Balmain
A gentrified inner-west peninsula where 64.3% of adults hold university qualifications, 34.2 percentage points above the national average, yet the population has barely grown, adding just 19 persons per year at 0.12% annually. Balmain packs 10,454 residents into 1.54 square kilometres at a density of 6,798 per square kilometre, making it one of Sydney's densest suburbs outside apartment towers. SEIFA places it at IRSAD decile 10, IEO decile 10 and IRSD decile 10, the highest possible across all three indices. The median house price of $2,275,000 comes with mortgage stress at 30.3% despite household income sitting at the 97.3 percentile nationally ($3,039 weekly), illustrating how Sydney's premium inner ring has stretched even top-decile earners.
Population
10,454
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,039/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
197
Median House
$2.3M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $2,275,000 median grew 2.4% year-on-year, from $2,250,000 to $2,305,000, a modest pace for inner Sydney but still outpacing wage growth. Housing stock is unusually split: 40.0% semi-detached (predominantly Victorian and Federation terraces), 37.7% apartments and just 21.8% detached houses. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 36.7%, followed by three-bedroom at 30.1%, with studio/one-bedroom at 16.4%, reflecting the terrace and apartment fabric. Monthly mortgage repayments of $3,986 generate a 30.3% mortgage-to-income ratio, crossing the stress threshold, even though household income is at the 97.3 percentile. This means Balmain has effectively priced out all but the top 3% of Australian earners from comfortable ownership. The 20.0% volunteering rate and 18.2% walking/cycling commute share reflect the community orientation of established inner-west suburbs.
For Buyers
The $2,275,000 median grew 2.4% year-on-year, from $2,250,000 to $2,305,000, a modest pace for inner Sydney but still outpacing wage growth. Housing stock is unusually split: 40.0% semi-detached (predominantly Victorian and Federation terraces), 37.7% apartments and just 21.8% detached houses. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 36.7%, followed by three-bedroom at 30.1%, with studio/one-bedroom at 16.4%, reflecting the terrace and apartment fabric. Monthly mortgage repayments of $3,986 generate a 30.3% mortgage-to-income ratio, crossing the stress threshold, even though household income is at the 97.3 percentile. This means Balmain has effectively priced out all but the top 3% of Australian earners from comfortable ownership. The 20.0% volunteering rate and 18.2% walking/cycling commute share reflect the community orientation of established inner-west suburbs.
For Investors
Renters make up 42.2% of households, well above the national average, providing a deep tenant pool driven by young professionals and couples. Median weekly rent of $625 against the $2,275,000 median delivers a gross yield of roughly 1.4%, extremely low even by Sydney standards. The 11.4% vacancy rate is notably elevated, likely reflecting a combination of renovation gaps in heritage terraces and short-term letting. Development activity is high at 182 applications in 12 months, dominated by alterations and additions to existing dwellings rather than new construction, consistent with heritage overlay constraints. Net internal migration is negative at -269 per year, meaning residents are leaving for outer suburbs, while overseas inflow of 289 per year replaces them almost exactly. The population barely budged through COVID, dipping 4.9% then recovering only 2.5%, and has still not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Development Activity
Total DAs
946
Last 12 Months
197
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+13.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Balmain iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Inner Sydney Montessori School
K-6 · 95 students
Balmain Public School
K-6 · 321 students
Fr John Therry Catholic Primary School Balmain - Rozelle
K-6 · 349 students
Birchgrove Public School
P-6 · 214 students
Demographics
English (4,266), Irish (1,908) and Scottish (1,359) ancestries dominate, with Italian (494) adding a post-war layer. The 32.5% overseas-born share, 10.9 percentage points above national, draws largely from English-speaking countries based on the language profile: Mandarin (65), Italian (53), French (42) and Greek (36) are modest. University qualifications at 64.3% are 34.2 percentage points above the national baseline, one of the highest rates in Australia, and Professionals (2,438) and Managers (1,506) together form 74.9% of the workforce. The median age of 42, two years above national, and the 31.6% couples-without-children share reflect established professionals in mid-career rather than young families. Average household size of 2.2 is below the national 2.5, consistent with the terrace and apartment housing stock that constrains family expansion.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
21.8%
Houses
40.0%
Townhouse
37.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is split roughly into thirds: 29.1% own outright, 28.7% have mortgages, and 42.2% rent, with the renter share well above the national average. The near-even split between owners and mortgagees suggests a mature suburb where many long-term residents have paid off their loans. Three types of stock coexist: semi-detached (40.0%), apartments (37.7%) and detached houses (21.8%), producing a density and heritage fabric unlike typical Sydney suburbs. Two-bedroom dwellings account for 36.7%, studio/one-bedroom for 16.4%, three-bedroom for 30.1% and four-plus for 16.8%. Prices rose from $2,250,000 to $2,305,000, a 2.4% annual gain. The rent-to-income ratio of 20.6% is low relative to the 30.3% mortgage-to-income, meaning renting is substantially cheaper than buying, a signal that prices may be running ahead of fundamentals.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,986
Rent / wk
$625
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,577
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.4%
Unoccupied
572
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.3% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.6%
Couples, no children
7,792
Total families
Economy & Employment
Professional/Technical services dominate at 21.9% of employment (1,037 workers), followed by Finance at 13.5% (636), Healthcare at 10.9% (517), Education at 9.7% (458) and Construction at 5.7% (268). The Professional/Tech concentration is more than double the national average, reflecting Balmain's role as a residential base for Sydney CBD white-collar workers. Full-time employment at 73.9% is well above the national rate, and unemployment at 4.2% is below average. The SEIFA reading is uniform across indices: IEO decile 10, IER decile 8, IRSAD decile 10, meaning education, economic resources and overall advantage all rank in the top tier nationally. The IER decile 8, slightly lower than the others, reflects that some residents carry high mortgage obligations despite strong incomes, consistent with the 30.3% mortgage-to-income ratio.
Unemployment
2.9%
Labour Force
9,877
Unemployed
286
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
73.9%
Part-time
21.9%
Participation
63.5%
Employed
5,260
Occupations
Top Industries
University
64.3%
Postgraduate
22.1%
Born Overseas
32.5%
Dwellings
4,467
Transport to Work
Schools are exclusively primary level but high quality: Inner Sydney Montessori (ICSEA 1,178, Independent, 95 students), Balmain Public (1,172, Government, 321), Fr John Therry Catholic Primary (1,170, 349) and Birchgrove Public (1,132, Government, 214). All four sit well above the national ICSEA 1,000 benchmark, among the highest primary school clusters in Sydney. The 18.2% walking/cycling commute share is exceptional for Sydney, reflecting the compact, walkable peninsula. Public transport at 9.0% adds to the non-car mode share, bringing total non-car commuting to 27.2%. Car driver share at 69.1% is low by Sydney standards. Crime data is not available, but IRSD decile 10 and the 3.8% need-for-assistance rate confirm very low disadvantage.
Drive
69.1%
Public Transport
9.0%
Walk / Cycle
18.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.12%/yr
(+19 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth has effectively stalled at 0.12% per year, adding just 19 persons annually, placing Balmain among Sydney's slowest-growing established suburbs. The population dipped 4.9% during COVID and has recovered only 2.5%, still sitting below the pre-pandemic level of 16,448. Internal migration is negative at -269 per year, offset by overseas inflow of +289, producing a near-zero net. The aging trajectory shows senior share rising 6.4 percentage points over the decade while working-age share dropped 8.0 points, a significant structural shift toward retirees and downsizers. Affordability has been stable, with mortgage-to-income at 40.3% in 2011 and 40.2% in 2021, meaning neither income growth nor price growth has dominated. The gentrification score of 21 (early signs) is paradoxical for a suburb that already ranks IRSAD decile 10, suggesting further upward filtering is limited.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+289
Net Internal / yr
-269
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -269/yr, Strong overseas inflow +289/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Balmain compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Balmain a good suburb to live in?
Balmain ranks IRSAD decile 10 nationally, the highest tier, with household income at the 97.3 percentile. All 4 primary schools exceed ICSEA 1,132. The 18.2% walking/cycling commute rate is among Sydney's highest. Trade-offs: $2,275,000 median creates 30.3% mortgage stress even for top-3% earners, and 11.4% vacancy suggests investment stock turnover.
What is the median house price in Balmain?
The median house price is $2,275,000 (PSI derived 2024-2025), rising 2.4% from $2,250,000 to $2,305,000 over the year. Monthly mortgage repayments of $3,986 produce mortgage stress at 30.3%. Median weekly rent is $625 with 11.4% vacancy. Gross yield sits around 1.4%, extremely low by national standards.
What schools are in Balmain?
Balmain has 4 primary schools, all well above the ICSEA 1,000 benchmark: Inner Sydney Montessori (1,178, 95 students, Independent), Balmain Public (1,172, 321, Government), Fr John Therry Catholic Primary (1,170, 349) and Birchgrove Public (1,132, 214, Government). No secondary school is located within the suburb. The IEO decile 10 reading reflects the 64.3% university qualification rate.
Is Balmain safe?
Crime-specific data is not available. IRSD decile 10 (lowest disadvantage nationally) and 3.8% need-for-assistance rate are strong positive indicators. Unemployment at 4.2% is below average. The 20.0% volunteering rate, well above national, indicates strong community engagement. The 42.2% renter share does bring higher population turnover than typical premium suburbs.
Is Balmain good for property investment?
Balmain's 42.2% renter share provides a deep tenant pool, but gross yield of around 1.4% ($625 rent on $2,275,000) is among Sydney's lowest. The 11.4% vacancy is elevated. Price growth of 2.4% barely tracks inflation. The case rests on scarcity: peninsula geography limits new supply, and 182 DAs in 12 months are renovations, not new dwellings. Net internal outflow of -269/year is offset by overseas inflow of +289/year.
How is Balmain's population changing?
Population is nearly static, growing at 0.12% per year (19 persons), and has not recovered to pre-COVID levels of 16,448. Internal outflow of -269/year is offset by overseas inflow of +289/year. The senior share grew 6.4 percentage points over the decade while working-age share dropped 8.0 points. At IRSAD decile 10, further gentrification is limited. Medium projection: 16,216 by 2031.
What languages are spoken in Balmain?
With 32.5% of residents born overseas, 10.9 percentage points above the national average, linguistic diversity is present but modest. Mandarin (65 speakers), Italian (53), French (42), Greek (36) and Arabic (25) lead non-English languages. The relatively small speaker counts suggest most overseas-born residents come from English-speaking countries, consistent with the professional-manager demographic.
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.
Explore Balmain on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map