A buyer’s guide to all 42
Northern Beaches suburbs and property market
Forty-two suburbs from Manly to Palm Beach, compared on real sales, with an honest guide to each one.
Photo: Alex Proimos, CC BY 2.0, cropped
There is no single Northern Beaches market
Forty-two suburbs, four very different pockets
The Northern Beaches runs about 30 kilometres, from Manly at the harbour end to Palm Beach at the tip of the peninsula. A Manly apartment, a family house in the Forest and a Palm Beach waterfront are bought by different people, with different finance, for different reasons. Treating the region as one price is the most common mistake we see.
This page is our guide to all 42 suburbs: what each pocket is like, what sold over the past year, and which suburbs suit which brief. Every suburb has its own page, with figures from the NSW Valuer General and Cotality and a plain read on the trade-offs. When you are ready to buy, we are an independent Northern Beaches buyers agent, based in Manly and working only for buyers.
What the 42 suburb guides show
The Northern Beaches property market, in one screen
Worked out from the same figures that sit in each suburb’s guide, and refreshed every quarter.
House and apartment medians: NSW Valuer General sales data, arm's-length residential sales of $400,000 or more, contracts September 2025 to August 2026. * Fewer than 20 sales. Days on market, modelled values and holding periods: Cotality suburb statistics, reports of 24 September 2026, read by Sarah Kaye & Co Research. Updated each quarter.
Read the suburb, not the region
The gap between the most and least expensive suburbs is wider than most buyers expect, and it is just as wide street to street. Compare like with like: the same pocket, the same kind of home.
Good homes are tightly held
Owners here stay for years, so the right home may come up once in a search. Being ready, and hearing about it before it is advertised, matters more than watching the portals.
Bid against evidence, not the guide
A price guide is a marketing number. We price every home on your shortlist against recent comparable sales before you bid, and tell you plainly when to walk away.
Valuer General sales · settled in September 2026
What was purchased on the Northern Beaches in September 2026
286 homes settled: 137 houses and 149 apartments. 69% were exchanged in July or August.
Four sales that settled in September
Dearest house
30A Beatty St, Balgowlah Heights
$17,500,000
Dearest apartment
3/23 Addison Rd, Manly
$6,000,000
Longest held
21 Goondari Rd, Allambie Heights
$2,200,000
Furthest above its suburb median
120 Prince Alfred Pde, Newport
$14,100,000
How September compares
| Settled in | Homes | Median house | Median apartment |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 330 | $2.79m | $1.20m |
| August 2026 | 323 | $2.66m | $1.20m |
| September 2026 | 286 | $2.50m | $1.31m |
| September 2025 | 410 | $2.74m | $1.30m |
| 12 months to September 2026 | 4,612 | $2.85m | $1.30m |
| 12 months to September 2025 | 4,661 | $2.73m | $1.25m |
Suburbs with five or more settlements in September (21)
| Suburb | Homes | Median house | Median apartment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dee Why | 42 | $2.55m | $0.97m |
| Manly | 23 | – | $1.83m |
| Frenchs Forest | 16 | $2.17m | – |
| Freshwater | 15 | – | $1.20m |
| Belrose | 14 | $2.15m | – |
| Mona Vale | 14 | $2.40m | $2.05m |
| Balgowlah | 13 | $3.95m | $1.90m |
| Avalon Beach | 12 | $4.33m | $1.30m |
| Newport | 12 | – | $1.15m |
| Manly Vale | 10 | – | $1.20m |
| Warriewood | 10 | $2.08m | $1.50m |
| Forestville | 8 | $2.95m | – |
| Narrabeen | 8 | – | $1.16m |
| Brookvale | 7 | – | – |
| Cromer | 7 | $2.23m | – |
| Narraweena | 7 | $2.15m | – |
| Collaroy | 6 | – | – |
| North Curl Curl | 6 | – | – |
| Allambie Heights | 5 | – | – |
| Balgowlah Heights | 5 | $3.85m | – |
| Queenscliff | 5 | – | $1.09m |
A median is shown only where five or more houses, or apartments, settled.
Dearest street, 12 months to September 2026: Ashburner St, Manly, median house $8.50m across 5 sales, top sale $11.25m.Houses only. A street needs at least five sales to count.
NSW Valuer General sales data: homes that settled in the month, whenever they were exchanged. Arm’s-length residential sales of $400,000 or more, each sale counted once; medians, not averages. * Fewer than 10 sales. Named sales are chosen by fixed rules and leave out bundled sales, group purchases, unusual prices and off-the-plan contracts; a previous sale is the Valuer General’s record for the same address. Updated monthly by Sarah Kaye & Co Research.
Manly to Palm Beach
The Northern Beaches suburbs, pocket by pocket
The 42 suburbs fall into four pockets, south to north along the coast, with the Forest inland behind the middle of the strip. Open any suburb for our guide to it.
Manly and the harbour end
Twelve suburbs. Ferry access, harbour and ocean beaches, and the shortest run to the city.
The mid-Beaches
Twelve suburbs. The surf strip from Curl Curl to Narrabeen, and the quieter hill streets behind it.
The Forest
Seven suburbs. Bush settings west of the coast road, with larger blocks and no beach frontage.
The peninsula
Eleven suburbs. Pittwater on one side, the ocean on the other, and the longest commute on the Beaches.
Northern Beaches suburbs and prices
The middle of what actually sold in each suburb over the year to August 2026. Open a suburb for our guide to it.
Manly and the harbour end
| Suburb | House median | Unit median |
|---|---|---|
| Allambie Heights | $2.60m | – |
| Balgowlah | $3.92m | $1.52m |
| Balgowlah Heights | $4.25m | – |
| Clontarf | $6.00m* | – |
| Fairlight | $4.25m | $2.10m |
| Freshwater | $4.06m | $1.20m |
| Manly | $5.03m | $2.02m |
| Manly Vale | $2.78m | $1.05m |
| North Balgowlah | $3.36m | $1.29m* |
| North Manly | $3.48m | $1.14m* |
| Queenscliff | $4.01m* | $1.32m |
| Seaforth | $3.74m | $2.42m* |
The mid-Beaches
| Suburb | House median | Unit median |
|---|---|---|
| Beacon Hill | $2.38m | – |
| Brookvale | $2.62m* | $1.06m |
| Collaroy | $3.79m | $1.26m |
| Collaroy Plateau | $2.80m | – |
| Cromer | $2.43m | $1.23m* |
| Curl Curl | $4.11m* | $1.82m* |
| Dee Why | $2.58m | $1.09m |
| Narrabeen | $3.85m | $1.22m |
| Narraweena | $2.48m | $1.02m* |
| North Curl Curl | $4.12m | – |
| North Narrabeen | $2.29m | – |
| Wheeler Heights | $2.27m | $1.65m* |
The Forest
| Suburb | House median | Unit median |
|---|---|---|
| Belrose | $2.38m | $0.86m |
| Davidson | $2.40m | – |
| Duffys Forest | – | – |
| Forestville | $2.57m | $1.60m* |
| Frenchs Forest | $2.48m | $1.35m* |
| Killarney Heights | $2.79m | – |
| Terrey Hills | $2.33m | – |
The peninsula
| Suburb | House median | Unit median |
|---|---|---|
| Avalon Beach | $2.79m | $1.38m |
| Bayview | $3.30m | – |
| Bilgola Plateau | $2.50m | – |
| Elanora Heights | $2.57m | – |
| Ingleside | $5.45m* | – |
| Mona Vale | $2.85m | $1.54m |
| Newport | $3.10m | $1.32m |
| Palm Beach | $5.60m | – |
| Scotland Island | $2.04m* | – |
| Warriewood | $2.42m | $1.56m |
| Whale Beach | $7.85m* | – |
Median sale price from the NSW Valuer General register: arm's-length residential sales of $400,000 and above, contracts September 2025 to August 2026. * Fewer than 20 sales: read as a direction, not a number. – Fewer than five sales. Last updated October 2026.
Ten of the 42, in closer detail
Ten Northern Beaches suburbs buyers ask us about most
Not a ranking. These are the suburbs we are asked about most often, each with a fuller guide, the questions buyers ask, and who you will work with.
Manly
Apartments and houses between the harbour and the ocean, a short walk from our office.
The Manly guide
Freshwater
Apartments and family houses around the beach where Duke Kahanamoku surfed in 1914.
The Freshwater guide
Fairlight
Apartments and houses on the slopes between Manly and Balgowlah, a short walk from the harbour.
The Fairlight guide
Balgowlah Heights
Family houses on a harbour ridge, where homes are held for years and few reach the open market.
The Balgowlah Heights guide
Frenchs Forest
Family houses at the crossroads of the Forest, near the hospital and the main roads.
The Frenchs Forest guide
Avalon Beach
Family houses between the beach and Pittwater, around a village centre.
The Avalon Beach guide
Client Experiences
A testament to our commitment to NORTHERN BEACHES excellence.
Six briefs, and where they land
Which Northern Beaches suburb is right for you?
Most buyers arrive with a suburb in mind and leave with a different one. These are the briefs we hear most often, and where each usually ends up. Most buyers are a mix of two, which is where the interesting trade-offs start.
01
Young families
A school catchment and a backyard matter more than a beach view. Look at Allambie Heights, Beacon Hill, Cromer and Frenchs Forest.
02
Downsizers
Single-level living, a walk to a village, no stairs. Manly, Fairlight, Dee Why, Mona Vale and Newport.
03
Commuters
The B-Line changed this. The Pittwater Road corridor from Mona Vale down through Collaroy, Dee Why and Brookvale all works, and Manly has the ferry.
04
Weekenders and second homes
The peninsula, where a good part of the street is empty midweek. Avalon Beach, Whale Beach and Palm Beach.
05
First-time buyers on the Beaches
The way in is usually an apartment rather than a house, in the town centres: Dee Why, Brookvale, Manly Vale and Newport.
06
Buying from overseas or interstate
We inspect and film each home for you, run every check and bid on your instructions, on your time zone. Some clients first walk through the door at settlement.
The listings are not the whole market
Where good homes rarely reach the portals
Over 75% of the homes we buy for clients are secured off-market or before they are advertised. These are some of the streets where that is most true.
- Palm Beach, Ocean Road. Long-held peninsula houses, some looking across both the Pacific and Pittwater.
- Whale Beach, Malo Road. Large blocks, tightly held, above one of Sydney's quieter surf beaches.
- Avalon Beach, Rayner Road. The hilltop pocket, bought for seclusion and architecture rather than closeness to the sand.
- Newport, Hudson Parade. Boat-owner streets, where a deep-water jetty and Pittwater frontage matter as much as the house.
- Collaroy, Beach Road. Rare level land and newer beachfront houses, in the sheltered southern end of the basin.
- Freshwater, Carrington Parade. High-side houses with the surf on one side and room for a family on the other.
- Manly, Bower Street. Ocean-facing houses on the Eastern Hill that rarely change hands.
Coastal buying carries risks inland buying does not: salt exposure, drainage on the escarpment suburbs, bushfire along the western edges, and flooding in some low-lying pockets. Every one is suburb-specific, and every one can be checked before you bid. See what we have bought lately on our recent purchases page.
Who you will work with
Sarah and Mike, from first call to settlement
Our office is on North Fort Road in Manly, and we buy right across the Beaches. You deal with the two of us directly, never a junior.
Sarah Kaye
Founder
Sarah was a top-tier selling agent before she crossed to the buyer's side. She knows how a campaign is run, what a guide is really telling you, and where an agent has room to move.
Mike Kaye
Co-founder and director
A former Accenture global partner and Australian Army officer, and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Mike studied surveying, town planning, valuation and land law, and leads the research behind every price we put to you.
More about Sarah and MikeOur services and feesWhy use a buyers agent
The questions buyers actually ask
Northern Beaches suburbs: your questions answered
What suburbs make up the Northern Beaches?
There are 42. They run from Manly at the harbour end to Palm Beach at the tip of the peninsula, in four pockets: Manly and the harbour end, the mid-Beaches from Curl Curl to Narrabeen, the Forest suburbs inland, and the peninsula north of Mona Vale. Every one has its own guide, listed on this page.
What is the best suburb on the Northern Beaches?
There isn't one. It depends on what you are buying and why. Families usually land inland, where a backyard and a school catchment cost less than a beach view. Downsizers want a village within walking distance. Commuters follow the B-Line down Pittwater Road. Weekenders go north to the peninsula. The more useful question is which suburb is best for your brief.
What is the cheapest suburb on the Northern Beaches?
For houses, the most affordable suburbs are generally inland, in the Forest and the hill suburbs behind the coast. For apartments, the way in is usually the town centres, such as Dee Why, Brookvale and Manly Vale. The panel and the table on this page show the latest medians for every suburb, refreshed each quarter.
Which Northern Beaches suburbs are best for families?
Mostly the inland belt. Allambie Heights, Beacon Hill, Cromer and Frenchs Forest give you a backyard, a school catchment and a level street for less than a beach view costs. Families who want the sand usually trade block size for it, in suburbs such as North Curl Curl, Collaroy Plateau or Wheeler Heights.
Is the Northern Beaches a wealthy area?
It is expensive, and unevenly so. The spread between the inland suburbs and the harbourside and oceanfront end is wider than most people expect, and the panel on this page shows it on the latest sales. That spread is why treating the Northern Beaches as a single price is the most common mistake we see.
Are Northern Beaches property prices going up or down?
It depends on the suburb, and on whether you are buying a house or an apartment. The panel on this page shows the latest picture across all 42 suburbs, and each suburb guide shows its own figures. We would rather show you the numbers than give you a headline.
How far is the Northern Beaches from the Sydney CBD?
It depends where. Manly is about 17 kilometres by road and a short ferry ride across the harbour. Dee Why is about 18 kilometres, with the B-Line running along Pittwater Road. Palm Beach, at the top of the peninsula, is about 41 kilometres.
What is the difference between the Northern Beaches and the North Shore?
They are neighbours, not the same place. The Northern Beaches is the coastal strip and its bush hinterland, from Manly north to Palm Beach. The North Shore lies west across Middle Harbour, and divides into the Lower North Shore and the Upper North Shore. Different councils, different housing, different commutes.
Can you buy Northern Beaches homes before they are advertised?
Often, yes. Over 75% of the homes we buy are secured off-market, through our relationships with selling agents across the Beaches. You can see some of them on our recent purchases page.
From Sarah Kaye & Co Research
Further reading
Buying on the Northern Beaches? Talk to us first.
Tell us what you are looking for. In half an hour we can tell you honestly which suburbs fit your brief, what to look for in each, and where you might be surprised.
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