Hornsby vs Thornleigh

In both, most households own their home. In Hornsby, most homes are flats or apartments and about half of households are couple families. In Thornleigh, the large majority of homes are detached houses and most households are couple families. On these figures, Hornsby tends to suit people living alone, while Thornleigh suits couples.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Hornsby has more schools inside the suburb (7 vs 2)
  • Thornleigh has more separate houses rather than flats (77% vs 35%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hornsby

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($440/wk vs $530/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

  • Hornsby gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (11% vs 5%)
  • Thornleigh has a shorter drive in (32 min vs 37 min)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Hornsby

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (15 vs 4)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (65% vs 24%)
  • But Thornleigh carries lower crime risk (42/100 vs 70/100)

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

Investors

Thornleigh

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (6.0% vs 4.8%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hornsby Thornleigh
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.

Hornsby Thornleigh
Walkability 96 / 89
Hornsby — Walkability: 96/100 Thornleigh — Walkability: 89/100
Safety 30 / 58
Hornsby — Safety: 30/100 Thornleigh — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 35 / 34
Hornsby — Low fire risk: 35/100 Thornleigh — Low fire risk: 34/100

Demographics

Hornsby has more residents (22,462 vs 8,898); Thornleigh has higher household incomes ($139,412 vs $101,504).

Hornsby Thornleigh
Population 22,462
+60% vs other
 8,898
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.3% +5.1%
Median age 38 40
Median household income $101,504/yr $139,412/yr
+37% vs other
Median weekly rent $440/wk $530/wk
+20% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hornsby Thornleigh
0-4 6.0% / 5.5%
Hornsby — 0-4: 6.0% Thornleigh — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 11.6% / 15.4%
Hornsby — 5-14: 11.6% Thornleigh — 5-14: 15.4%
15-19 4.6% / 6.6%
Hornsby — 15-19: 4.6% Thornleigh — 15-19: 6.6%
20-24 6.0% / 5.6%
Hornsby — 20-24: 6.0% Thornleigh — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 15.3% / 9.4%
Hornsby — 25-34: 15.3% Thornleigh — 25-34: 9.4%
35-44 17.8% / 14.8%
Hornsby — 35-44: 17.8% Thornleigh — 35-44: 14.8%
45-54 13.5% / 16.3%
Hornsby — 45-54: 13.5% Thornleigh — 45-54: 16.3%
55-64 10.6% / 11.5%
Hornsby — 55-64: 10.6% Thornleigh — 55-64: 11.5%
65-74 8.5% / 8.0%
Hornsby — 65-74: 8.5% Thornleigh — 65-74: 8.0%
75-84 4.2% / 5.1%
Hornsby — 75-84: 4.2% Thornleigh — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 1.9% / 1.8%
Hornsby — 85+: 1.9% Thornleigh — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hornsby 45.0% couple families
Hornsby — Couple Families: 45.0% Hornsby — Lone Person: 34.7% Hornsby — One Parent Families: 13.6% Hornsby — Group Household: 4.7% Hornsby — Other Families: 2.0%
Thornleigh 60.3% couple families
Thornleigh — Couple Families: 60.3% Thornleigh — Lone Person: 20.8% Thornleigh — One Parent Families: 15.2% Thornleigh — Group Household: 2.7% Thornleigh — 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.

Hornsby 44.1% renting
Hornsby — Owned Outright: 23.4% Hornsby — Mortgage: 32.5% Hornsby — Renting: 44.1%
Thornleigh 23.8% renting
Thornleigh — Owned Outright: 32.2% Thornleigh — Mortgage: 44.0% Thornleigh — Renting: 23.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Hornsby Thornleigh
Bachelor Degree 23.5% / 22.4%
Hornsby — Bachelor Degree: 23.5% Thornleigh — Bachelor Degree: 22.4%
Postgraduate Degree 12.0% / 11.3%
Hornsby — Postgraduate Degree: 12.0% Thornleigh — Postgraduate Degree: 11.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 8.2%
Hornsby — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Thornleigh — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Certificate III & IV 7.4% / 7.1%
Hornsby — Certificate III & IV: 7.4% Thornleigh — Certificate III & IV: 7.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 2.7%
Hornsby — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Thornleigh — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.5%).

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.

Hornsby Thornleigh
China 12.6% / 6.4%
Hornsby — China: 12.6% Thornleigh — China: 6.4%
India 5.7% / 3.7%
Hornsby — India: 5.7% Thornleigh — India: 3.7%
England 2.8% / 3.5%
Hornsby — England: 2.8% Thornleigh — England: 3.5%
Philippines 2.8% / 1.9%
Hornsby — Philippines: 2.8% Thornleigh — Philippines: 1.9%
Nepal 4.4% / —
Hornsby — Nepal: 4.4% Thornleigh — Nepal: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.4%
Hornsby — New Zealand: 1.3% Thornleigh — New Zealand: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hornsby 35.3% houses
Hornsby — Houses: 35.3% Hornsby — Flats / Apartments: 59.3% Hornsby — Townhouses: 5.4%
Thornleigh 76.6% houses
Thornleigh — Houses: 76.6% Thornleigh — Flats / Apartments: 7.9% Thornleigh — Townhouses: 15.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Hornsby Thornleigh
Median house price $1,800,000 $1,845,000
Median unit price $720,000 $789,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 103 sales
 24 days
from 60 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.

Hornsby Thornleigh
3 bed $1.6M / $1.72M
Hornsby — 3 bed: $1.6M (49 sales) Thornleigh — 3 bed: $1.72M (36 sales)

49 vs 36 sales

4 bed $1.82M / $1.85M
Hornsby — 4 bed: $1.82M (41 sales) Thornleigh — 4 bed: $1.85M (38 sales)

41 vs 38 sales

5 bed $1.92M / $2.34M
Hornsby — 5 bed: $1.92M (15 sales) Thornleigh — 5 bed: $2.34M (19 sales)

15 vs 19 sales

Zoning mix

Hornsby Thornleigh
Residential 59% 70%
Parks and recreation 20% 11%
Environmental 10% 5%
Industrial 4% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 4%
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

Hornsby Thornleigh
New dwellings approved 260
across Hornsby
same for both
Approvals change year on year -79%
same for both

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.

Hornsby Thornleigh
Houses 2.8%
$875/wk on $1.6M
 —
Units 4.8%
$660/wk on $712K
 6.0%
$680/wk on $590K

Ranking within NSW

Hornsby Thornleigh
House price Higher than 82% of NSW
same for both
Income Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
Schools Higher than 61% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 99% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 16% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW

Liveability

Thornleigh scores higher overall (69 vs 58).

Hornsby Thornleigh
Grade B
same for both
Score 58/100 69/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Hornsby carries more crime risk (70 vs 42).

Hornsby Thornleigh
Bushfire Moderate
65/100
 Moderate
66/100
Crime High
70/100
 Moderate
42/100
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 3
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Hornsby Thornleigh
Inside the suburb 7 2
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 1 2
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 1
Macquarie University Wallumattagal Campus at North Ryde, 9.6 km
 1
Macquarie University Wallumattagal Campus at North Ryde, 7.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.8% 3.3%

Schools in Hornsby

  • Hornsby Girls High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Hornsby North Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Hornsby South Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Barker College Independent · Secondary below peers
  • Blue Gum Community School Independent · Primary
  • Clarke Road School Government · Combined · Special school

Schools in Thornleigh

  • Normanhurst West Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Thornleigh West Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Hornsby Thornleigh
Supermarkets 9 1
Cafes & restaurants 49 7
Parks & reserves 21 9
Childcare 20 8
GPs 15 4
Pharmacies 10 2
Hospitals 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 9 1
Fuel stations 4 7
Waterways 29 4

Mobility

Hornsby Thornleigh
Walkability score 96/100 89/100
Distance to Sydney 28.4 km
+2% vs other
 27.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 37 min 32 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
 91/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 386.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 164.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 2077
 2.8%
postcode 2120
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 17
postcode 2077
 33
postcode 2120

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.

Hornsby Thornleigh
Worked from Home 47.7% / 56.2%
Hornsby — Worked from Home: 47.7% Thornleigh — Worked from Home: 56.2%
Car (driver) 31.8% / 34.6%
Hornsby — Car (driver): 31.8% Thornleigh — Car (driver): 34.6%
Train 10.6% / 4.9%
Hornsby — Train: 10.6% Thornleigh — Train: 4.9%
Walked Only 6.1% / 1.7%
Hornsby — Walked Only: 6.1% Thornleigh — Walked Only: 1.7%
Car (passenger) 2.9% / 2.0%
Hornsby — Car (passenger): 2.9% Thornleigh — Car (passenger): 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.2%).

Setting

Hornsby Thornleigh
Elevation 158 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 179 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 18.4 km 18.0 km

NBN connectivity

Hornsby Thornleigh
Connectivity score 76/100 77/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 14%
12,291 premises
 6%
3,598 premises

Climate

Hornsby Thornleigh
Annual rainfall 1,176 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Hornsby Thornleigh
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.23 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Hornsby Thornleigh
Average residential rate $1,488/yr
same for both
Council Hornsby
same for both

Federal electorate

Hornsby Thornleigh
Division Berowra
same for both
Member Julian Leeser
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Hornsby Thornleigh
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hornsby

Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Multicultural Outer Parks Professionals Transport Hub

Thornleigh

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hornsby

Hornsby vs Wahroonga Hornsby vs Dural Hornsby vs Waitara Hornsby vs Mount Colah Hornsby vs Hornsby Heights Hornsby vs Asquith

Other comparisons with Thornleigh

Thornleigh vs Wahroonga Thornleigh vs Pennant Hills Thornleigh vs Normanhurst Thornleigh vs Westleigh
Full data on Hornsby Full data on Thornleigh
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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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