Lane Cove
Apartments shape Lane Cove more than the traditional lower north shore image: 62.4% of dwellings are apartments compared with 30.3% separate houses, giving the suburb a compact feel across 2.58 sq km. With 12,363 residents, household income sits in the 92.7 percentile nationally and university attainment is 34.4 percentage points above the national level. Compared with nearby Longueville and Riverview, Lane Cove reads as the more apartment-led centre because density, schools and village retail sit close together.
Population
12,363
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,539/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
93
Median House
$3.1M
12m to Jun 2026 (PSI)
Homebuyers face a high-income, high-density market where the median house price is $1,040,000 and the latest price point of $1,035,000 is 1.7% below the 2024 peak. Apartments make up 62.4% of dwellings, so choice is broader for 1 and 2 bedroom buyers, with 41.6% of homes having 2 bedrooms and 14.3% having 0 or 1. Mortgage costs absorb 26.4% of income, below stress settings, because household earnings are high at $2,539 a week.
For Buyers
Homebuyers face a high-income, high-density market where the median house price is $1,040,000 and the latest price point of $1,035,000 is 1.7% below the 2024 peak. Apartments make up 62.4% of dwellings, so choice is broader for 1 and 2 bedroom buyers, with 41.6% of homes having 2 bedrooms and 14.3% having 0 or 1. Mortgage costs absorb 26.4% of income, below stress settings, because household earnings are high at $2,539 a week.
For Investors
Lane Cove has a rental-heavy base, with 38.4% of homes rented and a median weekly rent of $533, but the 8.6% vacancy rate means leasing conditions are higher risk than a tight market. The demand story is helped by overseas migration averaging +280 people a year, compared with internal migration of -218, because new arrivals support apartment demand. Development is active, with 89 applications over 12 months, so investors should watch supply as closely as rent growth of 31.0%.
Development Activity
Total DAs
541
Last 12 Months
93
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-2.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Lane Cove iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Lane Cove Public School
K-6 · 688 students
St Michael's Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 502 students
Lane Cove West Public School
K-6 · 474 students
Saint Ignatius' College
5-12 · 1613 students
Mowbray Public School
K-6 · 714 students
Demographics
Lane Cove is younger and more qualified than Australia overall: the median age is 38, which is 2.0 years below the national benchmark, while 64.5% hold a university qualification, 34.4 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents are 40.2%, 18.6 points above national, shaping demand for compact homes and private schooling. English ancestry leads at 3,593 people, followed by Chinese at 1,735, while Mandarin has 348 speakers and Christianity records 5,499 adherents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
30.3%
Houses
7.0%
Townhouse
62.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is apartment-dominant, with 62.4% apartments compared with 30.3% separate houses and 7.0% semi-detached homes. The price series is short but softer: the 2025 median of $1,035,000 is 1.7% below the 2024 peak of $1,052,500. Tenure is mixed, with 27.7% owned outright, 33.9% mortgaged and 38.4% rented, because the suburb serves both established owners and mobile renters. Larger homes are less common, with 18.9% offering 4 or more bedrooms.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General (12m to Jun 2026 (PSI))
Mortgage / mo
$2,905
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (January to March 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $533.
$780
Bond data Mar 2026 · houses $1,210 · units $750
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$1,377
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.6%
Unoccupied
469
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.7%
Couples, no children
9,764
Total families
Economy & Employment
Lane Cove's economy is strongly professional compared with average suburban profiles. Professional and tech work accounts for 19.4% of employed residents, followed by healthcare at 14.0%, finance at 13.1%, education at 10.0% and public admin at 5.7%. Occupations reinforce this, with 2,894 professionals and 1,437 managers. SEIFA is very high: IEO, IRSD and IRSAD all sit in decile 10, while IER is lower at decile 8, suggesting strong education and advantage alongside some rental churn.
Unemployment
4.4%
Labour Force
14,184
Unemployed
629
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
73.3%
Part-time
22.6%
Participation
64.7%
Employed
6,182
Occupations
Top Industries
University
64.5%
Postgraduate
21.2%
Born Overseas
40.2%
Dwellings
4,954
Transport to Work
Lane Cove's livability is built around schools, walkable pockets and high advantage. Six local schools cover Government, Catholic and Independent sectors, with ICSEA values from 1120 to 1178. Lane Cove Public leads at 1178 with 688 enrolments, St Michael's Catholic Primary follows at 1176 with 502, and Lane Cove West Public is 1163 with 474. Public transport use is 10.2%, below car driving at 72.9%, while 11.5% walk or cycle. IRSAD decile 10 supports strong local amenity.
Drive
72.9%
Public Transport
10.2%
Walk / Cycle
11.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.5%/yr
(+250 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than speculative. The forecast trend is 1.5% a year, or about 250 people annually, taking the medium path from 17,087 in 2026 to 18,339 in 2031. Migration explains the pattern: overseas migration averages +280 a year, higher than the internal outflow of -218, so population gains rely on arrivals rather than local household movement. Gentrification is rated Early signs with a score of 20, while the shift trajectory is Stable and 10 year population change is 31.1%.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+280
Net Internal / yr
-218
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +31% since 2011, Net internal outflow -218/yr, Strong overseas inflow +280/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Lane Cove compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lane Cove a good suburb to live in?
Yes for buyers who want a compact lower north shore setting with high incomes, 6 local schools and strong amenities. Apartments dominate at 62.4%, so it suits smaller households better than buyers needing a large detached home.
What is the median house price in Lane Cove?
The median house price is $1,040,000, with the latest price point at $1,035,000 in 2025. That is 1.7% below the 2024 peak of $1,052,500, so recent pricing has been slightly lower.
What schools are in Lane Cove?
Lane Cove has 6 schools: Lane Cove Public, St Michael's Catholic Primary, Lane Cove West Public, Saint Ignatius' College, Mowbray Public and Currambena Primary. ICSEA scores range from 1120 to 1178 across Government, Catholic and Independent sectors.
Is Lane Cove safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not published for Lane Cove, so current police and insurer checks are still useful. For day-to-day livability, the suburb has 12,363 residents, 6 schools and an IRSAD decile of 10.
Is Lane Cove good for property investment?
It has investor appeal because 38.4% of homes are rented, weekly rent is $533 and overseas migration averages +280 people a year. The main caution is vacancy at 8.6%, which is higher than investors usually want.
How is Lane Cove's population changing?
Lane Cove is forecast to grow at 1.5% a year, adding about 250 people annually. The medium path rises from 17,087 in 2026 to 18,339 in 2031, driven mainly by overseas migration rather than internal moves.
What languages are spoken in Lane Cove?
With 40.2% of residents born overseas, Lane Cove has more migrant influence than the national average. Mandarin is spoken by 348 people, followed by Canton with 171, Persian ED with 92, Hindi with 76 and Korean with 69.
How much development is happening in Lane Cove?
Development activity is high, with 89 applications recorded over 12 months. Recent examples include new dwelling houses and alterations, which matters because extra supply can affect rents, vacancy and resale competition.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
Explore Lane Cove on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map