NSW · North Sydney Council
Crows Nest (NSW), NSW, 2065
Desirability index
#52 among Metro Sydney suburbs
Suburb snapshot
Crows Nest (NSW) is a smaller suburban community in the North Sydney area, home to around 4,974 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 1,341 offences in Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 with relatively stable year-on-year trends (+4%), roughly 269.6 offences per 1,000 residents, median weekly rent around $900 (flats $890, houses $1,200), 3 school and preschool sites in the area, strong public transport coverage with many public transport stops, a higher concentration of local shops, services, and recreation amenities, 2 active roadworks or transport incidents on nearby routes, and notable planning and development activity on record. Snapshot data also shows parks or public open space within the suburb and hospitals or GP clinics within the suburb.
Population
- Population
- 4,974
- Median age
- 36
- Median household income / week
- $2,614
- Dwelling vacancy
- 11%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 294 of 2,663
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,033
- Employment rate
- 74.8%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 93 / 622 / 1,441
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $890
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $1,200
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $900
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 631
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 1,341
- Against the person
- 279
- Against property
- 569
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 269.6
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 18 residents
- State safety percentile
- 18.4th (lower crime is better)
- Year-on-year change
- +3.6%
Most common offence types
- Fraud88
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment97
- Malicious Damage To Property94
- Steal From Retail Store98
- Transport Regulatory Offences233
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 3
- Median school ICSEA (3 schools)
- 1,195
- Cammeraygal High SchoolSecondary
- North Sydney Boys High SchoolSecondary
- North Sydney Girls High SchoolSecondary
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
61 public transport stops in this suburb
- Concourse N
- Concourse S
- Crows Nest Station
- Crows Nest Station, Pacific Hwy
- North Sydney Girls High School, Pacific Hwy
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Roadworks & transport
2 active roadworks / incidents
- RoadworksWarringah Freeway Southbound31 Dec 2023 – 31 Dec 2026
- RoadworksPacific Highway, Rocklands Road01 Jul 2026 – 06 Jul 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
337 planning-related records
2026· 27 proposals
June 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation50 HOLTERMANN STREET CROWS NEST 2065Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation86 HOLTERMANN STREET CROWS NEST 2065Under Assessment
- Shop top housing71 WILLOUGHBY ROAD CROWS NEST 2065Under Assessment
- Signage; Advertising and signage405 PACIFIC HIGHWAY CROWS NEST 2065Under Assessment
- Secondary dwelling; Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure112 ERNEST STREET CROWS NEST 2065Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure69 HAYBERRY STREET CROWS NEST 2065Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation52 HOLTERMANN STREET CROWS NEST 2065Under Assessment
May 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure3 MATTHEW LANE CROWS NEST 2065Additional Information Requested
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure106 ERNEST STREET CROWS NEST 2065Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure146 ATCHISON STREET CROWS NEST 2065Under Assessment
- Restaurant or cafe; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Food and drink premise6-8 FALCON STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
April 2026
- Attached dwelling; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation55 HAYBERRY STREET CROWS NEST 2065Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure97 ERNEST STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
March 2026
- Commercial development; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of AustraliaL SE 301 12-14 FALCON STREET CROWS NEST 2065Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure54 ERNEST STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Demolition; Business premises; Office Premise; Erection of a new structure; Retail Premise51-59 ALEXANDER STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Advertising and signage; Food and drink premise; Hours of operation and trading68 WILLOUGHBY ROAD CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development126 ERNEST STREET CROWS NEST 2065Withdrawn
- Attached dwelling; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure4 39 WILLOUGHBY ROAD CROWS NEST 2065Withdrawn
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure136 BURLINGTON STREET CROWS NEST 2065Under Assessment
- Shop top housing; Erection of a new structure129 WILLOUGHBY ROAD CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure96 HAYBERRY STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure109 BURLINGTON STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure20 HAYBERRY STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
January 2026
- Demolition; Residential flat building; Erection of a new structure6 SOPHIA STREET CROWS NEST 2065Withdrawn
- Dual occupancy; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (attached)83 FALCON STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Attached dwelling; Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation100 BURLINGTON STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
2025· 61 proposals
December 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Recreation facility (indoor)104 ALEXANDER STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
November 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Semi-detached dwelling113 ERNEST STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Demolition; Residential flat building; Erection of a new structure111 CHANDOS STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Residential flat building; Shop top housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure27 FALCON STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Restaurant or cafe; Advertising and signage; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure88 WILLOUGHBY ROAD CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure79 HAYBERRY STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Office Premise; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Fences103 ALEXANDER STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Health consulting room; Medical centre; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Health services facility; Hospital; Health Infrastructure22-26 CLARKE STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space82 Falcon Street Crows Nest 2065Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure100 ERNEST STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Shop top housing71 WILLOUGHBY ROAD CROWS NEST 2065Withdrawn
October 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure75 HOLTERMANN STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure78 ERNEST STREET CROWS NEST 2065Determined
2024· 40 proposals
40 proposals lodged in 2024. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
2023· 34 proposals
34 proposals lodged in 2023. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
2022· 71 proposals
71 proposals lodged in 2022. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
2021· 80 proposals
80 proposals lodged in 2021. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
2020· 24 proposals
24 proposals lodged in 2020. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020; 2020–2026; 2021… · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
188 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Chambers CellarsAlcohol
Unit 2 162 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest
- Jim's CellarsAlcohol
- Bag
Albany Street
- Bakers DelightBakery
11 Willoughby Road
- CresentBakery
- La BaguetteBakery
18 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest
- Commonwealth BankBank
- NABBank
- St. George / WestpacBank
- Tachinomi YPBar
Unit 1 20 Burlington Street
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
5 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Cahill PlaygroundPark
- Ernest PlacePark
- Hume Street Park ExpansionPark
- St Thomas Rest ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 4
- Emergency department
- Not in suburb
- Blooms The Chemistpharmacy
- Crows Nest Child and Family Health CentreErnest Placenurse
- Doctordoctor
- TerryWhite ChemmartWilloughby Roadpharmacy
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Heritage
1 state heritage place
- Electricity Power House23 Albany Street Crows NestSHR
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Childcare
3 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Crows Nest Kindergartenkindergarten
- Kelly’s Place Childcare Centrekindergarten
- kindergartenkindergarten
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 8
- Parks (OSM)
- 7
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability index
- Desirability score
- 92.1/100
- Cohort rank
- #52 among Metro Sydney suburbs
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Concourse Ntransport
- Concourse Stransport
- Crows Nest Stationtransport
- Crows Nest Station, Pacific Hwytransport
- North Sydney Girls High School, Pacific Hwytransport
- Crows Nest Kindergartenchildcarekindergarten
- Kelly’s Place Childcare Centrechildcarekindergarten
- kindergartenchildcarekindergarten
- Electricity Power Househeritage23 Albany Street Crows NestSHR
- Blooms The Chemisthealthpharmacy
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Updated on site
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Similar suburbs
Suburbs with a comparable population profile, socio-economic decile, and location.