Blackwall
With a median age of 45 and 82.7% of residents commuting by car, Blackwall on the Central Coast reads as an established, owner-occupied suburb where lifestyle priorities outweigh income. The household income sits at the 43.9th percentile nationally despite a $1,000,000 median house price, which pushes mortgage-to-income to 32.3% and trips the stress threshold. The suburb scores SEIFA IRSAD decile 3, below the national average, yet outright ownership reaches 36.1%, higher than the renter share of 31.7%, pointing to a long-settled, older resident base rather than a transient one.
Population
1,941
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,449/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
18
Median House
$1.0M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price reached $1,005,000 in 2025, up from $950,000 in 2024, a one-year gain of 5.8%. The stock is strongly detached: 71.2% are separate houses, with semi-detached at 22.9% and apartments a minor 2.6%. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 46.1%, followed by 4-plus bedroom at 24.4%, which suits families and downsizers alike. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,024, but against a household income in the 43.9th percentile nationally, the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 32.3%, above the 30% stress threshold. Buyers should weigh the affordability gap carefully: the $1,000,000 entry point is high relative to local incomes compared with broader regional NSW.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $1,005,000 in 2025, up from $950,000 in 2024, a one-year gain of 5.8%. The stock is strongly detached: 71.2% are separate houses, with semi-detached at 22.9% and apartments a minor 2.6%. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 46.1%, followed by 4-plus bedroom at 24.4%, which suits families and downsizers alike. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,024, but against a household income in the 43.9th percentile nationally, the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 32.3%, above the 30% stress threshold. Buyers should weigh the affordability gap carefully: the $1,000,000 entry point is high relative to local incomes compared with broader regional NSW.
For Investors
The 31.7% renter share provides a tenant base, and weekly rent of $390 is accessible relative to the Central Coast average. However, the 8.7% vacancy rate is elevated, signalling that rental demand does not absorb supply easily. Against the $1,005,000 median, a $390 weekly rent implies a gross yield near 2.0%, low for a regional market. Development activity sits at 18 applications in 12 months, a moderate pace, with recent lodgements including multi-dwelling housing and dwelling alterations. The 5.8% price growth over one year is a positive signal, though the low participation rate of 47.0% and unemployment at 5.6% are higher than the national figure, suggesting the local income base is not growing quickly enough to drive strong rent escalation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
97
Last 12 Months
18
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-5.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Blackwall's median age of 45 is 5 years above the national figure, placing it firmly in the older-resident tier. The overseas-born share of 18.5% sits 3.1 percentage points below national, and ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic: English (831), Irish (236) and Scottish (199) lead. University qualifications reach 24.8%, which is 5.3 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a trade-heavy workforce. Average household size is 2.2, below the national figure by 0.3, and the couple-without-children profile accounts for 31.7% of families. The high share of residents not in the labour force (653 people, against 723 employed) reflects the older age structure rather than economic distress.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
71.2%
Houses
22.9%
Townhouse
2.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership patterns reinforce the suburb's long-settled character: 36.1% own their home outright, outnumbering both mortgage holders at 32.2% and renters at 31.7%. Separate houses make up 71.2% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 22.9% and apartments at just 2.6%, meaning there is very little apartment product available compared with Sydney metro norms. Prices rose from $950,000 in 2024 to $1,005,000 in 2025, an increase of 5.8% in one year. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.3% flags repayment stress, though rent-to-income of 26.9% stays below the 30% threshold, so renters are relatively less pressured. The 8.7% vacancy rate is a caution for investors considering new rental stock.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,024
Rent / wk
$390
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$732
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.7%
Unoccupied
79
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.3% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.7%
Couples, no children
1,449
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates employment at 19.1% of workers (105 people), followed by Construction at 14.6% (80), Professional/Tech at 9.7% (53) and Education at 9.3% (51). By occupation, Professionals lead with 171 workers, ahead of Clerical/Admin (122) and Managers (99). The unemployment rate of 5.6% is higher than typical metro benchmarks, and the participation rate of 47.0% is low compared with the national average, largely because the aging population pushes 653 residents into the not-in-labour-force category. Household income at the 43.9th percentile nationally sits below average, reflecting the trade and services mix rather than high-income professional concentration. SEIFA IEO decile 4 confirms below-median education and occupation outcomes.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.3%
Part-time
34.1%
Participation
47.0%
Employed
723
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.8%
Postgraduate
6.0%
Born Overseas
18.5%
Dwellings
822
Transport to Work
Car dependence is very high at 82.7%, with only 6.3% using public transport and 4.6% walking or cycling, reflecting limited transit infrastructure compared with Sydney metro areas. The SEIFA IRSAD decile 3 places Blackwall in the lower-advantage tier nationally, and IRSD decile 3 indicates below-average relative disadvantage reduction. Approximately 7.7% of residents (139 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the older median age of 45. Volunteering is active at 12.6%. No schools are recorded inside the 1.14 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby Central Coast facilities. The rent-to-income ratio of 26.9% keeps tenants below the 30% stress line, offering some cushion for the renting third of the population.
Drive
82.7%
Public Transport
6.3%
Walk / Cycle
4.6%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Blackwall compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blackwall a good suburb to live in?
Blackwall suits buyers seeking a detached-house suburb at a $1,000,000 median with an established, low-turnover community. The SEIFA IRSAD decile 3 sits below the national average, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.3% exceeds the stress threshold. Car ownership is effectively essential given 82.7% of residents commute by car and only 6.3% use public transport.
What is the median house price in Blackwall?
The median house price is approximately $1,000,000 (PSI derived), reaching $1,005,000 in 2025 after rising from $950,000 in 2024, a 5.8% one-year gain. Weekly rent averages $390 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,024, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.3%.
What schools are in Blackwall?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.14 km2 Blackwall boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Central Coast suburbs. Locally, 24.8% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 5.3 percentage points below the national average, reflecting the trade-oriented workforce.
Is Blackwall safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Blackwall in this dataset. The suburb scores SEIFA IRSD decile 3, below the national median for relative disadvantage, and 7.7% of residents (139 people) need daily assistance. Volunteering at 12.6% indicates a reasonably engaged community for a population of 1,941.
Is Blackwall good for property investment?
The 5.8% price growth from $950,000 to $1,005,000 in one year is encouraging, but the 8.7% vacancy rate is elevated and a $390 weekly rent against a $1,005,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.0%, low for a regional market. Unemployment at 5.6% and a participation rate of 47.0% limit rental demand growth.
How is Blackwall's population changing?
Blackwall has a population of 1,941 in a compact 1.14 km2 area. The median age of 45 is 5 years above national, and 76.8% of residents stayed at the same address over the prior period, indicating a stable, low-turnover population. The aging profile is likely to drive gradual household downsizing over the coming decade.
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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