NSW · Hornsby Council
Mount Colah, 2079
Current weather
17°CClear sky
48% humidity · 17.5 km/h wind · 21.2° / 12.6° today · 2.8 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- High desirability
- Excellent transport
- Cycling
Suburb profile
Set among the hills of Hornsby, Mount Colah is a mid-sized suburb with bushland views and a cooler, leafier feel. Well placed between the city and outer suburbs, it offers practical access in every direction. Ridge-top pockets and tree cover give the area a cooler, greener hillside feel.
Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with family life visible on every street. Everyday errands and local outings are straightforward, with the wider metro area adding variety. Green space is a real strength, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb.
Getting around the metro area is straightforward, with transport tying neighbouring communities together. Property is in demand, reflecting the appeal of living in a place people actively choose.
On the desirability index, the suburb rates good overall, led by community and employment and parks and green space, while local dining and lifestyle amenities sit closer to the middle of the pack for similar metro suburbs.
Population
- Population
- 7,816
- Median age
- 40
- Median household income / week
- $2,505
- Dwelling vacancy
- 3.6%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 101 of 2,768
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,544
- Employment rate
- 67.4%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 153 / 100 / 328
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $610
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $850
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $730
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 37
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 99
- Against the person
- 34
- Against property
- 46
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 12.7
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 230 residents
- State safety percentile
- 0.3th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -39.8%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault10
- Fraud10
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment11
- Malicious Damage To Property17
- Transport Regulatory Offences10
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,098
- Mount Colah Public SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
161 public transport stops in this suburb
- FTB Pacific Hwy
- FTB Pierre Cl
- Mount Colah Station
- STR Pacific Hwy
- STR/LFT To P1/2
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
220 planning-related records
2026· 12 proposals
June 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure7 MURRALONG ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Additional Information Requested
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation3 LANDRA AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
May 2026
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation3 FLORA AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Under Assessment
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure21 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Under Assessment
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure1 LORD STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Under Assessment
April 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (external)3 PARKLANDS ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure19A NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Additional Information Requested
March 2026
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Subdivision; Residential Accommodation31 RUPERT STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure1 KU-RING-GAI CHASE ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Withdrawn
February 2026
- Signage; Advertising and signage19-21 TELOPEA STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Dwelling house; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia19 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
January 2026
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure21 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
2025· 27 proposals
December 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation44 LANDRA AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure46B LADY STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure14 WILLARONG ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
November 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure23 NORTH STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Attached dwelling; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure11 10 PLAYFAIR ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Supporting Development7 BURRA CLOSE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
October 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Shade structures of canvas, fabric, mesh or the like23 AMAROO AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation4 FLINDERS PLACE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)647 PACIFIC HIGHWAY MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
September 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)2 VARNA STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Subdivision41 BEROWRA ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure12 FOXGLOVE ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
August 2025
- Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation3 FLORA AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport; Swimming pool6 KU-RING-GAI CHASE ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Subdivision27 LORD STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
July 2025
- Subdivision21 BEROWRA ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Withdrawn
June 2025
- Subdivision1 Kuring-Gai Chase Road, Mount ColahDetermined
May 2025
- Subdivision46-52 BERYL AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
March 2025
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure1 POINCIANA CLOSE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Restaurant or cafe; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Hours of operation and trading527-531 PACIFIC HIGHWAY MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Subdivision15 VARNA STREET MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Swimming pool16 PARKLANDS ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
February 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure42 PARKLANDS ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure29 MURRALONG ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool1 WONGA ROAD MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Subdivision2 HILLSIDE PARADE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure42B BERYL AVENUE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
2024· 1 proposal
December 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool14 FLINDERS PLACE MOUNT COLAH 2079Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
91 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- LiquorlandAlcohol
601A Pacific Highway
- Next PaymentsATM
- Bbq
- 01Bench
- 02Bench
- Bench (8)
- Bicycle Parking (2)
- Beryl Av after Livingstone PlBus stop
- Beryl Av after Stonehaven RdBus stop
- Beryl Av at Flinders PlBus stop
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
6 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Berry ParkPark
- Hunt ReservePark
- Orchard ParkPark
- Orr ParkPark
- Oxley ReservePark
- Parklands OvalPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 2
- Emergency department
- Not in suburb
- Mt Colah Pharmacypharmacy
- Summers Avenue (Mt Colah) Family Medical Practicedoctor
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 10/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 14
- Parks (OSM)
- 10
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 63.4/100 — Good
- State standing
- Top 10% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 554th in Australia
- State rank
- 206th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #85 among Metro Sydney · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #150 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 82%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- 01amenitiesbench
- 01amenitiespicnic_table
- 02amenitiesbench
- 02amenitiespicnic_table
- Bbqamenitiesbbq
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Hornsby Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.