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Hornsby vs Willoughby

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 21 km apart · Hornsby profile · Willoughby profile

Hornsby Willoughby

Hornsby and Willoughby are both populous areas in Greater Sydney, but they offer very different living patterns. Hornsby is more suburban, with far more separate houses (69.5% compared to 44.7%) and a much higher share of homes with three or more bedrooms (73.8% versus 54.0%). Willoughby is more urban and compact, where renting is far more common (38.4% compared to 23.1%) and residents are much closer to the city, with a typical drive time of just 9 minutes compared to 44 minutes for Hornsby.

Both areas sit near the national figure for the share of homes with three or more bedrooms. They also share similar typical weekly incomes, with Hornsby at $2,417 and Willoughby at $2,556. While both areas have seen a rise in people born overseas and those using other languages at home, the gaps between them in these categories have narrowed since 2011.

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Where they differ most

Separate houses: 24.8 pts higher in Hornsby 3+ bedrooms: 19.8 pts higher in Hornsby Renting: 15.3 pts higher in Willoughby Population: 76,198 larger in Hornsby Bachelor+: 8.9 pts higher in Willoughby

Demographics & Identity

Population in Hornsbyin Willoughby +76,198 larger in Hornsby gap narrowing
151,811 86th pct 75,613 80th pct
Median age in Hornsbyin Willoughby +2 yrs older in Hornsby gap steady
41 yrs 43rd pct 39 yrs 33rd pct
First Nations in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.3 pts higher in Hornsby gap steady
0.6% 5th pct 0.3% 0th pct
Aged 65+ in Hornsbyin Willoughby +2.1 pts higher in Hornsby gap steady
18.1% 40th pct 16.0% 29th pct
Under 15 in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.1 pts higher in Hornsby gap steady
19.0% 65th pct 18.9% 64th pct
De facto in Hornsbyin Willoughby +3.1 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
5.9% 0th pct 8.9% 10th pct

Age structure

24.1% Young adults (25–44) +5.1 pts ▸ 29.2%
26.8% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.7 pts 25.1%
19.0% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.1 pts 18.9%
18.1% Seniors (65+) ◂ +2.1 pts 16.0%
11.9% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.2 pts 10.8%

Marital status

58.2% Married ◂ +4.5 pts 53.7%
28.1% Never married +5.1 pts ▸ 33.2%
6.5% Divorced +0.3 pts ▸ 6.8%
5.1% Widowed ◂ +0.9 pts 4.2%
2.1% Separated even 2.1%

Age & sex structure

Hornsby Willoughby

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Hornsbyin Willoughby +5.9 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
40.6% 94th pct 46.5% 98th pct

Country of birth

57.1% Australia ◂ +6.6 pts 50.5%
7.6% China +3.4 pts ▸ 11.0%
5.1% India ◂ +2.0 pts 3.1%
3.8% England ◂ +0.2 pts 3.6%
1.4% New Zealand +0.4 pts ▸ 1.7%
1.5% Philippines ◂ +0.2 pts 1.4%
1.4% South Africa ◂ +0.4 pts 1.0%
1.1% Nepal ◂ +0.5 pts 0.6%
0.4% Italy +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.5% Vietnam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.6%

Ancestry

27.6% English ◂ +4.1 pts 23.5%
16.8% Chinese +9.6 pts ▸ 26.5%
24.4% Australian ◂ +4.4 pts 20.0%
8.1% Irish +0.4 pts ▸ 8.6%
7.8% Scottish ◂ +0.9 pts 7.0%
6.6% Indian ◂ +2.7 pts 3.9%
3.1% Italian +0.1 pts ▸ 3.2%
2.7% German ◂ +0.3 pts 2.4%
2.1% Filipino ◂ +0.3 pts 1.7%
0.7% Greek +0.6 pts ▸ 1.3%
1.3% Dutch ◂ +0.3 pts 1.0%
0.6% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%

Language

Other language in Hornsbyin Willoughby +5.3 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
35.7% 88th pct 41.0% 90th pct
Limited English in Hornsbyin Willoughby +2.1 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
4.7% 88th pct 6.8% 91st pct

Language used at home

61.2% English only ◂ +5.7 pts 55.5%
9.2% Mandarin +3.7 pts ▸ 12.9%
4.1% Cantonese +3.6 pts ▸ 7.8%
2.2% Hindi ◂ +0.8 pts 1.4%
1.0% Arabic ◂ +0.4 pts 0.6%
0.6% Italian +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.7% Tagalog ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%
0.5% Punjabi ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%
0.2% Greek +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.5% Vietnamese even 0.5%

Religion

No religion in Hornsbyin Willoughby +7.1 pts higher in Willoughby gap widening
36.5% 32nd pct 43.6% 62nd pct

Religious affiliation

45.7% Christianity ◂ +5.6 pts 40.0%
36.5% No religion +7.1 pts ▸ 43.6%
6.7% Hinduism ◂ +3.1 pts 3.6%
4.6% Not stated +0.7 pts ▸ 5.3%
3.3% Buddhism +1.2 pts ▸ 4.5%
2.0% Islam ◂ +0.7 pts 1.3%
1.0% Other religions ◂ +0.3 pts 0.7%
0.3% Judaism +0.7 pts ▸ 1.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Hornsbyin Willoughby +6.8 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
76.7% 96th pct 83.5% 100th pct
Bachelor+ in Hornsbyin Willoughby +8.9 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
44.2% 95th pct 53.1% 100th pct
Schools in Hornsbyin Willoughby +36 more in Hornsby
54 87th pct 18 71st pct
Schools/1k kids in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.61 more in Hornsby
1.87 17th pct 1.26 3rd pct
Students in Hornsbyin Willoughby +22,001 more in Hornsby
33,104 87th pct 11,103 78th pct
Avg size in Hornsbyin Willoughby +29 larger in Willoughby
625 92nd pct 653 94th pct
ICSEA in Hornsbyin Willoughby +9 higher in Willoughby
1,138 97th pct 1,146 98th pct

Highest year of school

76.7% Year 12 +6.8 pts ▸ 83.5%
11.9% Year 10 ◂ +5.8 pts 6.1%
4.3% Year 9 or below ◂ +0.5 pts 3.8%
3.2% Year 11 ◂ +0.8 pts 2.4%

Highest qualification level

37.5% Bachelor degree +6.4 pts ▸ 43.8%
18.7% Postgraduate degree +3.4 pts ▸ 22.1%
14.2% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.0 pts 12.2%
13.2% Certificate III / IV ◂ +6.5 pts 6.7%
4.3% Graduate diploma / certificate even 4.3%
1.1% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.4 pts 0.7%

Field of qualification

25.7% Management & commerce +6.1 pts ▸ 31.9%
11.5% Society & culture +2.6 pts ▸ 14.1%
12.9% Engineering & related ◂ +3.8 pts 9.1%
9.6% Health ◂ +0.5 pts 9.0%
7.7% Education ◂ +2.5 pts 5.2%
7.5% Information technology ◂ +0.9 pts 6.6%
4.4% Creative arts +1.1 pts ▸ 5.5%
4.8% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.5 pts 4.3%
4.0% Architecture & building ◂ +0.9 pts 3.1%
2.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.2 pts 2.5%
1.4% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.7 pts 0.7%

Income

Personal income in Hornsbyin Willoughby +$187 higher in Willoughby gap widening
$958 82nd pct $1,145 89th pct
Household income in Hornsbyin Willoughby +$139 higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
$2,417 92nd pct $2,556 94th pct
Family income in Hornsbyin Willoughby +$410 higher in Willoughby gap widening
$2,825 92nd pct $3,235 97th pct
High earners in Hornsbyin Willoughby +7.2 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
20.9% 90th pct 28.2% 98th pct
High-income homes in Hornsbyin Willoughby +3.9 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
38.6% 95th pct 42.5% 98th pct

Household income distribution

25.2% $4,000 or more +6.5 pts ▸ 31.7%
26.8% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.7 pts 25.1%
18.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.7 pts 16.1%
13.4% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +2.6 pts 10.8%
10.7% Under $650 +0.5 pts ▸ 11.3%

Personal income distribution

36.8% Under $650 ◂ +3.7 pts 33.0%
26.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.0 pts 23.7%
22.7% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.4 pts 22.4%
9.5% $3,000 or more +7.0 pts ▸ 16.5%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Hornsbyin Willoughby +4.4 pts higher in Hornsby
24.9% 29th pct 20.5% 14th pct
Mental health in Hornsbyin Willoughby +1.2 pts higher in Hornsby
6.5% 25th pct 5.3% 14th pct
Needs assistance in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.7 pts higher in Hornsby gap steady
4.6% 34th pct 3.9% 22nd pct

Long-term health conditions reported

8.2% Other condition ◂ +1.0 pts 7.2%
6.9% Asthma ◂ +0.9 pts 6.0%
6.9% Arthritis ◂ +1.7 pts 5.2%
6.5% Mental health ◂ +1.2 pts 5.3%
4.1% Diabetes ◂ +1.0 pts 3.1%
3.7% Heart disease ◂ +0.7 pts 3.0%
2.9% Cancer ◂ +0.3 pts 2.6%
1.0% Lung condition ◂ +0.2 pts 0.9%
0.9% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%
0.7% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

Number of long-term health conditions

70.1% None +4.2 pts ▸ 74.3%
18.2% One condition ◂ +3.0 pts 15.3%
4.7% Two conditions ◂ +1.0 pts 3.7%
2.0% Three or more ◂ +0.4 pts 1.5%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Hornsbyin Willoughby +1.2 pts higher in Hornsby gap narrowing
17.5% 49th pct 16.3% 42nd pct
Unpaid carers in Hornsbyin Willoughby +1.1 pts higher in Hornsby gap steady
11.4% 39th pct 10.3% 26th pct
Unpaid child care in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.7 pts higher in Hornsby gap steady
29.3% 82nd pct 28.6% 78th pct
Defence service in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.5 pts higher in Hornsby
1.8% 15th pct 1.3% 8th pct
Housework 15h+ in Hornsbyin Willoughby +3.2 pts higher in Hornsby gap steady
25.2% 80th pct 22.0% 49th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Hornsbyin Willoughby +652 larger in Hornsby
859 60th pct 207 30th pct
Median age in Hornsbyin Willoughby +5 yrs older in Willoughby
27 yrs 64th pct 32 yrs 86th pct
Year 12 in Hornsbyin Willoughby +10.0 pts higher in Willoughby
57.7% 91st pct 67.7% 97th pct
Unemployment in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.3 pts higher in Hornsby
6.2% 14th pct 5.9% 13th pct
Median income in Hornsbyin Willoughby +$243 higher in Willoughby
$814 87th pct $1,057 94th pct
Household income in Hornsbyin Willoughby +$125 higher in Willoughby
$2,362 94th pct $2,487 97th pct
Indigenous language in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.6 pts higher in Willoughby
5.7% 56th pct 6.3% 60th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.2 larger in Hornsby gap narrowing
2.8 87th pct 2.6 79th pct
One-parent in Hornsbyin Willoughby +1.0 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
9.2% 14th pct 10.2% 20th pct
Living alone in Hornsbyin Willoughby +4.4 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
18.5% 7th pct 22.9% 18th pct

Family composition

68.6% Couples with children ◂ +3.6 pts 65.0%
21.5% Couples without children +2.1 pts ▸ 23.7%
9.2% One-parent families +1.0 pts ▸ 10.2%
0.7% Other families +0.5 pts ▸ 1.2%

Household size

29.3% 2 people +2.4 pts ▸ 31.7%
18.5% 1 person +4.4 pts ▸ 22.9%
22.1% 4 people ◂ +2.8 pts 19.3%
18.8% 3 people ◂ +1.0 pts 17.8%
7.8% 5 people ◂ +1.7 pts 6.1%
3.5% 6 or more ◂ +1.4 pts 2.1%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Hornsbyin Willoughby +$76 higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
$495 96th pct $571 100th pct
Mortgage in Hornsbyin Willoughby +$699 higher in Willoughby gap widening
$2,600 94th pct $3,299 100th pct
People / bedroom in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.10 higher in Willoughby gap steady
0.90 86th pct 1.00 89th pct
Renting in Hornsbyin Willoughby +15.3 pts higher in Willoughby gap widening
23.1% 40th pct 38.4% 80th pct
Owned outright in Hornsbyin Willoughby +2.2 pts higher in Hornsby gap steady
33.9% 39th pct 31.7% 32nd pct
Separate houses in Hornsbyin Willoughby +24.8 pts higher in Hornsby gap steady
69.5% 15th pct 44.7% 6th pct
3+ bedrooms in Hornsbyin Willoughby +19.8 pts higher in Hornsby gap narrowing
73.8% 35th pct 54.0% 8th pct

How homes are owned or rented

39.6% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +12.8 pts 26.8%
23.1% Rented +15.3 pts ▸ 38.4%
33.9% Owned outright ◂ +2.2 pts 31.7%
2.5% Other tenure ◂ +0.4 pts 2.2%
0.8% Not stated even 0.8%

Types of homes

69.5% Separate house ◂ +24.8 pts 44.7%
21.9% Flat or apartment +25.3 pts ▸ 47.1%
8.3% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +0.5 pts 7.8%
0.2% Other dwelling even 0.3%

Bedrooms per home

32.8% 4 bedrooms ◂ +13.7 pts 19.1%
19.5% 2 bedrooms +12.9 pts ▸ 32.4%
27.6% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.5 pts 26.1%
13.4% 5 or more ◂ +4.6 pts 8.9%
5.5% 1 bedroom +6.3 pts ▸ 11.9%
0.4% Studio / none +0.6 pts ▸ 1.0%

Weekly rent distribution

46.5% $350–$549 ◂ +13.9 pts 32.6%
25.3% $550–$749 +5.4 pts ▸ 30.6%
11.0% $750 or more +13.8 pts ▸ 24.9%
9.2% $200–$349 ◂ +3.8 pts 5.4%
4.8% Under $200 ◂ +1.5 pts 3.3%

Monthly mortgage distribution

41.5% $3,000 or more +12.0 pts ▸ 53.5%
28.3% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +9.3 pts 18.9%
13.3% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +3.6 pts 9.7%
11.0% Under $1,000 +0.2 pts ▸ 11.2%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Hornsbyin Willoughby +7.3 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
6.7% 71st pct 14.0% 87th pct
Work from home in Hornsbyin Willoughby +7.5 pts higher in Willoughby gap widening
46.9% 100th pct 54.4% 100th pct
PT commute in Hornsbyin Willoughby +1.5 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
3.4% 78th pct 5.0% 86th pct
PT stops in Hornsbyin Willoughby +628 more in Hornsby
940 87th pct 312 76th pct
Stops/1k in Hornsbyin Willoughby +2.07 more in Hornsby
6.19 85th pct 4.13 60th pct
Departures/1k in Hornsbyin Willoughby +470.8 more in Willoughby
1,541.6 87th pct 2,012.4 91st pct
PT routes in Hornsbyin Willoughby +3 more in Willoughby
57 86th pct 60 86th pct
Stop walk in Hornsbyin Willoughby +28 longer in Hornsby
30 62nd pct 2 14th pct
Drive to city in Hornsbyin Willoughby +35 longer in Hornsby
44 45th pct 9 7th pct

How people get to work

46.9% Worked at home +7.5 pts ▸ 54.4%
30.1% Car (driver) ◂ +9.8 pts 20.3%
2.1% Walked +2.3 pts ▸ 4.4%
3.0% Train +0.1 pts ▸ 3.1%
2.1% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.2 pts 1.9%
0.5% Bus +1.4 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.1% Bicycle +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Motor vehicles per home

38.5% 1 vehicle +9.4 pts ▸ 47.9%
37.3% 2 vehicles ◂ +8.4 pts 28.9%
6.7% No vehicle +7.3 pts ▸ 14.0%
11.1% 3 vehicles ◂ +4.5 pts 6.6%
6.4% 4 or more ◂ +3.8 pts 2.6%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Hornsbyin Willoughby +8.2 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
35.8% 56th pct 44.0% 87th pct
Recent arrivals in Hornsbyin Willoughby +5.5 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
11.8% 51st pct 17.3% 73rd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.3 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
4.1% 42nd pct 4.4% 50th pct
Participation in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.2 pts higher in Willoughby gap steady
63.5% 76th pct 63.7% 78th pct
Full-time in Hornsbyin Willoughby +2.4 pts higher in Willoughby gap narrowing
60.5% 57th pct 62.9% 69th pct

Industries people work in

13.8% Professional & technical +4.9 pts ▸ 18.7%
15.1% Health care & social assistance ◂ +3.0 pts 12.1%
8.0% Finance & insurance +4.9 pts ▸ 12.8%
11.0% Education & training ◂ +3.5 pts 7.5%
7.8% Retail trade ◂ +0.7 pts 7.1%
6.6% Construction ◂ +2.1 pts 4.5%
4.2% Accommodation & food +1.3 pts ▸ 5.5%
4.8% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.1 pts 3.8%
4.4% Manufacturing ◂ +1.4 pts 3.0%
3.8% Wholesale trade ◂ +0.4 pts 3.4%
3.1% Media & telecommunications +0.6 pts ▸ 3.7%
2.7% Administrative & support +0.4 pts ▸ 3.1%

Occupations people work in

36.2% Professionals +5.2 pts ▸ 41.4%
17.0% Managers +3.7 pts ▸ 20.7%
13.8% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.9 pts 11.8%
9.0% Technicians & trades ◂ +3.0 pts 5.9%
8.5% Community & personal service ◂ +1.9 pts 6.5%
6.9% Sales workers even 6.9%
4.9% Labourers ◂ +1.6 pts 3.2%
2.5% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +0.8 pts 1.7%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Hornsbyin Willoughby even
10 100th pct 10 100th pct
IRSD decile in Hornsbyin Willoughby even
10 100th pct 10 100th pct
IER decile in Hornsbyin Willoughby +1 higher in Hornsby
10 100th pct 9 86th pct
IEO decile in Hornsbyin Willoughby even
10 100th pct 10 100th pct
IRSAD score in Hornsbyin Willoughby +26 higher in Willoughby
1,116 96th pct 1,142 99th pct
ERP in Hornsbyin Willoughby +74,964 higher in Hornsby
155,484 86th pct 80,520 79th pct
Growth in Hornsbyin Willoughby +3.8 pts higher in Willoughby
2.1% 34th pct 5.9% 70th pct
Businesses in Hornsbyin Willoughby +1,080 higher in Hornsby
14,625 86th pct 13,545 86th pct
Approvals in Hornsbyin Willoughby +169 higher in Hornsby
393 77th pct 224 72nd pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Hornsbyin Willoughby +110 higher in Willoughby
1,328 88th pct 1,438 90th pct
Max temp in Hornsbyin Willoughby +0.3 higher in Hornsby
23.5 41st pct 23.2 38th pct
Min temp in Hornsbyin Willoughby +1.4 higher in Willoughby
11.9 60th pct 13.3 72nd pct

Crime & Safety

Crime rate in Hornsbyin Willoughby +2,646 higher in Willoughby
3,420 6th pct 6,066 29th pct
Assault/100k in Hornsbyin Willoughby +100 higher in Willoughby
321 4th pct 422 10th pct
Sexual/100k in Hornsbyin Willoughby +12 higher in Willoughby
115 10th pct 127 14th pct
Robbery/100k in Hornsbyin Willoughby +1 higher in Willoughby
12 22nd pct 13 25th pct
Burglary/100k in Hornsbyin Willoughby +92 higher in Willoughby
121 0th pct 213 12th pct
Theft/100k in Hornsbyin Willoughby +822 higher in Willoughby
347 3rd pct 1,169 45th pct
Vehicle theft/100k in Hornsbyin Willoughby +36 higher in Willoughby
148 13th pct 184 20th pct
Property damage/100k in Hornsbyin Willoughby +19 higher in Willoughby
247 1st pct 266 2nd pct
Drugs/100k in Hornsbyin Willoughby +89 higher in Willoughby
125 9th pct 214 23rd pct
5-yr change in Hornsbyin Willoughby +30.3 pts higher in Willoughby
-6.7% 24th pct 23.6% 70th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Hornsbyin Willoughby +2.0 higher in Willoughby
6.6 86th pct 8.6 98th pct
Types ≤15 min in Hornsbyin Willoughby +1.4 more in Willoughby
6.2 83rd pct 7.6 97th pct
15-min city in Hornsbyin Willoughby +20.3 pts higher in Willoughby
75.9% 81st pct 96.3% 97th pct
Walk to shops in Hornsbyin Willoughby +18.3 pts higher in Willoughby
73.0% 80th pct 91.3% 94th pct
Walk to transit in Hornsbyin Willoughby +7.3 pts higher in Willoughby
92.5% 83rd pct 99.8% 99th pct
Walk to school in Hornsbyin Willoughby +19.4 pts higher in Willoughby
77.8% 78th pct 97.2% 97th pct
Walk to a park in Hornsbyin Willoughby +5.7 pts higher in Willoughby
94.3% 80th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to health in Hornsbyin Willoughby +25.6 pts higher in Willoughby
62.4% 80th pct 88.0% 95th pct
Amenities/1k in Hornsbyin Willoughby +12.5 more in Hornsby
26.0 68th pct 13.5 26th pct
Intersections/km² in Hornsbyin Willoughby +241 higher in Willoughby
23 73rd pct 264 92nd pct
Mean slope in Hornsbyin Willoughby +1.2 pts higher in Willoughby
9.1% 92nd pct 10.3% 98th pct

Compare Hornsby with nearby areas

Ku-ring-gai The Hills Shire Northern Beaches Ryde Parramatta Lane Cove Hunters Hill Willoughby

Compare Willoughby with nearby areas

North Sydney Lane Cove Mosman Hunters Hill Ku-ring-gai Ryde Sydney Woollahra

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Hornsby vs Willoughby [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA14000/hornsby/vs/LGA18250/willoughby