Thornleigh, Hornsby: house prices, rent and what to check before you buy
The median sale price for non-strata dwellings (mostly houses) was $2,010,000 in the Jan–Mar 2026 quarter for postcode 2120 (NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report), down 5.4% on a year earlier. The median strata (mostly unit/townhouse) sale price was $1,370,000 in the Jan–Mar 2026 quarter for postcode 2120. The median weekly rent was $730 (DCJ, June quarter 2026). Thornleigh had 8,898 residents at the 2021 Census, and its postcode is 2120.
What stands out: Bush Fire Prone Land covers 40% of the suburb's land (NSW Rural Fire Service Bush Fire Prone Land); the LEP heritage map covers 10% of the suburb's land (NSW Planning Portal LEP heritage map).
Page updated · market data to Mar 2026
- Zoning: mostly Low Density Residential (R2), 69% of the land
- School catchments: parts of Thornleigh are in the catchments for Hornsby SPS and Normanhurst PS (+4 more) (primary); Hornsby HS and Pennant Hls HS (+1 more) (secondary)
- Getting there: nearest train or Metro station about 1.0 km from the suburb centre
- Non-strata median
- $2,010,000
- Mar qtr 2026 · down 5.4% on Mar qtr 2025
- postcode 2120
- Higher than 65% of 98 Greater Sydney postcodes with a house median · 42 sales in the quarter
- NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report
- Strata median
- $1,370,000
- Mar qtr 2026
- postcode 2120
- Higher than 88% of 104 Greater Sydney postcodes with a unit median · 49 sales in the quarter
- Previous quarter: $780,000
- NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report
- Median rent
- $730/wk
- June quarter 2026
- postcode 2120
- Higher than 43% of 256 Greater Sydney postcodes with a rent figure · lease count not published
- NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report
- Gross yield
- 1.9%
- rent June quarter 2026 / house median Mar qtr 2026
- postcode 2120
- Higher than 26% of 98 Greater Sydney postcodes with a gross yield
- Calculated by Delora from the two figures above
- Planning risk
- Flood Not mappedBushfire 40% HighHeritage 10% Moderate
- share of suburb land area
- 2 suburb-specific overlays to check
- NSW Planning Portal · NSW Rural Fire Service Bush Fire Prone Land
- Getting around
- 1.0 km to nearest station
- 40 min to Chatswood by public transport (modelled)
- 9 government school catchments cover part of the suburb
- Transport for NSW GTFS data · NSW Department of Education catchments
Check an address in ThornleighCompare with another suburb
Greater Sydney profile: sale prices and rents are published by postcode.
Thornleigh is an established suburb with an older, more settled population — median age 40, among the most socio-economically advantaged areas in the state on the ABS's SEIFA index. Housing is a mix of dwelling types, houses making up the largest share. The area is still light on cafés, shops and other everyday amenity. It's train-connected.
Ready to look at a specific property here? See the due diligence hub for what to verify before you sign.
Scope: New South Wales, Australia. Suburb data here comes from NSW government sources (DCJ rents and sales, Rural Fire Service, planning and school records); Greater Sydney comparison group.
In this profile
- Planning and riskZones, overlays, flood and bushfire, and what is planned nearby, with an address check.
- Prices and rentsMedian prices and rents, how they have moved, and sales volume.
- SchoolsThe government school zones that cover the suburb.
- Living hereTransport, commute times, who lives here and the suburbs nearby.
- Before you buyThe checks every purchase needs, common questions and guides.
Risk and planning in Thornleigh
Thornleigh has light heritage coverage on the council's LEP heritage map (about 10%), though a listing can still apply to individual parcels. Bush Fire Prone Land affects about 40% of the area.
Suburb-wide shares of the land, not a check of any one address.
Not covered by this dataset (most Sydney councils map flood risk separately). Not the same as no flood risk; check with council.
If it applies it adds bushfire construction requirements (a BAL rating) and cost.
Share of the suburb. Source: NSW Rural Fire Service Bush Fire Prone Land · Verify this address
The share of the suburb on the council's Local Environmental Plan heritage map: 35 listed heritage items. There, demolishing, moving or altering the outside of a heritage item, or of a building, work or tree in a conservation area, structural changes inside a listed building, building on that land or subdividing it generally need development consent, and similar rules cover Aboriginal places and objects. (NSW Parliamentary Counsel's Office, verified 26 Oct 2026) Minor work or maintenance can go ahead without it if the council agrees in writing first. (NSW Parliamentary Counsel's Office, verified 26 Oct 2026)
Share of the suburb. Source: NSW Planning Portal LEP heritage map · Verify this address
Over summer 2015–16 the ground surface across Thornleigh averaged 3.8 °C above a non-urban vegetated reference, cooler than 75% of the Greater Sydney suburbs mapped. (NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, verified 26 Oct 2026) Tree canopy was 38.7%, more tree cover than 79% of these suburbs. (NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, verified 26 Oct 2026)
It measures the surface, not the air temperature, and is a guide to exposure, not a forecast. Streets within a suburb vary.
Averaged over the suburb’s mesh blocks. Source: NSW Urban Heat Island and Urban Vegetation Cover 2016 (Data.NSW)
Worth checking in Thornleigh
Possible heritage listing
Around 10% of Thornleigh is on the council's LEP heritage map. Verify whether this parcel is a heritage item or in a conservation area: if it is, demolishing, moving or altering the outside of a heritage item, or of a building, work or tree in a conservation area, structural changes inside a listed building, building on that land or subdividing it generally need development consent. (NSW Parliamentary Counsel's Office, verified 26 Oct 2026)
Bush Fire Prone Land
Bush Fire Prone Land (NSW Rural Fire Service) affects ~40% of Thornleigh. If it applies, it drives bushfire construction requirements (BAL rating) and cost.
Zoning mix and building controls
Land use across the suburb (planning zones)
- Zoning
- Residential
- mostly Low Density Residential (R2) · 69% of the suburb
- Suburb
Layers on this map, as a table
| Layer | Share of suburb | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Suburb boundary | The whole suburb | ABS SAL 2021 |
Overlay colours reflect how much of the suburb an overlay covers — green under ~8%, amber ~8–20%, red above 20%. Source: NSW Planning Portal & NSW Rural Fire Service. How to verify planning controls for an address
Cost and market in Thornleigh
How Thornleigh compares
Where Thornleigh ranks against other Greater Sydney suburbs Delora covers, on the measures buyers ask about — a higher bar isn’t always “better”, it’s just where this suburb sits.
Show recorded crime and amenity-density comparisons
Schools
Parts of Thornleigh fall within 6 primary and 3 secondary government school catchments. 2 government schools are located within the suburb.
Government schools have address-based catchment zones; Catholic and independent schools set their own enrolment processes.
Getting around from Thornleigh
3 train, 0 Metro, 0 light rail and 64 bus stop points sit inside the suburb (Transport for NSW GTFS data). A station counts once per platform, so these are stop points, not stations.
- Distance to the CBD
- ~20 km
- from the suburb centre
- Getting around
- 3 train · 0 Metro · 0 light rail · 64 bus
- stop points in the suburb, not stations (a station is often several) · nearest train or Metro station ~1.0 km
- Nearest Centrelink
- ~2.5 km
- outside the suburb
| Job hub | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Chatswood | 40 min |
| Macquarie Park | 42 min |
| Norwest | 42 min |
| North Sydney | 53 min |
| St Leonards | 53 min |
| Parramatta | 57 min |
Show all 18 job hubs
| Job hub | Minutes |
|---|---|
| Redfern | 57 min |
| Sydney CBD | 57 min |
| Westmead | 57 min |
| Surry Hills | 60 min |
| Pyrmont | 68 min |
| Alexandria | 70 min |
| Blacktown | 72 min |
| Mascot | 72 min |
| Gosford | 90 min |
| Penrith | 100 min |
| Eastern Creek and Huntingwood | 102 min |
| Campbelltown | 113 min |
Everyday amenity (OpenStreetMap)
- Cafés & amenity density
- 3 cafés
- Low café & amenity density — likely more car-dependent
- Restaurants
- 4
- places to eat nearby
- Supermarkets
- 3
- grocery stores nearby
- Pharmacies
- 0
- chemists nearby
- Parks
- 15
- green space nearby
- Childcare
- 0
- centres nearby
- GP & medical centres
- 0
- nearby
Who lives in Thornleigh
— 8,898 residents · median age 40 · 75% own their home · SEIFA 10/10
- Population
- 8,898
- usual residents (Census 2021)
- Owner-occupied
- 75%
- 75% own, 16% private rent, 4% social, 5% other or not stated
- Median age
- 40 yrs
- of residents
- Personal income
- $1,025/wk
- median, per week
- Household income
- $2,681/wk
- median, per week
- Avg household size
- 2.9 people
- people per home
- Monthly mortgage
- $2,800/mo
- median repayment
- Taxpayer income
- no data
- median taxable income, per year (ATO)
- Population growth
- no data
- Recorded crime
- 43 per 1,000 residents
- a year, for Thornleigh itself · around the Greater Sydney average
Offence category mix (Thornleigh's own mix, last 12 months):
- Theft38%
- Transport Regulatory Offences19%
- Assault8%
- Intimidation Stalking And Harassment6%
- Against Justice Procedures6%
- Disorderly Conduct5%
- Drug Offences4%
- Malicious Damage To Property4%
- Prohibited And Regulated Weapons Offences4%
- Sexual Offences3%
- Other Offences2%
- Robbery1%
- Arson0%
- Betting And Gaming Offences0%
- Blackmail And Extortion0%
- Other Against The Person0%
- Median household incomeup 18%
- Median personal incomeup 24%
- Median weekly rentup 4%
- Median ageolder by 1 year
How advantaged the area is
Deciles 1–10 vs all Sydney areas — 10 = most advantaged — from the ABS SEIFA index. A demographic measure, not a house-price one. These three don’t always move together — a suburb with lots of renters or students, for example, can score high on education but lower on income and housing costs.
- Overall advantage
- 10/10
- Among Greater Sydney's most advantaged areas
- Economic resources
- 9/10
- income, housing costs & wealth
- Education & occupation
- 10/10
- qualifications & skilled jobs
The homes here
Mix of dwelling types across the suburb (Census 2021)
Who owns and rents here (Census 2021)
Not sure whether a house, townhouse or apartment suits you? Decide what to buy →
Recorded crime is a suburb-wide rate — every offence NSW Police logged over the latest year (theft, property damage, drug and traffic offences and the like, not only violent crime) divided by the suburb’s residents. A broad area signal, not a figure for this exact street.
All figures are suburb-level indicators, not property-specific — always confirm the exact address on the contract for sale. Sources: ABS Census 2021, NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, NSW Rural Fire Service (Bush Fire Prone Land), NSW Planning Portal.
Suburbs near Thornleigh
The 6 closest suburbs with a Delora page, by distance between suburb centres.
Compare with nearby suburbs
Before you buy in Thornleigh
Overlay and pipeline checks specific to Thornleigh are in the Planning and risk tab. Two checks apply to every purchase.
Easements & restrictions
Check the contract for sale and title search for easements (e.g. drainage/sewer along a boundary — you usually can’t build over them) and restrictive covenants (single-dwelling, materials, height) that limit your plans.
Owners corporation (if applicable)
Apartments and many townhouses in Thornleigh are in an owners corporation. If so, the statement must include its certificate — review annual fees, any special levies, the maintenance fund and insurance.
Questions about Thornleigh
What is the median price in Thornleigh?
The median sale price for non-strata dwellings (mostly houses) was $2,010,000 in the Jan–Mar 2026 quarter for postcode 2120 (NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report), down 5.4% on a year earlier. The median strata (mostly unit/townhouse) sale price was $1,370,000 in the Jan–Mar 2026 quarter for postcode 2120.
What postcode is Thornleigh?
Thornleigh is in postcode 2120, in the Hornsby council area, New South Wales.
What is the population of Thornleigh?
Thornleigh had 8,898 usual residents at the 2021 Census (ABS), with a median age of 40.
Is Thornleigh affected by flood or bushfire overlays?
Thornleigh's council doesn't map flood risk through the EPI Flood Planning overlay (most Sydney councils use a DCP or separate flood study instead, which Delora doesn't yet carry) — this is not the same as no flood risk, and about 40% is covered by Bush Fire Prone Land (NSW Rural Fire Service). These are suburb-wide shares: whether one applies to a particular property depends on the address, so check it on the NSW Planning Portal's spatial viewer and in the contract for sale.
What should I check before buying in Thornleigh?
For Thornleigh, pay particular attention to any flood or bushfire risk (about 40% bush fire prone, flood risk not mapped by this dataset), the zoning of the block and neighbouring blocks, and — for strata properties — the strata report, by-laws and any special levies. Always have a licensed conveyancer or solicitor review the contract for sale before you sign.
Show all 3 more questions
How is Thornleigh zoned?
Most of Thornleigh (69% of the land) is zoned R2 Low Density Residential, then RE1 Public Recreation (11%) and E4 General Industrial (6%) under the council's Local Environmental Plan (NSW Planning Portal). The zone sets what can be built; check the zone for an exact address on the Planning Portal's spatial viewer or a section 10.7 planning certificate.
Which school catchments cover Thornleigh?
Parts of Thornleigh are in the government school catchments for primary: Hornsby SPS, Normanhurst PS, Normanhurst WPS, Pennant Hls PS and 2 more; secondary: Hornsby HS, Pennant Hls HS, Turramurra HS (NSW Department of Education). A suburb can span several catchments: the exact address decides which applies, so confirm it on NSW School Finder.
Is Thornleigh heritage listed?
About 10% of Thornleigh is on the council's Local Environmental Plan heritage map, including 35 listed heritage items. For a heritage item or land in a heritage conservation area, demolition, exterior and structural interior changes, new buildings and subdivision generally need development consent, unless the council agrees in writing that minor work or maintenance doesn't (Standard Instrument LEP clause 5.10). Check an exact address on its section 10.7 planning certificate.
Guides for buying in Thornleigh
The flood and bushfire figures in Planning and risk are suburb-wide — they tell you how common an overlay is here, not whether it applies to one specific address. Confirm via the NSW Planning Portal and an in-person inspection before you rely on them.
Thinking of buying in Thornleigh?
Paste a listing or address into Delora in Claude. It checks the home against official records, works out the cost to buy, and remembers your shortlist between chats.
Sign in with Google, Apple or an email code through a hosted sign-in provider; Delora never sees your password. What the app keeps.