Balcolyn
A vacancy rate of 15.3% in a suburb where 95.8% of dwellings are separate houses signals that Balcolyn attracts owners who hold and wait rather than renters who cycle through. The population of 1,002 sits on just 0.74 square kilometres of Lake Macquarie shoreline, with a median age of 43, three years above the national figure. Household income at the 47.8th percentile nationally is below average, yet mortgage stress remains absent at 26.2% of income, because prices have not stretched as far as in Sydney markets. The workforce leans strongly toward Healthcare and Construction, and 81.1% of residents stayed at the same address over the census period, pointing to low churn.
Population
1,002
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,525/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
16
Median House
$814K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price sits at $813,750, rising from $765,000 in 2024 to $827,500 in 2025, an 8.2% gain in one year. At a household income of $1,525 per week, monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 represent 26.2% of income, below the 30% stress threshold, which makes Balcolyn more affordable relative to income than many coastal NSW markets. Stock is overwhelmingly detached houses at 95.8%, with apartments making up only 4.2%. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 42.7% of dwellings and three-bedroom for 40.9%, suggesting the suburb suits families rather than downsizers. Outright owners at 42.2% outnumber those with a mortgage at 34.7%, a pattern typical of longer-established, lower-turnover communities.
For Buyers
The median house price sits at $813,750, rising from $765,000 in 2024 to $827,500 in 2025, an 8.2% gain in one year. At a household income of $1,525 per week, monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 represent 26.2% of income, below the 30% stress threshold, which makes Balcolyn more affordable relative to income than many coastal NSW markets. Stock is overwhelmingly detached houses at 95.8%, with apartments making up only 4.2%. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 42.7% of dwellings and three-bedroom for 40.9%, suggesting the suburb suits families rather than downsizers. Outright owners at 42.2% outnumber those with a mortgage at 34.7%, a pattern typical of longer-established, lower-turnover communities.
For Investors
A 23.1% renter share means most dwellings are owner-occupied, limiting the depth of the rental pool compared to higher-density suburbs. Weekly rent of $390 against a $813,750 median implies a gross yield near 2.5%, modest but not unusual for a coastal detached-house market. The 15.3% vacancy rate is elevated, pointing to supply that exceeds current rental demand, likely driven by holiday or semi-retirement holding patterns. Development activity logged 15 applications in the past 12 months, a low number for the area, with DAs covering additions, swimming pools and subdivision. Price growth of 8.2% year-on-year supports the capital growth case over yield, though the high vacancy rate warrants scrutiny on rental absorption before committing.
Development Activity
Total DAs
68
Last 12 Months
16
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+128.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 43 is three years above the national average, consistent with the retirement-adjacent Lake Macquarie corridor. Overseas-born residents make up 11.3%, which is 10.3 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the suburb's Anglo-Celtic character. Ancestry is led by English (517 residents), Scottish (142) and Irish (104), with German and other backgrounds a small minority. University qualifications reach 23.1%, seven points below the national rate, aligning with a workforce concentrated in trades and care sectors. The average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure. Couples with children (276 families) and couples without children (272) are nearly equal, and one-parent families are absent from the data, a demographic profile common in older lakeside suburbs.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.8%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
4.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is weighted toward ownership: 42.2% own outright, 34.7% hold a mortgage and 23.1% rent. The outright ownership rate is high, exceeding mortgage holders by 7.5 percentage points, which reflects an aging owner base with paid-down debt rather than active buyer churn. Separate houses account for 95.8% of stock, with apartments at 4.2% and no semi-detached recorded, making this one of the more detached-dominant suburbs in NSW. Bedrooms skew large, with 42.7% of homes having four or more bedrooms and 40.9% having three, meaning two-bedroom and smaller dwellings are rare at just 16.3%. The median price moved from $765,000 to $827,500 between 2024 and 2025, a one-year CAGR of 8.2%. Rent-to-income at 25.6% sits comfortably below the stress threshold.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$390
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$704
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.3%
Unoccupied
70
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
33.9%
Couples, no children
802
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 22.9% of local workers (62 people), followed closely by Construction at 19.2% (52 people), then Education at 10.7%, Public Administration at 6.3% and Manufacturing at 5.5%. This split is typical of regional Lake Macquarie suburbs where care services and residential building trades dominate. By occupation, Professionals top the list at 71 workers, followed by Clerical and Admin (55), Community and Personal Services (52) and Managers (51). The unemployment rate of 6.6% is above the national average, and the participation rate of 49.6% is low, partly because 350 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with an older population. Full-time workers make up 58.8% of the employed. Household income sits at the 47.8th percentile nationally, below the median.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.8%
Part-time
34.6%
Participation
49.6%
Employed
381
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.1%
Postgraduate
5.0%
Born Overseas
11.3%
Dwellings
384
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near total at 91.7% of commuters driving, with only 1.6% walking or cycling, which reflects the suburban lake setting and limited public transport infrastructure. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on schools in neighbouring areas of Lake Macquarie. Crime statistics are not available for Balcolyn in this dataset. Rent-to-income at 25.6% and mortgage-to-income at 26.2% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, meaning housing costs are relatively manageable compared to many NSW coastal markets. A volunteering rate of 13.6% and 7.9% of residents needing daily assistance indicate an aging but broadly self-sufficient community. The density of 1,355 residents per square kilometre is moderate for the region, consistent with a detached-house suburb rather than a higher-density urban node.
Drive
91.7%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Balcolyn compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Balcolyn a good suburb to live in?
Balcolyn suits owner-occupiers who value a detached-house setting at a price that keeps mortgage costs below 30% of income. The median age of 43 is 3 years above national and 95.8% of dwellings are separate houses, making it a quieter, family and semi-retiree oriented suburb. The main practical constraint is car dependence, with 91.7% of residents driving to work.
What is the median house price in Balcolyn?
The median house price is $813,750, based on PSI-derived data. Prices rose 8.2% from $765,000 in 2024 to $827,500 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, representing 26.2% of household income, which is below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Balcolyn?
No schools are recorded inside the Balcolyn boundary in this dataset. Families access schools in neighbouring Lake Macquarie suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 23.1%, about 7 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades and care roles.
Is Balcolyn safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Balcolyn in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, rent and mortgage costs sit below the 30% income stress threshold, and 81.1% of residents remained at the same address over the census period, both signs of a stable, low-churn community of 1,002 people.
Is Balcolyn good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $390 against a $813,750 median implies a gross yield near 2.5%, below the national average for yield-focused investors. The 15.3% vacancy rate is elevated and warrants caution on rental absorption. Price growth of 8.2% in 2024 to 2025 supports a capital growth thesis, and only 15 development applications over 12 months keeps new supply low.
How is Balcolyn's population changing?
Balcolyn is a small, established suburb with a population of 1,002 across 0.74 square kilometres. The turnover rate is 18.9%, with 81.1% of residents staying at the same address, indicating stability. The median age of 43 is 3 years above the national figure, suggesting a gradual aging trajectory over time.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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