Hornsby - West
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Hornsby - West reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Hornsby - West's population, according to AreaSearch's analysis, is approximately 10,825 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 196 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,629 people. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,806 in June 2024 and an additional 27 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,721 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Hornsby - West's growth rate of 1.8% since the census is within 2.3 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth (4.1%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. The population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 91.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation, with Hornsby - West expected to increase by 1,358 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 12.3% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Hornsby - West according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Hornsby-West has received around 41 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 206 homes. As of FY-26, three approvals have been recorded. The area's population decline has maintained adequate housing supply relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice. New homes are being built at an average construction cost value of $577,000.

In FY-26, there have been $4.4 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Sydney, Hornsby-West has slightly more development per person over the past five years, supporting good buyer choice and existing property values. Recent construction comprises 50% detached dwellings and 50% townhouses or apartments, indicating a shift towards higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a significant change from the current housing mix of 70% houses, likely due to reduced development site availability and shifting lifestyle demands. With around 373 people per dwelling approval, Hornsby-West shows a developed market.

By 2041, Hornsby-West is expected to grow by 1,327 residents. Development is keeping pace with projected growth, but increasing competition among buyers can be anticipated as the population expands.

Hornsby - West has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified eight projects likely to impact this region. Notable ones include Hornsby Park, Twin Towers Hornsby, Hornsby Town Centre Masterplan, and Westfield Hornsby Mixed-Use Redevelopment. Below is a list of those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

The labour market performance in Hornsby - West lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Hornsby-West has an educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 9.3%.

As of June 2025, there are 5,338 employed residents, with an unemployment rate of 5.1%, higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation stands at 62.6%, close to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area has a significant concentration in professional & technical jobs, with levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction employment is limited at 5.7%, compared to the regional average of 8.6%. Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.3% and employment fell by 2.4%, raising the unemployment rate by 2.0 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.6% and a labour force growth of 2.9%. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, slightly below the national rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Hornsby-West's employment mix suggests local growth could be approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

Hornsby-West has a high national income level according to AreaSearch data from the ATO for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers is $57,776 and the average income stands at $74,096. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856 respectively. Based on a 10.6% growth in wages since financial year 2022, estimates for March 2025 would be approximately $63,900 (median) and $81,950 (average). Census data shows that incomes in Hornsby-West cluster around the 71st percentile nationally. The earnings profile reveals that 29.9% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, reflecting a pattern seen in the broader area where 30.9% occupy this range. Notably, 35.3% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 16.6% of income, yet strong earnings place disposable income at the 76th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Hornsby - West is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Hornsby - West, as per the latest Census, consisted of 70.4% houses and 29.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 61.4% houses and 38.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hornsby - West was at 32.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.2% and rented ones at 29.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,600, above Sydney metro's $2,500. The median weekly rent figure was $450, compared to Sydney metro's $480. Nationally, Hornsby - West's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Hornsby - West features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 77.5% of all households, including 42.5% couples with children, 23.8% couples without children, and 10.2% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 22.5%, with lone person households at 20.3% and group households at 2.1%. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

Hornsby - West demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Hornsby-West has a higher educational attainment than national and state averages. Among residents aged 15+, 47.5% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 28.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 25.7% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (14.6%).

Educational participation is high, with 32.2% currently enrolled in formal education, including primary (11.0%), secondary (8.2%), and tertiary education (6.3%). The area's four schools have a combined enrollment of 1,619 students and demonstrate strong socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1101). Educational mix includes three primary schools and one K-12 school.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

The analysis of public transport in Hornsby - West shows that there are 84 active transport stops currently operating. These stops offer a mix of train and bus services. The area is serviced by 60 individual routes in total, which collectively facilitate 5,156 weekly passenger trips.

The report dated 27th February 2021 rates the transport accessibility as excellent, with residents typically located 199 meters from their nearest transport stop. On average, service frequency across all routes is 736 trips per day, equating to approximately 61 weekly trips per individual stop.

Hornsby - West's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Hornsby-West data shows excellent health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover is high at approximately 56% (~6,116 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 60.8%.

Mental health issues and asthma are most common, affecting 6.7% and 6.5%, respectively. Overall, 74.6% report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 74.0%. The area has 17.4% seniors (1,879 people), with strong health outcomes aligning with the general population.

Hornsby - West is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Hornsby-West scores highly in cultural diversity, with 40.0% speaking a language other than English at home and 43.3% born overseas as of the latest data available. Christianity is the primary religion, comprising 44.3%. Judaism is slightly overrepresented at 0.4%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.4%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (20.4%), Australian (18.5%), and Chinese (17.5%), which exceeds the regional average of 11.6%. Korean, Russian, and South African ethnicities are notably higher than regional averages: Korean at 2.5% vs 2.0%, Russian at 0.9% vs 0.6%, and South African at 0.7% vs 0.6%.

Hornsby - West's median age exceeds the national pattern

Hornsby-West's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and slightly older than Australia's median of 38. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, residents aged 45-54 are notably over-represented at 15.3%, while those aged 25-34 are under-represented at 9.1%. According to the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 15-24 has increased from 11.0% to 12.2%, while the proportion of residents aged 65-74 has decreased from 9.8% to 9.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Hornsby-West's age profile will change significantly. The 55-64 cohort is projected to grow by 28%, adding 341 residents to reach 1,542. Conversely, both the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are expected to decrease in number.