Seaforth vs North Balgowlah

North Balgowlah is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 42 in Seaforth. In both, 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 Seaforth: a median of $3.73 million, against $3.38 million in North Balgowlah, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, North Balgowlah tends to suit families with children.

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

Seaforth

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (9 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (7 vs 3)
  • But North Balgowlah carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 27/100)

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

First-home buyers

North Balgowlah

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($1,290,000 vs $2,340,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($3,375,000 vs $3,725,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Seaforth has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • North Balgowlah carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 27/100)

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

Investors

North Balgowlah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.0% vs 2.9%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Seaforth North Balgowlah
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.

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Walkability 67 / 66
Seaforth — Walkability: 67/100 North Balgowlah — Walkability: 66/100
Safety 73 / 84
Seaforth — Safety: 73/100 North Balgowlah — Safety: 84/100
Low fire risk 22 / 100
Seaforth — Low fire risk: 22/100 North Balgowlah — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Seaforth has more residents (7,384 vs 3,816); Seaforth skews older (42 vs 39).

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Population 7,384
+48% vs other
 3,816
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.4% +4.1%
Median age 42 39
Median household income $217,568/yr $219,024/yr
Median weekly rent $875/wk
+6% vs other
 $825/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Seaforth North Balgowlah
0-4 5.9% / 6.3%
Seaforth — 0-4: 5.9% North Balgowlah — 0-4: 6.3%
5-14 17.3% / 22.1%
Seaforth — 5-14: 17.3% North Balgowlah — 5-14: 22.1%
15-19 8.0% / 8.0%
Seaforth — 15-19: 8.0% North Balgowlah — 15-19: 8.0%
20-24 4.9% / 3.9%
Seaforth — 20-24: 4.9% North Balgowlah — 20-24: 3.9%
25-34 5.9% / 4.7%
Seaforth — 25-34: 5.9% North Balgowlah — 25-34: 4.7%
35-44 12.2% / 15.2%
Seaforth — 35-44: 12.2% North Balgowlah — 35-44: 15.2%
45-54 17.9% / 18.7%
Seaforth — 45-54: 17.9% North Balgowlah — 45-54: 18.7%
55-64 12.7% / 9.9%
Seaforth — 55-64: 12.7% North Balgowlah — 55-64: 9.9%
65-74 8.0% / 6.7%
Seaforth — 65-74: 8.0% North Balgowlah — 65-74: 6.7%
75-84 5.3% / 3.5%
Seaforth — 75-84: 5.3% North Balgowlah — 75-84: 3.5%
85+ 2.0% / 1.0%
Seaforth — 85+: 2.0% North Balgowlah — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Seaforth 70.6% couple families
Seaforth — Couple Families: 70.6% Seaforth — Lone Person: 14.9% Seaforth — One Parent Families: 11.7% Seaforth — Group Household: 2.1% Seaforth — Other Families: 0.7%
North Balgowlah 73.1% couple families
North Balgowlah — Couple Families: 73.1% North Balgowlah — Lone Person: 12.8% North Balgowlah — One Parent Families: 11.3% North Balgowlah — Group Household: 2.1% North Balgowlah — Other Families: 0.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Seaforth 16.5% renting
Seaforth — Owned Outright: 39.3% Seaforth — Mortgage: 44.3% Seaforth — Renting: 16.5%
North Balgowlah 13.9% renting
North Balgowlah — Owned Outright: 33.0% North Balgowlah — Mortgage: 53.1% North Balgowlah — Renting: 13.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Bachelor Degree 24.6% / 22.6%
Seaforth — Bachelor Degree: 24.6% North Balgowlah — Bachelor Degree: 22.6%
Postgraduate Degree 9.0% / 8.0%
Seaforth — Postgraduate Degree: 9.0% North Balgowlah — Postgraduate Degree: 8.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 7.7%
Seaforth — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% North Balgowlah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Certificate III & IV 5.5% / 6.6%
Seaforth — Certificate III & IV: 5.5% North Balgowlah — Certificate III & IV: 6.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 2.9%
Seaforth — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% North Balgowlah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.6%).

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.

Seaforth North Balgowlah
England 9.5% / 11.5%
Seaforth — England: 9.5% North Balgowlah — England: 11.5%
South Africa 1.7% / 3.1%
Seaforth — South Africa: 1.7% North Balgowlah — South Africa: 3.1%
New Zealand 2.2% / 1.8%
Seaforth — New Zealand: 2.2% North Balgowlah — New Zealand: 1.8%
China 2.5% / 0.7%
Seaforth — China: 2.5% North Balgowlah — China: 0.7%
Ireland 1.1% / 0.9%
Seaforth — Ireland: 1.1% North Balgowlah — Ireland: 0.9%
Scotland 0.7% / 1.2%
Seaforth — Scotland: 0.7% North Balgowlah — Scotland: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Seaforth 86.6% houses
Seaforth — Houses: 86.6% Seaforth — Flats / Apartments: 5.3% Seaforth — Townhouses: 8.0%
North Balgowlah 89.8% houses
North Balgowlah — Houses: 89.8% North Balgowlah — Flats / Apartments: 6.6% North Balgowlah — Townhouses: 3.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Median house price $3,725,000 $3,375,000
Median unit price $2,340,000 $1,290,000
Median land price $2,355,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 29 days
from 56 sales
 24 days
from 12 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.

Seaforth North Balgowlah
3 bed $3.2M / $2.53M
Seaforth — 3 bed: $3.2M (21 sales) North Balgowlah — 3 bed: $2.53M (9 sales)

21 vs 9 sales

4 bed $3.55M / $3.45M
Seaforth — 4 bed: $3.55M (35 sales) North Balgowlah — 4 bed: $3.45M (14 sales)

35 vs 14 sales

5 bed $4.65M / $4.1M
Seaforth — 5 bed: $4.65M (27 sales) North Balgowlah — 5 bed: $4.1M (10 sales)

27 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Seaforth has more land zoned for conservation (19% vs 0%).

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Residential 63% 87%
Environmental 19% 0%
Parks and recreation 9% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 1%
Commercial 1% 0%
Planning zones cover 98% of Seaforth and 100% of North Balgowlah. 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

Seaforth North Balgowlah
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.

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Houses 2.9%
$2,048/wk on $3.65M
 4.0%
$1,995/wk on $2.6M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Seaforth North Balgowlah
House price Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 95% of NSW
Income Higher than 99% of NSW
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 87% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 27% of NSW Higher than 30% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 81% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 19% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW

Liveability

North Balgowlah scores higher overall (90 vs 69).

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Grade B A+
Score 69/100 90/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Seaforth carries more bushfire risk (78 vs 0); Seaforth carries more crime risk (27 vs 16).

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Bushfire High
78/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
27/100
 Low
16/100
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 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0 2
Universities within 10 km 2
Australian Catholic University-North Sydney Campus, 5.8 km
 2
Australian Catholic University-North Sydney Campus, 6.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.8% 2.9%

Schools in Seaforth

  • Seaforth Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in North Balgowlah

  • Balgowlah North Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Farmhouse Montessori School Independent · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Cafes & restaurants 8 1
Parks & reserves 7 3
Childcare 9 1
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Waterways 2 1

Mobility

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Walkability score 67/100 66/100
Distance to Sydney 13 km
same for both
Drive time (normal traffic) 23 min
same for both
Public transport score 94/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 207.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 69.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 4.2%
postcode 2092
 2.9%
postcode 2093
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 38
postcode 2092
 25
postcode 2093

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.

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Worked from Home 64.2% / 65.6%
Seaforth — Worked from Home: 64.2% North Balgowlah — Worked from Home: 65.6%
Car (driver) 29.2% / 28.5%
Seaforth — Car (driver): 29.2% North Balgowlah — Car (driver): 28.5%
Car (passenger) 2.6% / 2.1%
Seaforth — Car (passenger): 2.6% North Balgowlah — Car (passenger): 2.1%
Bus 2.3% / 1.8%
Seaforth — Bus: 2.3% North Balgowlah — Bus: 1.8%
Walked Only 1.0% / 1.1%
Seaforth — Walked Only: 1.0% North Balgowlah — Walked Only: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.6%).

Setting

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Elevation 95 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 80 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.9 km
1.5 km to a named beach
 1.9 km
1.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Connectivity score 75/100 74/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 2%
2,649 premises
 7%
1,234 premises

Climate

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

Air quality (annual mean)

Seaforth North Balgowlah
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

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

Federal electorate

Seaforth North Balgowlah
Division Warringah
same for both
Member Zali Steggall
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Seaforth

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

North Balgowlah

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

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Seaforth

Seaforth vs Balgowlah Seaforth vs Allambie Heights Seaforth vs Killarney Heights Seaforth vs Clontarf

Other comparisons with North Balgowlah

North Balgowlah vs Balgowlah North Balgowlah vs Allambie Heights North Balgowlah vs Manly Vale
Full data on Seaforth Full data on North Balgowlah
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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