Freshwater, NSW 2096 — Suburb Profile
Last reviewed: · By Knowburb Research Team
In short
Freshwater is a suburb of New South Wales, postcode 2096, home to 9,186 residents with a balanced age mix. Located in the Northern Beaches local government area and roughly 13 km from the Sydney CBD.
Snapshot
Demographics
- Population
- 9,186
- Median age
- 37 years
- Median household income
- $2,726 /week
- Median personal income
- $1,355 /week
- Median family income
- $3,390 /week
- Average household size
- 2.5
- Persons per bedroom
- 1.0
- Local government area
- Northern Beaches
- Statistical region (SA4)
- Sydney - Northern Beaches
- Remoteness classification
- Major Cities of Australia
- Federal electorate
- Warringah
Property & cost of living
- Median rent
- $600 /week
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,055
- Rent share of household income
- 22%
Schools
- Harbord Public School
- Stewart House School
- Northern Beaches Secondary College Freshwater Senior Campus
- Curl Curl North Public School
- Northern Beaches Secondary College Mackellar Girls Campus
Transport
- Within 800 m walk: 76 bus stops
- Within 1.6 km: 169 bus stops
- Wyndora Av Opp Jacka Park
- Jacka Park, Wyndora Av
- Oliver St Opp Johnson St
- St John The Baptist Primary School, Oliver St
- St John The Baptist Primary School, Johnson St
Lifestyle & amenities
- 16 cafés
- 17 restaurants
- 3 pubs and bars
- 49 parks and reserves
- 13 gyms and fitness centres
- 1 library
- 3 supermarkets
- 22 playgrounds
Climate
- Warmest month: Jan (26.0°C avg max)
- Coolest month: Jul (16.4°C avg max)
- Annual rainfall: 1211 mm
- Reference station: Sydney (Observatory Hill), 11.7 km away
NBN & connectivity
Fibre to the Curb serves 58.4% of the 4,657 resolvable premises in Freshwater. Most premises here connect via fibre to a small pit on the kerb, then a short copper run into the home. Speeds up to NBN 250 are available on most addresses.
- Fibre to the Premises: 30.0%
- Fibre to the Curb: 58.4%
- Fibre to the Building: 11.6%
Safety
- Recorded offences: 284 across postcode 2096 in the year to Dec 2025 (down 11% on the prior year).
- Most common categories: 78 theft, 51 violent offences, 44 property damage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Freshwater?
Freshwater (NSW 2096) had 9,186 residents at the most recent ABS Census. The median age is 37. It sits within the Northern Beaches local government area.
What is the median rent in Freshwater?
The median advertised rent in Freshwater is $600/week, based on SQM Research listings data. Rents vary by property type, bedrooms and condition.
Are there schools in Freshwater?
Yes — 5 schools are listed within or near Freshwater covering government sectors. Nearest include: Harbord Public School (0.4 km), Stewart House School (0.6 km), Northern Beaches Secondary College Freshwater Senior Campus (1 km). School data sourced from ACARA and state education departments.
What NBN technology is available in Freshwater?
Freshwater is predominantly served by Fibre to the Curb (58.4% of premises). Coverage data is sourced from the NBN upgrade map aggregated from NBN Co address checks.
How safe is Freshwater?
Across postcode 2096, 284 offences were recorded in the 12 months to Dec 2025. The most common offence categories were theft (78), violent (51), property damage (44). Crime statistics are recorded by area (postcode or LGA), not by individual suburb. Data sourced from each state's crime statistics agency.
What is the climate like in Freshwater?
In Freshwater, mean daily temperatures range from 13.8°C to 21.8°C and annual rainfall is 1,211 mm measured at the Sydney (Observatory Hill) weather station (11.7 km away). Long-term averages from the Bureau of Meteorology.
What public transport options are in Freshwater?
169 public transport stops are mapped within 1.6 km of the Freshwater centroid. Within 800 m, you'll find 76 bus stops. Stop data is sourced from state government GTFS feeds.
Sources & methodology
Demographics from ABS Census. Property data from SQM Research. Climate from Bureau of Meteorology. Schools from ACARA. NBN from NBN Co. Amenities from OpenStreetMap. See full methodology.
Additional sources for this profile: