Thornton (NSW)
NSWThornton (NSW) is a growing suburb in NSW with 10,690 residents.
- SAL code
- 13867
- SA2
- 106021618
- Population
- 10,690
- LGA
- Maitland
Thornton (NSW), NSW had 10,690 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 36.9% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 25-34 years, and the median age sits at 32. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,800 a month. Around 65.3% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 41.3%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 93.2% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 9 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Population
?10,690
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+36.9%
3yr: +16.6% · 10yr: +100.3%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,051/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
32
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?7/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?2.0%
SA4 · Q4 2025
Schools
1
1 primary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?9
8 long day, 1 OSHC
Parks & green space
?9
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?68
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?115
Maitland · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Population over time — Thornton - Millers Forest (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Thornton (NSW) suburb alone is ~10,690 (Census 2021).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 6,809 to 19,925 over 24 years, averaging 4.6% per year.
Schools
1 in suburbGovernment school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Thornton PS47.1%
- Beresfield PS 21.3%
- Ashtonfield PS 19.4%
- Metford PS 8.6%
- Millers Forest PS 2.5%
- Woodberry PS 1.1%
- Black Hill PS 0.0%
Secondary
Francis Greenway HS90.9%
- Maitland Grossmann HS 8.6%
- Maitland HS 0.5%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 2.0%Almost entirely detached houses (93.2%), mixed tenure (65% own or mortgage), built for families (49% are 4 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire & flood risk
Hazard data is not yet available for NSW.
Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
11 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | ZoneResidential | 25.5% | 4.23 km² |
| RU2 | ZoneRural | 22.4% | 3.72 km² |
| C3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 16.2% | 2.69 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 13.9% | 2.31 km² |
| E3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 9.5% | 1.57 km² |
| C4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 6.9% | 1.14 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 2.2% | 0.36 km² |
| RU1 | ZoneRural | 1.7% | 0.29 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 1.5% | 0.26 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.1% | 0.02 km² |
| RE2 | ZoneRecreation | 0.1% | 0.02 km² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.