Pennant Hills vs Thornleigh

Thornleigh is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 43 in Pennant Hills. In both, the large majority of households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Pennant Hills: a median of $2.03 million, against $1.84 million in Thornleigh, though rent is higher in Thornleigh.

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

Pennant Hills

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 42/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Pennant Hills has cheaper units ($660,000 vs $789,000)
  • Thornleigh has cheaper houses ($1,845,000 vs $2,033,388)

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

Pennant Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (25.5 km vs 27.8 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Pennant Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 42/100)

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 4.5%)

Weighs unit yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Pennant Hills 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.

Pennant Hills 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.

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Walkability 88 / 89
Pennant Hills — Walkability: 88/100 Thornleigh — Walkability: 89/100
Safety 69 / 58
Pennant Hills — Safety: 69/100 Thornleigh — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 30 / 34
Pennant Hills — Low fire risk: 30/100 Thornleigh — Low fire risk: 34/100

Demographics

Thornleigh has higher household incomes ($139,412 vs $126,516); Pennant Hills skews older (43 vs 40).

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Population 7,588 8,898
+17% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.1% +5.1%
Median age 43 40
Median household income $126,516/yr $139,412/yr
+10% vs other
Median weekly rent $500/wk $530/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
0-4 4.3% / 5.5%
Pennant Hills — 0-4: 4.3% Thornleigh — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 12.9% / 15.4%
Pennant Hills — 5-14: 12.9% Thornleigh — 5-14: 15.4%
15-19 6.4% / 6.6%
Pennant Hills — 15-19: 6.4% Thornleigh — 15-19: 6.6%
20-24 6.6% / 5.6%
Pennant Hills — 20-24: 6.6% Thornleigh — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 9.2% / 9.4%
Pennant Hills — 25-34: 9.2% Thornleigh — 25-34: 9.4%
35-44 13.4% / 14.8%
Pennant Hills — 35-44: 13.4% Thornleigh — 35-44: 14.8%
45-54 14.5% / 16.3%
Pennant Hills — 45-54: 14.5% Thornleigh — 45-54: 16.3%
55-64 14.0% / 11.5%
Pennant Hills — 55-64: 14.0% Thornleigh — 55-64: 11.5%
65-74 10.1% / 8.0%
Pennant Hills — 65-74: 10.1% Thornleigh — 65-74: 8.0%
75-84 6.1% / 5.1%
Pennant Hills — 75-84: 6.1% Thornleigh — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 2.6% / 1.8%
Pennant Hills — 85+: 2.6% Thornleigh — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pennant Hills 56.8% couple families
Pennant Hills — Couple Families: 56.8% Pennant Hills — Lone Person: 25.3% Pennant Hills — One Parent Families: 13.9% Pennant Hills — Group Household: 2.6% Pennant Hills — Other Families: 1.4%
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.

Pennant Hills 24.0% renting
Pennant Hills — Owned Outright: 39.1% Pennant Hills — Mortgage: 36.9% Pennant Hills — Renting: 24.0%
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.

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Bachelor Degree 24.5% / 22.4%
Pennant Hills — Bachelor Degree: 24.5% Thornleigh — Bachelor Degree: 22.4%
Postgraduate Degree 12.7% / 11.3%
Pennant Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 12.7% Thornleigh — Postgraduate Degree: 11.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 8.2%
Pennant Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Thornleigh — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Certificate III & IV 6.2% / 7.1%
Pennant Hills — Certificate III & IV: 6.2% Thornleigh — Certificate III & IV: 7.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.1% / 2.7%
Pennant Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1% Thornleigh — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).

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.

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
China 8.4% / 6.4%
Pennant Hills — China: 8.4% Thornleigh — China: 6.4%
India 4.4% / 3.7%
Pennant Hills — India: 4.4% Thornleigh — India: 3.7%
England 3.1% / 3.5%
Pennant Hills — England: 3.1% Thornleigh — England: 3.5%
Philippines 1.4% / 1.9%
Pennant Hills — Philippines: 1.4% Thornleigh — Philippines: 1.9%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.4%
Pennant Hills — New Zealand: 1.1% Thornleigh — New Zealand: 1.4%
Sri Lanka 1.5% / —
Pennant Hills — Sri Lanka: 1.5% Thornleigh — Sri Lanka: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pennant Hills 73.3% houses
Pennant Hills — Houses: 73.3% Pennant Hills — Townhouses: 11.5% Pennant Hills — Flats / Apartments: 15.2%
Thornleigh 76.6% houses
Thornleigh — Houses: 76.6% Thornleigh — Townhouses: 15.6% Thornleigh — Flats / Apartments: 7.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Median house price $2,033,388 $1,845,000
Median unit price $660,000 $789,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 75 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.

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
3 bed $1.81M / $1.72M
Pennant Hills — 3 bed: $1.81M (34 sales) Thornleigh — 3 bed: $1.72M (36 sales)

34 vs 36 sales

4 bed $2.06M / $1.85M
Pennant Hills — 4 bed: $2.06M (40 sales) Thornleigh — 4 bed: $1.85M (38 sales)

40 vs 38 sales

5 bed $2.28M / $2.34M
Pennant Hills — 5 bed: $2.28M (37 sales) Thornleigh — 5 bed: $2.34M (19 sales)

37 vs 19 sales

Zoning mix

Pennant Hills has more land zoned for conservation (39% vs 5%).

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Residential 42% 70%
Environmental 39% 5%
Parks and recreation 13% 11%
Industrial 1% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 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

Pennant Hills 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.

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Houses 2.5%
$948/wk on $1.95M
 —
Units 4.5%
$665/wk on $772K
 6.0%
$680/wk on $590K

Ranking within NSW

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
House price Higher than 86% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Income Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
Schools Higher than 56% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 95% of NSW Higher than 96% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 27% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 96% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 7% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 42% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW

Liveability

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Grade B
same for both
Score 66/100 69/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Thornleigh carries more crime risk (42 vs 31).

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Bushfire High
70/100
 Moderate
66/100
Crime Low
31/100
 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 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Inside the suburb 4 2
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 2
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Macquarie University Wallumattagal Campus at North Ryde, 6.7 km
 1
Macquarie University Wallumattagal Campus at North Ryde, 7.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.0% 3.3%

Schools in Pennant Hills

  • Pennant Hills Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Pennant Hills High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Agatha's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • EOC Broken Bay - Pennant Hills Catholic · Primary · 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

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 1 7
Parks & reserves 9
same for both
Childcare 7 8
GPs 5 4
Pharmacies 3 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 2 7
EV chargers 2 0
Waterways 11 4

Mobility

Thornleigh sits further from the CBD (27.8 km vs 25.5 km).

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Walkability score 88/100 89/100
Distance to Sydney 25.5 km 27.8 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 28 min 32 min
Public transport score 91/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 204.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 164.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.8%
postcode 2120
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 2120
same for both

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.

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Worked from Home 56.5% / 56.2%
Pennant Hills — Worked from Home: 56.5% Thornleigh — Worked from Home: 56.2%
Car (driver) 32.2% / 34.6%
Pennant Hills — Car (driver): 32.2% Thornleigh — Car (driver): 34.6%
Train 4.9% / 4.9%
Pennant Hills — Train: 4.9% Thornleigh — Train: 4.9%
Car (passenger) 3.0% / 2.0%
Pennant Hills — Car (passenger): 3.0% Thornleigh — Car (passenger): 2.0%
Walked Only 2.5% / 1.7%
Pennant Hills — Walked Only: 2.5% Thornleigh — Walked Only: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.5%).

Setting

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Elevation 174 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 179 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.9 km 18.0 km

NBN connectivity

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Connectivity score 74/100 77/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 6%
3,165 premises
 6%
3,598 premises

Climate

Pennant Hills 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)

Pennant Hills 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

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

Federal electorate

Pennant Hills Thornleigh
Division Berowra
same for both
Member Julian Leeser
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Pennant Hills

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals River Transport Hub

Thornleigh

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Pennant Hills

Pennant Hills vs Cherrybrook Pennant Hills vs Wahroonga Pennant Hills vs West Pennant Hills Pennant Hills vs Beecroft Pennant Hills vs North Epping Pennant Hills vs Westleigh

Other comparisons with Thornleigh

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

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or