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 was approximately 10,826 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 197 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,629. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,807 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, which exceeds the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Hornsby - West's growth rate of 1.9% since census is within 2.4 percentage points of the SA3 area (4.3%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 91.3% of overall population gains in 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 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 indicate an increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation, with Hornsby - West expected to grow by 1,358 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 12.2% over the 17 years.

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 annually over the past five financial years, totalling 206 homes from FY-17 to FY-21. As of FY-26, 7 approvals have been recorded. Despite population decline in the area, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice. The average expected construction cost value for new homes is $481,000, indicating a focus on premium properties by developers.

In FY-26, $4.4 million worth of commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting limited commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Hornsby-West has slightly more development per person over the five-year period, maintaining good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. Recent construction comprises 50% detached dwellings and 50% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a shift towards higher-density living to cater to downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This change is notable given the current housing mix of 70% houses. With around 373 people per dwelling approval, Hornsby-West indicates a developed market.

By 2041, Hornsby-West is projected to grow by 1,326 residents. Development activity is keeping pace with projected growth, though increasing competition among buyers is expected as the population expands.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 12 projects that may impact this region. Notable ones are Hornsby Park, Twin Towers Hornsby, transforming Hornsby Park from a quarry into parklands, and the Hornsby Town Centre Master Plan. The following list details those most relevant:.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

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

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

As of June 2025, there are 5,338 residents employed while the unemployment rate stands at 5.1%, which is 1 percentage point higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Hornsby-West is 62.6%, slightly above Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training sectors. Notably, employment in the professional & technical sector is at 1.3 times the regional average.

Conversely, construction employment is limited at 5.7% compared to the regional average of 8.6%. The area's predominantly residential nature suggests limited local employment opportunities. Over the year ending June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.3%, and employment dropped by 2.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 2.0 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with only a marginal increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project overall 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 of approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations 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's median income among taxpayers was $57,776 and average income stood at $74,096 in the financial year 2022. These figures compare to Greater Sydney's median of $56,994 and average of $80,856 respectively. Based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated median income would be approximately $65,062 and average income would be around $83,440 by September 2025. According to census data, household, family, and personal incomes in Hornsby-West cluster around the 71st percentile nationally. The earnings profile shows that 29.9% of residents (3,236 people) fall within the $1,500-$2,999 weekly income bracket. Notably, 35.3% earn above $3,000 weekly. High housing costs consume 16.6% of income, but 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

Hornsby-West had 70.4% houses and 29.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings) in the latest Census, compared to Sydney metro's 61.4% houses and 38.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hornsby-West was 32.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.2% and rented dwellings at 29.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,600, above Sydney metro's average of $2,500. Median weekly rent in Hornsby-West was $450, compared to Sydney metro's $480. Nationally, Hornsby-West's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and 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, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7 people.

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's educational attainment significantly surpasses broader benchmarks. As of 2021, 47.5% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 28.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 25.7% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (14.6%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of 2021. This includes 11.0% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 6.3% pursuing tertiary education. As of 2021, Hornsby-West's 4 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,619 students. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1101. The educational mix includes 3 primary schools and 1 K-12 school.

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

The transport analysis indicates that Hornsby - West has 84 active transport stops in operation. These are a mix of train and bus services. There are 60 individual routes servicing these stops, collectively facilitating 5,156 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility to public transport is rated excellent, with residents typically residing 199 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 736 trips per day across all routes, 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 recorded low prevalence rates for common health conditions across all age groups. Private health cover was high at approximately 56%, or about 6,116 individuals, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.8%.

Mental health issues and asthma were the most prevalent conditions, affecting 6.7% and 6.5% of residents respectively. About 74.6% reported no medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 74.0%. The area has 17.4%, or about 1,879 individuals, aged 65 and over. Seniors' health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

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 has high cultural diversity, with 40.0% speaking a language other than English at home and 43.3% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 44.3%. Judaism is overrepresented at 0.4%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.4%.

Top ancestry groups are English (20.4%), Australian (18.5%), and Chinese (17.5%), exceeding regional averages of 19.6% for English, 18.3% for Australian, and 11.6% for Chinese. Korean (2.5%) is notably overrepresented compared to the region's 2.0%. Russian (0.9%) and South African (0.7%) also have higher representation than regional averages of 0.6% each.

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 somewhat older than Australia's median of 38. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, the 45-54 cohort is notably over-represented at 15.3% locally, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 9.1%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.0% to 12.2% of the population. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort has decreased from 9.8% to 9.1%. Demographic modeling suggests that Hornsby-West's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. 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 see reduced numbers.