Planning Maps / Areas / Hornsby / Cheltenham

Cheltenham flood map & planning overlays

A planning-constraint profile of Cheltenham (Hornsby, NSW) - 1.73 km², mapped from live council and state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.

Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Cheltenham's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top. It shows where constraints fall; the interactive map shows them on your exact address.

Cheltenham at a glance

Parcels 853 Median lot 1,018 m² Mapped easements 15 Train Cheltenham Station Bus stops 28

How Cheltenham is zoned

Low Density Residential 63%
Infrastructure 14%
National Parks and Nature Reserves 11%
Public Recreation 10%
Private Recreation 1%
Environmental Management 1%

Buying in Cheltenham? The zoning, flood and bushfire lines on the section 10.7 certificate attached to the contract are mapped controls - see our s10.7 certificate guide.

Across its 1.73 km², Cheltenham is highly constrained by planning overlays. Flood mapping covers the suburb and none of it falls within a mapped flood overlay, and 44% is flagged bushfire-prone. There are 50 heritage-listed sites on record, and the dominant land-use zone is Low Density Residential. The median lot measures about 1,018 m² across 853 parcels. These figures are suburb-wide - the overlays that actually apply to a given lot can differ block to block, which is what a property-level check tells you.

Who lives in Cheltenham

Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Cheltenham suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.

Population
2,166
usual residents, 2021
Median age
46
years
Median household income
$3,573
per week, Hornsby suburb typical $2,468
Median rent
$695
per week, Hornsby suburb typical $515
Median mortgage
$3,612
per month
Household size
3.1
people, average

Socio-economic standing

ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.

Advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Score 1173, and decile 10 within New South Wales. The national average is 1000.

Relative disadvantage (IRSD) Decile 10
most disadvantagedleast disadvantaged

Age profile

Share of Cheltenham's 2,166 residents in each ABS age band.

0-4 3.3%
5-14 13.3%
15-19 8.0%
20-24 7.1%
25-34 6.2%
35-44 10.7%
45-54 15.2%
55-64 16.5%
65-74 11.0%
75-84 6.2%
85+ 2.4%

Population trend, 2001 to 2025

Estimated resident population of Pennant Hills - Cheltenham, the wider ABS statistical area containing Cheltenham. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Cheltenham itself.

19,293 in 2001 to 22,248 in 2025, up 15%.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics. Census of Population and Housing 2021 (General Community Profile) and SEIFA 2021, both published at the Suburbs and Localities level; Regional Population (estimated resident population) at Statistical Area Level 2. Used under CC BY 4.0. Census counts of small populations are randomly adjusted by the ABS to protect confidentiality, so figures for small suburbs are indicative.

Cheltenham data sources and coverage

Every figure below is an aggregate for the suburb boundary. “Not mapped” means LayeredGeo does not hold a source layer covering this suburb; it is never an all-clear for a particular property.

DatasetCoveragePublisher
Flood mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Bushfire-prone mappingMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
ZoningMappedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
Heritage and environmentMapped where publishedNSW Government spatial services, NSW ePlanning and published council flood studies
DemographicsAvailableAustralian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA)

Profile last materially updated 5 August 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.

Check a specific Cheltenham address

See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.

See what's in the $9 report →

Cheltenham planning - frequently asked

Where can I see a flood map of Cheltenham?

The schematic on this page is a Cheltenham flood map: the mapped flood overlays drawn over the suburb's terrain and street grid. Flood lines vary block to block, so for a specific property use the free interactive map - search any Cheltenham address and it shows the flood, zoning and bushfire mapping on the exact lot boundary.

Is Cheltenham flood-prone?

Flood mapping covers Cheltenham and none of the suburb falls within a mapped flood overlay (the council-wide suburb average is 2%). Flood overlays vary block to block, so whether a particular lot is affected needs a property-level check.

Is Cheltenham bushfire-prone?

Yes - around 44% of Cheltenham is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Hornsby average of 69%. A bushfire-prone designation can trigger additional building requirements, so check the specific address.

What is the zoning in Cheltenham?

The dominant planning zone in Cheltenham is Low Density Residential, though the suburb also includes Infrastructure and National Parks and Nature Reserves. Zoning sets what you can build and do on a site, and can differ lot by lot.

Does Cheltenham have heritage-listed places?

Cheltenham has 50 heritage-listed places on record. Heritage listing affects what you can alter or demolish, so confirm whether a specific property is listed or near a heritage place.

What is the typical lot size in Cheltenham?

Across 853 surveyed parcels in Cheltenham, the median lot size is about 1,018 m². There are also 15 registered easements mapped in the suburb - an easement can restrict where you can build, so always check the title and overlays for the specific lot.

Does Cheltenham have a train station?

Yes - Cheltenham has 1 train station: Cheltenham Station. It is also served by 28 bus stops.

What is the population of Cheltenham?

At the 2021 Census Cheltenham had 2,166 usual residents, with a median age of 46 and an average household size of 3.1 people. The wider Pennant Hills - Cheltenham statistical area, which contains Cheltenham, went from 19,293 people in 2001 to 22,248 in 2025, up 15%. ABS publishes no annual population series for individual suburbs, so that trend describes the surrounding area rather than Cheltenham alone.

Is Cheltenham an advantaged suburb?

On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Cheltenham scores 1173 and sits in decile 10 of 10 nationally and decile 10 within New South Wales - decile 1 being the most disadvantaged tenth of Australian suburbs and decile 10 the least. The national average score is 1000. SEIFA summarises income, education, occupation and housing across the whole suburb, so it describes the area, not any particular household in it.

What is the median household income in Cheltenham?

Median household income in Cheltenham was $3,573 a week at the 2021 Census, against $2,468 for the typical suburb in Hornsby. Median rent was $695 a week and the median mortgage repayment $3,612 a month. These are 2021 Census figures and have not been indexed to today.

Do I need a planning report for a Cheltenham property?

A Cheltenham planning report pulls every overlay - zoning, flood, bushfire, heritage and environmental - that touches a single lot, on live council and state data. The interactive map preview is free; a full PDF report is $9.

Compare nearby suburbs

Nearby suburbDistanceFlood mappedBushfire-prone
Beecroft 1.6 km 0% 28%
North Epping 1.6 km 0% 47%
Epping
City Of Parramatta
1.9 km 0% 7%
Pennant Hills 2.4 km 0% 65%
South Turramurra
Ku-Ring-Gai
2.9 km 0% 67%
Marsfield
Ryde
3.1 km 0% 26%
Eastwood
Ryde
3.6 km Not mapped 4%
Carlingford
City Of Parramatta
3.7 km 0% 11%
Thornleigh 3.9 km 0% 41%
Normanhurst 4.2 km 0% 31%

See all Hornsby suburb profiles →