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 the Hornsby Heights statistical area (Lv2) was estimated at around 6,914 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 560 people since the Census in 2021, which reported a population of 6,354. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of 6,607 residents based on examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), along with validation of two new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 676 persons per square kilometer. The area's growth rate of 8.8% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (5.7%) and the SA3 area, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 56.99999999999999% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, an above median population growth is projected for the area, with an expected expansion of 1,016 persons, reflecting a total increase of 12.3% over the 17-year period.

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

Hornsby Heights has seen approximately 16 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Around 80 homes have been approved in the area over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, with an additional two approved so far in FY26. Each year, an average of 7.8 people move to Hornsby Heights for each dwelling built during these five financial years.

This supply lagging demand indicates heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average construction value of new properties is $456,000, higher than regional norms due to quality-focused development. In FY26, commercial approvals totaling $9.8 million have been registered, demonstrating steady commercial investment activity. Hornsby Heights maintains similar construction rates per person compared to Greater Sydney, reflecting its mature and potentially planning-constrained area status. New developments consist of 44% detached houses and 56% attached dwellings, a significant shift from the current 98% houses, indicating diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. The area's quiet development environment is reflected in an estimated 405 people per dwelling approval.

Future projections show Hornsby Heights adding 850 residents by 2041, with construction maintaining a reasonable pace despite growing competition as the population increases.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified six projects likely impacting the region. Key projects 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 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.

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%, based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, there are 3,435 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 3.3% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Hornsby Heights stands at 66.4%, exceeding Greater Sydney's 60.0%. 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 1.5 times the regional level.

Retail trade has limited presence at 7.3% compared to the regional average of 9.3%. It appears that Hornsby Heights offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Over a 12-month period, labour force increased by 0.8% while employment declined by 2.1%, resulting in an unemployment rate rise of 2.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1%, labour force expand by 2.4%, and unemployment rise by only 0.2 percentage points. State-level data from NSW to 25-Nov shows employment contracted by 0.03% with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, comparing favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. 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 extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized 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 based on postcode-level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Hornsby Heights had a median taxpayer income of $56,973 and an average income of $72,738. These figures are higher than the national averages. In Greater Sydney, the median was $60,817 and the average was $83,003. By September 2025, estimates suggest these figures could be around $62,021 (median) and $79,183 (average), accounting for an 8.86% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. According to Census 2021 income data, Hornsby Heights' household incomes rank at the 93rd percentile with a weekly median of $2,699. The most common income bracket is $1,500 - 2,999, with 28.2% of residents (1,949 people). This is similar to the metropolitan region's trend of 30.9%. Notably, 45.0% of households earn more than $3,000 weekly, indicating strong consumer spending power. Housing expenses consume 14.2% of income. The area ranks at the 94th percentile for disposable income and falls within the 9th decile based on its SEIFA income ranking.

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

The dwelling structure in Hornsby Heights, as per the latest Census, consisted of 97.5% houses and 2.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is compared to Sydney metro's 61.4% houses and 38.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hornsby Heights was at 40.4%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (50.2%) or rented (9.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,800, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,500. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $620, compared to Sydney metro's $480. Nationally, Hornsby Heights' mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are 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 constitute 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 comprise the remaining 13.9%, with lone person households at 12.7% and group households making up 1.1%. 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 also prevalent, with 31.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 12.4% and certificates at 18.9%. Educational participation is high, with 32.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes primary (11.0%), secondary (9.9%), and tertiary (5.7%) education levels.

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

Transport analysis shows 57 active transport stops in Hornsby Heights, served by buses. These stops are covered by 8 routes, offering 362 weekly passenger trips. Residents' access to transport is rated excellent, with an average distance of 163 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 51 trips per day across all routes, equating to about 6 weekly trips per stop.

Hornsby Heights's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics indicates robust performance throughout Hornsby Heights, with both younger and older age groups experiencing low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 56% of the total population (around 3,849 people), compared to 61.4% across Greater Sydney.

Asthma and arthritis emerged as the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 7.5% and 7.2% of residents respectively, while 72.0% reported being completely free from medical ailments, slightly lower than the 74.0% figure for Greater Sydney. The area has 17.2% of its population aged 65 and over (1,189 people). Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, largely aligning with the overall population's health profile.

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, surveyed in June 2016, showed higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 20.9% speaking a language other than English at home and 31.0% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, at 48.8%. Judaism, however, was overrepresented at 0.7%, compared to 0.4% in Greater Sydney.

Regarding ancestry, the top groups were English (26.2%), Australian (24.0%), and Other (10.5%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Russian was higher at 0.7% (vs regional 0.6%), South African at 0.9% (vs 0.6%), and Korean lower at 0.8% (vs 2.0%).

Hornsby Heights's median age exceeds the national pattern

Hornsby Heights has a median age of 41 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's median of 38 years. The 45-54 age group is notably over-represented in Hornsby Heights at 17.4%, compared to the Greater Sydney average of 12.1%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 5.0%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group has increased from 13.2% to 14.3%, while the 45-54 cohort has risen from 16.3% to 17.4%. However, the 25-34 age group has declined from 6.9% to 5.0%, and the 55-64 age group has dropped from 13.4% to 12.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Hornsby Heights' age profile. The 55-64 cohort is expected to grow by 26%, adding 221 residents to reach 1,065. Residents aged 65 and older will represent 60% of the anticipated population growth. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 5-14 and 0-4 age cohorts.