% vs -5.0%)
  • Kirribilli returns a higher gross yield on units (7.7% vs 5.4%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

North Sydney and Kirribilli 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 Sydney Kirribilli
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 Sydney Kirribilli
Walkability 100 / 92
North Sydney — Walkability: 100/100 Kirribilli — Walkability: 92/100
Safety 40 / 46
North Sydney — Safety: 40/100 Kirribilli — Safety: 46/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
North Sydney — Low fire risk: 100/100 Kirribilli — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

North Sydney has more residents (8,964 vs 3,629); Kirribilli skews older (44 vs 36).

North Sydney Kirribilli
Population 8,964
+60% vs other
 3,629
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.3% -5.0%
Median age 36 44
Median household income $125,060/yr
+6% vs other
 $117,884/yr
Median weekly rent $575/wk
+10% vs other
 $520/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

North Sydney Kirribilli
0-4 4.4% / 2.4%
North Sydney — 0-4: 4.4% Kirribilli — 0-4: 2.4%
5-14 6.2% / 3.8%
North Sydney — 5-14: 6.2% Kirribilli — 5-14: 3.8%
15-19 3.2% / 1.5%
North Sydney — 15-19: 3.2% Kirribilli — 15-19: 1.5%
20-24 5.7% / 4.8%
North Sydney — 20-24: 5.7% Kirribilli — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 26.3% / 23.6%
North Sydney — 25-34: 26.3% Kirribilli — 25-34: 23.6%
35-44 19.4% / 14.5%
North Sydney — 35-44: 19.4% Kirribilli — 35-44: 14.5%
45-54 11.3% / 11.6%
North Sydney — 45-54: 11.3% Kirribilli — 45-54: 11.6%
55-64 9.4% / 13.3%
North Sydney — 55-64: 9.4% Kirribilli — 55-64: 13.3%
65-74 6.9% / 11.9%
North Sydney — 65-74: 6.9% Kirribilli — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 5.2% / 9.2%
North Sydney — 75-84: 5.2% Kirribilli — 75-84: 9.2%
85+ 2.1% / 3.3%
North Sydney — 85+: 2.1% Kirribilli — 85+: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

North Sydney 60.7% lone person
North Sydney — Lone Person: 60.7% North Sydney — Couple Families: 22.2% North Sydney — Group Household: 7.5% North Sydney — One Parent Families: 8.0% North Sydney — Other Families: 1.6%
Kirribilli 72.9% lone person
Kirribilli — Lone Person: 72.9% Kirribilli — Couple Families: 13.1% Kirribilli — Group Household: 7.4% Kirribilli — One Parent Families: 5.6% Kirribilli — Other Families: 1.0%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

North Sydney 62.6% renting
North Sydney — Owned Outright: 19.4% North Sydney — Mortgage: 18.0% North Sydney — Renting: 62.6%
Kirribilli 65.2% renting
Kirribilli — Owned Outright: 23.7% Kirribilli — Mortgage: 11.1% Kirribilli — Renting: 65.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

North Sydney Kirribilli
Bachelor Degree 32.3% / 32.5%
North Sydney — Bachelor Degree: 32.3% Kirribilli — Bachelor Degree: 32.5%
Postgraduate Degree 18.0% / 16.9%
North Sydney — Postgraduate Degree: 18.0% Kirribilli — Postgraduate Degree: 16.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 7.7%
North Sydney — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Kirribilli — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Certificate III & IV 4.2% / 4.2%
North Sydney — Certificate III & IV: 4.2% Kirribilli — Certificate III & IV: 4.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 3.8%
North Sydney — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Kirribilli — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (32.5%).

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 Sydney Kirribilli
England 5.4% / 6.3%
North Sydney — England: 5.4% Kirribilli — England: 6.3%
China 5.8% / 3.1%
North Sydney — China: 5.8% Kirribilli — China: 3.1%
India 4.6% / 1.5%
North Sydney — India: 4.6% Kirribilli — India: 1.5%
New Zealand 2.4% / 2.3%
North Sydney — New Zealand: 2.4% Kirribilli — New Zealand: 2.3%
Philippines 1.6% / 1.3%
North Sydney — Philippines: 1.6% Kirribilli — Philippines: 1.3%
South Africa 1.4% / 1.4%
North Sydney — South Africa: 1.4% Kirribilli — South Africa: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

North Sydney 85.1% flats / apartments
North Sydney — Flats / Apartments: 85.1% North Sydney — Townhouses: 8.9% North Sydney — Houses: 6.0%
Kirribilli 87.7% flats / apartments
Kirribilli — Flats / Apartments: 87.7% Kirribilli — Townhouses: 6.8% Kirribilli — Houses: 5.6%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

North Sydney Kirribilli
Median house price $3,200,000 $6,875,000
Median unit price $1,045,000 $1,200,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 15 sales
 20 days
from 3 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.

North Sydney Kirribilli
1 bed $750K / $950K
North Sydney — 1 bed: $750K (111 sales) Kirribilli — 1 bed: $950K (29 sales)

111 vs 29 sales

2 bed $1.31M / $1.54M
North Sydney — 2 bed: $1.31M (99 sales) Kirribilli — 2 bed: $1.54M (19 sales)

99 vs 19 sales

3 bed $2.2M / $3.7M
North Sydney — 3 bed: $2.2M (27 sales) Kirribilli — 3 bed: $3.7M (7 sales)

27 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

North Sydney Kirribilli
Residential 37% 73%
Infrastructure and transport 39% 14%
Commercial 12% 3%
Parks and recreation 11% 8%
Environmental 0% 1%
Planning zones cover 99% of North Sydney and 99% of Kirribilli. 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

North Sydney Kirribilli
New dwellings approved 455
across North Sydney
same for both
Approvals change year on year -69%
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 Sydney Kirribilli
Houses 2.9%
$1,550/wk on $2.77M
 —
Units 5.4%
$850/wk on $825K
 7.7%
$1,112/wk on $750K

Ranking within NSW

North Sydney Kirribilli
House price Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Income Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Schools Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 13% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 100% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 9% of NSW Higher than 2% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 18% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 100% of NSW

Liveability

North Sydney is more walkable (100 vs 92); North Sydney scores higher overall (76 vs 70).

North Sydney Kirribilli
Grade A
same for both
Score 76/100 70/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

North Sydney Kirribilli
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
60/100
 Moderate
54/100
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
 3
within 5 km

Schools

North Sydney Kirribilli
Inside the suburb 11 3
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 5 1
Rated below peers 1
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Australian Catholic University-North Sydney Campus, 0.0 km
 3
Australian Catholic University-North Sydney Campus, 1.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.3% 1.8%

Schools in North Sydney

  • North Sydney Boys High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Cammeraygal High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Marist Catholic College North Shore Catholic · Combined at peers
  • Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College Independent · Secondary at peers
  • North Sydney Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Wenona School Independent · Combined at peers

Schools in Kirribilli

  • Loreto Kirribilli Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Aloysius' College Independent · Secondary below peers
  • St Aloysius' College Junior School Independent · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

North Sydney Kirribilli
Supermarkets 6 1
Cafes & restaurants 104 17
Parks & reserves 16 9
Childcare 14 2
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 5 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0

Mobility

North Sydney Kirribilli
Walkability score 100/100 92/100
Distance to Sydney 4.3 km 4.5 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 8 min 9 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 52/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 534.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 19.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1.5 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.6%
postcode 2060
 2.8%
postcode 2061
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 4
postcode 2060
 1
postcode 2061

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 Sydney Kirribilli
Worked from Home 68.7% / 70.7%
North Sydney — Worked from Home: 68.7% Kirribilli — Worked from Home: 70.7%
Car (driver) 13.3% / 16.2%
North Sydney — Car (driver): 13.3% Kirribilli — Car (driver): 16.2%
Train 6.1% / 6.8%
North Sydney — Train: 6.1% Kirribilli — Train: 6.8%
Walked Only 7.8% / 4.0%
North Sydney — Walked Only: 7.8% Kirribilli — Walked Only: 4.0%
Car (passenger) 1.5% / 1.3%
North Sydney — Car (passenger): 1.5% Kirribilli — Car (passenger): 1.3%
Bus 2.0% / 0.7%
North Sydney — Bus: 2.0% Kirribilli — Bus: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.7%).

Setting

North Sydney Kirribilli
Elevation 88 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.0 km
1.0 km to a named beach
 3.5 km
702 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

North Sydney Kirribilli
Connectivity score 73/100 75/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 24%
10,586 premises
 0%
2,821 premises

Climate

North Sydney Kirribilli
Annual rainfall 1,176 mm 1,129 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 27.5°C
Winter min (Jul) — 9.5°C

Air quality (annual mean)

North Sydney Kirribilli
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 Sydney Kirribilli
Average residential rate $1,035/yr
same for both
Council North Sydney
same for both

Federal electorate

North Sydney Kirribilli
Division Warringah
same for both
Member Zali Steggall
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

North Sydney

Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals Transport Hub Urban

Kirribilli

Apartments Inner Parks Professionals River Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with North Sydney

North Sydney vs Neutral Bay North Sydney vs Wollstonecraft North Sydney vs Cammeray North Sydney vs Crows Nest North Sydney vs Waverton North Sydney vs Milsons Point

Other comparisons with Kirribilli

Kirribilli vs Milsons Point
Full data on North Sydney Full data on Kirribilli
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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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