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Sydney - Inner West vs Sydney - Northern Beaches
Region (SA4) comparison ≈ 25 km apart · Sydney - Inner West profile · Sydney - Northern Beaches profile
Sydney - Inner West Sydney - Northern Beaches
Sydney - Inner West and Sydney - Northern Beaches are both populous parts of Greater Sydney with very different characters. Sydney - Inner West is a diverse, high-density hub where 43.1% of people were born overseas and 41.3% use a language other than English at home. It is more walkable, with 98% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries, and has a higher share of renters at 41.7%. In contrast, Sydney - Northern Beaches is more suburban; 57.3% of homes are separate houses and 63.5% have three or more bedrooms. Residents there are typically older, with a usual age of 41 compared to 37 in the Inner West.
Everyday life shares many similarities in both areas, including almost identical proportions of First Nations people and very similar typical weekly personal incomes. However, some gaps are widening. The difference in home ownership is growing, with homes owned outright being well higher in Sydney - Northern Beaches. Similarly, the gap in typical weekly rent has increased, with the Northern Beaches now $125 higher than the Inner West.
Where they differ most
Demographics & Identity
- First area, 2011: 263,560
- First area, 2016: 293,301
- First area, 2021: 304,771
- Second area, 2011: 237,640
- Second area, 2016: 252,878
- Second area, 2021: 263,554
- First area, 2011: 36 yrs
- First area, 2016: 36 yrs
- First area, 2021: 37 yrs
- Second area, 2011: 39 yrs
- Second area, 2016: 40 yrs
- Second area, 2021: 41 yrs
Age structure
Marital status
Age & sex structure
Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.
- 85+ in Sydney - Inner West: 0.9% males, 1.4% females; 85+ in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 1.0% males, 1.7% females
- 80–84 in Sydney - Inner West: 0.9% males, 1.1% females; 80–84 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 1.2% males, 1.4% females
- 75–79 in Sydney - Inner West: 1.2% males, 1.5% females; 75–79 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 1.7% males, 2.0% females
- 70–74 in Sydney - Inner West: 1.8% males, 2.1% females; 70–74 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 2.1% males, 2.3% females
- 65–69 in Sydney - Inner West: 2.0% males, 2.4% females; 65–69 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 2.3% males, 2.5% females
- 60–64 in Sydney - Inner West: 2.4% males, 2.7% females; 60–64 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 2.8% males, 2.9% females
- 55–59 in Sydney - Inner West: 2.8% males, 3.1% females; 55–59 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 3.3% males, 3.4% females
- 50–54 in Sydney - Inner West: 2.9% males, 3.3% females; 50–54 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 3.6% males, 3.8% females
- 45–49 in Sydney - Inner West: 3.2% males, 3.5% females; 45–49 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 3.8% males, 4.0% females
- 40–44 in Sydney - Inner West: 3.4% males, 3.5% females; 40–44 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 3.4% males, 3.6% females
- 35–39 in Sydney - Inner West: 4.2% males, 4.2% females; 35–39 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 3.0% males, 3.4% females
- 30–34 in Sydney - Inner West: 4.7% males, 4.8% females; 30–34 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 2.8% males, 3.1% females
- 25–29 in Sydney - Inner West: 4.7% males, 4.6% females; 25–29 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 2.5% males, 2.6% females
- 20–24 in Sydney - Inner West: 3.8% males, 3.6% females; 20–24 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 2.7% males, 2.5% females
- 15–19 in Sydney - Inner West: 2.3% males, 2.2% females; 15–19 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 3.2% males, 3.0% females
- 10–14 in Sydney - Inner West: 2.4% males, 2.4% females; 10–14 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 3.6% males, 3.4% females
- 5–9 in Sydney - Inner West: 2.5% males, 2.5% females; 5–9 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 3.2% males, 3.0% females
- 0–4 in Sydney - Inner West: 2.6% males, 2.5% females; 0–4 in Sydney - Northern Beaches: 2.7% males, 2.6% females
Ancestry & Birthplace
Country of birth
Ancestry
Language
Language used at home
Religion
Religious affiliation
Education & Qualifications
Highest year of school
Highest qualification level
Field of qualification
Income
- First area, 2011: $723
- First area, 2016: $828
- First area, 2021: $1,032
- Second area, 2011: $779
- Second area, 2016: $916
- Second area, 2021: $1,109
- First area, 2011: $1,662
- First area, 2016: $1,964
- First area, 2021: $2,250
- Second area, 2011: $1,812
- Second area, 2016: $2,178
- Second area, 2021: $2,592
- First area, 2011: $1,985
- First area, 2016: $2,282
- First area, 2021: $2,757
- Second area, 2011: $2,188
- Second area, 2016: $2,528
- Second area, 2021: $3,131
Household income distribution
Personal income distribution
Health & Disability
Long-term health conditions reported
Number of long-term health conditions
Community Participation
First Nations
Family & Households
- First area, 2011: 2.5
- First area, 2016: 2.6
- First area, 2021: 2.5
- Second area, 2011: 2.6
- Second area, 2016: 2.7
- Second area, 2021: 2.7
Family composition
Household size
Housing & Dwellings
- First area, 2011: $415
- First area, 2016: $500
- First area, 2021: $500
- Second area, 2011: $460
- Second area, 2016: $565
- Second area, 2021: $625
- First area, 2011: $2,500
- First area, 2016: $2,500
- First area, 2021: $2,780
- Second area, 2011: $2,800
- Second area, 2016: $2,800
- Second area, 2021: $3,124
- First area, 2011: 1.20
- First area, 2016: 1.00
- First area, 2021: 1.00
- Second area, 2011: 1.10
- Second area, 2016: 0.90
- Second area, 2021: 0.90
How homes are owned or rented
Types of homes
Bedrooms per home
Weekly rent distribution
Monthly mortgage distribution
Transport & Vehicles
How people get to work
Motor vehicles per home
Migration & Movement
Jobs & Industry
Industries people work in
Occupations people work in
Economy & Advantage
Environment & Climate
Walkability
Compare Sydney - Inner West with nearby areas
Compare Sydney - Northern Beaches with nearby areas
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Sydney - Inner West vs Sydney - Northern Beaches [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa4/120/sydney-inner-west/vs/122/sydney-northern-beaches