Planning Maps / Areas / North Sydney / North Sydney

North Sydney zoning & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of North Sydney (North Sydney, NSW) - 1.47 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is relatively unconstrained on the overlays we hold - no flood mapping covers this suburb, so this is not a suburb-wide verdict.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to North Sydney's boundary, with the bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address. No flood layer is drawn because we hold no flood mapping for this area.

North Sydney at a glance

Parcels 1,222 Median lot 312 m² Mapped easements 5 Train North Sydney Station Bus stops 95

How North Sydney is zoned

Infrastructure 39%
Low Density Residential 14%
Public Recreation 12%
Commercial Centre 12%
Mixed Use 10%
High Density Residential 9%

Buying in North Sydney? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.

Across its 1.47 km², North Sydney is relatively unconstrained by the planning overlays we hold. We hold no flood mapping covering this suburb, so no flood figure is shown - that is a gap in our data, not an all-clear. There are 321 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Infrastructure. The median lot measures about 312 m² across 1,222 parcels. These figures are suburb-wide - the overlays that actually apply to a given lot can differ block to block, which is what a property-level check tells you.

Who lives in North Sydney

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the North Sydney suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
8,964
usual residents, 2021
Median age
36
years
Median household income
$2,405
per week, North Sydney suburb typical $2,614
Median rent
$575
per week, North Sydney suburb typical $580
Median mortgage
$2,817
per month
Household size
1.9
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1166, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of North Sydney's 8,964 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 4.4%
5-14 6.2%
15-19 3.2%
20-24 5.7%
25-34 26.3%
35-44 19.4%
45-54 11.3%
55-64 9.4%
65-74 6.9%
75-84 5.1%
85+ 2.1%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of North Sydney - Lavender Bay, the wider ABS statistical area containing North Sydney. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than North Sydney itself.

8,043 in 2001 to 13,776 in 2025, up 71%.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census of Population and Housing 2021 (General Community Profile) and SEIFA 2021, both published at the Suburbs and Localities level; Regional Population (estimated resident population) at Statistical Area Level 2. Used under CC BY 4.0. Census counts of small populations are randomly adjusted by the ABS to protect confidentiality, so figures for small suburbs are indicative.

North Sydney data sources and coverage

Every figure below is an aggregate for the suburb boundary. “Not mapped” means LayeredGeo does not hold a source layer covering this suburb; it is never an all-clear for a particular property.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingNot mappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 5 August 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.

Check a specific North Sydney address

See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.

See what's in the $9 report →

North Sydney planning - frequently asked

Is North Sydney flood-prone?

We don't yet hold flood mapping covering North Sydney, so this page can't say how much of the suburb is flood-affected - that is a gap in our data, not an indication that the suburb is free of flood risk. North Sydney is the authority to check for flood mapping in this area. Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.

Is North Sydney bushfire-prone?

Bushfire mapping covers North Sydney and little to none of it is mapped as bushfire-prone (the North Sydney average is 4%). Always confirm for the exact lot, as mapping can change.

What is the zoning in North Sydney?

The dominant planning zone in North Sydney is Infrastructure, though the suburb also includes Low Density Residential and Public Recreation. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does North Sydney have heritage-listed places?

North Sydney has 321 heritage-listed places on record. Heritage listing affects what you can alter or demolish, so confirm whether a specific property is listed or near a heritage place.

What is the typical lot size in North Sydney?

Across 1,222 surveyed parcels in North Sydney, the median lot size is about 312 m². There are also 5 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.

Does North Sydney have a train station?

Yes - North Sydney has 1 train station: North Sydney Station. It is also served by 95 bus stops.

What is the population of North Sydney?

At the 2021 Census North Sydney had 8,964 usual residents, with a median age of 36 and an average household size of 1.9 people. The wider North Sydney - Lavender Bay statistical area, which contains North Sydney, went from 8,043 people in 2001 to 13,776 in 2025, up 71%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than North Sydney alone.

Is North Sydney an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), North Sydney scores 1166 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within New South Wales - decile 1 being the most disadvantaged tenth of Australian suburbs and decile 10 the least. The national average score is 1000. SEIFA summarises income, education, occupation and housing across the whole suburb, so it describes the area, not any particular household in it.

What is the median household income in North Sydney?

Median household income in North Sydney was $2,405 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,614 for the typical suburb in North Sydney. Median rent was $575 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,817 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a North Sydney property?

A North Sydney planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage and environmental - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; a full PDF report is $9.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Lavender Bay 0.8 km Not mapped 0%
Neutral Bay 1.0 km Not mapped 0%
Waverton 1.0 km Not mapped 19%
Mcmahons Point 1.1 km Not mapped 0%
Wollstonecraft 1.2 km Not mapped 21%
Milsons Point 1.2 km Not mapped 0%
Crows Nest 1.3 km Not mapped 0%
Kirribilli 1.5 km Not mapped 0%
Kurraba Point 1.5 km Not mapped 0%
Cammeray 1.7 km Not mapped 10%

See all North Sydney suburb profiles →