Lane Cove, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Lane Cove sits on a peninsula on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, about nine kilometres north-west of the central business district, where the Lane Cove River opens into the harbour. It serves as the administrative centre for its local council. The origin of the name is uncertain: the first written use was by Lieutenant William Bradley in 1788, and it has variously been linked to the cartographer Michael Lane, who once worked with Captain Cook, and to John Lane, a friend of the first governor. Before European settlement the area was home to the Cammeraygal people. Much of the suburb is given over to parks and bushland, with Lane Cove National Park close by, and a busy shopping plaza gathers around Burns Bay Road and Longueville Road.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Lane Cove is more socio-economically advantaged than about 99% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1151, 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.
Lane Cove at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 12,363
- Median age
- 38
- Median weekly household income
- $2,539
- SEIFA score
- 1151
- Coordinates
- -33.8181, 151.1650
Lane Cove demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Lane Cove 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 35%, 37% of homes are rented, and 40% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 2,402 | 19% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,058 | 9% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 4,288 | 35% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 2,734 | 22% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,874 | 15% |
Share of the 12,356 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,333 | 27% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,631 | 33% |
| Rented | 1,847 | 37% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,501 | 30% |
| Townhouses & semis | 347 | 7% |
| Flats & apartments | 3,093 | 62% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 4,958 occupied private dwellings in Lane Cove.
- Median weekly rent
- $533
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,905
- Average household size
- 2.4 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,375
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,377
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 4,827 (40%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 3,587 (30%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 50 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 8,091 (84%)
- Labour-force participation
- 70.3%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.8%
- Employed full-time
- 4,529
- Employed part-time
- 1,653
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 Lane Cove
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Lane Cove 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 Lane Cove
Where is Lane Cove?
Lane Cove is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Lane Cove?
At the 2021 Census, Lane Cove had a population of about 12,363.
Is Lane Cove an advantaged area?
Lane Cove has an ABS SEIFA score of 1151, 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 Lane Cove?
Lane Cove 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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