Hornsby vs Pennant HillsTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Hornsby (NSW 2077) is approximately 25 km north of the Sydney CBD, at a major rail interchange. Pennant Hills (NSW 2120) is approximately 22 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the T9 Northern Line. At the 2021 Census, Hornsby had 22,462 residents with a median age of 38, and Pennant Hills had 7,588 residents with a median age of 43.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Hornsby and separate houses in Pennant Hills. Flats and apartments made up 59% of occupied dwellings in Hornsby and 15% in Pennant Hills, while 43% of Hornsby households rented compared with 23% in Pennant Hills. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
NSW 2077 · Upper North Shore
Hornsby
Hornsby is a major rail interchange and retail centre, and the upper North Shore outlier at 59.1 per cent apartments and 43.4 per cent renting.
Hornsby Shire. Approximately 25 km north of the Sydney CBD, at a major rail interchange.
Read the full Hornsby guideNSW 2120 · Northern Sydney
Pennant Hills
Pennant Hills is a Hornsby Shire suburb on the Northern Line with large family houses, where 38.1 per cent of households own outright.
Hornsby Shire. Approximately 22 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the T9 Northern Line.
Read the full Pennant Hills guide
What buying in Hornsby and Pennant Hills would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Hornsby and Pennant Hills.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Hornsby to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Pennant Hills to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Hornsby and Pennant Hills: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Hornsby | Pennant Hills |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 22,462 | 7,588 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 38 | 43 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.8 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,952 | $2,433 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $440 | $500 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,240 | $2,700 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 43% | 23% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 32% | 36% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 23% | 38% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 35% | 73% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 5% | 11% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 59% | 15% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 57% | 21% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 19% | 48% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 7% | 7% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Hornsby and Pennant Hills
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Hornsby
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Hornsby is a distinct market from the Ku-ring-gai suburbs south of it.
- Single-development exposure limits apply where apartments came through large complexes.
- One-bedroom dwellings and studios can fall below minimum internal floor areas.
- Bushland fringes mean the 10.7 certificate is worth reading even in a centre suburb.
- The T1 and T9 lines differ in travel time and stopping pattern, so test the journey.
Pennant Hills
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Pennant Hills Road carries heavy traffic including freight through the suburb.
- The planning certificate records whether land is bush fire prone on the bushland interface.
- Tree preservation controls and root effects are worth checking on treed blocks.
- Single-development exposure limits matter where 389 flats sit across a few buildings.
- A section 66W certificate waives cooling-off and exposes a buyer to the full 10 per cent deposit.
Housing stock in Hornsby and Pennant Hills compared
Hornsby
- Apartments around the interchange
- The 5,120 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 59.1 per cent of occupied homes.
- Two bedroom dwellings
- At 4,051 dwellings, dominating the profile recorded at the 2021 Census.
- A real house market
- Separate houses numbered 3,056 at the 2021 Census, 35.3 per cent of occupied homes.
Pennant Hills
- Detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,919 at the 2021 Census, 73.3 per cent of occupied homes.
- Four and five bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 842 dwellings had four bedrooms and 416 had five or more.
- Apartments near the station
- The 389 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 14.9 per cent of occupied homes.
Official sale price and rent figures for Hornsby and Pennant Hills
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Hornsby
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Hornsby, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Pennant Hills
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Pennant Hills, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Hornsby and Pennant Hills
Hornsby
Transport
- Hornsby Station (train)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Pacific Highway (road)
- M1 Pacific Motorway (road)
Amenities
- Westfield Hornsby
- Hornsby Hospital
- Hornsby Park
Pennant Hills
Transport
- Pennant Hills Station (train)
- Epping Metro (metro)
- Pennant Hills Road (road)
- M2 Motorway (road)
Amenities
- Pennant Hills shops
- Pennant Hills Park
- Lane Cove National Park
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the New South Wales education department.
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Request a free assessment: Hornsby or Pennant Hills
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Hornsby and Pennant Hills, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.