Family-friendly ranking · NSW

The for families suburbs in New South Wales.

Suburbs ranked by average school ICSEA score and family-household percentage. Filtered to New South Wales suburbs only.

About this ranking

Family-friendly suburbs balance four things: schools you'd actually send your kids to, parks and bike paths that get used, walkable neighbourhood retail, and a price point that doesn't lock you out of upgrading rooms when the family grows. We rank by the strongest measurable proxy (school ICSEA) and weight by the share of households that are families with dependents.

New South Wales property market in 2026

New South Wales is Australia's most expensive housing market by a wide margin. Sydney's median house price sits around $1.6M to $1.7M in 2026, with a structural undersupply of well-located stock keeping the harbour-city market firm even as borrowing capacity catches up to elevated rates. Regional NSW (Newcastle, Central Coast, Wollongong) has compressed the discount to Sydney over the last five years, and the Hunter and Illawarra now trade at premiums older buyers wouldn't have predicted. Lifestyle suburbs along the coast, Byron, Kiama, Port Macquarie, have held the COVID-era gains. Investor demand is back at scale; rental vacancies in metro Sydney remain below 1.5%.

Buyer tip, NSW

If you're buying in Sydney, the gap between asking prices and clearing prices has narrowed meaningfully. A 2024-style 'discount the asking price by 10%' approach now leaves you out of contention. Pre-approval at the top of your range plus 1-2 weekends of pre-auction reconnaissance is the modern playbook.

Watch out, NSW

Sydney's middle-ring suburbs (Kingsford, Marrickville, Concord) have seen significant apartment supply. Body corporate fees on newer towers can swallow yield, so always pull the strata report and the sinking fund balance before committing.

Methodology

Suburbs are scored on average ICSEA across primary and secondary schools (sourced from ACARA), filtered to suburbs where families with dependents make up at least 40% of households (ABS Census 2021). Population-weighted to avoid outliers from very small localities.

Best for

First home buyers planning to start a family in the next 5 years; existing families upsizing into a longer-term home; relocating families researching new areas.

By stateAll Australia NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS NT ACT

Showing top 50 suburbs in New South Wales

#	Suburb	State	Avg ICSEA	Family HH %	Profile
1	Edgecliff 2027	NSW	1,217	51%	View profile →
2	North Sydney 2060	NSW	1,183	52%	View profile →
3	Turramurra 2074	NSW	1,176	81%	View profile →
4	Neutral Bay 2089	NSW	1,169	54%	View profile →
5	Cherrybrook 2126	NSW	1,155	88%	View profile →
6	Hunters Hill 2110	NSW	1,139	76%	View profile →
7	Randwick 2031	NSW	1,132	61%	View profile →
8	Richmond Hill 2480	NSW	1,121	85%	View profile →
9	Bilgola Plateau 2107	NSW	1,121	86%	View profile →
10	Croydon 2132	NSW	1,113	73%	View profile →
11	Rouse Hill 2155	NSW	1,107	81%	View profile →
12	Beaumont Hills 2155	NSW	1,107	94%	View profile →
13	Burwood 2134	NSW	1,104	61%	View profile →
14	Bondi Beach 2026	NSW	1,102	50%	View profile →
15	Acacia Gardens 2763	NSW	1,101	89%	View profile →
16	Oyster Bay 2225	NSW	1,098	87%	View profile →
17	Tempe 2044	NSW	1,096	74%	View profile →
18	Newport 2106	NSW	1,093	75%	View profile →
19	Fountaindale 2258	NSW	1,092	90%	View profile →
20	Hurstville 2220	NSW	1,087	73%	View profile →
21	Sans Souci 2219	NSW	1,076	69%	View profile →
22	Sydney 2000	NSW	1,068	49%	View profile →
23	Lambton 2299	NSW	1,068	66%	View profile →
24	Pottsville 2489	NSW	1,065	78%	View profile →
25	Terrigal 2260	NSW	1,064	75%	View profile →
26	Cowan 2081	NSW	1,063	84%	View profile →
27	Harris Park 2150	NSW	1,062	62%	View profile →
28	Adjungbilly 2727	NSW	1,062	81%	View profile →
29	Kareela 2232	NSW	1,060	87%	View profile →
30	Clunes 2480	NSW	1,056	77%	View profile →
31	Mortdale 2223	NSW	1,052	70%	View profile →
32	Heathcote 2233	NSW	1,052	78%	View profile →
33	Shell Cove 2529	NSW	1,049	87%	View profile →
34	Wamberal 2260	NSW	1,048	80%	View profile →
35	Goonengerry 2482	NSW	1,048	62%	View profile →
36	Oakville 2765	NSW	1,048	86%	View profile →
37	Chisholm 2322	NSW	1,047	92%	View profile →
38	Mayfield East 2304	NSW	1,044	61%	View profile →
39	Peakhurst 2210	NSW	1,040	73%	View profile →
40	Cecil Park 2178	NSW	1,035	89%	View profile →
41	Riverstone 2765	NSW	1,033	81%	View profile →
42	Douglas Park 2569	NSW	1,031	84%	View profile →
43	Campsie 2194	NSW	1,029	68%	View profile →
44	Narellan Vale 2567	NSW	1,029	84%	View profile →
45	Shellharbour 2529	NSW	1,025	73%	View profile →
46	Diamond Beach 2430	NSW	1,021	75%	View profile →
47	The Channon 2480	NSW	1,019	73%	View profile →
48	Cardiff 2285	NSW	1,018	67%	View profile →
49	Maraylya 2765	NSW	1,018	85%	View profile →
50	Jordan Springs 2747	NSW	1,017	88%	View profile →

#1Edgecliff

NSW 2027

Avg ICSEA

1,217

Family HH %

51%

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#2North Sydney

NSW 2060

Avg ICSEA

1,183

Family HH %

52%

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#3Turramurra

NSW 2074

Avg ICSEA

1,176

Family HH %

81%

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#4Neutral Bay

NSW 2089

Avg ICSEA

1,169

Family HH %

54%

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#5Cherrybrook

NSW 2126

Avg ICSEA

1,155

Family HH %

88%

View profile →

#6Hunters Hill

NSW 2110

Avg ICSEA

1,139

Family HH %

76%

View profile →

#7Randwick

NSW 2031

Avg ICSEA

1,132

Family HH %

61%

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#8Richmond Hill

NSW 2480

Avg ICSEA

1,121

Family HH %

85%

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#9Bilgola Plateau

NSW 2107

Avg ICSEA

1,121

Family HH %

86%

View profile →

#10Croydon

NSW 2132

Avg ICSEA

1,113

Family HH %

73%

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#11Rouse Hill

NSW 2155

Avg ICSEA

1,107

Family HH %

81%

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#12Beaumont Hills

NSW 2155

Avg ICSEA

1,107

Family HH %

94%

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#13Burwood

NSW 2134

Avg ICSEA

1,104

Family HH %

61%

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#14Bondi Beach

NSW 2026

Avg ICSEA

1,102

Family HH %

50%

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#15Acacia Gardens

NSW 2763

Avg ICSEA

1,101

Family HH %

89%

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#16Oyster Bay

NSW 2225

Avg ICSEA

1,098

Family HH %

87%

View profile →

#17Tempe

NSW 2044

Avg ICSEA

1,096

Family HH %

74%

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#18Newport

NSW 2106

Avg ICSEA

1,093

Family HH %

75%

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#19Fountaindale

NSW 2258

Avg ICSEA

1,092

Family HH %

90%

View profile →

#20Hurstville

NSW 2220

Avg ICSEA

1,087

Family HH %

73%

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#21Sans Souci

NSW 2219

Avg ICSEA

1,076

Family HH %

69%

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#22Sydney

NSW 2000

Avg ICSEA

1,068

Family HH %

49%

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#23Lambton

NSW 2299

Avg ICSEA

1,068

Family HH %

66%

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#24Pottsville

NSW 2489

Avg ICSEA

1,065

Family HH %

78%

View profile →

#25Terrigal

NSW 2260

Avg ICSEA

1,064

Family HH %

75%

View profile →

#26Cowan

NSW 2081

Avg ICSEA

1,063

Family HH %

84%

View profile →

#27Harris Park

NSW 2150

Avg ICSEA

1,062

Family HH %

62%

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#28Adjungbilly

NSW 2727

Avg ICSEA

1,062

Family HH %

81%

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#29Kareela

NSW 2232

Avg ICSEA

1,060

Family HH %

87%

View profile →

#30Clunes

NSW 2480

Avg ICSEA

1,056

Family HH %

77%

View profile →

#31Mortdale

NSW 2223

Avg ICSEA

1,052

Family HH %

70%

View profile →

#32Heathcote

NSW 2233

Avg ICSEA

1,052

Family HH %

78%

View profile →

#33Shell Cove

NSW 2529

Avg ICSEA

1,049

Family HH %

87%

View profile →

#34Wamberal

NSW 2260

Avg ICSEA

1,048

Family HH %

80%

View profile →

#35Goonengerry

NSW 2482

Avg ICSEA

1,048

Family HH %

62%

View profile →

#36Oakville

NSW 2765

Avg ICSEA

1,048

Family HH %

86%

View profile →

#37Chisholm

NSW 2322

Avg ICSEA

1,047

Family HH %

92%

View profile →

#38Mayfield East

NSW 2304

Avg ICSEA

1,044

Family HH %

61%

View profile →

#39Peakhurst

NSW 2210

Avg ICSEA

1,040

Family HH %

73%

View profile →

#40Cecil Park

NSW 2178

Avg ICSEA

1,035

Family HH %

89%

View profile →

#41Riverstone

NSW 2765

Avg ICSEA

1,033

Family HH %

81%

View profile →

#42Douglas Park

NSW 2569

Avg ICSEA

1,031

Family HH %

84%

View profile →

#43Campsie

NSW 2194

Avg ICSEA

1,029

Family HH %

68%

View profile →

#44Narellan Vale

NSW 2567

Avg ICSEA

1,029

Family HH %

84%

View profile →

#45Shellharbour

NSW 2529

Avg ICSEA

1,025

Family HH %

73%

View profile →

#46Diamond Beach

NSW 2430

Avg ICSEA

1,021

Family HH %

75%

View profile →

#47The Channon

NSW 2480

Avg ICSEA

1,019

Family HH %

73%

View profile →

#48Cardiff

NSW 2285

Avg ICSEA

1,018

Family HH %

67%

View profile →

#49Maraylya

NSW 2765

Avg ICSEA

1,018

Family HH %

85%

View profile →

#50Jordan Springs

NSW 2747

Avg ICSEA

1,017

Family HH %

88%

View profile →

Common questions

About this ranking.

What is ICSEA and why does it matter?

ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is ACARA's measure of the educational backgrounds of students at a school, used as a proxy for school resourcing and outcomes. Higher ICSEA generally correlates with stronger NAPLAN performance and higher senior-year retention. We use it because it's published consistently across all Australian schools, but it's not a direct quality measure, so always verify with site visits and NAPLAN data.

Why don't you rank by NAPLAN scores directly?

NAPLAN scores are published by My School (ACARA) but reproducing them in rankings is restricted. ICSEA is the next-best public proxy and correlates strongly with NAPLAN outcomes for like-for-like school cohorts.

How do school catchments affect this ranking?

We rank suburbs by the average ICSEA of schools located in or directly serving the suburb. Catchment boundaries cut through suburbs, so two houses on the same street can fall into different catchments. Always verify the in-catchment school for the specific address before making an offer.

Other rankings

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