Freshwater (NSW)
NSWFreshwater (NSW) is a growing suburb in NSW with 9,186 residents.
- SAL code
- 11572
- SA2
- 122031429
- Population
- 9,186
- LGA
- Northern Beaches
Freshwater (NSW), NSW had 9,186 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 4.2% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 37. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $3,055 a month. Around 62.3% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 37.6%. Most dwellings are flats or apartments, making up 52.3% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 8 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Population
?9,186
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+4.2%
3yr: +6.0% · 10yr: +7.1%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,726/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
37
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?10/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?3.1%
SA4 · Q4 2025
Schools
2
1 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?7
5 long day, 2 OSHC
Parks & green space
?8
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?45
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?32
Northern Beaches · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Population over time — Freshwater - Brookvale (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Freshwater (NSW) suburb alone is ~9,186 (Census 2021).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 18,072 to 23,383 over 24 years, averaging 1.1% per year.
Schools
2 in suburbGovernment school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Harbord PS99.9%
- Curl Curl NPS 0.0%
Secondary
NBSC Balgowlah Boys99.9%
- NBSC Mackellar Girls 99.9%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 1.0%Predominantly apartments (52.3%), mixed tenure (62% own or mortgage), built for families (43% are 2 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire & flood risk
Hazard data is not yet available for NSW.
Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
6 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 83.8% | 1.47 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 11.8% | 0.21 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 2.1% | 0.04 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 1.5% | 0.03 km² |
| E4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.5% | 9,040 m² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 0.2% | 3,628 m² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.