West Pennant Hills
NSWWest Pennant Hills is a declining suburb in NSW with 16,620 residents.
- SAL code
- 14266
- SA2
- 115011296
- Population
- 16,620
- LGA
- The Hills
West Pennant Hills, NSW had 16,620 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 2.8% decline over the last five years. The predominant age group is 55-64 years, and the median age sits at 43. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $3,033 a month. Around 85.7% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 44.1%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 90.7% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 31 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
West Pennant Hills, NSW at a glance
West Pennant Hills sits ~25 km north-west of Sydney CBD in the Hills District, straddling The Hills Shire and Hornsby Shire. Large detached homes on bushland blocks define the streetscape, with Cumberland State Forest cutting through the suburb. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle, and council context they don't.
For homebuyers
West Pennant Hills is for buyers who want space, trees, and the bones of an established Hills District street. Most stock is large detached houses on generous blocks; Cumberland State Forest runs through the suburb and gives genuine bushwalking from the back fence. Local shopping is light — the Coonara Avenue strip has a Woolworths and a handful of food places, but most weekly runs go to Cherrybrook Village or Castle Towers. The school catchment is the draw: West Pennant Hills Public is in-area, and the suburb sits inside the orbit of Oakhill College, Tara, Loreto Normanhurst, Arden Anglican, and The King's School. Commuters use Cherrybrook Metro (~2.9 km) for an 18-minute run to Chatswood, the M2/NorthConnex for north-shore and city access, and Beecroft station (~3.4 km) for the T9 line. In short: a settled, well-schooled, bush-edge Hills suburb if you want size and quiet without leaving Sydney's middle ring.
For investors
West Pennant Hills is a capital-growth-oriented market with thin yield. Median house sale $2,735,000 against $975/week rent gives a ~2.27% gross yield; units sit around ~2.86% on $645/week (Your Investment Property, May 2026). 12-month house growth +1.30%, quarterly +0.55% — a flat year off a high base. 198 house sales and 22 unit sales in 12 months at 29 and 52 days on market; vacancy 1.99% (htag, March 2026).
Strengths
- Tight established supply — stock-on-market 0.18% and inventory ~0.63 months (htag, March 2026) keeps downside resilience.
- Premium school catchment and proximity to multiple top private schools underpins long-term tenant + buyer demand.
- Cherrybrook Metro on the doorstep gives an 18-minute run to Chatswood — a structural commute upgrade that supports values.
- Vacancy 1.99% is in the neutral band (htag, March 2026) — rents hold even with the weak yield.
Trade-offs
- Yield is very low (~2.3% houses) — negative gearing territory unless you tip in significant equity.
- Entry price ~$2.7m on a median house (YIP, May 2026) narrows the buyer pool and limits gearing flexibility.
- Capital growth has flattened — +1.30% over 12 months and +0.55% in the last quarter (htag, March 2026) is well below the Sydney metro average.
- Limited unit / townhouse stock (only 22 unit sales in 12 months) means few stratified entry points or value-add plays.
What's coming
The Hills Shire's Draft 2025-26 Shire Plan is out for community feedback and sets the next year's capital works envelope. Locally, Council is provisioning infrastructure for the approved 11-lot subdivision at 1-3 Hill Road. Cherrybrook Station Precinct planning next door continues to shape medium-term density and amenity on the suburb's northern edge.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a large-block, school-catchment Hills suburb with the Metro at the door. For investors: a long-hold capital-preservation play, not a yield or quick-growth one.
Population
?16,620
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
-2.8%
3yr: +1.0% · 10yr: -4.9%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$3,078/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
43
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?10/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?2.3%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
1
1 primary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?12
8 long day, 2 OSHC
Parks & green space
?31
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?151
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?138
The Hills · 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)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — West Pennant Hills (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; West Pennant Hills suburb alone is ~16,620 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 13,217 to 12,534 over 24 years, averaging -0.2% per year.
Schools
1 in suburbSector
1 public
Type
1 primary
Total enrolment
510
Avg per school
510
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
West Pennant Hls PS48.7%
- Murray Farm PS 44.7%
- Cherrybrook PS 5.2%
- Pennant Hls PS 1.2%
- Nth Rocks PS 0.1%
- Baulkham Hls NPS 0.0%
- Oakhill Drive PS 0.0%
- Castle Hill PS 0.0%
- Beecroft PS 0.0%
Secondary
Pennant Hls HS58.0%
- Muirfield HS 51.1%
- Carlingford HS 19.0%
- Cherrybrook THS 0.0%
- Castle Hill HS 0.0%
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 0.6%Almost entirely detached houses (90.7%), owner-occupied (85.7%), built for families (47% are 4 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
NSW 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: NSW RFS BFPL via SEED
As of May 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
10 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 62.0% | 5.76 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 12.8% | 1.19 km² |
| C4 | ZoneEnvironmental | 11.4% | 1.06 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 5.6% | 0.52 km² |
| RU3 | ZoneRural | 4.5% | 0.42 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 1.4% | 0.13 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 1.3% | 0.12 km² |
| R4 | ZoneResidential | 0.4% | 0.03 km² |
| RE2 | ZoneRecreation | 0.4% | 0.03 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 0.3% | 0.03 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.