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 around 6,916 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 562 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,354 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 6,607 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 2 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 676 persons per square kilometer. The suburb's 8.8% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (5.8%) and the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 57% 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. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, 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. Anticipating future population dynamics, an above median population growth is projected, with the area expected to expand by 990 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of approximately 10% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Hornsby Heights when compared nationally

Hornsby Heights has seen approximately 16 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 82 homes were approved, with an additional 2 approved in FY26 so far. Each year, about 7.6 people move into the area per dwelling built over these five years.

This supply lagging demand indicates heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New properties are constructed at an average value of $461,000, higher than regional norms due to quality-focused development. In FY26, commercial approvals totalled $9.8 million, showing steady investment activity. Hornsby Heights maintains similar construction rates per person compared to Greater Sydney, reflecting its mature market and possible planning constraints. Current new developments consist of 44% detached houses and 56% attached dwellings, a shift from the existing 98% houses, suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and affordability needs. The area's quiet development environment is reflected in its estimated 382 people per dwelling approval.

Future projections estimate Hornsby Heights will add 681 residents by 2041. Current development levels seem aligned with future requirements, maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six projects likely influencing the region. Notable ones are Hornsby Park's 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.

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

Hornsby Heights has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector prominently represented. The unemployment rate was 6.9% in an unspecified past year. As of December 2025, 3437 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 7.1%, which is 2.7 percentage points higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation is similar to Greater Sydney's at 70.2%. According to Census responses, 51.3% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. The area shows strong specialization in education & training, with employment share at 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 may offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. In the 12-month period ending in an unspecified month, labour force increased by 1.2%, while employment declined by 0.5%, leading to a 1.5 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's growth in employment (2.2%) and labour force (2.3%), and marginal unemployment increase. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly 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 weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes only 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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of 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 of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively across Greater Sydney. Considering the Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated median and average incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $62,021 and $79,183 respectively. Census 2021 data shows household incomes rank at the 93rd percentile with a weekly income of $2,699. The dominant income bracket is $1,500 - 2,999, with 28.2% of residents (1,950 people) falling within this range, similar to the metropolitan region's 30.9%. High earnings are evident in 45.0% of households earning over $3,000 weekly. Housing expenses account for 14.2% of income. Residents rank at the 94th percentile for disposable income and 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

Dwelling structure in Hornsby Heights, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 97.5% houses and 2.4% other dwellings including semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Sydney metropolitan area's structure of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hornsby Heights stood at 40.4%, with mortgaged dwellings making up 50.2% and rented dwellings accounting for 9.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,800, higher than Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $620, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Hornsby Heights' mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were 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, which is 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.

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

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 area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 163 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outside Hornsby Heights, primarily by car (82%), with train use at 10%. On average, there are 1.7 vehicles per dwelling, higher than the regional norm. According to the 2021 Census, 51.3% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

The service frequency averages 51 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 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

Hornsby Heights shows excellent health outcomes, as per AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Notably, younger cohorts have a very low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is high at approximately 56% (~3,850 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 59.9%. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (7.5%) and arthritis (7.2%). A total of 72.0% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 74.6%. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Hornsby Heights has 18.1% of residents aged 65 and over (1,251 people), higher than Greater Sydney's 15.4%. While health outcomes among seniors are strong, they 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 per the data, had a higher level of cultural diversity than most local areas. Specifically, 20.9% of its residents spoke a language other than English at home, and 31.0% were born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Hornsby Heights, with 48.8% of people identifying as such.

However, Judaism stood out with 0.7%, slightly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 0.8%. Regarding ancestry, English was the most represented at 26.2%, significantly higher than the regional average of 19.0%. Australian ancestry followed closely at 24.0%, also higher than the regional average of 17.8%. Other ancestry made up 10.5%, lower than the regional average of 16.0%. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Russian (0.7% vs 0.4%), South Australian (0.9% vs 0.5%), and Korean (0.8% vs 1.1%) were all relatively overrepresented in Hornsby Heights compared to regional averages.

Hornsby Heights's median age exceeds the national pattern

Hornsby Heights's median age is 41 years, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 and slightly above Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Sydney, Hornsby Heights has a notably higher proportion of the 45-54 age group (17.6% vs. 12.0%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (4.9%). According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group grew from 13.2% to 14.7%, while the 45-54 cohort increased from 16.3% to 17.6%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group decreased from 6.9% to 4.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Hornsby Heights's age profile. The 55-64 cohort is expected to grow by 23%, adding 195 residents to reach 1,053. Residents aged 65 and older will represent 62% of the population growth, while declines are projected for the 5-14 and 0-4 age groups.