Blackett
An unusually young, detached-house suburb, Blackett has 3,586 residents and a median age of 31, sitting 9 years below the national average. Separate houses account for 89.4% of dwellings, while renting reaches 52.6%, creating a more renter-oriented profile than nearby Emerton and Shalvey. Household income is at the 23.3rd percentile nationally, despite a strong Samoan connection with 295 people reporting that ancestry. Christianity is recorded by 1,740 residents and no religion by 942, giving the compact 1.06 sq km area a clear social mix. Density is 3,372.8 people per sq km, higher than a low-density suburban setting.
Population
3,586
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,174/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
15
For a homebuyer, Blackett's stock is practical but concentrated: 89.4% of dwellings are separate houses, 61.1% have 3 bedrooms and 26.6% have 4 or more. That suits families seeking established layouts more than buyers focused on apartments, which represent 2.5% of homes. The main constraint is carrying cost. Mortgage repayments are $1,733 per month, and mortgage costs equal 34.1% of income, higher than the 26.4% rent-to-income measure. With 52.6% renting and only 21.4% owning outright, buyers may face competition from renters moving into ownership, while the 24.7% mortgage-held share points to a sizeable existing owner cohort. Compare Blackett with Emerton and Shalvey on sale condition and street-level pricing rather than relying on dwelling mix alone.
For Buyers
For a homebuyer, Blackett's stock is practical but concentrated: 89.4% of dwellings are separate houses, 61.1% have 3 bedrooms and 26.6% have 4 or more. That suits families seeking established layouts more than buyers focused on apartments, which represent 2.5% of homes. The main constraint is carrying cost. Mortgage repayments are $1,733 per month, and mortgage costs equal 34.1% of income, higher than the 26.4% rent-to-income measure. With 52.6% renting and only 21.4% owning outright, buyers may face competition from renters moving into ownership, while the 24.7% mortgage-held share points to a sizeable existing owner cohort. Compare Blackett with Emerton and Shalvey on sale condition and street-level pricing rather than relying on dwelling mix alone.
For Investors
Blackett presents a cash-flow-oriented rental profile, but vacancy needs attention. Renting accounts for 52.6% of households, weekly rent is $310 and vacancy is 6.4%, so tenant demand may be present without guaranteeing fast leasing or strong rent growth. The renter share is higher than outright ownership at 21.4% and mortgage ownership at 24.7%, supporting a deeper tenant pool than an owner-dominated suburb. Development activity is modest at 15 applications over 12 months, with examples including a 2-dwelling attached dual occupancy and secondary dwellings. Those projects can increase local rental choice, which may temper scarcity even as they improve housing supply. Investors should compare net yield, maintenance and tenant turnover with nearby Shalvey and Emerton, because Blackett's 18.1% turnover rate can affect leasing costs.
Development Activity
Total DAs
84
Last 12 Months
15
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+7.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Blackett
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Blackett's resident base is younger and less university-qualified than the national profile: median age is 31, 9 years below the national average, while university attainment is 13.0%, 17.1 percentage points below national level. Overseas-born residents account for 30.3%, 8.7 points above the national share, with Samoan, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu and Malayalam among the recorded home languages. English ancestry is reported by 800 people, Samoan ancestry by 295 and Irish ancestry by 181. Average household size is 2.9, 0.4 above national level, aligning with 36.2% of couples having children and 37.5% of families being one-parent households. Compared with nearby Emerton, Blackett's profile is best understood through both family structure and cultural ties, not age alone.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.4%
Houses
8.1%
Townhouse
2.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Blackett is overwhelmingly detached, with separate houses at 89.4%, semi-detached homes at 8.1% and apartments at 2.5%. The bedroom mix is similarly family-weighted: 61.1% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms and 26.6% have 4 or more, versus 8.5% with 2 bedrooms. Tenure is the sharper differentiator. Renting reaches 52.6%, above the 24.7% mortgage-held share and 21.4% owned outright, so housing decisions are more exposed to rent movements than in an owner-heavy suburb. Weekly rent is $310, while mortgage repayments are $1,733 per month; mortgage-to-income pressure at 34.1% is higher than rent-to-income at 26.4%. Compare Blackett with Shalvey and Emerton at the individual-property level, since the detached-house average can conceal differences in condition, land and renovation needs.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $310.
$530
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $550 · units $480
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$560
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.4%
Unoccupied
72
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
34.1% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.2%
Couples with children
22.6%
Couples, no children
37.5%
Single parent
824
Total families
Economy & Employment
Blackett's employment base is concentrated in essential and practical industries. Healthcare accounts for 20.8% of industry employment, ahead of transport at 10.5%, manufacturing at 10.1%, retail at 8.0% and education at 7.8%. The largest occupational groups are machinery and drivers with 243 people, labourers with 171 and community or personal service with 132, followed by clerical and trades roles. Labour-force participation is 41.4%, unemployment is 9.3% and full-time employment is 50.4%, with 502 full-time and 305 part-time workers. Household income sits at the 23.3rd percentile nationally, lower than the national distribution, which helps explain sensitivity to mortgage costs and local price rises. The industry mix is more hands-on than university-led, consistent with university attainment of 13.0%.
Unemployment
9.3%
Labour Force
1,099
Unemployed
102
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
50.4%
Part-time
30.6%
Participation
41.4%
Employed
997
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.0%
Postgraduate
2.7%
Born Overseas
30.3%
Dwellings
1,058
Transport to Work
Daily life in Blackett is car-oriented: 67.5% of commuters drive, compared with 2.1% using public transport and 0.4% walking or cycling. Work-from-home reaches 20.3%, which can reduce some commuting pressure, but local access still depends heavily on a vehicle. Two government schools are identified locally: Blackett Public School, a primary school, and Niland School, a school for specific purposes. That provides a basic nearby education presence, while families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cross suburb lines. No local crime-rate figure or IRSAD decile is available to guide a simple safety ranking, so inspect streets at different times and consult current NSW Police information. Compared with a transit-rich suburb, Blackett's low 2.1% public-transport share makes route planning more important.
Drive
67.5%
Public Transport
2.1%
Walk / Cycle
0.4%
Work from Home
20.3%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Blackett compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blackett a good suburb to live in?
Blackett can suit households seeking a younger, detached-house setting, with 89.4% separate houses and a median age of 31. The trade-offs are renter exposure at 52.6%, car dependence at 67.5% and household income at the 23.3rd national percentile, so budget and transport needs matter.
What is the median house price in Blackett?
The current median house price should be checked against recent settled sales for the exact street and dwelling type. Blackett is 89.4% separate houses, with 61.1% of dwellings containing 3 bedrooms and 26.6% containing 4 or more, so a single median can hide meaningful differences between homes.
What schools are in Blackett?
Blackett has 2 identified government schools: Blackett Public School, a primary school, and Niland School, a school for specific purposes. Check the enrolment zone for the exact address, as boundaries can affect access and may not match the suburb boundary.
Is Blackett safe?
Make a safety decision using recent NSW Police information and visits at different times, because a suburb-level crime rate is not available for a simple ranking. Blackett has 3,586 residents and a 20.3% work-from-home rate, figures that describe the community but do not measure safety.
Is Blackett good for property investment?
Blackett may suit investors targeting established houses and a substantial tenant base: 52.6% of households rent, weekly rent is $310 and vacancy is 6.4%. Balance that with 15 development applications in 12 months, mortgage pressure at 34.1% of income and an 18.1% turnover rate, then compare net yield with Emerton and Shalvey.
How is Blackett's population changing?
Blackett has 3,586 residents, with 81.9% staying at the same address and turnover at 18.1%. That points to a relatively stable base rather than rapid churn, while 15 development applications over 12 months suggest gradual infill. Its median age of 31 is 9 years below the national average, so the profile remains younger than Australia overall.
What languages are spoken in Blackett?
English and Samoan ancestry are prominent, with counts of 800 and 295 respectively. Samoan is the leading listed non-English home language at 82 speakers, followed by Arabic at 43, while 30.3% of residents were born overseas, 8.7 percentage points above the national share.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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