Everything you need to know about Sydney's Hills District

The Hills District is located in the North Western Suburbs of Sydney in the state of New South Wales Australia. It is part of the Greater Western Sydney Region and is a popular and fast growing area with many wishing to live, work and play in this area. It is aptly named the Hills District of Sydney as many of the suburbs will typically have hills of all sizes. The major roads in Hills District (in particular Old Northern Road) travel along key ridges leading up towards Hornsby.

The Hill District is bounded by the Hawkesbury River in the North to the M2 Motorway in the South and Pennant Hills Road in the East and Old Windsor Road in te West. The Hills Shire Council is the local council government that is responsible for looking after and managing this area of Sydney.

According to the 2021 Census, there are approximately 191,876 people living in the Hills District in approximately 64,041 dwellings. The median weekly household income is $2,831 whilst the median monthly mortgage repayments totals to around $3000 per month.

The Hills District is a nice place to live because of its family focus and a reputable local council which invests heavily into looking after the area. The Hills area also has many of the state’s top performing primary schools and high schools located within this area. There are also a wide variety of family friendly facilities including swimming pools, bush walks and sports fields which make it an attractive location for new and established families.

There are more than 30 suburbs within the Hills District. The following is a list of suburbs in the Hills District:

There are more than 30 suburbs within the Hills District. The following is a list of suburbs in the Hills District:

The Hills District is served by two major public transport routes:

• Sydney Metro (North West line)
• Hills Bus (travelling from Hills District to the Sydney CBD via the M2 Motorway)

With the completion of the Sydney Metro in 2019, this has significantly expanded the capacity of public transport to the Hills District which in turn has attracted many buyers and investors looking to purchase in the Hills District.

When the Think Property HQ team speak with clients, we generally ask them what attracts them to the Hills District and what they love about it. Answers will vary between clients but the common reasons as to why the Hills District is so popular is because we see are:

Large Lots of Land

The Hills District has a minimum lot size of 700m2 in an R2 Residential Zoning. This is enforced by the Hills Shire Council, so unlike other council areas, it is rare to find a house on a small lot of land less than 300m2 (you will generally see this in the newer suburbs outside of Hills Shire Council, such as in Schofields where it is just rows of “cookie cutter” 300m2 blocks with houses that fill most of the area).

The older areas of the Hills Shire Council has even larger land sizes typically ranging from 900m2 to 1200m2. This is perfect for large families or people who work from home and wants lots of space for themselves, their kids or their pets.

High performing schools

The Hills District has some of the best performing primary schools and high schools in the state of New South Wales. This is for both public (selective and non-selective) as well as for private education.

For example, the top two high schools (James Ruse Agricultural High School, and Baulkham Hills High School) are based in the Hills District.

The top performing primary school (Matthew Pearce Public School) is Baulkham Hills and many of the local primary schools are top performers including Excelsior Public School, North Rocks Public School, Jasper Road School and Carlingford West Public School.

Cherrybrook Technology High School where the famed Eddie Woo used to teach is also located in Cherrybrook which used to be part of the Hills Shire Council before it was re-allocated to Hornsby Shire Council.

Parents who are looking for great education for their children will find the Hills District well serviced with great schools at a variety of different price points if they choose to send their children to a private school.

Lush Green Landscapes and Leafy Streets

The Hills Shire Council has an emphasise on green space and continuously invests in building parks, protecting local reserves and creating walking tracks. This gives many in the Hills District a good balance between the busy business life and a quieter slower walking track in the bush.

Local parks are usually within walking distance which gives families and children lots of space to play and explore

Strong Transport and Road Options

With its proximity to the M2 Motorway as well as well maintained roads to the business centres of Sydney (such as Parramatta, Norwest, Macquarie Park, Sydney and Blacktown), the Hills District is relatively central and convenient when it comes to taking driving to a nearby business park.

Combined with the opening of the Sydney Metro, there are now many transport options to travel into the CBD for major events and for work which makes it attractive for high income earners with families.

Lots of recreational options and amenities

There are many things you can do in the Hills District ranging from bushwalks in the many parks, reserves, forests and national parks to kayaking in the Hawkesbury River.

The Hills District has at least 2 major shopping centres (Castle Towers, Rouse Hill Town Centre) and many smaller local shops well serviced by major brands (for example The Grove at Baulkham Hills or Hills SuperCentre at Castle Hill).

There are also many sports facilities and fields and you can be sure to find a local soccer club, OzTag club, hockey club, netball club, and more!

The Hills District property market is very diverse with many options for buyers of all backgrounds and budgets of all sizes. The following is a general overview of the property market in the Hills District.

Apartments

The Hills Shire Council has recognised the popularity of the Hills District and has rezoned some areas around major transport and business hubs in order to allow for the construction of high rise apartments.

We typically see them in suburbs such as Castle Hill, Norwest, Kellyville and Rouse Hill.

Apartments are great for buyers on a budget, investors looking for rental yield or buyers looking to enter the property market.

Our clients who look for apartments in the Hills see the value in proximity to public transport, proximity to work and falling within the catchment of a good primary school.

For example, majority of the apartments around Castle Towers will fall within the two popular schools of Castle Hill Public School and Castle Hill High School catchments. By purchasing a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment, a small or young family can help their children gain access to these schools at a significantly lower price point than buying a house in the same catchment. The main sacrifice is that the total internal area of an apartment can never match that of a house, but with the amount of parks and green space nearby, these clients do not worry as much.

Townhouses

Townhouses are a great middle option for families who might not be able to afford a house but is still looking for more space than an apartment. Townhouses can be found in more suburbs comparable to apartment which then gives buyers choice in choosing where they want to live as well as school catchments. We will typically see buyers focus on townhouses in Castle Hill, Kellyville, Baulkham Hills and Rouse Hill.

Townhouses are great for growing families, investors looking for a little bit more capital growth or for buyers looking for a small backyard to maintain.

Our clients who look for townhouses in the Hills are typically priced out of houses but is still looking for a land in their purchase because of some play space for their children or pets.

Castle Hill and Kellyville apartments have been quite popular in recent years and we have seen sizeable capital growth and rental growth due to the demand in townhouses. Depending on where you buy and your criteria, we can find good value gems with potential for capital growth for our clients or townhouse complexes that are well maintained and fall within popular school catchments.

Houses

Houses are the most popular and naturally the most expensive option in the Hills District. If you are staying within the Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills and Cherrybrook region, you will find that the prices of these houses are typically 50-100%+ higher than those in the neighbouring Blacktown City Council or Parramatta City Council. What our clients typically pay for is the location and school catchments.

Houses can range from $1.5million to in excess of $10 million depending on where you buy.

The most pretigious and luxury houses in the Hills District are typically located in the suburbs of Glenhaven, Dural, West Pennant Hills and pockets of Castle Hill and Cherrybrook. The market for these houses rival some of the houses in the Eastern suburbs and Northern Beaches of Sydney. This is because high income earners invest heavily in their forever home for their families and will typically undertake significant renovations or a high end knock down rebuild. As the land sizes are larger in the Hill District, it becomes a perfect blank canvas for those looking to build their dream homes.

In the midddle tier and entry level houses, there is high demand from many buyers looking to upgrade from other areas of Sydney (or even within the Hill District) and most of the time, sellers will put these houses to auction due to their high demand. This can be nerve wracking for time poor or new buyers and the team at Think Property HQ can assist. In order to buy well in these areas, you need to really know the market and how much properties are selling for as well as really understanding what you want to buy as well.

Think Property HQ is a property buyer’s agent (or buyer’s advocate) that specialises in buying homes for our clients in Sydney’s Hills District. We help buyers from all different backgrounds with all different budgets to help them find a place they can call home in the Hills District. We also help many investors find properties that meet their investment criteria and goals.

Our team has either grown up or lives in the Hills District and so we have seen it transform over the many years and know the ins and outs of the suburb like the back of our hand. We also keep up to date with any major changes in the Hills Shire Council in order to keep on top of any policy changes that may impact your purchase.

We seek to help our clients secure their ideal property with minimal stress (especially if every house is going to auction). We work for you (not the seller) and will always seek the best outcome for you. Speak with us today, obligation free, and we’d love to get to know you and understand your goals and to be able to help you out!