Hornsby Heights
Almost nothing in Hornsby Heights is an apartment: separate houses make up 97.5% of dwellings and apartments just 0.4%, one of the most house-dominant profiles in metropolitan Sydney. That detached fabric pairs with a $1,735,000 median house price and household income in the 94.7th percentile nationally, so the suburb reads as established and family-anchored rather than transient. Larger homes follow, with 59.3% of dwellings holding four or more bedrooms against 3.8% with two. The 6,354 residents skew educated, as 48.6% hold a university qualification, 18.5 points above the national figure, and the median age of 41 sits one year above national.
Population
6,354
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,699/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
38
Median House
$1.7M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,735,000 median places Hornsby Heights at the premium end of the upper North Shore, and prices rose a modest 3.2% from $1,700,000 in 2024 to $1,755,000 in 2025, so the latest median sits at its peak with no recent pullback. Buyers are purchasing space rather than density: 97.5% of dwellings are separate houses, apartments are just 0.4%, and 59.3% of homes carry four or more bedrooms compared with 3.8% at two bedrooms. That mix suits established families more than downsizers or first-home buyers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,800, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold because incomes sit in the 94.7th percentile. Mortgage holders (50.2%) outnumber outright owners (40.6%), pointing to a working family base still paying down debt rather than a retired, debt-free one.
For Buyers
The $1,735,000 median places Hornsby Heights at the premium end of the upper North Shore, and prices rose a modest 3.2% from $1,700,000 in 2024 to $1,755,000 in 2025, so the latest median sits at its peak with no recent pullback. Buyers are purchasing space rather than density: 97.5% of dwellings are separate houses, apartments are just 0.4%, and 59.3% of homes carry four or more bedrooms compared with 3.8% at two bedrooms. That mix suits established families more than downsizers or first-home buyers. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,800, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold because incomes sit in the 94.7th percentile. Mortgage holders (50.2%) outnumber outright owners (40.6%), pointing to a working family base still paying down debt rather than a retired, debt-free one.
For Investors
Hornsby Heights is a thin rental market by design. Only 9.2% of residents rent against a 50.2% mortgage and 40.6% outright-owner base, so the tenant pool is shallow. Weekly rent of $620 against the $1,735,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.9%, low even by Sydney standards, which means the case rests on capital growth rather than cash flow. The 2.3% vacancy rate is tight and signals that what little stock exists rents quickly. Development is restrained at 35 applications in 12 months, and the samples are dwelling houses, alterations and complying-development certificates rather than new multi-unit supply, so future rental stock will stay scarce. For investors the appeal is a stable, low-turnover area where 86.7% of residents stayed put, not a high-yield or high-churn play.
Development Activity
Total DAs
245
Last 12 Months
38
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-11.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 41 runs 1.0 year above the national figure, and the household profile is solidly family-oriented, with an average household size of 3.0, which is 0.5 above national, and 2,736 couples with children against 1,116 couples without. University qualifications reach 48.6%, 18.5 points above national, a marker of the professional cohort that dominates the workforce. Overseas-born residents make up 31.0%, 9.4 points above national, yet ancestry still leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,332), Irish (657) and Scottish (637), with Chinese (528) the largest non-European group. The top non-English languages are Mandarin (126 speakers), Cantonese (48) and Persian (41), a modest international layer rather than a migrant-majority pattern. Christianity (2,967) is the dominant religion ahead of Hinduism (158) and Buddhism (118).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.5%
Houses
1.9%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward mortgaged owners: 50.2% carry a mortgage, 40.6% own outright and only 9.2% rent, a split that marks an established owner-occupier suburb still servicing debt. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 97.5% separate houses and just 0.4% apartments, and it skews large, as 59.3% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms versus 3.8% with two. The median house price climbed from $1,700,000 to $1,755,000 across 2024 to 2025, a 3.2% one-year move with no drop from its peak. Both housing-cost ratios stay comfortable, with mortgage-to-income at 24.0% and rent-to-income at 23.0%, each well below the 30% stress line, which reflects how household incomes in the 94.7th percentile absorb premium prices. The result is a low-stress, slow-turnover market where 86.7% of residents stayed in place.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,800
Rent / wk
$620
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$967
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.3%
Unoccupied
49
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.3%
Couples, no children
5,783
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in knowledge and care sectors: Healthcare leads at 16.1% (398 workers), Education follows at 15.0% (370) and Professional/Tech at 14.5% (358), with Finance at 8.3% and Construction at 7.7%. By occupation, Professionals (1,082) and Managers (521) form the bulk of jobs, consistent with the 48.6% university qualification rate that runs 18.5 points above national. Unemployment is low at 4.0% and the full-time employment rate is 65.4%. Participation reads 60.6%, which is held down because 1,596 residents are not in the labour force, a figure inflated by the family profile where one parent often stays home and by the older median age of 41. Personal income averages $967 a week while household income reaches $2,699, lifting the suburb into the 94.7th income percentile.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.4%
Part-time
30.6%
Participation
60.6%
Employed
2,922
Occupations
Top Industries
University
48.6%
Postgraduate
14.8%
Born Overseas
31.0%
Dwellings
2,077
Transport to Work
Daily life here is car-shaped: 86.9% of residents drive to work while only 6.0% use public transport and 2.3% walk or cycle, well below the active-transport share of denser inner suburbs, a function of the low 621.9 residents-per-square-kilometre density across 10.22 square kilometres. The household profile supports a family-friendly read, with an average household size of 3.0, which is 0.5 above national, and a volunteering rate of 18.9%. Detailed crime statistics are not recorded for the suburb in this dataset, but indirect indicators point to low disadvantage: only 3.6% of the 6,354 residents (225 people) need daily assistance and household income sits in the 94.7th percentile nationally. Housing-cost ratios stay easy, with both mortgage-to-income (24.0%) and rent-to-income (23.0%) below the 30% stress threshold.
Drive
86.9%
Public Transport
6.0%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Hornsby Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hornsby Heights a good suburb to live in?
Hornsby Heights sits in the 94.7th income percentile nationally, with 48.6% of residents university-qualified, 18.5 points above national. It is overwhelmingly detached at 97.5% separate houses and family-oriented with an average household size of 3.0. The main trade-off is a high $1,735,000 median house price.
What is the median house price in Hornsby Heights?
The median house price is $1,735,000. Prices rose 3.2% from $1,700,000 in 2024 to $1,755,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $620 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,800, giving a comfortable mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Hornsby Heights?
No schools are recorded inside the 10.22 square kilometre Hornsby Heights boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring areas. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 48.6%, which is 18.5 points above the national figure.
Is Hornsby Heights safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Hornsby Heights in this dataset. As indirect indicators, only 3.6% of its 6,354 residents (225 people) need daily assistance and household income sits in the 94.7th percentile nationally, both consistent with a low-disadvantage, established area.
Is Hornsby Heights good for property investment?
Rent of $620 a week against a $1,735,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.9%, low for Sydney, and only 9.2% of residents rent, so the tenant pool is thin. The 2.3% vacancy rate is tight, but with 3.2% annual price growth returns depend on capital growth rather than yield.
How is Hornsby Heights's population changing?
The 6,354 residents form a stable, low-churn base: turnover runs at 13.3% while 86.7% of residents stayed in place. New supply is limited to 35 development applications in 12 months, mostly single dwellings, so the population grows slowly rather than rapidly. The median age is 41, one year above national.
What languages are spoken in Hornsby Heights?
About 31.0% of residents were born overseas, 9.4 points above the national figure. English dominates, with Mandarin (126 speakers), Cantonese (48), Persian (41) and Hindi (24) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a modest international layer led by a Chinese ancestry group of 528.
How much development is happening in Hornsby Heights?
There were 35 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, modest for a 10.22 square kilometre suburb. Most are single dwelling houses, alterations and complying-development certificates rather than new multi-unit supply, consistent with an established detached area at 97.5% separate houses.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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