Thornleigh, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Thornleigh NSW is 8,898 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Thornleigh is $1,025 per week ($53,300 per year). Median rent in Thornleigh is $530 per week ($2,297 per month). Thornleigh has a median age of 40 years, older than the national median of 38. Thornleigh has a population density of 2,299 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Thornleigh is China. The most common religion is No religion (38.0% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Thornleigh is $2,800.

There were 77 recorded offences in Thornleigh in 2025-26, a rate of 9 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (35 offences).

Population
8,898
Census 2021
Median income
$1,025/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$530/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
40years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Thornleigh vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Thornleigh is $1,025 a week, 34% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 320th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $530 a week, $145 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 19.8% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 40, 3 years younger than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureThornleighTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,025/wk$765/wk +34%$766/wk
Household income$2,681/wk$1,704/wk +57%$1,637/wk
Rent$530/wk$385/wk +38%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,800/mo$1,965/mo +42%$1,733/mo
Median age4043 −3 yrs42
Rent share of household income19.8%22.6% −2.8 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Thornleigh, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Thornleigh Population

8,898 residents at the 2021 Census.

Thornleigh Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,025/wk
$53,300 per year
Ranked 1,066 of 14,663
Median Rent
$530/wk
$2,297 per month
Ranked 461 of 14,663
Median Age
40years
2 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,800/mo
Avg household size: 2.9 · 0.9 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Thornleigh Rent Prices & Affordability

20% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $2,681/wk
Median rent $530/wk
Rent to income 19.8%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Thornleigh against your income

About $11,618 a month
Median rent $530/wk
Left after rent $2,151/wk
Rent share 19.8%

Thornleigh Schools

24
schools nearby
11
government
1133
avg ICSEA score
14,996
total students
Hornsby Girls High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 722 students
1209
ICSEA
Normanhurst Boys High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 752 students
1207
ICSEA
Beecroft Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 837 students
1187
ICSEA
Arden Anglican School, Junior Campus Independent
Primary · K-12 · 997 students
1173
ICSEA
Barker College Independent
Secondary · K-12 · 2,856 students
1166
ICSEA
Loreto Normanhurst Independent
Combined · 5-12 · 1,240 students
1164
ICSEA
Wahroonga Adventist School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 633 students
1161
ICSEA
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 337 students
1153
ICSEA
St Agatha's Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 217 students
1147
ICSEA
Mount St Benedict College Independent
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,331 students
1147
ICSEA
Pennant Hills Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 490 students
1143
ICSEA
Thornleigh West Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 477 students
1142
ICSEA
Normanhurst Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 372 students
1139
ICSEA
Normanhurst West Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 363 students
1136
ICSEA
St Leo's Catholic College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,055 students
1113
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 24 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Thornleigh, with a map

Thornleigh Map

Thornleigh, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
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People in Thornleigh

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 50.0% (4,450) Female 50.0% (4,453)

Population Density

2,299
people per km²
8,898 people · 3.9 km²

Households

2.9
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$3,016
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

China
6.4%
India
3.7%
England
3.5%
South Korea
2.1%
Philippines
1.9%
Hong Kong
1.5%
New Zealand
1.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
7.2%
Cantonese
3.5%
Korean
2.9%
Arabic
2.7%
Hindi
1.6%
Persian (excluding Dari)
1.5%
Spanish
1.1%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
29.5%
Australian
28.0%
Chinese
14.7%
Irish
8.7%
Scottish
8.0%
Indian
5.1%
Lebanese
3.6%
Korean
3.1%
German
2.9%
Italian
2.8%
Filipino
2.7%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
38.0%
Catholic
21.3%
Anglican
12.2%
Hinduism
4.3%
Not stated
3.6%
Uniting Church
3.0%
Baptist
3.0%
Christian (other)
3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.6%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
57.2% 4,029
Separated
2.4% 166
Divorced
7.1% 503
Widowed
4.0% 284
Never married
29.2% 2,057

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
48.7%
Couple: no children under 15
21.1%
Couple: no children
18.9%
One parent: no children under 15
6.1%
One parent: children under 15
5.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
16.2%
2 persons
28.2%
3 persons
19.8%
4 persons
23.9%
5 persons
8.8%
6+ persons
3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Thornleigh

Housing Tenure

Of the 2,970 occupied private dwellings in Thornleigh at the 2021 Census, 23.3% were rented, 31.5% owned outright and 43.1% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.5% 45 dwellings
Owned outright
31.5% 937 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
43.1% 1,281 dwellings
Rented
23.3% 693 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.6% 19 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
83.1%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
14.6%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
4.4%
2 bedrooms
12.1%
3 bedrooms
39.0%
4 bedrooms
33.1%
5 bedrooms
9.2%
6+ bedrooms
2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
6.8%
$300-$449/mo
1.8%
$450-$599/mo
1.2%
$600-$799/mo
2.3%
$800-$999/mo
3.3%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
5.5%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
9.6%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
18.8%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
21.0%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
29.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
5.4%
1 vehicle
37.2%
2 vehicles
41.3%
3 vehicles
10.9%
4+ vehicles
5.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Thornleigh

Employment

Employed full-time
42.8% 2,779 people
Employed part-time
20.8% 1,347 people
Unemployed
3.1% 199 people
Not in labour force
33.3% 2,164 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
43.7%
Managers
19.3%
Clerical & Administrative
12.4%
Technicians & Trade Workers
9.0%
Community & Personal Service
7.3%
Sales Workers
4.3%
Labourers
2.5%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.4%
$1-$149/wk
0.5%
$150-$299/wk
0.9%
$300-$399/wk
1.6%
$400-$499/wk
3.3%
$500-$649/wk
3.1%
$650-$799/wk
4.0%
$800-$999/wk
3.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
3.9%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
5.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
4.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.4%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
10.6%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
8.3%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
7.2%
$4,000+/wk
29.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
12.3%
$1-$149/wk
4.5%
$150-$299/wk
5.5%
$300-$399/wk
2.4%
$400-$499/wk
2.0%
$500-$649/wk
2.8%
$650-$799/wk
6.4%
$800-$999/wk
7.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
8.8%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.3%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.5%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
14.6%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
4.0%
$3,500+/wk
7.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
61.0%
Did not go to work
23.4%
Train
6.3%
Car (passenger)
3.6%
Walked only
3.1%
Other
0.8%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.6%
Truck
0.6%
Bus
0.5%
Bicycle
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
83.9%
Year 10 or equivalent
11.2%
Year 11 or equivalent
3.0%
Year 9 or equivalent
1.9%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
42.4%
Postgraduate Degree
21.4%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
15.7%
Certificate III/IV
13.7%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
5.2%
Certificate I/II
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
26.6%
Engineering
13.9%
Society & Culture
12.9%
Health
11.8%
Information Technology
8.4%
Education
8.2%
Creative Arts
5.6%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.4%
Architecture & Building
4.4%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
2.6%
Agriculture & Environment
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
34.7%
Secondary: Government
21.0%
Pre-school
11.3%
Vocational Education
8.9%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
7.8%
Secondary: Catholic
7.0%
Primary: Catholic
5.4%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
4.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
93.1%
Has need for assistance
4.5%
Need for assistance not stated
2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
699
Asthma
360
Diabetes
212
Arthritis
204
Heart disease
180
Cancer
113
Lung condition
95
Kidney disease
62
Stroke
50
Dementia
25

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
12.8% 875
Did not provide
87.2% 5,985

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
19.8% 1,358
Not a volunteer
80.2% 5,505

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.2% 11
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 6
Previously served
1.6% 109
Never served
98.2% 6,760

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
30.7%
1 child
15.9%
2 children
33.6%
3 children
15.0%
4 children
4.0%
5+ children
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
29
1951: 1960
78
1961: 1970
173
1971: 1980
214
1981: 1990
405
1991: 2000
607
2001: 2010
867
2011: 2015
450
2016
93
2017
91
2018
70
2019
85
2020
27
2021
18

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

14.3%
moved in the last year
36.2%
moved in the last 5 years
4.2%
unemployment rate (Census)
67.0%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
7,401
Moved from NSW
844
Moved: same area (SA2)
257
Moved from overseas
87
Moved from VIC
22
Moved from SA
11
Moved from QLD
8
Moved from NT
3

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
21.0%
5: 14 hours
33.1%
15: 29 hours
15.8%
30+ hours
10.4%
Did not do domestic work
19.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
92.5%
Step family: no other children
5.0%
Blended family: no other children
1.6%
Intact family: other children present
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Thornleigh Crime Statistics

77 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
35
Traffic
12
Other Against Property
9
Sexual Offences
5
Weapons
5
Assault
4
Other Against Person
4
Drug Offences
2
Property Damage
1

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near Thornleigh

The closest suburb to Thornleigh is Normanhurst, 1.4 km away.

Normanhurst
1.4 km away · income $921/wk · rent $550/wk
Pennant Hills
1.6 km away · income $952/wk · rent $500/wk
Westleigh
1.8 km away · income $1,022/wk · rent $705/wk
Waitara
2.7 km away · income $1,055/wk · rent $490/wk
Cherrybrook
3.2 km away · income $940/wk · rent $695/wk
Hornsby
3.3 km away · income $890/wk · rent $440/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About Thornleigh

What is the population of Thornleigh NSW?

The population of Thornleigh NSW is 8,898 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 2,299 people per km². Thornleigh is ranked #776 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Thornleigh?

The median personal income in Thornleigh NSW is $1,025 per week, or $53,300 per year. The median household income is $2,681 per week. Family income is $3,016 per week. Thornleigh is ranked #1,066 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Thornleigh?

Median rent in Thornleigh NSW is $530 per week ($2,297 per month). Rent represents 19.8% of household income, which is considered affordable. Thornleigh ranks #461 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Thornleigh?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Thornleigh NSW is $2,800. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Thornleigh?

The median age in Thornleigh NSW is 40 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Thornleigh a good suburb to live in?

Thornleigh is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 8,898. The median income is $1,025/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (19.8% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13866. All dollar figures in AUD.