Mosman, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Mosman is an affluent harbourside suburb on Sydney's Lower North Shore, about 8 km north-east of the city centre on a peninsula between Sydney Harbour and Middle Harbour. The area was originally home to the Borogegal people. Its name comes from Archibald Mosman, who with his twin brother George took up a land grant here in 1831 and ran a whaling station in the sheltered inlet now called Mosman Bay. Today the suburb is best known for Taronga Zoo, which has looked out over the harbour since 1916, and for swimming spots such as Balmoral Beach. Leafy streets and harbour views have long made it one of Sydney's most sought-after addresses.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Mosman is more socio-economically advantaged than about 99% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1169, 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.
Mosman at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 28,329
- Median age
- 45
- Median weekly household income
- $2,892
- SEIFA score
- 1169
- Coordinates
- -33.8285, 151.2476
Mosman demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Mosman 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 mid-life (45–64) at 28%, 33% of homes are rented, and 36% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 4,611 | 16% |
| Youth (15–24) | 2,965 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 6,584 | 23% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 7,965 | 28% |
| Seniors (65+) | 6,205 | 22% |
Share of the 28,330 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 4,422 | 38% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,980 | 26% |
| Rented | 3,822 | 33% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 4,028 | 35% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,389 | 12% |
| Flats & apartments | 6,001 | 52% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 11,543 occupied private dwellings in Mosman.
- Median weekly rent
- $590
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,870
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $4,502
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,487
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 10,011 (36%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 4,673 (17%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 82 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 19,047 (84%)
- Labour-force participation
- 61.9%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.6%
- Employed full-time
- 9,002
- Employed part-time
- 4,017
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 Mosman
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Mosman 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 Mosman
Where is Mosman?
Mosman is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Mosman?
At the 2021 Census, Mosman had a population of about 28,329.
Is Mosman an advantaged area?
Mosman has an ABS SEIFA score of 1169, 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 Mosman?
Mosman 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).
How big is Mosman?
Mosman is one of the most populous suburbs in New South Wales — the 17th-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 28,329 usual residents).
Where Mosman ranks
Mosman appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in New South Wales#17 of 25
Nearby suburbs in New South Wales
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