Crows Nest vs Lane CoveTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Crows Nest (NSW 2065) is approximately 4 km north of the Sydney CBD, on the Metro line. Lane Cove (NSW 2066) is approximately 8 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, above the Lane Cove River. At the 2021 Census, Crows Nest had 4,974 residents with a median age of 36, and Lane Cove had 12,363 residents with a median age of 38.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments. Flats and apartments made up 61% of occupied dwellings in Crows Nest and 62% in Lane Cove, while 55% of Crows Nest households rented compared with 38% in Lane Cove. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
NSW 2065 · Lower North Shore
Crows Nest
Crows Nest gained a metro station in August 2024, and is 61.0 per cent apartments with 54.5 per cent renting and only 11.2 per cent houses.
North Sydney. Approximately 4 km north of the Sydney CBD, on the Metro line.
Read the full Crows Nest guideNSW 2066 · Lower North Shore
Lane Cove
Lane Cove is a lower North Shore centre where apartments hold 62.4 per cent of homes and renting leads at 37.6 per cent, with no railway station.
Lane Cove. Approximately 8 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, above the Lane Cove River.
Read the full Lane Cove guide
What buying in Crows Nest and Lane Cove would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Crows Nest and Lane Cove.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Crows Nest to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Lane Cove to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Crows Nest and Lane Cove: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Crows Nest | Lane Cove |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 4,974 | 12,363 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 36 | 38 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.4 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,614 | $2,539 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $550 | $533 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $3,033 | $2,905 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 55% | 38% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 24% | 33% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 20% | 27% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 11% | 30% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 26% | 7% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 61% | 62% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 69% | 55% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 6% | 19% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 11% | 9% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Crows Nest and Lane Cove
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Crows Nest
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- One-bedroom dwellings and studios often fall below minimum internal floor areas.
- Single-development exposure limits bind readily in a suburb of 2,364 occupied dwellings.
- Older walk-up blocks and recent buildings raise quite different strata questions.
- The metro station opened in August 2024, after the Census described here.
- Willoughby Road is a licensed dining strip affecting nearby amenity at night.
Lane Cove
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- There is no railway station, so test the actual bus or metro journey.
- Older walk-up blocks and recent buildings raise different strata questions.
- One-bedroom dwellings and studios can fall below minimum internal floor areas.
- Land near the national park may be mapped as bush fire prone.
- Epping Road and the Lane Cove Tunnel carry substantial through traffic.
Housing stock in Crows Nest and Lane Cove compared
Crows Nest
- Apartments
- The 1,441 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 61.0 per cent of occupied homes.
- Terraces and semi-detached dwellings
- At 622 dwellings, or 26.3 per cent of occupied homes, unusually high for inner Sydney.
- Very few freestanding houses
- Separate houses numbered only 264 at the 2021 Census, 11.2 per cent of occupied homes.
Lane Cove
- Apartments near the village
- The 3,093 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 62.4 per cent of occupied homes.
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,501 at the 2021 Census, 30.3 per cent of occupied homes.
- Two bedroom dwellings
- At 2,046 dwellings, the most common size recorded at the 2021 Census.
Official sale price and rent figures for Crows Nest and Lane Cove
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Crows Nest
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Crows Nest, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Lane Cove
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Lane Cove, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Crows Nest and Lane Cove
Crows Nest
Transport
- Crows Nest Metro (metro)
- St Leonards Station (train)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Pacific Highway (road)
Amenities
- Willoughby Road precinct
- Royal North Shore Hospital
- Crows Nest local parks
Lane Cove
Transport
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Crows Nest Metro (metro)
- Epping Road (road)
- Pacific Highway (road)
Amenities
- Lane Cove village centre
- Lane Cove National Park
- Lane Cove Aquatic Centre
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the New South Wales education department.
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Request a free assessment: Crows Nest or Lane Cove
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Crows Nest and Lane Cove, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.