North Wahroonga vs Hornsby

Hornsby is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 45 in North Wahroonga. In both, most households own their home. In North Wahroonga, the large majority of homes are detached houses and most households are couple families. In Hornsby, most homes are flats or apartments and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in North Wahroonga: a median of $2.71 million, against $1.8 million in Hornsby, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, North Wahroonga tends to suit couples, while Hornsby suits people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

  • North Wahroonga carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 70/100)
  • Hornsby has more childcare (20 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Hornsby

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,800,000 vs $2,710,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hornsby

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 6%)
  • has cheaper rent ($440/wk vs $950/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 30%)

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

Commuting to the city

Hornsby

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (11% vs 2%)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 33/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Hornsby

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (15 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (65% vs 6%)
  • is more walkable (96/100 vs 33/100)
  • But North Wahroonga carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 70/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

North Wahroonga and Hornsby 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 Wahroonga Hornsby
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 Wahroonga Hornsby
Walkability 33 / 96
North Wahroonga — Walkability: 33/100 Hornsby — Walkability: 96/100
Safety 84 / 30
North Wahroonga — Safety: 84/100 Hornsby — Safety: 30/100
Low fire risk 9 / 35
North Wahroonga — Low fire risk: 9/100 Hornsby — Low fire risk: 35/100

Demographics

Hornsby has more residents (22,462 vs 2,100); North Wahroonga rents higher ($950/wk vs $440/wk).

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Population 2,100 22,462
+970% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.1% +1.3%
Median age 45 38
Median household income $165,828/yr
+39% vs other
 $101,504/yr
Median weekly rent $950/wk
+54% vs other
 $440/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

North Wahroonga Hornsby
0-4 3.4% / 6.0%
North Wahroonga — 0-4: 3.4% Hornsby — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 16.0% / 11.6%
North Wahroonga — 5-14: 16.0% Hornsby — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 8.4% / 4.6%
North Wahroonga — 15-19: 8.4% Hornsby — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 5.3% / 6.0%
North Wahroonga — 20-24: 5.3% Hornsby — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 4.6% / 15.3%
North Wahroonga — 25-34: 4.6% Hornsby — 25-34: 15.3%
35-44 12.1% / 17.8%
North Wahroonga — 35-44: 12.1% Hornsby — 35-44: 17.8%
45-54 16.7% / 13.5%
North Wahroonga — 45-54: 16.7% Hornsby — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 12.5% / 10.6%
North Wahroonga — 55-64: 12.5% Hornsby — 55-64: 10.6%
65-74 11.7% / 8.5%
North Wahroonga — 65-74: 11.7% Hornsby — 65-74: 8.5%
75-84 7.4% / 4.2%
North Wahroonga — 75-84: 7.4% Hornsby — 75-84: 4.2%
85+ 2.4% / 1.9%
North Wahroonga — 85+: 2.4% Hornsby — 85+: 1.9%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

North Wahroonga 72.4% couple families
North Wahroonga — Couple Families: 72.4% North Wahroonga — Lone Person: 14.5% North Wahroonga — One Parent Families: 12.4% North Wahroonga — Group Household: 0.6% North Wahroonga — Other Families: 0.0%
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%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

North Wahroonga 6.5% renting
North Wahroonga — Owned Outright: 48.2% North Wahroonga — Mortgage: 45.3% North Wahroonga — Renting: 6.5%
Hornsby 44.1% renting
Hornsby — Owned Outright: 23.4% Hornsby — Mortgage: 32.5% Hornsby — Renting: 44.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Bachelor Degree 24.8% / 23.5%
North Wahroonga — Bachelor Degree: 24.8% Hornsby — Bachelor Degree: 23.5%
Postgraduate Degree 13.1% / 12.0%
North Wahroonga — Postgraduate Degree: 13.1% Hornsby — Postgraduate Degree: 12.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 8.7%
North Wahroonga — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Hornsby — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7%
Certificate III & IV 4.3% / 7.4%
North Wahroonga — Certificate III & IV: 4.3% Hornsby — Certificate III & IV: 7.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 2.3%
North Wahroonga — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Hornsby — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.8%).

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 Wahroonga Hornsby
China 7.0% / 12.6%
North Wahroonga — China: 7.0% Hornsby — China: 12.6%
India 3.2% / 5.7%
North Wahroonga — India: 3.2% Hornsby — India: 5.7%
England 4.9% / 2.8%
North Wahroonga — England: 4.9% Hornsby — England: 2.8%
South Africa 5.2% / —
North Wahroonga — South Africa: 5.2% Hornsby — South Africa: not among its largest
Nepal — / 4.4%
North Wahroonga — Nepal: not among its largest Hornsby — Nepal: 4.4%
Philippines 0.9% / 2.8%
North Wahroonga — Philippines: 0.9% Hornsby — Philippines: 2.8%
Iran 1.8% / 1.7%
North Wahroonga — Iran: 1.8% Hornsby — Iran: 1.7%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

North Wahroonga 93.6% houses
North Wahroonga — Houses: 93.6% North Wahroonga — Flats / Apartments: 1.6% North Wahroonga — Townhouses: 4.8%
Hornsby 35.3% houses
Hornsby — Houses: 35.3% Hornsby — Flats / Apartments: 59.3% Hornsby — Townhouses: 5.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Median house price $2,710,000 $1,800,000
Median unit price — $720,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 23 days
from 103 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 Wahroonga Hornsby
4 bed $2.7M / $1.82M
North Wahroonga — 4 bed: $2.7M (9 sales) Hornsby — 4 bed: $1.82M (41 sales)

9 vs 41 sales

5 bed $2.72M / $1.92M
North Wahroonga — 5 bed: $2.72M (5 sales) Hornsby — 5 bed: $1.92M (15 sales)

5 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

North Wahroonga has more land zoned for conservation (89% vs 10%).

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Environmental 89% 10%
Residential 6% 59%
Parks and recreation 3% 20%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 6%
Industrial 0% 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

North Wahroonga Hornsby
New dwellings approved 908
across Ku-ring-gai
 260
across Hornsby
Approvals change year on year +0% -79%

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 Wahroonga Hornsby
Houses — 2.8%
$875/wk on $1.6M
Units — 4.8%
$660/wk on $712K

Ranking within NSW

North Wahroonga Hornsby
House price Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Income Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 61% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 36% of NSW Higher than 22% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 16% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 59% of NSW

Liveability

Hornsby is more walkable (96 vs 33).

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Grade B
same for both
Score 61/100 58/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Hornsby carries more crime risk (70 vs 16); North Wahroonga carries more bushfire risk (91 vs 65).

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Bushfire High
91/100
 Moderate
65/100
Crime Low
16/100
 High
70/100
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
same for both

Schools

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Inside the suburb 0 7
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
Macquarie University Wallumattagal Campus at North Ryde, 9.2 km
 1
Macquarie University Wallumattagal Campus at North Ryde, 9.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.1% 2.8%

Schools in North Wahroonga

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

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

Amenities in the suburb

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

Mobility

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Walkability score 33/100 96/100
Distance to Sydney 26.9 km 28.4 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 38 min 37 min
Public transport score 50/100
Bus
 94/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 22.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 386.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.3%
postcode 2076
 1.7%
postcode 2077
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 30
postcode 2076
 17
postcode 2077

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 Wahroonga Hornsby
Worked from Home 62.9% / 47.7%
North Wahroonga — Worked from Home: 62.9% Hornsby — Worked from Home: 47.7%
Car (driver) 32.6% / 31.8%
North Wahroonga — Car (driver): 32.6% Hornsby — Car (driver): 31.8%
Train 1.6% / 10.6%
North Wahroonga — Train: 1.6% Hornsby — Train: 10.6%
Walked Only 0.7% / 6.1%
North Wahroonga — Walked Only: 0.7% Hornsby — Walked Only: 6.1%
Car (passenger) 2.1% / 2.9%
North Wahroonga — Car (passenger): 2.1% Hornsby — Car (passenger): 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.9%).

Setting

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Elevation 119 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 158 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 15.8 km 18.4 km

NBN connectivity

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Connectivity score 75/100 76/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the building
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
710 premises
 14%
12,291 premises

Climate

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

Air quality (annual mean)

North Wahroonga Hornsby
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

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Average residential rate $1,626/yr $1,488/yr
Council Ku-ring-gai Hornsby

Federal electorate

North Wahroonga Hornsby
Division Bradfield Berowra
Member Nicolette Boele Julian Leeser
Party Independent Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

North Wahroonga

Large Blocks Outer Parks Premium Professionals River

Hornsby

Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Multicultural Outer Parks Professionals Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with North Wahroonga

North Wahroonga vs Wahroonga North Wahroonga vs Asquith North Wahroonga vs North Turramurra

Other comparisons with Hornsby

Hornsby vs Wahroonga Hornsby vs Thornleigh Hornsby vs Dural Hornsby vs Waitara Hornsby vs Mount Colah Hornsby vs Hornsby Heights
Full data on North Wahroonga Full data on Hornsby
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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