Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Hornsby

Hornsby sits on Sydney’s Upper North Shore as a long-established commercial and transport hub, centred on a busy town centre and railway station. The centre has a large shopping precinct with cafes, shops and supermarkets, while nearby streets mix apartments close to the station with older federation and postwar houses on tree-lined avenues. It also borders extensive bushland with walking tracks and reserves, including the rehabilitated Hornsby Quarry and access to regional parks. The community numbers 22,462 with a median age of 38, and families are prominent: couple families make up 83.5% of all families.

The town centre is the focus of a state-led transport-oriented rezoning and masterplan that identifies public-realm and transport upgrades such as a relocated bus interchange and a new pedestrian overpass, and Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital’s redevelopment is complete with upgraded clinical facilities including a hybrid operating theatre. Those mixed amenities, green space and transport links tend to appeal to commuters, families and downsizers who value convenience and access to nature; whether it fits you will come down to what you want from a suburb.

Buying a home in Hornsby looks particularly stretched against what a typical local household earned at the last Census. A median house price of $1,652,000 is about 16.3 times a typical local annual household income at the last Census, while the median unit price of $705,000 is about 6.9 times that annual household income — both sit well above local incomes on these figures.

If you’re looking at renting, the weekly numbers matter more: an average house rent of $860 a week would take roughly 44.1% of a typical local household's weekly income at the last Census, and an average unit rent of $650 a week would take about a third (around 33.3%) of that weekly income. Which feels manageable will depend on your own circumstances.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Over the past 12 months Hornsby showed only modest capital gains alongside clearer rent rises. House values edged up 1.7% and unit values rose 2.1%. Rents increased more noticeably, with house rents up 3.6% and unit rents climbing 7.4%.

For someone weighing Hornsby as an investment, the figures show relatively small price growth over the year while rental income, especially from units, was the stronger performer. Which of those outcomes matters most will depend on your personal goals and circumstances.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.