Cromer
Household income places Cromer at the 92.1st percentile, a stronger position than its settled suburban feel might suggest. Its 8,030 residents have a median age of 41, just 1 year above the national figure, while 78.5% of dwellings are separate houses and 48.8% contain four or more bedrooms. That profile supports established families and mortgage holders more than apartment-led turnover. Compared with the denser apartment settings of Dee Why and Narrabeen, Cromer is more house-oriented, with 42.5% of homes mortgaged and only 15.3% rented. The trade-off is a less youthful profile and greater reliance on cars, although 45.0% work from home.
Population
8,030
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,483/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
55
Homebuyers are entering a mortgage-belt market where space is a defining advantage but price pressure needs careful testing. Separate houses account for 78.5% of dwellings, and 48.8% have four or more bedrooms, compared with only 9.1% apartments and 12.4% semi-detached homes. Monthly mortgage repayments are $3,142, equal to 29.2% of household income, below the 30% stress benchmark, while rent is $650 a week. Outright ownership is 36.7% and mortgage ownership 42.5%, so buyers compete with a substantial established owner base. Compared with smaller-home options in denser nearby areas, Cromer suits households prioritising land, bedrooms and schools, but purchasers should test insurance, renovation and commuting costs before stretching beyond that income ratio.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are entering a mortgage-belt market where space is a defining advantage but price pressure needs careful testing. Separate houses account for 78.5% of dwellings, and 48.8% have four or more bedrooms, compared with only 9.1% apartments and 12.4% semi-detached homes. Monthly mortgage repayments are $3,142, equal to 29.2% of household income, below the 30% stress benchmark, while rent is $650 a week. Outright ownership is 36.7% and mortgage ownership 42.5%, so buyers compete with a substantial established owner base. Compared with smaller-home options in denser nearby areas, Cromer suits households prioritising land, bedrooms and schools, but purchasers should test insurance, renovation and commuting costs before stretching beyond that income ratio.
For Investors
Investor appeal comes from a constrained rental pool rather than a high-yield claim. Only 15.3% of households rent, vacancy is 4.5%, and weekly rent is $650, so tenant demand can be resilient when well-located stock is limited. Development activity reached 53 applications in 12 months, a material pipeline for an established suburb, although the examples include pools, alterations and modifications rather than a confirmed wave of new dwellings. Annual growth is forecast at 0.65%, driven primarily by overseas migration, which is a steadier demand signal than a purely speculative upswing. Compared with apartment-heavy coastal markets, Cromer's 78.5% separate-house share may support family tenants, but investors should allow for larger maintenance bills and assess vacancy by property type.
Development Activity
Total DAs
358
Last 12 Months
55
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+14.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Cromer
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Cromer has an established, family-weighted demographic profile: median age is 41, which is 1 year above the national level, and average household size is 3.0, or 0.5 higher than the national figure. University attainment is 37.5%, 7.4 percentage points above national, helping explain the concentration of professionals and managers. English ancestry is recorded for 3,333 people, followed by Irish 853, Scottish 779 and Italian 577; Christianity counts 4,279 while no religion counts 3,177. Overseas-born residents are 25.4%, 3.8 points above national, with Italian, Mandarin and Portuguese among the leading home languages. Compared with younger, more transient pockets nearby, 81.6% stayed at the same address five years earlier, pointing to stronger residential continuity.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
78.5%
Houses
12.4%
Townhouse
9.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is predominantly family-sized and owner-occupied. Separate houses make up 78.5% of dwellings, four-plus-bedroom homes 48.8%, and three-bedroom homes 30.7%, compared with 9.1% apartments and 12.4% semi-detached stock. Tenure is split between 36.7% owned outright and 42.5% with a mortgage, while renting accounts for 15.3%, lower than the combined owner share. Weekly rent is $650 and monthly mortgage repayments are $3,142. Affordability improved from 73.9 in 2011 to 70.3 in 2021, yet rents rose 32.7%, so the improvement is not the same as being cheap. Compared with denser Dee Why, Cromer provides more detached-house capacity, but its land-heavy format can mean higher upkeep and a narrower entry point for first-home buyers.
Mortgage / mo
$3,142
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $650.
$850
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $1,150 · units $820
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$949
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.5%
Unoccupied
123
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
57.4%
Couples with children
30.2%
Couples, no children
11.7%
Single parent
2,168
Total families
Economy & Employment
Cromer's economic base is anchored by healthcare at 14.0% of employment, followed by professional and technical services at 13.2%, construction at 12.3%, education at 11.0% and finance at 6.9%. That mix is reinforced by 1,015 professionals, 726 managers, 547 clerical and administrative workers and 531 trades workers, giving the suburb both white-collar and practical-service depth. The labour-force participation rate is 64.1%, unemployment 3.2%, and full-time employment 55.7%, which points to a comparatively stable workforce. Socio-economic scores sit above the midpoint: IEO decile 8, IER decile 10, IRSD decile 9 and IRSAD decile 9. Compared with lower-decile suburbs, Cromer's high income and education position helps sustain local spending, while construction and healthcare reduce reliance on a single industry.
Unemployment
3.2%
Labour Force
4,077
Unemployed
131
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.7%
Part-time
34.2%
Participation
64.1%
Employed
3,946
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
37.5%
Postgraduate
7.9%
Born Overseas
25.4%
Dwellings
2,619
Transport to Work
Daily life is practical for households with cars or home-based work. Car driving accounts for 48.4% of journeys and working from home for 45.0%, while public transport is 1.9% and walking or cycling 1.6%, so the local lifestyle is less transit-oriented than Sydney locations closer to rail or major bus corridors. Cromer has 2 nearby government schools, covering 1 primary and 1 secondary campus, which supports basic local access without implying identical enrolment zones. IRSAD sits in decile 9 and the area has 15.8% volunteering, both higher than a middle-ranked social profile. For safety, use current NSW Police incident information, visit at different times and compare lighting, routes and street activity before choosing a home.
Drive
48.4%
Public Transport
1.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
45.0%
Population Forecast
+0.65%/yr
(+55 people/yr)
EstablishedCromer is an established area with forecast growth of 0.65% a year, driven primarily by overseas migration. Across the wider area, population change is 11.6% over ten years, while the shift trajectory is labelled Mixed rather than a one-direction surge. Gentrification is scored at 4 with a Not gentrifying stage, while the wider shift profile is 31 and Early signs, leaving a mixed rather than transformational outlook. Rents have grown 32.7%, real incomes 13.4%, and the senior share has risen 2.9 percentage points, while the young share has fallen 1.2 points. Compared with a high-growth release corridor, Cromer's 0.65% pace is lower, but overseas migration and rising rents can still support incremental demand in an established housing market.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+77
Net Internal / yr
-20
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +12% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cromer compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cromer a good suburb to live in?
Cromer suits households seeking larger homes and an established setting. Separate houses account for 78.5% of dwellings, 45.0% of residents work from home and IRSAD ranks in decile 9. Compared with denser nearby suburbs, the trade-off is greater reliance on cars, with 48.4% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Cromer?
Check recent settled sales and current market listings for the most reliable median, rather than inferring one from rent. Cromer is 78.5% separate houses, 48.8% of homes have four or more bedrooms, weekly rent is $650 and monthly mortgage repayments are $3,142.
What schools are in Cromer?
Cromer has 2 government schools: Cromer Public School for primary students and Northern Beaches Secondary College Cromer Campus for secondary students. Confirm the exact catchment and intake rules for each address, since enrolment boundaries can differ within the 2099 postcode.
Is Cromer safe?
Safety should be checked through current NSW Police incident maps, a daytime and evening visit, and the exact street context. Cromer's population is 8,030, so suburb-wide impressions can hide local variation. Review lighting, walking routes, parking areas and nearby activity before making a decision.
Is Cromer good for property investment?
Cromer can suit investors seeking family-oriented rental demand, with 15.3% of households renting, $650 weekly rent and a 4.5% vacancy rate. Growth is forecast at 0.65% annually and 53 development applications were recorded over 12 months, so property type and maintenance costs still matter.
How is Cromer's population changing?
Cromer's current population is 8,030. The wider-area forecast points to 0.65% annual growth, 11.6% population change over ten years and overseas migration as the primary driver. The trajectory is Mixed, with the senior share up 2.9 percentage points and the young share down 1.2 points.
What development is occurring in Cromer?
Development activity reached 53 applications in 12 months, with examples including a swimming pool, dwelling alterations and a general-industry modification. That is more renovation-led than evidence of 53 new homes. Buyers should check approvals, construction timing and stormwater or traffic effects around the exact property.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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