Baulkham Hills
Thirty-seven thousand residents across 13.65 km², a $1.675M median house price that climbed 8.5% from 2024 to 2025, and Baulkham Hills High School running a 1203 ICSEA score that puts it in the top half-percent nationally: Baulkham Hills is the older, more expensive, more settled cousin to Castle Hill just up Old Northern Road. Household income of $2,474 weekly sits in the 92nd percentile and 54.6% of adults hold university qualifications, 24.5 percentage points above the national rate. Where Castle Hill recently corrected 7.8% off its 2024 peak, Baulkham Hills kept rising, a divergence that reflects scarcity rather than momentum: only 11.3% of dwellings are apartments and the suburb sits one stop further from the Metro Northwest line.
Population
37,415
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,474/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
297
Median House
$1.7M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
This is upgrader territory with a thinner first-home runway than Castle Hill. 75.4% of dwellings are separate houses and 48.7% have four or more bedrooms, against a $1.675M median that sits roughly 47% above Castle Hill's $1.14M for similar stock. Mortgage-to-income at 24.3% looks comfortable on paper, well under the 30% stress threshold and lower than Castle Hill's 27.2%, but that ratio masks the entry barrier: the median household income of $2,474 weekly already places buyers in the top tenth of Australia, so the affordability cushion only exists if you are already there. Unlike Castle Hill which retraced 7.8% off its 2024 peak, prices here are still at peak (8.5% CAGR over the latest year), so buyers are not catching a discount.
For Buyers
This is upgrader territory with a thinner first-home runway than Castle Hill. 75.4% of dwellings are separate houses and 48.7% have four or more bedrooms, against a $1.675M median that sits roughly 47% above Castle Hill's $1.14M for similar stock. Mortgage-to-income at 24.3% looks comfortable on paper, well under the 30% stress threshold and lower than Castle Hill's 27.2%, but that ratio masks the entry barrier: the median household income of $2,474 weekly already places buyers in the top tenth of Australia, so the affordability cushion only exists if you are already there. Unlike Castle Hill which retraced 7.8% off its 2024 peak, prices here are still at peak (8.5% CAGR over the latest year), so buyers are not catching a discount.
For Investors
The investor case here is harder than in Castle Hill. Renters make up only 22.8% of households, below the Greater Sydney average near 35% and below Castle Hill's 24.1%, which signals genuine scarcity but a thin comparable rental pool. Median rent of $520 weekly against a $1.675M median produces a gross yield around 1.6%, materially worse than Castle Hill's 2.6% and well below the 3% threshold most negatively-geared NSW investors target. Vacancy of 5.0% is healthier than Castle Hill's 5.9% but still elevated for The Hills. Development pipeline is 289 DAs in 12 months, lower than Castle Hill's 398 but still meaningful for a smaller footprint, and overseas net migration of +391/year is the only structural demand driver worth pricing in.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1,544
Last 12 Months
297
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+13.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Baulkham Hills iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Baulkham Hills High School
7-12 · 1223 students
Matthew Pearce Public School
K-6 · 1270 students
Crestwood Public School
K-6 · 633 students
Jasper Road Public School
K-6 · 803 students
Baulkham Hills North Public School
K-6 · 876 students
Demographics
Baulkham Hills shares Castle Hill's migrant-knowledge-worker DNA but at slightly less intense settings. 41.9% of residents are overseas-born, 20.3 percentage points above the national average but 3.5 points lower than Castle Hill's 45.4%. Chinese ancestry (6,566) sits second to English (8,141), with Indian (3,656) the third-largest group, and Mandarin (1,827) leads the non-English languages followed by Cantonese (751), Hindi (620), and Korean (499). The median age of 39 runs 1 year below the national figure but the 10-year shift is unmistakable: senior share has risen 6.9 percentage points and working-age share fallen 2.1, consistent with the aging-trajectory tag. 54.6% university qualified is 24.5 percentage points above the national rate, almost identical to Castle Hill's 26.3-point gap.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
75.4%
Houses
13.3%
Townhouse
11.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is the calling card: 33.3% own outright and another 43.9% are mortgaged, leaving just 22.8% renting, the most owner-dominated split in The Hills core. The 33.3% outright ownership rate runs well above Castle Hill's 36.8% mortgage-vs-37% outright balance and points to long-tenure households who bought into Baulkham Hills decades ago. Dwelling stock is 75.4% separate houses, 13.3% semi-detached, and 11.3% apartments, with 48.7% of homes carrying four or more bedrooms versus roughly 30% nationally. The price trajectory diverges sharply from Castle Hill: $1.59M in 2024 lifted to $1.725M in 2025 (peak), an 8.5% one-year CAGR while Castle Hill retraced. At roughly 13 times annual household income of $128,648, the price-to-income load is a touch heavier than Castle Hill's 12x.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,600
Rent / wk
$520
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$973
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.0%
Unoccupied
640
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.0%
Couples, no children
33,285
Total families
Economy & Employment
The industry mix mirrors Castle Hill but tilts further toward credentialed services. Healthcare (15.5%), Professional/Tech (13.4%), Education (10.8%), Finance (10.2%), and Construction (8.4%) form the top five, with Healthcare and Education combined at 26.3% indicating heavy local public-sector employment around Norwest Hospital and the school cluster. Professionals (6,204) and Managers (2,982) account for over 56% of the employed workforce, well above the roughly 36% national share for those two ANZSCO categories. Unemployment runs 4.9% and full-time rate 68.9%, both healthier than NSW headline. Median personal income of $973 weekly against a $2,474 household figure implies dual-earner couples doing the lifting. SEIFA scores are unambiguous: 9th decile across all four indices (IRSAD 1106, IEO 1101), the same band as Castle Hill.
Unemployment
4.8%
Labour Force
13,705
Unemployed
655
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.9%
Part-time
26.2%
Participation
58.2%
Employed
16,220
Occupations
Top Industries
University
54.6%
Postgraduate
18.4%
Born Overseas
41.9%
Dwellings
12,269
Transport to Work
Schools dominate the livability case and one school dominates the schools. Baulkham Hills High School posts an ICSEA score of 1203 with 1,223 enrolments, a figure that puts it ahead of every Castle Hill school including the 1,845-student Castle Hill High at 1121, and ranks among the top half-percent of Australian secondary schools. The selective intake explains the gap. Below it sit Matthew Pearce Public (ICSEA 1177, 1,270 students) and Crestwood Public (1139), with Catholic St Michael's (1113) rounding out the cluster. All eight schools score ICSEA 1073 or higher, putting the entire local education system in the top decile. Transport is the structural weak point: 85.5% of commuters drive cars and only 6.9% use public transport, with no rail station inside the suburb (Castle Hill Metro is the nearest interchange). Volunteering at 13.7% and average household size of 3.0 (0.5 above national) reflect the family-centred profile, with mortgage stress flag false at 24.3% mortgage-to-income.
Drive
85.5%
Public Transport
6.9%
Walk / Cycle
2.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.17%/yr
(+272 people/yr)
EstablishedDemographic momentum is slowing, not building. Forecast trend points to 1.17% annual growth, roughly 272 persons per year through 2031, modestly below Greater Sydney's projected 1.4% and consistent with the established-suburb classification. Net overseas migration averages +391/year while net internal migration runs -82/year, meaning the suburb gains population only through migration arrivals while losing existing residents to other parts of Australia. Population grew 16.5% over the past decade, real income lifted 14.9%, and gentrification scoring is just 17 of 100 (Not gentrifying), well below typical inner-west early-gentrifier suburbs that score 50-plus. The 289 DAs in 12 months equate to 1 DA per 129 residents, lower pipeline density than Castle Hill's 1-per-103, signalling supply will lag rather than lead demand.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+391
Net Internal / yr
-82
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +20% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +391/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Baulkham Hills compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Baulkham Hills a good suburb to live in?
For school-focused families with the budget for a $1.675M median, yes. Baulkham Hills High School scores ICSEA 1203 (top 0.5% nationally), all 8 schools sit in the top decile, and household income at $2,474 weekly is in the 92nd percentile. Trade-off: 85.5% of commutes are by car and there is no train inside the suburb, with Castle Hill Metro the nearest station.
What is the median house price in Baulkham Hills?
The median house price is $1,675,000 (2024-2025 PSI-derived data), up 8.5% from $1,590,000 in 2024 with the 2025 peak at $1,725,000. That puts Baulkham Hills roughly 47% above neighbouring Castle Hill's $1.14M median, reflecting larger lot sizes, less apartment stock (only 11.3% vs Castle Hill's 15.3%), and tighter rental supply at 22.8% renting.
What schools are in Baulkham Hills?
There are 8 schools, all top decile. The standout is Baulkham Hills High School (ICSEA 1203, 1,223 enrolments), a fully selective government school that ranks above every Castle Hill secondary. Matthew Pearce Public (1177, 1,270 students) and Crestwood Public (1139) lead the primary tier; St Michael's Catholic Primary (1113, 696 students) is the only non-government school in the brief data.
Is Baulkham Hills safe?
BOCSAR crime data was not returned for this suburb in the latest pull, but indirect indicators are favourable: SEIFA decile 9 across all four indices, household income at the 92nd percentile, 81.6% residential stability over 5 years, and a 13.7% volunteering rate. Cross-reference current NSW BOCSAR figures for verification before making a decision.
Is Baulkham Hills good for property investment?
It is a defensive capital-growth play, not a yield play. Gross rental yield is around 1.6% on $520 weekly rent against the $1.675M median, materially worse than Castle Hill's 2.6%. Vacancy of 5.0% is elevated for The Hills District and only 22.8% of households rent, signalling a thin tenant pool. Better suited to investors prioritising long-run school-zone capital growth over cashflow.
How is Baulkham Hills's population changing?
The suburb is aging and growing slowly. Population is 37,415 with forecast growth of 1.17% per year (about 272 people annually) through 2031, slightly below Greater Sydney. Senior share has risen 6.9 percentage points over the decade while working-age share fell 2.1 points. Net overseas migration runs +391/year, but net internal migration is -82/year, so growth comes entirely from new arrivals.
What languages are spoken in Baulkham Hills?
After English, Mandarin leads with 1,827 speakers, followed by Cantonese (751), Hindi (620), Korean (499), and Arabic (363). Combined with 41.9% of residents born overseas (20.3 percentage points above the national rate), the language mix is similar to Castle Hill but with Hindi running ahead of Korean, reflecting the larger Indian-ancestry population (3,656).
How much development is happening in Baulkham Hills?
289 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, equivalent to roughly 1 DA per 129 residents. That pipeline density is lower than Castle Hill's 1-per-103 ratio, consistent with Baulkham Hills sitting one stop further from the Sydney Metro Northwest line. Recent applications skew toward dwelling alterations and Complying Development Certificates rather than higher-density redevelopment.
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 Baulkham Hills on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map