Cherrybrook vs Castle Hill

Comparing Cherrybrook and Castle Hill, NSW: Castle Hill carries more crime risk (43 vs 18); Castle Hill has more residents (40,874 vs 19,082); and Castle Hill is more walkable (96 vs 83).

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Castle Hill

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (37 vs 11)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (13 vs 4)
  • has more parks and reserves (34 vs 12)
  • But Cherrybrook carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 43/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Cherrybrook has cheaper land ($1,950,000 vs $3,490,000)
  • Castle Hill has cheaper units ($964,000 vs $1,600,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Castle Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($560/wk vs $695/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Cherrybrook sits closer to the CBD (29.2 km vs 31.5 km)
  • Castle Hill is more walkable (96/100 vs 83/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Castle Hill

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (13 vs 3)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 83/100)
  • But Cherrybrook carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 43/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Cherrybrook and Castle Hill drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Walkability 83 / 96
Cherrybrook — Walkability: 83/100 Castle Hill — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 82 / 57
Cherrybrook — Safety: 82/100 Castle Hill — Safety: 57/100
Low fire risk 66 / 82
Cherrybrook — Low fire risk: 66/100 Castle Hill — Low fire risk: 82/100

Demographics

Castle Hill has more residents (40,874 vs 19,082); Cherrybrook rents higher ($695/wk vs $560/wk).

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Population 19,082 40,874
+114% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.7% +3.2%
Median age 43 42
Median household income $152,048/yr
+13% vs other
 $132,652/yr
Median weekly rent $695/wk
+19% vs other
 $560/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
0-4 3.7% / 4.3%
Cherrybrook — 0-4: 3.7% Castle Hill — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 14.7% / 14.5%
Cherrybrook — 5-14: 14.7% Castle Hill — 5-14: 14.5%
15-19 7.8% / 6.7%
Cherrybrook — 15-19: 7.8% Castle Hill — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 5.9% / 5.8%
Cherrybrook — 20-24: 5.9% Castle Hill — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 7.2% / 8.3%
Cherrybrook — 25-34: 7.2% Castle Hill — 25-34: 8.3%
35-44 13.4% / 14.2%
Cherrybrook — 35-44: 13.4% Castle Hill — 35-44: 14.2%
45-54 14.7% / 14.3%
Cherrybrook — 45-54: 14.7% Castle Hill — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 13.8% / 12.0%
Cherrybrook — 55-64: 13.8% Castle Hill — 55-64: 12.0%
65-74 10.8% / 10.4%
Cherrybrook — 65-74: 10.8% Castle Hill — 65-74: 10.4%
75-84 5.3% / 6.2%
Cherrybrook — 75-84: 5.3% Castle Hill — 75-84: 6.2%
85+ 2.7% / 3.4%
Cherrybrook — 85+: 2.7% Castle Hill — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cherrybrook 73.1% couple families
Cherrybrook — Couple Families: 73.1% Cherrybrook — Lone Person: 14.7% Cherrybrook — One Parent Families: 10.8% Cherrybrook — Group Household: 0.9% Cherrybrook — Other Families: 0.5%
Castle Hill 64.0% couple families
Castle Hill — Couple Families: 64.0% Castle Hill — Lone Person: 20.9% Castle Hill — One Parent Families: 12.3% Castle Hill — Group Household: 1.8% Castle Hill — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cherrybrook 15.3% renting
Cherrybrook — Owned Outright: 40.6% Cherrybrook — Mortgage: 44.1% Cherrybrook — Renting: 15.3%
Castle Hill 24.1% renting
Castle Hill — Owned Outright: 36.8% Castle Hill — Mortgage: 39.2% Castle Hill — Renting: 24.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Bachelor Degree 24.3% / 21.8%
Cherrybrook — Bachelor Degree: 24.3% Castle Hill — Bachelor Degree: 21.8%
Postgraduate Degree 12.8% / 10.8%
Cherrybrook — Postgraduate Degree: 12.8% Castle Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 10.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 8.3%
Cherrybrook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Castle Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Certificate III & IV 5.4% / 7.1%
Cherrybrook — Certificate III & IV: 5.4% Castle Hill — Certificate III & IV: 7.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / 2.3%
Cherrybrook — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% Castle Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.3%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
China 9.6% / 9.2%
Cherrybrook — China: 9.6% Castle Hill — China: 9.2%
India 8.8% / 5.4%
Cherrybrook — India: 8.8% Castle Hill — India: 5.4%
England 3.4% / 3.0%
Cherrybrook — England: 3.4% Castle Hill — England: 3.0%
Sri Lanka 3.1% / 1.6%
Cherrybrook — Sri Lanka: 3.1% Castle Hill — Sri Lanka: 1.6%
Malaysia 2.8% / 1.4%
Cherrybrook — Malaysia: 2.8% Castle Hill — Malaysia: 1.4%
Iran 1.6% / 1.7%
Cherrybrook — Iran: 1.6% Castle Hill — Iran: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cherrybrook 81.5% houses
Cherrybrook — Houses: 81.5% Cherrybrook — Townhouses: 17.2% Cherrybrook — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Castle Hill 73.7% houses
Castle Hill — Houses: 73.7% Castle Hill — Townhouses: 10.9% Castle Hill — Flats / Apartments: 15.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Median house price $2,370,000 $2,460,000
Median unit price $1,600,000 $964,000
Median land price $1,950,000 $3,490,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 152 sales
 26 days
from 431 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
3 bed $1.76M / $1.92M
Cherrybrook — 3 bed: $1.76M (50 sales) Castle Hill — 3 bed: $1.92M (79 sales)

50 vs 79 sales

4 bed $2.38M / $2.4M
Cherrybrook — 4 bed: $2.38M (91 sales) Castle Hill — 4 bed: $2.4M (200 sales)

91 vs 200 sales

5 bed $2.71M / $2.73M
Cherrybrook — 5 bed: $2.71M (69 sales) Castle Hill — 5 bed: $2.73M (136 sales)

69 vs 136 sales

Zoning mix

Cherrybrook has more land zoned for conservation (20% vs 10%).

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Residential 69% 68%
Environmental 20% 10%
Parks and recreation 8% 12%
Industrial 0% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 2%
same for both
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
New dwellings approved 260
across Hornsby
 2,648
across The Hills
Approvals change year on year -79% -4%

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Houses 2.8%
$1,175/wk on $2.21M
 2.9%
$988/wk on $1.8M
Units — 4.7%
$820/wk on $900K

Ranking within NSW

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
House price Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Income Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Schools Higher than 100% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 93% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 16% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 54% of NSW

Liveability

Castle Hill is more walkable (96 vs 83).

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Grade A+ A
Score 87/100 84/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Castle Hill carries more crime risk (43 vs 18); Cherrybrook carries more bushfire risk (34 vs 18).

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Bushfire Low
34/100
 Low
18/100
Crime Low
18/100
 Moderate
43/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Inside the suburb 4 13
Rated above peers 4 7
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
Macquarie University Wallumattagal Campus at North Ryde, 9.9 km
 2
Western Sydney University - Parramatta, 9.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.6% 3.6%

Schools in Cherrybrook

  • Cherrybrook Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Cherrybrook Technology High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • John Purchase Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Tangara School for Girls Independent · Combined above peers

Schools in Castle Hill

  • Castle Hill High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Castle Hill Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Excelsior Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Oakhill College Independent · Secondary above peers
  • Oakhill Drive Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Samuel Gilbert Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Supermarkets 1 4
Cafes & restaurants 6 39
Parks & reserves 12 34
Childcare 11 37
GPs 3 13
Pharmacies 2 10
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2 10
Fuel stations 1
same for both
EV chargers 2 1
Waterways 12 16

Mobility

Castle Hill sits further from the CBD (31.5 km vs 29.2 km).

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Walkability score 83/100 96/100
Distance to Sydney 29.2 km 31.5 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 31 min 35 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 813.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 1508.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.4%
postcode 2126
 2.9%
postcode 2154
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 2126
 42
postcode 2154

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Worked from Home 60.4% / 55.3%
Cherrybrook — Worked from Home: 60.4% Castle Hill — Worked from Home: 55.3%
Car (driver) 31.9% / 37.0%
Cherrybrook — Car (driver): 31.9% Castle Hill — Car (driver): 37.0%
Train 2.9% / 2.5%
Cherrybrook — Train: 2.9% Castle Hill — Train: 2.5%
Car (passenger) 2.2% / 2.4%
Cherrybrook — Car (passenger): 2.2% Castle Hill — Car (passenger): 2.4%
Bus 1.6% / 1.5%
Cherrybrook — Bus: 1.6% Castle Hill — Bus: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.4%).

Setting

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Elevation 146 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 105 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 21.0 km 24.6 km

NBN connectivity

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Connectivity score 75/100 70/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 11%
6,463 premises
 9%
18,435 premises

Climate

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Annual rainfall 1,021 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.2°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³ 6.1 µg/m³
PM10 14.2 µg/m³ 16.9 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.23 pphm 0.83 pphm

Council rates

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Average residential rate $1,488/yr $1,204/yr
Council Hornsby The Hills

Federal electorate

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Division Berowra Mitchell
Member Julian Leeser Alex Hawke
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cherrybrook Castle Hill
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cherrybrook

Easy Commute Multicultural Outer Parks Premium Professionals Quiet Transport Hub

Castle Hill

Easy Commute Multicultural Outer Parks Premium Professionals Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cherrybrook

Cherrybrook vs West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook vs Dural Cherrybrook vs Pennant Hills Cherrybrook vs Westleigh

Other comparisons with Castle Hill

Castle Hill vs Baulkham Hills Castle Hill vs Kellyville Castle Hill vs West Pennant Hills Castle Hill vs Dural Castle Hill vs Glenhaven Castle Hill vs Norwest
Full data on Cherrybrook Full data on Castle Hill
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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