Council (LGA) · Area profile
The Hills Shire
386 km²
Spanning 386 square kilometres of the Greater Sydney region, The Hills Shire is an affluent, family-oriented community. It is a wealthy area where many residents hold high-level degrees and earn well above the national figure. The neighbourhood is notably young, with a high proportion of children and a population that has grown by 13% since 2011. This blend of professional success and family life creates a suburban landscape of large homes and a highly educated workforce.
An affluent area whose schools serve an equally well-off community.
A family-heavy area that's short on schools per child.
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The area is notably young, with 21.2% of people being children under 15, which is much higher than most similar areas. While the typical resident is 38, the proportion of seniors is much lower than in most other regions at 14.8%.
Migration has a strong presence here, with 40.4% of people born overseas—a figure far above the national average. English, Australian, Chinese and Indian are the most common ancestries.
The community is linguistically diverse, and 38.8% of people use a language other than English at home, which is far above the state figure. Mandarin is the most common non-English language spoken.
Christianity remains the most common faith at 51.4%. Interestingly, 27% of people report no religion, which is far below the national figure, though this number has risen by 11 points since 2011.
The workforce is highly qualified, with 40.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, far above the national figure. This is consistent with the fact that 75.3% of residents completed Year 12.
This is a very wealthy area where the typical household earns $2,831 a week, well above the state average. Nearly 45% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, a figure that has risen 22 points since 2011.
Residents enjoy good health, as those with long-term health conditions (21.8%) and those needing help with daily activities (3.7%) are both much lower than in most other areas.
Unpaid care is common, with 31.8% of people caring for children, well above the national average. However, the proportion of volunteers is much lower than in most other areas.
The First Nations community is small but fares well, with a median personal income of $884 and a Year 12 completion rate of 54.5%, which is far above the national figure.
Homes here are typically large, with 3.1 people per household, which is higher than most areas. Very few people live alone, at only 12.2%, far below the national figure.
The landscape is dominated by large separate houses, with 87.7% of homes having three or more bedrooms. Typical monthly mortgage payments are very high at $3,000, well above the state average.
Working from home is extremely common here, with 45.3% of people doing so, far above the national figure. Most homes have at least two cars, and only 2.5% of households have no vehicle.
The area is quite mobile, as 42.2% of residents have moved in the last five years, which is higher than most other areas.
Jobs are concentrated in professional roles, with 32.5% of workers as professionals. The rate of adults working or looking for work is 66.5%, well above the national figure.
The shire ranks at the highest possible level for overall advantage, with an advantage score of 1,136. Its population is continuing to grow rapidly, increasing 15.6% since 2021.
The area receives a lot of rain, with an average annual rainfall of 1,053mm, which is far above the New South Wales average.
The area is very safe, with rates for theft, burglary and assault all among the lowest at this level. Recorded offences have fallen by 13.9% over the last five years.
While 92.7% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, the area is less walkable for other needs. Only 53.5% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, far below the state figure.