NSW · Hornsby Council

Mount Colah, NSW, 2079

Desirability index

90.9/100

#61 among Metro Sydney suburbs

How this score is calculated

Suburb snapshot

Mount Colah is a smaller suburban community in the Hornsby area, home to around 7,816 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 99 offences in Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 with falling year-on-year trends (-40%), roughly 12.7 offences per 1,000 residents, median weekly rent around $730 (flats $610, houses $850), 1 school and preschool site in the area, strong public transport coverage with many public transport stops, a higher concentration of local shops, services, and recreation amenities, 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
7,816
Median age
40
Median household income / week
$2,505
Dwelling vacancy
3.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
101 of 2,768
Median monthly mortgage
$2,544
Employment rate
67.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
153 / 100 / 328

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian 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)
$610
Houses (January to March 2026)
$850
All types (January to March 2026)
$730
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
37

Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Data sources & freshness

Crime & safety

Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
99
Against the person
34
Against property
46
Rate per 1,000 residents
12.7
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 230 residents
State safety percentile
0.1th (lower crime is better)
Year-on-year change
-40%

Most common offence types

  • Domestic Violence Related Assault10
  • Fraud10
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment11
  • Malicious Damage To Property17
  • Transport Regulatory Offences10

Data sources & freshness

  • BOCSAR postcode crime statisticsNSW 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
1
Median school ICSEA
1,098
  • Mount Colah Public SchoolPrimary

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

161 public transport stops in this suburb

  • FTB Pacific Hwy
  • FTB Pierre Cl
  • Mount Colah Station
  • STR Pacific Hwy
  • STR/LFT To P1/2

Data sources & freshness

Planning & development

Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).

220 planning-related records

2026· 12 proposals
  • June 2026

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    7 MURRALONG ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Additional Information Requested
  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
    3 LANDRA AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • May 2026

  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
    3 FLORA AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Under Assessment
  • Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure
    21 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Under Assessment
  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    1 LORD STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Under Assessment
  • April 2026

  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (external)
    3 PARKLANDS ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    19A NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Additional Information Requested
  • March 2026

  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Residential Accommodation
    31 RUPERT STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Under Assessment
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    1 KU-RING-GAI CHASE ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Withdrawn
  • February 2026

  • Signage; Advertising and signage
    19-21 TELOPEA STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Dwelling house; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia
    19 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • January 2026

  • Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure
    21 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
2025· 27 proposals
  • December 2025

  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
    44 LANDRA AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    46B LADY STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    14 WILLARONG ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • November 2025

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    23 NORTH STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Attached dwelling; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    11 10 PLAYFAIR ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Supporting Development
    7 BURRA CLOSE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • October 2025

  • Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Shade structures of canvas, fabric, mesh or the like
    23 AMAROO AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
    4 FLINDERS PLACE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)
    647 PACIFIC HIGHWAY MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • September 2025

  • Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)
    2 VARNA STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Subdivision
    41 BEROWRA ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    12 FOXGLOVE ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • August 2025

  • Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
    3 FLORA AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport; Swimming pool
    6 KU-RING-GAI CHASE ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Subdivision
    27 LORD STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • July 2025

  • Subdivision
    21 BEROWRA ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Withdrawn
  • June 2025

  • Subdivision
    1 Kuring-Gai Chase Road, Mount ColahDetermined
  • May 2025

  • Subdivision
    46-52 BERYL AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • March 2025

  • Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure
    1 POINCIANA CLOSE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Restaurant or cafe; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Hours of operation and trading
    527-531 PACIFIC HIGHWAY MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Subdivision
    15 VARNA STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Swimming pool
    16 PARKLANDS ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • February 2025

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    42 PARKLANDS ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    29 MURRALONG ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
    1 WONGA ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Subdivision
    2 HILLSIDE PARADE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    42B BERYL AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
2024· 27 proposals
  • December 2024

  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool
    14 FLINDERS PLACE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
2023· 43 proposals

43 proposals lodged in 2023. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.

2022· 38 proposals

38 proposals lodged in 2022. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.

2021· 56 proposals

56 proposals lodged in 2021. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.

2020· 17 proposals

17 proposals lodged in 2020. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

89 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

  • LiquorlandAlcohol

    601A Pacific Highway

  • Next PaymentsATM
  • Bbq
  • 01Bench
  • 02Bench
  • Bench (8)
  • Bicycle Parking (2)
  • Beryl Av after Livingstone PlBus stop
  • Beryl Av after Stonehaven RdBus stop
  • Beryl Av at Flinders PlBus stop

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Parks & reserves

6 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Berry ParkPark
  • Hunt ReservePark
  • Orchard ParkPark
  • Orr ParkPark
  • Oxley ReservePark
  • Parklands OvalPark

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics
2
Emergency department
Not in suburb
  • Mt Colah Pharmacypharmacy
  • Summers Avenue (Mt Colah) Family Medical Practicedoctor

Data sources & freshness

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

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlaysState government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
14
Parks (OSM)
10

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover featuresOpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh

Desirability index

Desirability score
90.9/100
Cohort rank
#61 among Metro Sydney suburbs

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics

Recent changes

  • FTB Pacific Hwytransport
  • FTB Pierre Cltransport
  • Mount Colah Stationtransport
  • STR Pacific Hwytransport
  • STR/LFT To P1/2transport
  • Mt Colah Pharmacyhealthpharmacy
  • Summers Avenue (Mt Colah) Family Medical Practicehealthdoctor
  • Berry Parkgovernmentpark
  • Hunt Reservegovernmentpark
  • Orchard Parkgovernmentpark

Data sources & freshness

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