Manly (NSW), NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Manly is a beachside suburb on Sydney's Northern Beaches, around 17 km north-east of the city centre and reached by a long-running ferry service to Circular Quay. It is built around its ocean and harbour beaches — including the main Manly Beach, Shelly Beach and Fairy Bower — and forms part of the Manly–Freshwater World Surfing Reserve dedicated in 2012. The suburb was named by Governor Arthur Phillip in 1788, and its surf-lifesaving tradition runs deep, with the Manly Life Saving Club established in 1904. The Traditional Custodians of the area are the Gayemaygal people of the wider Sydney region.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Manly (NSW) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 99% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1169, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Manly (NSW) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 16,296
- Median age
- 38
- Median weekly household income
- $3,164
- SEIFA score
- 1169
- Coordinates
- -33.8099, 151.2912
Manly (NSW) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Manly (NSW) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 39%, 51% of homes are rented, and 42% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 2,185 | 13% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,319 | 8% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 6,358 | 39% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 3,904 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 2,521 | 15% |
Share of the 16,287 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,950 | 28% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,265 | 18% |
| Rented | 3,585 | 51% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 790 | 11% |
| Townhouses & semis | 799 | 11% |
| Flats & apartments | 5,352 | 77% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 6,976 occupied private dwellings in Manly (NSW).
- Median weekly rent
- $725
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,467
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $4,266
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,595
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 6,640 (42%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 2,586 (17%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 77 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 11,336 (82%)
- Labour-force participation
- 69.4%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.5%
- Employed full-time
- 6,419
- Employed part-time
- 2,364
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Manly (NSW)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Manly (NSW) is January (average daytime high around 25.7°C) and the coolest is July (around 16.5°C). The area receives roughly 1084 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25.7°C | 19.3°C | 104 mm |
| Feb | 25.1°C | 19°C | 119 mm |
| Mar | 24°C | 18°C | 186 mm |
| Apr | 21.9°C | 15°C | 100 mm |
| May | 19.2°C | 11.7°C | 56 mm |
| Jun | 16.5°C | 9.8°C | 74 mm |
| Jul | 16.5°C | 8.7°C | 70 mm |
| Aug | 17.3°C | 9.2°C | 67 mm |
| Sep | 19.6°C | 11.3°C | 55 mm |
| Oct | 21.8°C | 13.7°C | 92 mm |
| Nov | 22.8°C | 15.5°C | 78 mm |
| Dec | 24.7°C | 17.5°C | 83 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Manly (NSW)
Where is Manly (NSW)?
Manly (NSW) is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Manly (NSW)?
At the 2021 Census, Manly (NSW) had a population of about 16,296.
Is Manly (NSW) an advantaged area?
Manly (NSW) has an ABS SEIFA score of 1169, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 99 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 99% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Manly (NSW)?
Manly (NSW) has average daytime highs of about 21.3°C and overnight lows of about 14.1°C, with roughly 1,084 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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