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New South Wales · Postcode 2096
Freshwater postcode and suburb data
New South Wales · Phone area code 02 · 13 km from Sydney
Suburb snapshot
Freshwater at a glance vs NSW
Fast facts and benchmark bars show the suburb's key postcode, Census, SEIFA, school and LGA signals in context.
Quick facts
Benchmarks against NSW
Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.
Where Freshwater ranks: household income is in the top 10% of NSW suburbs; rents are among the top 10% in NSW; SEIFA decile 10 puts it in the top 20% of Australia for socio-economic advantage.
ABS Census 2021 · SEIFA 2021Detailed comparison table
Freshwater vs the NSW average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.
| Metric | Freshwater | NSW avg | AU avg | Greater Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Household income/wk | $2,726 +NSW | $1,931 | $1,836 | $2,181 |
| Rent/wk | $600 +NSW | $445 | $390 | $506 |
| Mortgage/month | $3,055 +NSW | $2,247 | $1,958 | $2,587 |
| Median age | 37 | 45.0 | 45.0 | 39.0 |
| SEIFA decile | 10/10 +NSW | 6.0/10 | 6.0/10 | 10.0/10 |
| Unemployment | 2.6% -NSW | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% |
Green pill = at least 10% above the NSW average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.
Freshwater is a coastal suburb of Sydney in New South Wales, with postcode 2096. It sits about 13 km from the Sydney CBD, within the Northern Beaches local government area. The suburb footprint covers roughly 1.8 square kilometres.
According to the 2021 Census, Freshwater has a population of 9,186 with a median age of 37. The median weekly household income is $2,726, above the NSW average. The unemployment rate is 2.6%, lower than the NSW average. The Indigenous population is 47 (0.5% of residents).
Housing in Freshwater includes a median weekly rent of $600, median monthly mortgage repayment of $3,055, with 3,577 total dwellings. These housing costs sit above the NSW average. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 62.4% of housing.
On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Freshwater scores in decile 10 out of 10, which is well above the national average.
Schools in Freshwater include Harbord Public School, Northern Beaches Secondary College Freshwater Senior Campus and St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School.
Freshwater is part of the Warringah statistical area in New South Wales.
Freshwater details
Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.
| Postcode | 2096 |
| State | New South Wales (NSW) |
| Phone Area Code | 02 |
| Population (2021) | 9,186 |
| Median Age | 37 years |
| Median Household Income (Census 2021) | $2,726/week |
| Median Personal Income (Census 2021) | $1,355/week |
| Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021) | $600 |
| Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021) | $3,055 |
| Average Household Size | 2.5 persons |
| Area | 1.8 km² |
| Population Density | 5236/km² |
| Total Dwellings | 3,577 |
| Australian Citizens | 85.3% |
| Indigenous Population | 47 (0.5%) |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.6% |
| SEIFA IRSAD Decile | 10/10 (well above average) |
| Latitude | -33.7749 |
| Longitude | 151.288 |
| Distance from Sydney | 13 km |
| Region (SA4) | Sydney - Northern Beaches |
| Area (SA3) | Warringah |
| Local Government | Northern Beaches |
| Federal Electorate | Warringah |
| State Electorate | Manly |
| Time Zone | AEST (UTC+10), Australia/Sydney (standard time) |
Age Profile
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 1,729 (18.8%) |
| 15–24 years | 894 (9.7%) |
| 25–44 years | 3,069 (33.4%) |
| 45–64 years | 2,339 (25.5%) |
| 65+ years | 1,154 (12.6%) |
Housing Tenure
SEIFA socio-economic index
Health Conditions (2021 Census)
| Asthma | 569 (6.2%) |
| Arthritis | 511 (5.6%) |
| Heart Disease | 247 (2.7%) |
| Cancer | 199 (2.2%) |
| Diabetes | 189 (2.1%) |
| Lung Condition | 63 (0.7%) |
| Dementia | 27 (0.3%) |
Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.
Motor Vehicles per Dwelling
| No vehicle | 199 (5.6%) |
| 1 vehicle | 1,556 (44.0%) |
| 2 vehicles | 1,338 (37.9%) |
| 3+ vehicles | 442 (12.5%) |
Schools in Freshwater
ACARA 2025 school profiles for schools located in Freshwater. ICSEA is shown where ACARA publishes it.
Suburbs Near Freshwater
Same Postcode (2096)
More Freshwater Data
Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.