North Sydney vs Milsons Point

North Sydney is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 44 in Milsons Point. 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 Milsons Point: a median of $2.6 million, against $1.04 million in North Sydney, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, North Sydney tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Milsons Point suits 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 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (14 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (11 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (16 vs 4)
  • But Milsons Point carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 60/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

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

  • North Sydney has cheaper units ($1,045,000 vs $2,600,000)
  • Milsons Point leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 27%)

Weighs unit prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

North Sydney

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($575/wk vs $750/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

Milsons Point

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 14%)
  • carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 60/100)
  • But North Sydney has more GPs (5 vs 1)

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

Investors

North Sydney

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.4% vs 2.9%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

North Sydney and Milsons 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.

North Sydney Milsons 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.

North Sydney Milsons Point
Walkability 100 / 100
North Sydney — Walkability: 100/100 Milsons Point — Walkability: 100/100
Safety 40 / 61
North Sydney — Safety: 40/100 Milsons Point — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
North Sydney — Low fire risk: 100/100 Milsons Point — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

North Sydney has more residents (8,964 vs 2,529); Milsons Point has higher household incomes ($169,884 vs $125,060).

North Sydney Milsons Point
Population 8,964
+72% vs other
 2,529
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.3% +17.2%
Median age 36 44
Median household income $125,060/yr $169,884/yr
+36% vs other
Median weekly rent $575/wk $750/wk
+30% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

North Sydney Milsons Point
0-4 4.4% / 3.2%
North Sydney — 0-4: 4.4% Milsons Point — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 6.2% / 3.3%
North Sydney — 5-14: 6.2% Milsons Point — 5-14: 3.3%
15-19 3.2% / 2.4%
North Sydney — 15-19: 3.2% Milsons Point — 15-19: 2.4%
20-24 5.7% / 4.0%
North Sydney — 20-24: 5.7% Milsons Point — 20-24: 4.0%
25-34 26.3% / 21.0%
North Sydney — 25-34: 26.3% Milsons Point — 25-34: 21.0%
35-44 19.4% / 16.4%
North Sydney — 35-44: 19.4% Milsons Point — 35-44: 16.4%
45-54 11.3% / 12.5%
North Sydney — 45-54: 11.3% Milsons Point — 45-54: 12.5%
55-64 9.4% / 14.7%
North Sydney — 55-64: 9.4% Milsons Point — 55-64: 14.7%
65-74 6.9% / 13.1%
North Sydney — 65-74: 6.9% Milsons Point — 65-74: 13.1%
75-84 5.2% / 8.0%
North Sydney — 75-84: 5.2% Milsons Point — 75-84: 8.0%
85+ 2.1% / 1.5%
North Sydney — 85+: 2.1% Milsons Point — 85+: 1.5%

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 — One Parent Families: 8.0% North Sydney — Group Household: 7.5% North Sydney — Other Families: 1.6%
Milsons Point 64.3% lone person
Milsons Point — Lone Person: 64.3% Milsons Point — Couple Families: 19.7% Milsons Point — One Parent Families: 9.9% Milsons Point — Group Household: 3.8% Milsons Point — Other Families: 2.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household 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%
Milsons Point 56.7% renting
Milsons Point — Owned Outright: 29.4% Milsons Point — Mortgage: 13.9% Milsons Point — Renting: 56.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

North Sydney Milsons Point
Bachelor Degree 32.3% / 34.6%
North Sydney — Bachelor Degree: 32.3% Milsons Point — Bachelor Degree: 34.6%
Postgraduate Degree 18.0% / 19.3%
North Sydney — Postgraduate Degree: 18.0% Milsons Point — Postgraduate Degree: 19.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 7.9%
North Sydney — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Milsons Point — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9%
Certificate III & IV 4.2% / 3.4%
North Sydney — Certificate III & IV: 4.2% Milsons Point — Certificate III & IV: 3.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 3.4%
North Sydney — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Milsons Point — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (34.6%).

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 Milsons Point
China 5.8% / 7.2%
North Sydney — China: 5.8% Milsons Point — China: 7.2%
England 5.4% / 5.9%
North Sydney — England: 5.4% Milsons Point — England: 5.9%
India 4.6% / 4.2%
North Sydney — India: 4.6% Milsons Point — India: 4.2%
New Zealand 2.4% / 2.3%
North Sydney — New Zealand: 2.4% Milsons Point — New Zealand: 2.3%
Malaysia — / 2.4%
North Sydney — Malaysia: not among its largest Milsons Point — Malaysia: 2.4%
Philippines 1.6% / —
North Sydney — Philippines: 1.6% Milsons Point — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.2%).

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%
Milsons Point 99.5% flats / apartments
Milsons Point — Flats / Apartments: 99.5% Milsons Point — Townhouses: 0.5% Milsons Point — Houses: 0.0%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

North Sydney Milsons Point
Median house price $3,200,000 —
Median unit price $1,045,000 $2,600,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 15 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 Milsons Point
1 bed $750K / $1.01M
North Sydney — 1 bed: $750K (111 sales) Milsons Point — 1 bed: $1.01M (7 sales)

111 vs 7 sales

2 bed $1.31M / $2.1M
North Sydney — 2 bed: $1.31M (99 sales) Milsons Point — 2 bed: $2.1M (14 sales)

99 vs 14 sales

3 bed $2.2M / $4.55M
North Sydney — 3 bed: $2.2M (27 sales) Milsons Point — 3 bed: $4.55M (15 sales)

27 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

North Sydney Milsons Point
Infrastructure and transport 39% 31%
Residential 37% 32%
Parks and recreation 11% 34%
Commercial 12% 2%
Planning zones cover 99% of North Sydney and 99% of Milsons 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

North Sydney Milsons Point
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 Milsons Point
Houses 2.9%
$1,550/wk on $2.77M
 —
Units 5.4%
$850/wk on $825K
 2.9%
$1,280/wk on $2.33M

Ranking within NSW

North Sydney Milsons Point
House price Higher than 94% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
Income Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Schools Higher than 35% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 100% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 9% of NSW Higher than 4% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 18% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 3% of NSW

Liveability

Milsons Point scores higher overall (94 vs 76).

North Sydney Milsons Point
Grade A A+
Score 76/100 94/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

North Sydney carries more crime risk (60 vs 39).

North Sydney Milsons Point
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
60/100
 Low
39/100
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

North Sydney Milsons Point
Inside the suburb 11 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 5 0
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 3
Australian Catholic University-North Sydney Campus, 0.0 km
 3
Australian Catholic University-North Sydney Campus, 1.2 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 Milsons Point

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

Amenities in the suburb

North Sydney Milsons Point
Supermarkets 6 2
Cafes & restaurants 104 15
Parks & reserves 16 4
Childcare 14 1
GPs 5 1
Pharmacies 5 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 1
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

North Sydney Milsons Point
Walkability score 100/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 4.3 km 4.4 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 8 min 9 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 96/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 534.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 104.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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 Milsons Point
Worked from Home 68.7% / 71.8%
North Sydney — Worked from Home: 68.7% Milsons Point — Worked from Home: 71.8%
Car (driver) 13.3% / 15.2%
North Sydney — Car (driver): 13.3% Milsons Point — Car (driver): 15.2%
Train 6.1% / 7.2%
North Sydney — Train: 6.1% Milsons Point — Train: 7.2%
Walked Only 7.8% / 3.6%
North Sydney — Walked Only: 7.8% Milsons Point — Walked Only: 3.6%
Car (passenger) 1.5% / 1.9%
North Sydney — Car (passenger): 1.5% Milsons Point — Car (passenger): 1.9%
Bus 2.0% / 0.3%
North Sydney — Bus: 2.0% Milsons Point — Bus: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.8%).

Setting

North Sydney Milsons Point
Elevation 88 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 45 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.0 km
1.0 km to a named beach
 3.9 km
869 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

North Sydney Milsons Point
Connectivity score 73/100 74/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 24%
10,586 premises
 24%
2,196 premises

Climate

North Sydney Milsons Point
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 Milsons 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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

North Sydney Milsons Point
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

Milsons Point

Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Luxury Multicultural Parks Professionals River Trains Transport Hub 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 Kirribilli North Sydney vs Waverton

Other comparisons with Milsons Point

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