North Ryde vs Pennant HillsTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
North Ryde (NSW 2113) is approximately 13 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the Metro line. Pennant Hills (NSW 2120) is approximately 22 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the T9 Northern Line. At the 2021 Census, North Ryde had 14,043 residents with a median age of 37, and Pennant Hills had 7,588 residents with a median age of 43.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 30% of occupied dwellings in North Ryde and 15% in Pennant Hills, while 37% of North Ryde 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 2113 · Northern Sydney
North Ryde
North Ryde is a City of Ryde suburb with its own metro station, where detached houses still hold 58.0 per cent of homes alongside substantial apartment stock.
City of Ryde. Approximately 13 km north-west of the Sydney CBD, on the Metro line.
Read the full North Ryde 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 North Ryde 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 North Ryde 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 North Ryde 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.
North Ryde 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 | North Ryde | Pennant Hills |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 14,043 | 7,588 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 37 | 43 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.8 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,383 | $2,433 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $520 | $500 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,700 | $2,700 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 37% | 23% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 33% | 36% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 29% | 38% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 58% | 73% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 12% | 11% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 30% | 15% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 35% | 21% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 34% | 48% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 6% | 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 North Ryde 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.
North Ryde
- Upgraders
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Apartments and houses attract different lending policies in the same suburb.
- One-bedroom dwellings can fall below lenders' minimum internal floor areas.
- Student accommodation near the university is specialised security many lenders refuse.
- Land on the Lane Cove National Park interface may be recorded as bush fire prone.
- A section 66W certificate waives cooling-off and exposes a buyer to the full 10 per cent deposit.
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 North Ryde and Pennant Hills compared
North Ryde
- Detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,906 at the 2021 Census, 58.0 per cent of occupied homes.
- Apartments near the metro
- The 1,514 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 30.2 per cent of occupied homes.
- A broad bedroom range
- At the 2021 Census, 783 dwellings had one bedroom and 596 had five or more.
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 North Ryde 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.
North Ryde
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for North Ryde, 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 North Ryde and Pennant Hills
North Ryde
Transport
- North Ryde Metro (metro)
- Macquarie Park Metro (metro)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Epping Road (road)
Amenities
- Lane Cove National Park
- Macquarie Centre
- North Ryde local shops
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: North Ryde or Pennant Hills
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in North Ryde and Pennant Hills, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.