Manly (NSW)
NSWManly (NSW) is a growing suburb in NSW with 16,296 residents.
- SAL code
- 12485
- SA2
- 122011419
- Population
- 16,296
- LGA
- Northern Beaches
Manly (NSW), NSW had 16,296 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 4.4% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 38. Households are most often couples without children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $3,467 a month. Around 46.1% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 51.4%. Most dwellings are flats or apartments, making up 77.1% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 16 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Manly (NSW), NSW at a glance
Manly is a coastal suburb on Sydney's lower Northern Beaches, ~17 km north-east of the CBD and a 20-30 minute ferry from Circular Quay. Stock skews to apartments around the Corso and ocean front, with a thinner band of detached houses on the harbour side. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Manly is one of the most lifestyle-driven addresses in Sydney: a 3 km ocean beach, the pedestrianised Corso linking ferry wharf to surf, and a harbour foreshore walk on the other side. Most residents do without a car for the daily lap — the Manly ferry runs to Circular Quay in ~30 minutes (Manly Fast Ferry ~20), with B-Line buses up the spine of the Northern Beaches. School catchments are a draw: Manly Village Public, Stella Maris, St Paul's Catholic College and Mackellar Girls all sit within easy reach. The dwelling mix tilts heavily to apartments around the Corso and Eastern Hill, with detached houses concentrated on the harbour side. Daily life centres on the beach, the Corso retail strip, and the Wentworth Street / Sydney Road cafe pockets. In short: a beachside village with ferry-direct access to the CBD, where you pay a premium to live without a commute.
For investors
Manly is a capital-value market with thin yield. Median house $4.505m on $1,100/wk rent gives a ~1.90% gross yield; units median $1.75m-$1.89m on $1,050/wk run ~2.98% (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month house growth -2.07%; units flat at 0.00%. Just 55 house sales versus 334 unit sales in 12 months — almost all the liquidity sits in the strata stack. Houses average 68 days on market, units 32-56 days.
Strengths
- Deep apartment liquidity (~334 unit sales/yr) makes entry and exit straightforward at the strata price point.
- Lifestyle premium underwrites tenant demand: ferry-direct CBD access, 3 km ocean beach, pedestrian retail spine.
- Scarce house stock on the harbour side (~55 sales/yr) protects long-term land values when cycles turn.
- Strong school catchments (Manly Village, Stella Maris, St Paul's) anchor family-tenant demand.
Trade-offs
- Yields are thin — ~1.90% houses / ~2.98% units (YIP May 2026); negative gearing maths required at current rates.
- Capital growth has stalled: houses -2.07% YoY, units 0.00% over the same period (YIP May 2026).
- Days-on-market for houses sits at 68 (YIP May 2026) — premium price points clear slowly when sentiment cools.
- NSW Government has lifted Northern Beaches' dwelling target to 5,900 by 2029 (Manly Observer 2025), so mid-rise infill could expand unit supply over the medium term.
What's coming
Northern Beaches Council's 2025/26 budget commits $105m to community capital works, including $28.8m for roads and footpaths and $14m+ for stormwater (Council media release 2025). Manly-specific items include town-centre improvements (part of the $3.6m village-centre program) and the Manly catchment stormwater study (Malvern Ave to Pacific St). The consolidated Northern Beaches LEP and DCP, replacing the legacy Manly/Warringah/Pittwater plans, is set for public exhibition in 2026.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a beachside village with ferry-direct CBD access, priced for the lifestyle. For investors: a capital-preservation play with thin yield and a flat 12-month growth print — not a cashflow market.
Population
?16,296
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+4.4%
3yr: +7.5% · 10yr: +5.0%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$3,164/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
38
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?10/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?3.2%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
2
1 primary
Hospitals
?1
Within suburb
Childcare services
?9
5 long day, 3 OSHC
Parks & green space
?16
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?29
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 — Manly - Fairlight (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Manly (NSW) suburb alone is ~16,296 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 19,983 to 24,569 over 24 years, averaging 0.9% per year.
Schools
2 in suburbSector
2 public
Type
1 primary
Total enrolment
532(1 of 2 reporting)
Avg per school
532
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Manly Village PS93.4%
- Manly Vale PS 4.9%
- Manly WPS 1.5%
- Harbord PS 0.1%
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 1.8%Almost entirely apartments (77.1%), rental-heavy (51.4% renting), built for families (43% are 2 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
NSW 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: NSW RFS BFPL via SEED
As of May 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
14 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 32.3% | 1.80 km² |
| R1 | ZoneResidential | 18.3% | 1.02 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 11.3% | 0.63 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 9.5% | 0.53 km² |
| SP1 | ZoneSpecial use | 5.4% | 0.30 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 4.6% | 0.26 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 3.9% | 0.22 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 3.6% | 0.20 km² |
| RE2 | ZoneRecreation | 3.5% | 0.19 km² |
| C4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 2.5% | 0.14 km² |
| C3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 1.2% | 0.07 km² |
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 0.9% | 0.05 km² |
| W1 | ZoneWaterway | 0.2% | 9,265 m² |
| SP3 | ZoneSpecial use | 0.1% | 6,121 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.