Thornleigh

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

As of November 2025, Thornleigh's population is estimated at around 9,212 people. This reflects an increase of 314 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,898 people. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 9,198 residents following examination of the latest ERP data release by ABS (June 2024), along with an additional 84 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 2,380 persons per square kilometer, placing Thornleigh in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 91.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where applicable, 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. According to aggregated SA2-level projections, Thornleigh is expected to increase by 173 persons to the year 2041, reflecting a gain of 1.5% in total over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Thornleigh, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Thornleigh averaged around 29 new dwelling approvals annually over the past 5 financial years, totalling an estimated 149 homes. By FY-26, 3 approvals have been recorded so far. Over these years, there was an average of 1.1 new residents per year arriving per new home, suggesting balanced supply and demand with stable market conditions. However, this has accelerated to 10 people per dwelling over the past 2 financial years, indicating increasing demand and tightening supply. Development projects averaged $751,000 in construction value, targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year, $10.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Recent construction comprised 90.0% detached dwellings and 10.0% medium and high-density housing, sustaining Thornleigh's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space.

The location had approximately 703 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. Looking ahead, Thornleigh is expected to grow by 139 residents through to 2041, as estimated by the latest AreaSearch quarterly report. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Thornleigh has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Ten projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to influence the local area's performance significantly. These include Thornleigh Quarter, Thornleigh Marketplace Redevelopment, 15-19 Station Street Mixed-Use Development Thornleigh, and The Sanctuary Thornleigh. Relevant details about these projects follow.

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

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

Thornleigh has an educated workforce with notable representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 6.4%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of June 2025, there are 4,863 employed residents, with an unemployment rate at 2.2% above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Thornleigh stands at 67.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading employment industries among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Notably, education & training has a higher employment share than the regional level, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional average.

Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing has limited presence in Thornleigh, with only 2.6% employment compared to the regional average of 5.3%. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, Thornleigh's labour force increased by 0.2%, while employment declined by 1.1%, resulting in an unemployment rate rise of 1.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6% and labour force expansion of 2.9%, with a smaller increase in unemployment at 0.3 percentage points. Job forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in Sep-22, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Thornleigh's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Thornleigh has exceptionally high income levels nationally. The median income is $63,862 and the average income stands at $96,148. This contrasts with Greater Sydney's figures of a median income of $56,994 and an average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Thornleigh would be approximately $71,915 (median) and $108,272 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household, family, and personal incomes in Thornleigh rank highly nationally, between the 81st and 93rd percentiles. Income distribution shows that the predominant cohort spans 29.5% of locals (2,717 people) earning $4000 or more per week, differing from the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. Thornleigh demonstrates considerable affluence with 45.1% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. High housing costs consume 15.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 93rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Thornleigh's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 76.5% houses and 23.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Sydney metro had no houses or other dwellings recorded at that time. Thornleigh's home ownership rate was 32.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 44.3% and rented ones at 23.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Thornleigh was $2,800, aligning with Sydney metro's average. The median weekly rent was $530, unlike Sydney metro which had no recorded figures for these metrics. Nationally, Thornleigh's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Thornleigh features high concentrations of family households, with a median household size of 2.9 people

Family households constitute 81.8% of all households, including 46.8% couples with children, 22.4% couples without children, and 11.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 18.2%, with lone person households making up 16.2% and group households comprising 2.1%. The median household size is 2.9 people.

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

Thornleigh's educational attainment exceeds national and state averages. Among residents aged 15+, 48.7% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 30.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%). Vocational pathways account for 23.7%, with advanced diplomas at 11.0% and certificates at 12.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.4% currently enrolled in formal education: 11.3% in primary, 9.1% in secondary, and 6.3% in tertiary. Thornleigh West Public School and Normanhurst West Public School serve 864 students collectively. These schools focus on primary education; secondary options are available nearby. The area's ICSEA score is 1137, indicating significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement.

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

Thornleigh has 90 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 48 individual routes that collectively facilitate 3,185 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 134 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 455 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 35 weekly trips per stop.

Thornleigh's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Thornleigh. Prevalence of common health conditions is very low across all age groups.

The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 65% of the total population (5,972 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 7.3 and 7.2% of residents respectively. 72.9% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 0% across Greater Sydney. As of 14th June 2021, 15.3% of residents are aged 65 and over (1,409 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Thornleigh's population shows high cultural diversity, with 37.1% born overseas and 32.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 51.0%. Hinduism, however, is more prevalent in Thornleigh at 4.5%, compared to none across Greater Sydney.

The top three ancestral groups are English (21.7%), Australian (20.6%), and Other (11.1%). Notable disparities exist in the representation of Korean (2.3% vs none regionally), Lebanese (2.6% vs none), and Russian (0.5% vs none).

Thornleigh's median age exceeds the national pattern

Thornleigh has a median age of 40, which is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's figure of 38. Compared to the Greater Sydney average, Thornleigh has an over-representation of the 45-54 age cohort (16.0%) and an under-representation of the 25-34 age cohort (8.8%). Between 2021 and the present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 12.2% to 13.9%, while the 5-14 age group has decreased from 15.4% to 14.7%. By 2041, Thornleigh's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 75-84 age cohort is expected to grow by 179 people (34%), from 525 to 705. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are projected to account for 95% of total population growth. Conversely, the 45-54 and 15-24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.