Middle Cove NSW 2068
Middle Cove sits 11 km from Sydney CBD in New South Wales, around 17 minutes by car. Census data records 1,327 residents with a median age of 45 and a median household income of $231,192 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population fell 1.0% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $930 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $4,000. The area shows no recorded bushfire exposure. All 1 school within the suburb boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is moderate.
Is Middle Cove a good suburb?
Middle Cove scores a A+ (88/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, safety, and community.
Mixed results
1 school · 1 above peer schools
Walkable and central
Walkability 60/100 · 10.8 km · 17 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $3.03M · Pricier than 95% of NSW
Low all-round risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 21/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 45 · 1,327 residents
Liveability Rating
88 / 100 · Ranked #64 in NSWEach bar is Middle Cove's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
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 Middle Cove?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
88 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataMiddle Cove's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $3.03 million, roughly 20% below where it sat a year earlier.
$3,030,000
15% below its 5 neighbours (median $3,570,000)
Based on 16 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 25 days — median across 7 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 7 sales $2.93M
- 4 bed 6 sales $2.92M
Rental Market
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $1,262/wk
- 16 bonds
- +24% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $855/wk
- 28 bonds
- +63% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2068 (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 202577 Severely unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 39% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2068.
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.
Short-Stay Rentals
No active Airbnb listings (1 listed without a review in the past year).
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 Middle Cove safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Middle Cove sits in the low band, with 18 incidents recorded in 2025 — up about 6% on the prior year.
18 offences
5.9% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20254 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
Willoughby City Council has published 2 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Schools
One school serve Middle Cove, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School leads the pack.
- • 405 students in one school (avg 405)
Combined
Universities nearby
- 4.9 kmAustralian Catholic University-North Sydney CampusAustralian Catholic University · 95 courses
- 8.0 kmMacquarie University Wallumattagal Campus at North RydeMacquarie University · 459 courses
- 8.5 kmSydney C.Q.U. CampusCentral Queensland University · 54 courses
4.1% 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
Middle Cove is somewhat walkable on foot — at 60/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Middle Cove.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 47.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 37.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 29.6 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 19.9 hours
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 Middle Cove.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 33%
- Premises covered
- 494
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
Willoughby: 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
Middle Cove is home to about 1,300 residents, with a median age of 45, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $231,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,327
Median Age
45
Median Household Income
$231,192/yr
Census Median Rent
$930/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$4,000/mo
Avg Household Size
3.0
Median Personal Income
$71,188/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
7.7%
Total Dwellings
426
Owner-Occupier Rate
91.7%
Houses
96.9%
Rental Stress
20.9%
Mortgage Stress
20.8%
Work From Home
71.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 63.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 76.7%
- Employment Rate
- 61.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 66.5%
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.
48 residents (3.6%) 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 1,278 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
32% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (211 of 654).
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 298 people work here; 654 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.5 jobs per working resident. At least 52% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
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 $1,275 a year through Willoughby based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 77%
- Residential 12%
- Infrastructure and transport 7%
- Parks and recreation 2%
- Not zoned 3%
Planning zones cover 98% of the suburb's area. 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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Willoughby
In the year to August 2026, 249 new dwellings were approved across Willoughby. That mix is 77 houses and 172 units. Approvals are up 457.9% 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 6.3 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 13.8 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.84 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Cook And Phillip monitoring station, 8.9 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Macquarie Park (Willandra Village), 9.4 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 57 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 3.8 km
- 1.6 km to a named beach
- 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
3 facilities within 5 km- 3.7 kmWaste Treatment and Disposal ServicesTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Zinc and compounds · Chromium (III) compounds
- 3.7 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 3.9 kmIron and Steel CastingTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
EV adoption
In postcode 2068, 481 of 10,676 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.8% (514 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 9.3%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2068, 1,803 rooftop-solar systems totalling 13.8 MW have been installed since 2001, against 6,382 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 198 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
11 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 2068.
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 $3,030,000 this is $2,430,000 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 Nicolette Boele Independent
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Nicolette Boele | 45.0% | 55.0% | +1.2 |
| 2022 | Paul Fletcher | 43.5% | 56.5% | -10.0 |
| 2019 | Paul Fletcher | 33.4% | 66.6% | -4.5 |
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 Tim James Liberal
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tim James LP | 52.6% |
| 2019 | Gladys Berejiklian LP | 71.0% |
| 2015 | Gladys Berejiklian LP | 74.4% |
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 Middle Cove?
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 1,327 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.
Featured in
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
Compare Middle Cove to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Middle Cove
Is Middle Cove a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Middle Cove is low (21/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Middle Cove?
Middle Cove has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Middle Cove a good place to live?
Middle Cove has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A+ (88/100), 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 Middle Cove?
Middle Cove, NSW had a population of 1,327 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Middle Cove, NSW?
The postcode for Middle Cove, NSW is 2068.
How far is Middle Cove from Sydney?
Middle Cove is 11 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 17 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Middle Cove?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Middle Cove was $231,192 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 Middle Cove?
There are too few current rental listings in Middle Cove for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $930, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Middle Cove?
The median age of residents in Middle Cove was 45 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Middle Cove?
There is 1 school inside the Middle Cove boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Middle Cove walkable?
Middle Cove scores 60/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat 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 Middle Cove?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Middle Cove (Cook And Phillip) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 13.8 µg/m³. That puts Middle Cove 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 Middle Cove?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Middle Cove, Macquarie Park (Willandra Village) (9.4 km away), 1,176 mm of rain a year over 92 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Middle Cove?
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 Middle Cove belong to?
Middle Cove sits within the Willoughby local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Middle Cove?
The average residential rates bill through Willoughby is $1,275 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Middle Cove?
Across Willoughby, 249 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 457.9% 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 Middle Cove in?
Middle Cove sits within the federal Division of Bradfield, currently held by Nicolette Boele (Independent).
Search another suburb or address
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.
Was the information on this page useful to you?
Thanks! Anything we could improve?
We hate spam as much as you do — we'll never use your email for marketing, and we might not be able to reply to everyone.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙏
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.