Hornsby Heights

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

The population of Hornsby Heights is estimated at approximately 6,916 as of February 2026. This represents an increase of 562 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,354. The current resident population estimate of 6,607, based on AreaSearch's analysis of June 2024 ABS ERP data release and validation of two new addresses, indicates this growth. This results in a population density ratio of 676 persons per square kilometer. The suburb has experienced an 8.8% growth rate since the 2021 Census, outpacing both its SA4 region (5.8%) and SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 56.99999999999999% of overall population gains in recent periods.

AreaSearch projects future growth using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2-level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Hornsby Heights is projected to have an above median population growth, expanding by 1,017 persons, reflecting a total increase of 12.4% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Hornsby Heights when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Hornsby Heights has had around 16 dwellings receiving development approval each year. Approximately 80 homes were approved between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, with 2 more approved in FY-26 so far. On average, 7.8 people have moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years.

This supply lagging demand has led to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New properties are constructed at an average value of $456,000, higher than regional norms due to quality-focused development. In FY-26, $9.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating steady commercial investment activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Hornsby Heights maintains similar construction rates per person, keeping market balance consistent with the broader area, which is below average nationally, suggesting maturity and possible planning constraints. New development consists of 44.0% detached houses and 56.0% attached dwellings, marking a significant shift from existing housing patterns (currently 98.0% houses), indicating diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and affordability needs. The area has an estimated 405 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet development environment.

Future projections estimate Hornsby Heights will add 856 residents by 2041, with construction maintaining a reasonable pace despite growing competition as population increases.

Hornsby Heights has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are Hornsby Park transformation from quarry to parklands, Mount Colah Station Upgrade, Arlington Heights Estate development, and Berowra Valley National Park Northern Extension. The following list outlines 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Hornsby Heights recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Hornsby Heights has a highly educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 7.5%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 3432 residents are employed while the unemployment rate stands at 3.3% above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Hornsby Heights is broadly similar to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. Census responses indicate that 51.3% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. The area shows strong specialization in education & training with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level, while retail trade has limited presence at 7.3% compared to the regional average of 9.3%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, labour force increased by 0.8% while employment declined by 2.1%, resulting in an unemployment rate rise of 2.7 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1%, labour force expand by 2.4%, and unemployment rise by 0.2 percentage points during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Hornsby Heights' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, though these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch reports that postcode level ATO data for Hornsby Heights in financial year 2023 shows a median taxpayer income of $56,973 and an average income of $72,738. These figures exceed the national averages. In Greater Sydney, the median was $60,817 and the average was $83,003. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $62,021 (median) and $79,183 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86%. Census 2021 data ranks Hornsby Heights household incomes at the 93rd percentile with a weekly income of $2,699. The dominant income bracket is $1,500 - $2,999, comprising 28.2% of residents (1,950 people). This is consistent with metropolitan trends where 30.9% fall into the same category. High weekly earnings exceeding $3,000 are achieved by 45.0% of households, supporting strong consumer spending. Housing accounts for 14.2% of income, and residents rank in the 94th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

In Hornsby Heights, as per the latest Census, 97.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 2.4% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Sydney metro's dwelling structure of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hornsby Heights stood at 40.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 50.2% and rented ones at 9.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,800, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent in Hornsby Heights was $620, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863 and rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 86.1% of all households, including 50.3% couples with children, 25.1% couples without children, and 9.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 13.9%, with lone person households at 12.7% and group households comprising 1.1% of the total. The median household size is 3.0 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 40.5%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 57.1%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 31.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.4%) and certificates (18.9%). Educational participation is high, with 32.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 11.0% in primary, 9.9% in secondary, and 5.7% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 32.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.0% in primary education, 9.9% in secondary education, and 5.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Hornsby Heights has 57 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by eight different routes that together facilitate 362 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transport services is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 163 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation for 82% of residents, while trains are used by 10%. On average, there are 1.7 vehicles per dwelling, exceeding the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 51.3% of residents work from home, a figure that may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 51 trips per day, equating to roughly six weekly trips per individual stop.

Hornsby Heights's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Hornsby Heights based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Younger cohorts in particular have very low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 56% of the total population (around 3,850 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney. The most common medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 7.5% and 7.2% of residents respectively. 72.0% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 17.8% of residents aged 65 and over (1,231 people), higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are strong but rank lower nationally compared to the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Hornsby Heights was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Hornsby Heights, as of the 2016 Census, had a higher proportion of residents speaking a language other than English at home (20.9%) compared to most local areas. Overseas-born individuals made up 31.0% of its population. Christianity was the predominant religion in Hornsby Heights with 48.8%.

Judaism, however, was more prevalent here at 0.7%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 0.8%. In terms of ancestry, English (26.2%) and Australian (24.0%) were significantly overrepresented compared to regional averages of 19.0% and 17.8% respectively. Other ancestry made up 10.5%, lower than the regional average of 16.0%. Notable differences existed in representation of certain ethnic groups: Russian (0.7%), South African (0.9%), and Korean (0.8%) were all more prevalent in Hornsby Heights compared to regional averages.

Hornsby Heights's median age exceeds the national pattern

Hornsby Heights has a median age of 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and slightly older than Australia's median of 38. Comparing with Greater Sydney, Hornsby Heights has an over-representation of the 45-54 age cohort at 17.4%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 4.7%. This concentration in the 45-54 age group is well above the national average of 12.0%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15 to 24 grew from 13.2% to 14.5%, while those aged 75 to 84 increased from 4.8% to 5.9%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group decreased from 6.9% to 4.7%, and the 55-64 age group dropped from 13.4% to 12.2%. Demographic modeling suggests that Hornsby Heights' age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the strongest projected growth in the 55-64 cohort at 26%, adding 222 residents to reach 1,066. The demographic aging trend continues as residents aged 65 and older represent 58% of anticipated population growth. However, population declines are projected for the 5-14 and 0-4 age cohorts.