Frenchs Forest NSW 2086
Located in New South Wales, Frenchs Forest sits 17 km from Sydney CBD, around 25 minutes by car. The suburb has 14,267 residents, a median age of 40, and a median household income of $161,668 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 5.9% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $800 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $3,467. The area shows high bushfire risk. 4 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.
Is Frenchs Forest a good suburb?
Frenchs Forest scores a B (54/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on schools and safety.
Below the state average
4 schools
Very walkable
Walkability 80/100 · 17 km · 25 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $2.4M · Pricier than 89% of NSW
High bushfire risk
Fire 90/100 · Crime 29/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 40 · 14,267 residents
Liveability Rating
54 / 100 · Ranked #659 in NSWEach bar is Frenchs Forest's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Frenchs Forest?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
54 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataFrenchs Forest's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $2.4 million, about 1% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$2,400,000
6% below its 7 neighbours (median $2,550,000)
Based on 164 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 21 days — median across 112 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 45 sales $2.25M
- 4 bed 63 sales $2.4M
- 5 bed 44 sales $2.78M
- 6 bed 6 sales $2.85M
Units
$1,900,000
Based on only 4 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 19 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Frenchs Forest are currently listed at around $2.24 million on average. Based on 14 houses listed in the past six months.
$2.24M
14 houses listed in the last 6 months.
14 of the suburb's 4,408 dwellings (0.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Frenchs Forest rent for around $1,500 a week on average, based on 41 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$1,500/wk
In line with its 4 neighbours (median $1,472/wk)
41 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$650/wk
7 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
48 rentals advertised against an estimated 696 rented homes (6.9%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $1,190/wk
- 12 bonds
- +32% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2086 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202568 Severely unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 44% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2086.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$1,500/week ($78,000 a year) on a $2.24 million median
Not enough unit sales and rentals in the window to calculate a yield.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
12 active Airbnb listings: 10 whole homes and 2 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.2% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Frenchs Forest safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Frenchs Forest sits in the low band, with 266 incidents recorded in 2025 — up about 2% on the prior year.
266 offences
2.3% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202525 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Northern Beaches Council has published 17 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Schools
Four schools serve Frenchs Forest, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 2,339 students across 4 schools (avg 585)
- • ICSEA 1062-1123, median 1104 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Davidson High School (790 students)
Primary
Secondary
Universities nearby
- 9.7 kmMacquarie University Wallumattagal Campus at North RydeMacquarie University · 459 courses
- 9.9 kmAustralian Catholic University-North Sydney CampusAustralian Catholic University · 95 courses
3.3% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Frenchs Forest is very walkable on foot — at 80/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 2 supermarkets, 29 parks and 19 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Frenchs Forest.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 524.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 323.2 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 265.1 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 20.9 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 1 min wait
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Frenchs Forest.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 12%
- Premises covered
- 5,277
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Northern Beaches: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 36 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the suburb closely.
Frenchs Forest is home to about 14,300 residents, with a median age of 40, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $162,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
14,267
Median Age
40
Median Household Income
$161,668/yr
Census Median Rent
$800/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$3,467/mo
Avg Household Size
3.2
Median Personal Income
$53,976/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
2.9%
Total Dwellings
4,408
Owner-Occupier Rate
84.2%
Houses
92.5%
Rental Stress
25.7%
Mortgage Stress
25.7%
Work From Home
53.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
6 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 25 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 690 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 68.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 80.5%
- Employment Rate
- 64.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 54.9%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
405 residents (2.8%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 13,456 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
18% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (1,265 of 7,205).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 10,670 people work here; 7,205 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.5 per resident). At least 32% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,696 a year through Northern Beaches based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 52%
- Parks and recreation 13%
- Environmental 12%
- Commercial 8%
- Other and special use 8%
- Infrastructure and transport 7%
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Northern Beaches
In the year to August 2026, 620 new dwellings were approved across Northern Beaches. That mix is 331 houses and 289 units. Approvals are up 50.6% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 5.4 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 14.2 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.23 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 3.
From the Macquarie Park monitoring station, 10.0 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Macquarie Park (Willandra Village), 10.9 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 144 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 6.7 km
- 3.8 km to a named beach
- Near high-voltage lines
- 13.5% of addresses
- 781 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 1,176 mm
- 92 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
2 facilities within 5 km- 3.8 kmWaste Treatment and Disposal ServicesTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Zinc and compounds · Chromium (III) compounds
- 4.7 kmStructural Steel FabricatingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
EV adoption
In postcode 2086, 207 of 10,170 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.8% (386 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 5.8%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2086, 1,800 rooftop-solar systems totalling 14.0 MW have been installed since 2001, against 4,545 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 166 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
7 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $2,400,000 this is $1,800,000 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Sophie Scamps Independent
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sophie Scamps | 46.3% | 53.7% | +4.2 |
| 2022 | Sophie Scamps | 41.4% | 58.6% | -4.6 |
| 2019 | Jason Falinski | 36.8% | 63.2% | -2.5 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Michael Regan Independent
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Michael Regan IND | 54.5% |
| 2019 | Brad Hazzard LP | 71.0% |
| 2015 | Brad Hazzard LP | 75.2% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Frenchs Forest?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 14,267 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Sydney There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Sydney suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Belrose NSW 2085
Forestville NSW 2087
Beacon Hill NSW 2100
Allambie Heights NSW 2100
Killarney Heights NSW 2087
East Killara NSW 2071
Compare Frenchs Forest to another suburb
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Common questions about Frenchs Forest
Is Frenchs Forest a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Frenchs Forest is low (29/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Frenchs Forest?
Frenchs Forest has a high recorded bushfire history (90/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Frenchs Forest a good place to live?
Frenchs Forest has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (54/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Frenchs Forest?
Frenchs Forest, NSW had a population of 14,267 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Frenchs Forest, NSW?
The postcode for Frenchs Forest, NSW is 2086.
How far is Frenchs Forest from Sydney?
Frenchs Forest is 17 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 25 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Frenchs Forest?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Frenchs Forest was $161,668 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Frenchs Forest?
The median advertised rent in Frenchs Forest is $1,500 a week for houses (41 listings) and $650 a week for units (7 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Frenchs Forest?
The median age of residents in Frenchs Forest was 40 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Frenchs Forest at risk of bushfire?
Frenchs Forest has a high recorded bushfire history (90/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Frenchs Forest?
There are 4 schools inside the Frenchs Forest boundary: 4 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Frenchs Forest walkable?
Frenchs Forest scores 80/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Frenchs Forest?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Frenchs Forest (Macquarie Park) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.4 µg/m³ and PM10 of 14.2 µg/m³. That puts Frenchs Forest below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Frenchs Forest?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Frenchs Forest, Macquarie Park (Willandra Village) (10.9 km away), 1,176 mm of rain a year over 92 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Frenchs Forest?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Frenchs Forest belong to?
Frenchs Forest sits within the Northern Beaches local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Frenchs Forest?
The average residential rates bill through Northern Beaches is $1,696 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Frenchs Forest?
Across Northern Beaches, 620 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 50.6% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Frenchs Forest in?
Frenchs Forest sits within the federal Division of Mackellar, currently held by Sophie Scamps (Independent).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.