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Suburb profile ·Maitland LGA · NSW ·2322

Thornton NSW 2322

Thornton is in Maitland LGA, NSW, postcode 2322, with population 10,690.

The read

Growth-momentum

Price, rent, or affordability signals are lining up without a clear local red flag, and the broader demand backdrop is at least supportive. Treat this as a suburb worth comparing seriously, then stress-test it in the calculator before making a conviction call.

$620/wk
Falling
-3.1% YoY
Mar 2025 → May 2026 · 15 periods
NSW Fair Trading · postcode 2322 · May 2026
$680
$590
Mar 2025May 2026
Why it fits

Recent price movement shows visible market momentum. Population movement supports a growth-led read. Transport coverage adds a practical access signal.

Median house
$899K
House median, latest period
8.7%YoY D5 vs AU
Median rent
$620/wk
Income-stretched rent market
3.1%YoY D10 vs AU
Gross yield
3.6%
Below investor band
D10 vs AU
Population
10,690
11K local footprint
D10 vs AU
Schools
2
Matched school context
D8 vs AU
Drive to city
2h
154 km to Sydney CBD · free-flow
Solar
5,713
463 added 12mo · 45MW
Price cycleAt its peak
LowPeak

At / near its all-time high

See trend depth →

Price history

Houses to Q2'26 · Units to Q3'25 — house and unit medians are released on separate cycles, so their latest period can differ.

Trend & investor depth

Cycle positionAt its peak
Low · 2008Peak · 2026

At / near its all-time high

Price growth (compound)% per year
3-yr
+5.9%
5-yr
+7.2%
10-yr
+6.5%
Affordability trajectoryWorsening
Price
+10.5%/yr
Income
+4.1%/yr

Growth in median price vs median household income — worsening — prices outgrowing incomes.

Indicative cashflow-$393/wk (-$20,410/yr) · interest-only @ 6.2%, 80% LVR
Market turnover3.3% of homes traded/yr (126 sales · -42% vs 3-yr avg)
Rent stabilitystable — rents vary ±2.9% around trend (short window, 15 pts)
Value vs advantage+2% vs suburbs of similar SEIFA advantage (decile 5)

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection. Turnover divides recorded sales by an estimated household count (population over average household size).

Investment grade

Cgrade · 59/100 · top 41% of 3,605AU suburbs
Peer distributionstronger than 59% of AU suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Capital growth30
Rental yield69
Stability75
Volatility-7.2ppCycle-2.0Affordability-1.5

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer · stability drivers signed (+ = steadier)

Relative grade across Australian suburbs, combining qp's capital-growth (multi-year CAGR + cycle timing), rental-yield, and stability (price volatility + cycle + affordability) metrics via a three-pillar property-scoring method with an imbalance penalty. Within-Australia relative, indicative only — not financial advice.

Investor profile

Who invests in Thornton

Owner-occupied 65%Rented 35%
Investor activityATO
Negatively geared5.5%
831 of 1,535 landlords
Avg rental loss$7,275/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,535
Reported capital gains794
Investor exposure index(moderate vs national)66/100
The read

Mixed owner-renter market

64% of homes here are owner-occupied and 34% rented, with 6% of landlords negatively geared.

Why it fits

A balanced 64% owner-occupier / 34% renter mix.

ABS Census 2021 tenure (G37), ATO postcode rental statistics, and QuickProperty's investor-exposure index. Owner-occupied = owned outright + with a mortgage.

Mortgage affordability

49%
of household income to service a new loan
11.2 yrs
to save a 20% deposit
Severe
housing-stress band
Rent vs buyRenting cheaper

New-loan repayment $4,312/mo vs median rent $2,687/mo (+60% · +$375/wk)

If rates move

At 4.0%: $3,434/mo (-878) · at 6.0% (current): $4,312/mo · at 8.0%: $5,277/mo (+965)

Assumes a 20% deposit and a 30-year principal-and-interest loan at the current RBA new owner-occupier variable rate, against median weekly household income (ABS Census 2021). Stress bands follow the 30% / 45%-of-income thresholds used in ANZ-CoreLogic and AIHW reporting. Rent vs buy compares that repayment with the suburb's median advertised rent; it excludes rates, insurance, maintenance and deposit opportunity cost.

Stronger alternatives nearby

Higher yield

similar price · cross-LGA

Stronger 5-yr growth

similar price · cross-LGA

More affordable

lower price-to-income

Alternatives are similar-priced suburbs (0.7–1.4x this suburb's median) in other council areas that exceed it on the named metric. Indicative — not financial advice.

Affordability

Buying
8.4x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Moderate
Renting
30%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
Stretched

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $1,800/mo, while renters pay about $2,687/mo — renting runs $887/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$899K
Household income · yr
$107K
Median rent · wk
$620
Owner mortgage · mo
$1,800
Gross yield
3.6%

Household income

$107K household · yr+29.6% vs NSW suburb median
Personal
$46K
Family
$116K
Household
$107K
Household income distribution (ABS Census 2021 · weekly)18% could service the median house
Under $300
85
$300-649
271
$650-999
348
$1,000-1,499
491
$1,500-1,999
483
$2,000-2,999
956
$3,000-3,999
492
$4,000+
323

Serviceability line: a household needs about $3,317/wk to hold a new loan on the median house at 30% of income (20% deposit, 30-year P&I, current RBA rate).

At the median asking rent, about 51% of households here would spend more than 30% of income on rent (rent stress line: $2,067/wk income).

Median taxable income trend (ATO, 2018-19 – 2022-23)$57K → $66K

Housing stock and tenure

Tenure (3,699 households)3.1% social housing
Owned outright
24%
Owned with mortgage
41%
Rented
34%
Dwelling structure5.0% of dwellings unoccupied on census night
Separate house
93%
Townhouse / semi
6%
Flat / apartment
1%

Getting to work: 75% drive, 1% public transport, 1% walk or cycle, 20% worked from home (2021 Census, taken during COVID-era work-from-home arrangements).

Schools

Total2
Avg ICSEA991
Students1,116
Government1
Independent1
  • Thornton Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 974
  • Aspect Hunter SchoolSpecial · Independent · ICSEA 1008

Livability

82/ 100 livability index

Top 18% most liveable of 4,565Australian suburbs.

Peer distributionstronger than 82% of Australian suburbs
WeakerTypicalStronger
Everyday access81
Public transport (64 stops)90
Schools & hospitals56

Bar = this suburb's percentile · tick = typical (median) peer

Suburb-level access-density index (not an address-level walk-time score), normalised within Australian suburbs. Method based on the Urban Liveability Index (Higgs et al. 2019) and Walk Score — three equal-weighted domains combined with an imbalance penalty.

Crime April 2025 - March 2026
4,187
4,266 per 100k
D6 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k4,266
Total incidents4,187· April 2025 - March 2026
  • Assault1,10658%
  • Sexual Offences36119%
  • Robbery171%
  • Break And Enter42822%

Bushfire exposure

High exposure ~67.1%
~67.1% of the suburb is Bush Fire Prone Land · ~31.1% Category 1 (highest hazard)

Estimated exposure to NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land (CC BY), point-sampled across the suburb. This shows how much of the suburb sits within the official hazard layer — it is not a Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) rating or a property-level assessment. Obtain a BAL assessment (AS 3959) for an individual property.

Planning zones

Dominant zone General Residential
Residential 32% Public / Open space 29% Rural / Green wedge 24% Other 12%
Residential density: Standard

Land-use mix estimated by point-sampling the suburb against NSW EPI Land Zoning polygons (CC BY 4.0). This is a suburb-level snapshot of planning zones, not a parcel-level zoning certificate or development advice. Check the relevant planning scheme for an individual property.

Population outlook

17,065 people · 202229,042 by 2032 (+70.2%)

ABS population projection (2022 base) for the Thornton - Millers Forest SA2 statistical area — the finest official projection grain available; suburb-level projections do not exist.

Full data detail Census · ATO · ABS · state datasets
Thornton NSW — Property Data and Demographics

Thornton (postcode 2322) is an established suburb in New South Wales within the Maitland local government area. It is home to about 10,690 residents, with a mix of young professionals and families and a median age of 32. Households earn a median income of $107K per year, with an average household size of 2.8 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement into the broader catchment, with population growth running at +2.2% year-on-year at the LGA level. NSW employment has moved +1.2% year-on-year in the official ABS Labour Force trend series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. NSW also had 35 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 17 underway, and 67 in planning as at 2025-09-01, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are technicians & trades, professionals, community & personal service. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and public admin & safety. The top ancestries reported are Australian, English, Scottish.

Thornton has a median house price of $899,000, which has risen solidly by 8.7% year-on-year. Units have a median price of $745,000 (+9.8% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $620. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 3.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,800.

Thornton is served by 2 schools, including 1 primary, 1 special. The average ICSEA score is 991, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 4 rail stations, 60 bus stops. The crime rate in the Maitland LGA is moderate at 4,266 incidents per 100,000 population.

From an investment perspective, Gross rental yield sits at around 3.6% (moderate yield). Property prices sit below the state median ($899K/$1.5M), which can point to relative value. The price-to-income ratio of 8.4x is considered moderate. House prices have moved +8.7% year-on-year. Population growth of +2.2% year-on-year points to strong growth demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield3.6%· Moderate Yield
Price vs State$899K/$1.5M Below Median
Affordability8.4x· Moderate
Price Momentum+8.7% Rising
Pop. Growth+2.2% Strong Growth
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentNSW
Mortgage · mth$1,800
Rent · wk(Census)$400
Market rent · wk(2026-05)$620
Gross yield2.3%
Price / income8.4x
Sales vol (latest Q)(2026-Q2)13
Population growth · Maitland LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)100,439
5-year growth+2.7% CAGR
YoY change+2.2%
20012025
Development · Maitland LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)1,009
Houses 51%Units 49%
YoY change+0%
Employment · Maitland LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.7%
YoY change+0.1pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 2322ATO
Negatively geared5.5%
831 of filers
Avg rental loss$7,275/yr
Landlords (rental income)1,535
Reported capital gains794
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population10,690
Median age32
Household size2.8
HH income · wk$2,051
Personal income · wk$887
Persons / bedroom0.8
IncomeATO 22-23
Median income$66,448
Mean income$74,254
Earners11,123
YoY change+7.2%
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)5/10
Education (IEO)3/10
Economic (IER)6/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)5/10
Income momentumCensus 16→21
HH income · wk$1,647 → $2,051
Change+24.5%
vs NSW median+3.9 pp
Median rent+21.2%
stablevs NSW 2016–21
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets1
Pharmacies1
GP / clinics3
Fuel stations3
Cafes & dining14
coles1
TransportGTFS
Rail stations4
Bus stops60
Glenroy St At Railway Av
Karuah St Opp Thornton Station
Railway Av At Karuah St
Railway Av At Rockleigh St
Hospitals · Maitland LGAAIHW
Public1
Private1
Maitland Hospitalpublic
Maitland Private Hospitalprivate
Aged care · Maitland LGAGEN
Facilities7
Residential places724
Green Hills Residential Care Service168 places
Rutherford Park Care Community144 places
RFBI Benhome Masonic Village124 places
Estia Health Aberglasslyn118 places
Maitland Grange Care Community80 places
Whiddon Largs49 places
+1 more in Maitland LGA
Childcare · Maitland LGAACECQA
Services75
Approved places5,893
Exceeding NQS11
Tillys Play and Education Centre - Rutherford174 places
St Nicholas Early Education Gillieston Heights144 places
St Nicholas Early Education Lochinvar144 places
Thornton Before and After School Care and Vacation Care140 places · in suburb
Rutherford Before and After School Care and Vacation Care135 places
St Nicholas Early Education Chisholm134 places
+69 more in Maitland LGA
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

Thornton has enough direct local evidence for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
NSW price medians are parser-guarded official records.

Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
NSW Valuer General · 2026-Q2 · Official sale records parsed from cached Bulk PSI ZIP files with parser guardrails for token sales, non-house zoning, and low-value strata component records
medium stability · automated · every update · weekly
Available
Market rent
NSW Fair Trading · 2026-05 · State market dataset
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Crime
BOCSAR · April 2025 - March 2026 · Area-level release dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · release-based
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 2 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 64 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.

Thornton FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Thornton in?

    Thornton is in the Maitland Local Government Area, NSW, postcode 2322. Council-level context for Maitland LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Thornton?

    The current median house price in Thornton, NSW is $899K, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in Thornton?

    The median weekly rent in Thornton is $620/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is income-stretched rent market.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Thornton?

    Income-stretched rent market: Weekly rent screens at about 49% of annual income. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is Thornton a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for Thornton show: Moderate Yield, Below Median, Moderate. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Thornton?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the Thornton data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.