Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Collaroy

Collaroy is a relaxed beachside suburb on Sydney’s Northern Beaches centred on the broad sweep of Collaroy Beach and its rocky headland with a tidal rockpool. A low-key village along Pittwater Road hosts cafes, local shops and everyday services and provides the main bus corridor toward the city. Life here is shaped by surf, coastal walks and nearby parks; the beach is patrolled and there is an active surf lifesaving presence. Housing ranges from weatherboard and postwar homes to renovated beach houses and low-rise apartments, appealing to families, downsizers and people after a seaside lifestyle with urban links.

Collaroy is home to 7,944 people with a median age of 43, and around seven in ten homes are owner-occupied. The typical household earns $2,372 a week, roughly $123,300 a year. Staged coastal protection works are being progressed under the Collaroy–Narrabeen Beach Coastal Zone Management Plan, including seawall extensions, beach nourishment, dune stabilisation and road-end works at Stuart and Ramsay streets, and an extension to the Collaroy seawall has been approved. Local community infrastructure is active too, with a new Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club clubhouse and government grants supporting training, education and sustainable energy upgrades at the local surf clubs.

Buying in Collaroy sits well above what a typical local household earned at the last Census. The median house price of $4,100,000 is about 33.3 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census (weekly household income $2,372 ? $123,344 a year). The median unit price of $1,165,000 is about 9.4 times that annual income. On these figures, buying either a house or a unit is well above local incomes, with houses especially far above.

Renting looks less stretched than buying but still significant. A house rent of $1,675 a week would take about 70.7% (about 71%) of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, a large share, while a unit rent of $850 a week is about 35.9% (about 36%), a sizeable share. Which measure matters most depends on whether you plan to rent or buy and on your own circumstances.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Over the past 12 months in Collaroy, unit values rose 14.0% while unit rents increased 7.6%. By contrast, house values were up 7.0% over the year but house rents fell by 5.6%. These figures show a clear split between the unit and house sides of the market this year.

For someone weighing Collaroy as an investment, remember that value changes relate to capital growth and rent moves relate to rental income. On both measures this year units have been the stronger performer, with larger value gains and rising rents, whereas houses saw smaller value growth and a decline in rents. Whether that pattern suits your goals depends on your individual circumstances.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.