Crows Nest (NSW), NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Crows Nest is a lively, established suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, about five kilometres north of the central business district within the North Sydney Council area. It traces its name to a cottage that the merchant Edward Wollstonecraft built on a large land grant he received in 1821; his business partner Alexander Berry recorded that the spot was chosen for its elevated and commanding position. Berry later built a grander Crow's Nest House on the estate in 1850, and its gates, added in the 1880s, still stand at the Pacific Highway entrance to the school that now occupies the site. Today Crows Nest is a busy commercial district known for its shops and restaurants, clustered where five main roads meet, and a Sydney Metro station opened on its doorstep in 2024.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Crows Nest (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 1166, 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.
Crows Nest (NSW) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 4,974
- Median age
- 36
- Median weekly household income
- $2,614
- SEIFA score
- 1166
- Coordinates
- -33.8256, 151.2036
Crows Nest (NSW) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Crows Nest (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 45%, 54% of homes are rented, and 41% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 677 | 14% |
| Youth (15–24) | 404 | 8% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 2,250 | 45% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,131 | 23% |
| Seniors (65+) | 512 | 10% |
Share of the 4,974 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 476 | 20% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 574 | 24% |
| Rented | 1,281 | 54% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 264 | 11% |
| Townhouses & semis | 622 | 26% |
| Flats & apartments | 1,441 | 61% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,356 occupied private dwellings in Crows Nest (NSW).
- Median weekly rent
- $550
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,033
- Average household size
- 2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,812
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,657
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,972 (41%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,233 (26%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 18 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 3,607 (86%)
- Labour-force participation
- 77%
- Unemployment rate
- 2.9%
- Employed full-time
- 2,355
- Employed part-time
- 626
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 Crows Nest (NSW)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Crows Nest (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 Crows Nest (NSW)
Where is Crows Nest (NSW)?
Crows Nest (NSW) is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Crows Nest (NSW)?
At the 2021 Census, Crows Nest (NSW) had a population of about 4,974.
Is Crows Nest (NSW) an advantaged area?
Crows Nest (NSW) has an ABS SEIFA score of 1166, 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 Crows Nest (NSW)?
Crows Nest (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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