Mount Colah NSW 2079
Mount Colah sits 31 km from Sydney CBD in New South Wales, around 46 minutes by car. Census data records 7,816 residents with a median age of 40 and a median household income of $130,260 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 10.2% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $525 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,544. The area shows high bushfire risk. 2 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is moderate.
Is Mount Colah a good suburb?
Mount Colah scores a B (58/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on community, weaker on safety.
Mixed results
2 schools
Somewhat walkable
Walkability 45/100 · 31.2 km · 46 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $1.67M · Pricier than 79% of NSW
High bushfire risk
Fire 87/100 · Crime 18/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 40 · 7,816 residents
Liveability Rating
58 / 100 · Ranked #574 in NSWEach bar is Mount Colah'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 Mount Colah?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
58 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataMount Colah's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $1.67 million, about 3% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,671,175
7% below its 5 neighbours (median $1,800,000)
Based on 122 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 23 days — median across 67 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 42 sales $1.54M
- 4 bed 44 sales $1.77M
- 5 bed 21 sales $1.9M
Units
$630,000
12% below its 3 neighbours (median $720,000)
Based on 49 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 18 days — median across 19 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 13 sales $540K
- 2 bed 29 sales $635K
- 3 bed 5 sales $1.22M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Mount Colah are currently listed at around $1.8 million on average. Based on 14 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.8M
14 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$638K
8 units listed in the last 6 months.
22 of the suburb's 2,664 dwellings (0.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Mount Colah rent for around $990 a week on average, based on 9 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$990/wk
9 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$660/wk
10 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
19 rentals advertised against an estimated 477 rented homes (4.0%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $818/wk
- 12 bonds
- +22% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2079 (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 2025107 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 28% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2079.
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$990/week ($51,000 a year) on a $1.8 million median
$660/week ($34,000 a year) on a $638,000 median
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
6 active Airbnb listings: 3 whole homes and 3 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.1% 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 Mount Colah safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Mount Colah sits in the low band, with 86 incidents recorded in 2025 — down roughly 41% on the prior year.
86 offences
40.7% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202512 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
The Council Of The Shire Of Hornsby has published 4 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Schools
Two schools serve Mount Colah, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 442 students in one school (avg 442)
- • Largest: Mount Colah Public School (442 students)
Primary
Combined
Walkability
Mount Colah is car-dependent on foot — at 45/100, most errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Mount Colah.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 177.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 95.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 58.6 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 22.0 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 15 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 Mount Colah.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 34%
- Premises covered
- 2,951
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
Hornsby: 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 19 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.
Mount Colah is home to about 7,800 residents, with a median age of 40, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $130,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.5%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
7,816
Median Age
40
Median Household Income
$130,260/yr
Census Median Rent
$525/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,544/mo
Avg Household Size
2.9
Median Personal Income
$53,664/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.5%
Unoccupied Dwellings
3.8%
Total Dwellings
2,664
Owner-Occupier Rate
82.1%
Houses
83.9%
Rental Stress
21.0%
Mortgage Stress
23.4%
Work From Home
48.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
6 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 6 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 473 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 65.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 72.5%
- Employment Rate
- 67.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 56.8%
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.
320 residents (4.1%) 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 7,354 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
15% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (653 of 4,216).
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 965 people work here; 4,216 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.2 jobs per working resident. At least 77% 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 $1,488 a year through Hornsby based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Environmental 67%
- Residential 24%
- Infrastructure and transport 6%
- Parks and recreation 3%
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: Hornsby
In the year to August 2026, 260 new dwellings were approved across Hornsby. That mix is 216 houses and 44 units. Approvals are down 78.7% 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, 11.0 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Macquarie Park (Willandra Village), 12.6 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 140 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 13.9 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 7.5% of addresses
- 239 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
3 facilities within 5 km- 2.3 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
- 2.8 kmPoultry ProcessingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 3.2 kmConfectionery ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 2079, 92 of 5,452 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 5.1% (276 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 6.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2079, 1,092 rooftop-solar systems totalling 7.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 2,768 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 135 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
2 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 $1,671,175 this is $1,071,175 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 2026-10-26 — 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 Julian Leeser Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Julian Leeser | 48.4% | 51.6% | +5.9 |
| 2022 | Julian Leeser | 40.2% | 59.8% | -5.9 |
| 2019 | Julian Leeser | 34.4% | 65.7% | -0.8 |
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 James Wallace Liberal — elected at the Oct 2024 by-election, after the results below
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Matt Kean LP | 58.0% |
| 2019 | Matthew Kean LP | 66.3% |
| 2015 | Matt Kean LP | 68.9% |
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 Mount Colah?
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 7,816 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
Compare Mount Colah to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Mount Colah
Is Mount Colah a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Mount Colah is low (18/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Mount Colah?
Mount Colah has a high recorded bushfire history (87/100, 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 Mount Colah a good place to live?
Mount Colah has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (58/100), 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 Mount Colah?
Mount Colah, NSW had a population of 7,816 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Mount Colah, NSW?
The postcode for Mount Colah, NSW is 2079.
How far is Mount Colah from Sydney?
Mount Colah is 31 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 46 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Mount Colah?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Mount Colah was $130,260 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 Mount Colah?
The median advertised rent in Mount Colah is $990 a week for houses (9 listings) and $660 a week for units (10 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Mount Colah?
The median age of residents in Mount Colah was 40 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Mount Colah at risk of bushfire?
Mount Colah has a high recorded bushfire history (87/100). 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 Mount Colah?
There are 2 schools inside the Mount Colah boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Mount Colah walkable?
Mount Colah scores 45/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. 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 Mount Colah?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Mount Colah (Macquarie Park) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.4 µg/m³ and PM10 of 14.2 µg/m³. That puts Mount Colah 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 Mount Colah?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Mount Colah, Macquarie Park (Willandra Village) (12.6 km away), 1,176 mm of rain a year over 92 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Mount Colah?
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 Mount Colah belong to?
Mount Colah sits within the Hornsby local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Mount Colah?
The average residential rates bill through Hornsby is $1,488 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Mount Colah?
Across Hornsby, 260 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 78.7% 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 Mount Colah in?
Mount Colah sits within the federal Division of Berowra, currently held by Julian Leeser (Liberal).
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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.