Suburb guide · Hornsby council area
Mortgage broker for Hornsby (2077) home buyers
Hornsby had 22,462 residents at the 2021 Census and 52% were born overseas, most often in China (2,834), with Nepal third (983). The housing is mixed (59.1% units, 35.3% houses), and median sales in January to March 2026 were $750,000 for a unit and $1,931,000 for a house. We don't have an office in Hornsby. Sulav Adhikari works with buyers here by phone or video, from the first conversation to settlement.
On this page
Hornsby in numbers
- Residents
- 22,4628,664 occupied homesABS Census 2021
- Born overseas
- 52%Top birthplaces: China, India, NepalABS Census 2021
- Born in Nepal
- 9834.4% of residentsABS Census 2021
- Speak Nepali at home
- 1,0364.6% of residentsABS Census 2021
- Arrived 2016 to 2021
- 11.7%2,623 people born overseasABS Census 2021
- Median age
- 382.5 people per householdABS Census 2021
- Median household income
- $1,952/wk$101,504 a yearABS Census 2021
- Households renting
- 43%31.7% mortgage, 22.9% owned outrightABS Census 2021
- Flats and apartments
- 59.1%35.3% separate houses, 5.4% semis and townhousesABS Census 2021
- Median rent, new leases
- $725/wkAll dwellings, postcode 2077NSW DCJ, April to June 2026
The suburb covers 8.379999999999999 km² and is wholly in the Hornsby council area. Compared with the other suburbs we cover, its Nepal-born count is the 14th-highest of 26 and its share of renters is the 19th-highest. At 38, the median age is among the oldest of our suburbs, and households average 2.5 people. Only 9.5% of workers used a train on Census day 2021, a lockdown day when 41.3% worked from home.
Buying costs at Hornsby's median prices
A typical unit in postcode 2077 changed hands for $750,000 in January to March 2026 from 149 sales, while houses went for a median $1,931,000 from 43 sales. A house costs 2.6 times as much as a unit here, a gap of $1,181,000. Measured in local incomes ($101,504 a year at the 2021 Census), the median unit is 7.4 times that figure and the median house 19 times.
| Item | Median unit | Median house |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $750,000 | $1,931,000 |
| 5% deposit | $37,500 | $96,550 |
| 10% deposit | $75,000 | $193,100 |
| 20% deposit (no LMI) | $150,000 | $386,200 |
| Transfer duty, standard | $27,937 | $87,492 |
| Transfer duty, first home buyer | $0 | $87,492 |
| Registration fees | $365 | $365 |
| 5% Deposit Scheme cap ($1,500,000) | Under | Over |
| Cash needed, first home buyer, 10% deposit | $75,365 | $280,957 |
- Owner-occupier, established home, every scheme condition met. Cash needed excludes conveyancing and LMI. 2026-27 rules, checked 26 October 2026.
The first home exemption covers the median unit in full: $27,937 of duty becomes nil for an eligible buyer. At $1,931,000 the median house is above the $1,000,000 cut-off, so a first home buyer pays the full $87,492.
The median unit is under the 5% Deposit Scheme cap for Sydney ($1,500,000); the median house is $431,000 over it, so a house at that price needs a bigger deposit or LMI.
Try a price other than $750,000 in the NSW stamp duty calculator
Hornsby rents and what they mean for buying
A renter signing a new lease in postcode 2077 in April to June 2026 paid a median $725 a week ($37,700 a year); DCJ counted 387 new bonds. By size, a two-bedroom unit leased for $720 a week and a three-bedroom house for $890.
At the 2021 Census the median renter here paid $440 a week, and the median household with a mortgage repaid $2,240 a month, 17% more than the median rent. Today's new-lease median is 65% above that 2021 rent. DCJ counts only new bonds and the Census counts every renting household, so read the gap as a direction, not an exact rise. That 2021 rent was 23% of a median household's income.
A 5% deposit on the median unit ($37,500) equals about 52 weeks of the current median rent, between one and two years of rent. Renters are a large minority here (43% of households); 31.7% of homes have a mortgage and 22.9% are owned outright.
| Dwelling | Weekly | Yearly | New bonds |
|---|---|---|---|
| All dwellings | $725 | $37,700 | 387 |
| 1-bedroom unit | $600 | $31,200 | 50 |
| 2-bedroom unit | $720 | $37,440 | 192 |
| 3-bedroom unit (small sample) | $855 | $44,460 | 11 to 30 |
| House (all sizes) | $890 | $46,280 | 81 |
| 3-bedroom house (small sample) | $890 | $46,280 | 11 to 30 |
| 4+ bedroom house (small sample) | $1,025 | $53,300 | 11 to 30 |
- No interest rate is assumed: compare with your own rate in the repayments calculator.
Hornsby buyers we work with
Owners with a mortgage
31.7% of Hornsby homes are owned with a mortgage, with a median repayment of $26,880 a year in 2021. If your loan is a few years old, or your income or visa status has changed, a review shows whether another lender would treat you better. Refinancing
Units and strata
59.1% of homes are flats or apartments, and lender policies differ on units, for example on minimum floor area and high-density buildings. Send us the building address early: we check which lenders accept it before you spend money on reports.
Compare nearby suburbs
The nearest suburb we cover is Parramatta, 15.6 km away. Four of the five neighbours listed have a lower median unit price than Hornsby's $750,000. Granville has a larger Nepal-born community (2,240 people).
| Suburb | Distance | Born in Nepal | Median rent | Median unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornsby | — | 983 | $725/wk | $750,000 |
| Parramatta | 15.6 km | 1,672 | $700/wk | $620,000 |
| Westmead | 16.3 km | 571 | $680/wk | $600,000 |
| Granville | 17.7 km | 2,240 | $630/wk | $563,000 |
| Lidcombe | 18.1 km | 1,491 | $780/wk | $807,000 |
| Homebush | 18.2 km | 692 | $720/wk | $655,000 |
- Born in Nepal: ABS Census 2021. Rent and unit price: NSW DCJ, latest quarter.
See buying in Parramatta, Westmead rents and prices or our Granville guide. All NSW suburb guides
Hornsby buyers often ask
How much stamp duty would a first home buyer pay on a median Hornsby unit?
None, if you qualify for the First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme: the $750,000 median unit is under the exemption limit. Other buyers pay $27,937. Checked against Revenue NSW on 26 October 2026.
What deposit do I need to buy in Hornsby?
For the median unit ($750,000): $37,500 at 5%, $75,000 at 10% or $150,000 at 20%. The median house needs $386,200 for 20%. Below 20%, expect LMI unless you use the 5% Deposit Scheme or a guarantor.
Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme in Hornsby?
The median unit ($750,000) is $750,000 under the $1,500,000 cap. The median house ($1,931,000) is $431,000 over the $1,500,000 cap. You must be a citizen or permanent resident and a first home buyer.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Hornsby?
We can't say without your rate. For scale: a year of median rent on a new lease is $37,700, and 2021 mortgage repayments ran at a median $26,880 a year.
Buying in Hornsby?
Sulav checks your deposit, income and visa against lender policy for a unit around $750,000, in a 60-minute call by phone or video.
Sources
Data last updated . Census figures are for 2021; DCJ figures are quarterly medians.
- ABS QuickStats 2021: Hornsby (SAL11943)
- ABS Census 2021 tables for SAL11943
- ASGS Edition 3 boundaries
- Rent and Sales Report, sales January to March 2026
- Rent and Sales Report, rents April to June 2026
- Transfer duty rates
- First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme (new or existing home)
- 5% Deposit Scheme price caps