West Pennant Hills vs North Rocks

North Rocks is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 43 in West Pennant Hills. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in West Pennant Hills: a median of $2.54 million, against $1.9 million in North Rocks, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, North Rocks tends to suit 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

West Pennant Hills

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (27 vs 9)
  • carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 42/100)
  • has more childcare (11 vs 8)
  • But North Rocks has more schools rated above their peers (3 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

North Rocks

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($641,000 vs $985,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,898,250 vs $2,542,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

North Rocks

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 12%)
  • has cheaper rent ($505/wk vs $641/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • West Pennant Hills carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 42/100)
  • North Rocks has more units and townhouses to downsize into (22% vs 9%)

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 1.5%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
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.

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Walkability 72 / 71
West Pennant Hills — Walkability: 72/100 North Rocks — Walkability: 71/100
Safety 83 / 58
West Pennant Hills — Safety: 83/100 North Rocks — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 86 / 100
West Pennant Hills — Low fire risk: 86/100 North Rocks — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

West Pennant Hills has more residents (16,620 vs 9,136); West Pennant Hills has higher household incomes ($160,056 vs $122,408).

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Population 16,620
+45% vs other
 9,136
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.5% +14.7%
Median age 43 40
Median household income $160,056/yr
+24% vs other
 $122,408/yr
Median weekly rent $641/wk
+21% vs other
 $505/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
0-4 4.7% / 5.3%
West Pennant Hills — 0-4: 4.7% North Rocks — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 13.6% / 14.2%
West Pennant Hills — 5-14: 13.6% North Rocks — 5-14: 14.2%
15-19 6.6% / 5.9%
West Pennant Hills — 15-19: 6.6% North Rocks — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 6.1% / 5.5%
West Pennant Hills — 20-24: 6.1% North Rocks — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 8.1% / 11.0%
West Pennant Hills — 25-34: 8.1% North Rocks — 25-34: 11.0%
35-44 12.8% / 15.1%
West Pennant Hills — 35-44: 12.8% North Rocks — 35-44: 15.1%
45-54 13.4% / 13.7%
West Pennant Hills — 45-54: 13.4% North Rocks — 45-54: 13.7%
55-64 14.8% / 11.5%
West Pennant Hills — 55-64: 14.8% North Rocks — 55-64: 11.5%
65-74 12.9% / 9.8%
West Pennant Hills — 65-74: 12.9% North Rocks — 65-74: 9.8%
75-84 5.3% / 6.3%
West Pennant Hills — 75-84: 5.3% North Rocks — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 1.8% / 1.6%
West Pennant Hills — 85+: 1.8% North Rocks — 85+: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

West Pennant Hills 72.1% couple families
West Pennant Hills — Couple Families: 72.1% West Pennant Hills — Lone Person: 15.4% West Pennant Hills — One Parent Families: 10.4% West Pennant Hills — Group Household: 1.1% West Pennant Hills — Other Families: 1.0%
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%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

West Pennant Hills 12.5% renting
West Pennant Hills — Owned Outright: 45.0% West Pennant Hills — Mortgage: 42.5% West Pennant Hills — Renting: 12.5%
North Rocks 24.2% renting
North Rocks — Owned Outright: 36.2% North Rocks — Mortgage: 39.6% North Rocks — Renting: 24.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Bachelor Degree 24.1% / 21.1%
West Pennant Hills — Bachelor Degree: 24.1% North Rocks — Bachelor Degree: 21.1%
Postgraduate Degree 11.4% / 9.8%
West Pennant Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 11.4% North Rocks — Postgraduate Degree: 9.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 8.8%
West Pennant Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% North Rocks — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Certificate III & IV 6.5% / 8.8%
West Pennant Hills — Certificate III & IV: 6.5% North Rocks — Certificate III & IV: 8.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.7% / 2.2%
West Pennant Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7% North Rocks — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.1%).

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.

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
China 8.6% / 10.8%
West Pennant Hills — China: 8.6% North Rocks — China: 10.8%
India 4.3% / 3.4%
West Pennant Hills — India: 4.3% North Rocks — India: 3.4%
England 2.9% / 2.2%
West Pennant Hills — England: 2.9% North Rocks — England: 2.2%
Sri Lanka 1.9% / 1.7%
West Pennant Hills — Sri Lanka: 1.9% North Rocks — Sri Lanka: 1.7%
Iran 1.2% / 2.1%
West Pennant Hills — Iran: 1.2% North Rocks — Iran: 2.1%
Malaysia 1.6% / 1.0%
West Pennant Hills — Malaysia: 1.6% North Rocks — Malaysia: 1.0%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

West Pennant Hills 90.8% houses
West Pennant Hills — Houses: 90.8% West Pennant Hills — Flats / Apartments: 2.7% West Pennant Hills — Townhouses: 6.5%
North Rocks 78.1% houses
North Rocks — Houses: 78.1% North Rocks — Flats / Apartments: 14.1% North Rocks — Townhouses: 7.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Median house price $2,542,500 $1,898,250
Median unit price $985,000 $641,000
Median land price $2,375,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 196 sales
 22 days
from 79 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.

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
3 bed $1.8M / $1.79M
West Pennant Hills — 3 bed: $1.8M (55 sales) North Rocks — 3 bed: $1.79M (21 sales)

55 vs 21 sales

4 bed $2.42M / $1.92M
West Pennant Hills — 4 bed: $2.42M (101 sales) North Rocks — 4 bed: $1.92M (44 sales)

101 vs 44 sales

5 bed $2.94M / $2.1M
West Pennant Hills — 5 bed: $2.94M (114 sales) North Rocks — 5 bed: $2.1M (13 sales)

114 vs 13 sales

Zoning mix

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Residential 66% 53%
Environmental 22% 18%
Parks and recreation 6% 13%
Industrial 0% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 5%
Rural and farming 5% 0%
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

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
New dwellings approved 2,648
across The Hills
 2,888
across Parramatta
Approvals change year on year -4% +154%

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.

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Houses 2.9%
$1,250/wk on $2.23M
 3.1%
$965/wk on $1.6M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
House price Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Income Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 85% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 96% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 31% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 19% of NSW Higher than 27% of NSW

Liveability

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Grade A+ A
Score 87/100 85/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

West Pennant Hills carries more bushfire risk (14 vs 0); North Rocks carries more crime risk (42 vs 17).

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Bushfire Low
14/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
17/100
 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
 5
within 5 km

Schools

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Inside the suburb 2 3
Rated above peers 1 3
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Western Sydney University - Parramatta, 7.7 km
 2
Western Sydney University - Parramatta, 4.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.3% 3.0%

Schools in West Pennant Hills

  • West Pennant Hills Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Hills Montessori School Independent · Primary

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

Amenities in the suburb

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Supermarkets 2 3
Cafes & restaurants 3 10
Parks & reserves 27 9
Childcare 11 8
GPs 4 3
Pharmacies 2
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 2 3
Waterways 17 14

Mobility

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Walkability score 72/100 71/100
Distance to Sydney 28.2 km 29 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 30 min 34 min
Public transport score 94/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 715.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 253.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 3.4%
postcode 2125
 1.5%
postcode 2151
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2125
 21
postcode 2151

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.

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Worked from Home 58.1% / 53.5%
West Pennant Hills — Worked from Home: 58.1% North Rocks — Worked from Home: 53.5%
Car (driver) 35.7% / 39.9%
West Pennant Hills — Car (driver): 35.7% North Rocks — Car (driver): 39.9%
Car (passenger) 2.2% / 3.0%
West Pennant Hills — Car (passenger): 2.2% North Rocks — Car (passenger): 3.0%
Bus 1.9% / 1.9%
West Pennant Hills — Bus: 1.9% North Rocks — Bus: 1.9%
Train 1.5% / 0.8%
West Pennant Hills — Train: 1.5% North Rocks — Train: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (58.1%).

Setting

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Elevation 100 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 78 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 20.9 km 21.7 km

NBN connectivity

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
Connectivity score 74/100 78/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
5,842 premises
 18%
3,875 premises

Climate

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
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)

West Pennant Hills North Rocks
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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

West Pennant Hills

Easy Commute Large Blocks Multicultural Outer Parks Premium Professionals Quiet River Transport Hub

North Rocks

Multicultural Outer Parks Premium Professionals Quiet River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with West Pennant Hills

West Pennant Hills vs Castle Hill West Pennant Hills vs Baulkham Hills West Pennant Hills vs Carlingford West Pennant Hills vs Cherrybrook West Pennant Hills vs Beecroft West Pennant Hills vs Pennant Hills

Other comparisons with North Rocks

North Rocks vs Baulkham Hills North Rocks vs Carlingford North Rocks vs North Parramatta North Rocks vs Northmead
Full data on West Pennant Hills Full data on North Rocks
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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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