North Rocks vs Baulkham Hills

Comparing North Rocks and Baulkham Hills, NSW: Baulkham Hills has more residents (37,415 vs 9,136); North Rocks carries more crime risk (42 vs 26); and Baulkham Hills is more walkable (83 vs 71).

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

Baulkham Hills

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (28 vs 8)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (10 vs 3)
  • has more parks and reserves (27 vs 9)

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

First-home buyers

North Rocks

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($641,000 vs $815,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

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

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

  • North Rocks sits closer to the CBD (29 km vs 31.9 km)
  • Baulkham Hills is more walkable (83/100 vs 71/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Baulkham Hills

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 3)
  • carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 42/100)
  • is more walkable (83/100 vs 71/100)

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

Investors

North Rocks

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (14.7% vs 1.0%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
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.

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Walkability 71 / 83
North Rocks — Walkability: 71/100 Baulkham Hills — Walkability: 83/100
Safety 58 / 74
North Rocks — Safety: 58/100 Baulkham Hills — Safety: 74/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
North Rocks — Low fire risk: 100/100 Baulkham Hills — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Baulkham Hills has more residents (37,415 vs 9,136).

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Population 9,136 37,415
+310% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +14.7% +1.0%
Median age 40 39
Median household income $122,408/yr $128,648/yr
+5% vs other
Median weekly rent $505/wk $520/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
0-4 5.3% / 5.9%
North Rocks — 0-4: 5.3% Baulkham Hills — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 14.2% / 15.8%
North Rocks — 5-14: 14.2% Baulkham Hills — 5-14: 15.8%
15-19 5.9% / 5.9%
North Rocks — 15-19: 5.9% Baulkham Hills — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 5.5% / 4.9%
North Rocks — 20-24: 5.5% Baulkham Hills — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 11.0% / 9.6%
North Rocks — 25-34: 11.0% Baulkham Hills — 25-34: 9.6%
35-44 15.1% / 17.5%
North Rocks — 35-44: 15.1% Baulkham Hills — 35-44: 17.5%
45-54 13.7% / 13.8%
North Rocks — 45-54: 13.7% Baulkham Hills — 45-54: 13.8%
55-64 11.5% / 10.4%
North Rocks — 55-64: 11.5% Baulkham Hills — 55-64: 10.4%
65-74 9.8% / 9.0%
North Rocks — 65-74: 9.8% Baulkham Hills — 65-74: 9.0%
75-84 6.3% / 5.3%
North Rocks — 75-84: 6.3% Baulkham Hills — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 1.6% / 1.9%
North Rocks — 85+: 1.6% Baulkham Hills — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

North Rocks 63.0% couple families
North Rocks — Couple Families: 63.0% North Rocks — Lone Person: 19.3% North Rocks — One Parent Families: 13.5% North Rocks — Group Household: 3.2% North Rocks — Other Families: 1.1%
Baulkham Hills 64.7% couple families
Baulkham Hills — Couple Families: 64.7% Baulkham Hills — Lone Person: 19.8% Baulkham Hills — One Parent Families: 12.5% Baulkham Hills — Group Household: 2.1% Baulkham Hills — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

North Rocks 24.2% renting
North Rocks — Owned Outright: 36.2% North Rocks — Mortgage: 39.6% North Rocks — Renting: 24.2%
Baulkham Hills 22.8% renting
Baulkham Hills — Owned Outright: 33.3% Baulkham Hills — Mortgage: 43.9% Baulkham Hills — Renting: 22.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
China 10.8% / 8.2%
North Rocks — China: 10.8% Baulkham Hills — China: 8.2%
India 3.4% / 7.5%
North Rocks — India: 3.4% Baulkham Hills — India: 7.5%
England 2.2% / 2.3%
North Rocks — England: 2.2% Baulkham Hills — England: 2.3%
Iran 2.1% / 1.7%
North Rocks — Iran: 2.1% Baulkham Hills — Iran: 1.7%
Sri Lanka 1.7% / 1.6%
North Rocks — Sri Lanka: 1.7% Baulkham Hills — Sri Lanka: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.8%).

Qualifications

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

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Bachelor Degree 21.1% / 20.0%
North Rocks — Bachelor Degree: 21.1% Baulkham Hills — Bachelor Degree: 20.0%
Postgraduate Degree 9.8% / 10.2%
North Rocks — Postgraduate Degree: 9.8% Baulkham Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 10.2%
Certificate III & IV 8.8% / 9.0%
North Rocks — Certificate III & IV: 8.8% Baulkham Hills — Certificate III & IV: 9.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 8.0%
North Rocks — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Baulkham Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 2.0%
North Rocks — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Baulkham Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

North Rocks 78.1% houses
North Rocks — Houses: 78.1% North Rocks — Flats / Apartments: 14.1% North Rocks — Townhouses: 7.8%
Baulkham Hills 75.4% houses
Baulkham Hills — Houses: 75.4% Baulkham Hills — Flats / Apartments: 11.3% Baulkham Hills — Townhouses: 13.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Median house price $1,898,250 $1,955,000
Median unit price $641,000 $815,000
Median land price — $1,410,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 79 sales
 23 days
from 409 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.

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
3 bed $1.79M / $1.8M
North Rocks — 3 bed: $1.79M (21 sales) Baulkham Hills — 3 bed: $1.8M (140 sales)

21 vs 140 sales

4 bed $1.92M / $2M
North Rocks — 4 bed: $1.92M (44 sales) Baulkham Hills — 4 bed: $2M (225 sales)

44 vs 225 sales

5 bed $2.1M / $2.12M
North Rocks — 5 bed: $2.1M (13 sales) Baulkham Hills — 5 bed: $2.12M (69 sales)

13 vs 69 sales

Zoning mix

North Rocks has more land zoned for conservation (18% vs 1%).

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Residential 53% 82%
Environmental 18% 1%
Parks and recreation 13%
same for both
Industrial 9% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 3%
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

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
New dwellings approved 2,888
across Parramatta
 2,648
across The Hills
Approvals change year on year +154% -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.

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Houses 3.1%
$965/wk on $1.6M
 2.7%
$885/wk on $1.68M
Units — 4.8%
$650/wk on $704K

Ranking within NSW

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
House price Higher than 84% of NSW
same for both
Income Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Schools Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 27% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 57% of NSW

Liveability

Baulkham Hills is more walkable (83 vs 71).

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Grade A A+
Score 85/100 88/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

North Rocks carries more crime risk (42 vs 26).

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
42/100
 Low
26/100
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 5
within 5 km
 8
within 5 km

Schools

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Inside the suburb 3 10
Rated above peers 3 7
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
Western Sydney University - Parramatta, 4.7 km
 2
Western Sydney University - Parramatta, 6.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.0% 2.9%

Schools in North Rocks

  • Christ The King Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Muirfield High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • North Rocks Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Baulkham Hills

  • Baulkham Hills High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Baulkham Hills North Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Crestwood High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Crestwood Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Jasper Road Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Matthew Pearce Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Supermarkets 3 4
Cafes & restaurants 10 5
Parks & reserves 9 27
Childcare 8 28
GPs 3 5
Pharmacies 2 4
Banks & Bank@Post 1 3
Fuel stations 3
same for both
Waterways 14 17

Mobility

Baulkham Hills sits further from the CBD (31.9 km vs 29 km).

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Walkability score 71/100 83/100
Distance to Sydney 29 km 31.9 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 34 min 33 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 253.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 1220.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 2151
 2.6%
postcode 2153
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 21
postcode 2151
 44
postcode 2153

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.

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Worked from Home 53.5% / 53.4%
North Rocks — Worked from Home: 53.5% Baulkham Hills — Worked from Home: 53.4%
Car (driver) 39.9% / 38.9%
North Rocks — Car (driver): 39.9% Baulkham Hills — Car (driver): 38.9%
Car (passenger) 3.0% / 2.5%
North Rocks — Car (passenger): 3.0% Baulkham Hills — Car (passenger): 2.5%
Bus 1.9% / 3.0%
North Rocks — Bus: 1.9% Baulkham Hills — Bus: 3.0%
Train 0.8% / 1.3%
North Rocks — Train: 0.8% Baulkham Hills — Train: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (53.5%).

Setting

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Elevation 78 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 79 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 21.7 km 25.2 km

NBN connectivity

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Connectivity score 78/100 79/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 18%
3,875 premises
 16%
13,559 premises

Climate

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Annual rainfall 1,021 mm 932 mm
Summer max (Jan) 28.4°C —
Winter min (Jul) 7.2°C —

Air quality (annual mean)

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
PM2.5 6.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.83 pphm
same for both

Council rates

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Average residential rate $1,103/yr $1,204/yr
Council Parramatta The Hills

Federal electorate

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Division Mitchell
same for both
Member Alex Hawke
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

North Rocks Baulkham Hills
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

North Rocks

Multicultural Outer Parks Premium Professionals Quiet River

Baulkham Hills

Multicultural Outer Parks Premium Professionals River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with North Rocks

North Rocks vs Carlingford North Rocks vs West Pennant Hills North Rocks vs North Parramatta North Rocks vs Northmead

Other comparisons with Baulkham Hills

Baulkham Hills vs Castle Hill Baulkham Hills vs Seven Hills Baulkham Hills vs West Pennant Hills Baulkham Hills vs Winston Hills Baulkham Hills vs Northmead Baulkham Hills vs Kings Langley
Full data on North Rocks Full data on Baulkham Hills
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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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