Blayney
At a $517,500 median house price, Blayney sits well below the NSW state median while delivering a workforce that skews toward practical trades and healthcare rather than knowledge-sector jobs. The suburb covers 184 sq km with a low density of 18.7 people per sq km and a population of 3,448, so the experience is genuinely semi-rural. Household income lands at the 39.3rd national percentile, and three of four SEIFA indexes score at decile 4, flagging moderate disadvantage compared to the national average. The one notable exception is the IER (economic resources) at decile 7, reflecting the detached house dominance (92.6%) and meaningful outright ownership rate of 35.7%.
Population
3,448
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,383/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
48
Median House
$518K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $517,500 median house price is the central data point for buyers, but the price history shows upward movement: from $475,000 in 2024 to $560,000 in 2025, an 18% rise in a single year. Despite that run, monthly mortgage repayments average $1,380, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.0%, below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability position is better than many coastal NSW markets where ratios exceed 35%. The stock is heavily skewed toward separate houses at 92.6%, with apartments at just 1.3%, so buyers expecting unit options will find little choice. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 38.8% and three-bedroom dwellings 45.2%, reflecting large family-oriented lots rather than compact housing.
For Buyers
The $517,500 median house price is the central data point for buyers, but the price history shows upward movement: from $475,000 in 2024 to $560,000 in 2025, an 18% rise in a single year. Despite that run, monthly mortgage repayments average $1,380, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.0%, below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability position is better than many coastal NSW markets where ratios exceed 35%. The stock is heavily skewed toward separate houses at 92.6%, with apartments at just 1.3%, so buyers expecting unit options will find little choice. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 38.8% and three-bedroom dwellings 45.2%, reflecting large family-oriented lots rather than compact housing.
For Investors
The investment case in Blayney rests on affordability and rental demand from the local workforce rather than yield compression or speculative demand. Weekly rent averages $265, and the vacancy rate is 8.2%, which is elevated compared to tight metro markets and signals that tenant demand does not significantly outpace supply. Net internal migration averages 28 people per year and net overseas migration adds 19, a balanced growth signal that supports gradual rather than rapid rental market tightening. There were 44 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, a moderate level for a 3,448-person town. Rents grew 54.3% over the decade, well above income growth of 17.1%, indicating that rental affordability has been slowly eroding even from this low base.
Development Activity
Total DAs
231
Last 12 Months
48
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+29.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Blayney iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Blayney
K-6 · 157 students
Blayney Public School
K-6 · 248 students
Blayney High School
7-12 · 296 students
Demographics
Blayney's median age of 38 is 2 years below the national figure, a slight youth tilt unusual for a regional town. The aging trajectory signal still applies: the senior share rose 3.3 points over the decade while the young adult share fell 2.3 points. Overseas-born residents are only 5.6%, which is 16.0 percentage points below the national average, reflecting the strongly Anglo-Celtic heritage: English ancestry leads at 1,559 residents, followed by Irish (450) and Scottish (348). University qualifications reach just 16.5%, which is 13.6 points below national, consistent with the trade and labour-heavy occupational mix. Average household size is 2.5, equal to the national figure, and couples with children (1,130) form the dominant family type among 2,725 total families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.6%
Houses
5.4%
Townhouse
1.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is split across three roughly equal bands: 35.7% own outright, 32.6% carry a mortgage and 31.6% rent. The outright ownership rate at 35.7% is relatively high compared to younger growth suburbs, suggesting a settled, long-term residential base. Prices moved from $475,000 in 2024 to $560,000 in 2025, an 18% one-year gain that, if sustained, would significantly erode the current affordability advantage. Mortgage-to-income at 23.0% and rent-to-income at 19.2% both sit comfortably below stress thresholds, so current holders are not under pressure. The 92.6% separate house rate leaves almost no apartment stock, and semi-detached at 5.4% fills the remaining gap. Bedroom distribution centres on three-bedroom (45.2%) and four-plus (38.8%), with very few small dwellings.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,380
Rent / wk
$265
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$696
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.2%
Unoccupied
120
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.3%
Couples, no children
2,725
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest industry at 18.7% of workers (175 people), a share typical of regional service towns and above the national employment mix for the sector. Education follows at 11.4% (107 workers), with Construction at 9.1%, Manufacturing at 8.7% and Mining at 8.3% completing the top five. The occupational breakdown mirrors this: Labourers (229) top the count, ahead of Community/Personal (194) and Machinery/Drivers (189), while Professionals number only 175. All four SEIFA deciles sit at 4, indicating the local economy generates moderate incomes below the national median. Unemployment is 6.7%, higher than the national rate, and the participation rate of 55.7% is low, partly because 1,004 residents are not in the labour force. Real income growth was 17.1% over the decade, lagging rent growth of 54.3%.
Unemployment
2.7%
Labour Force
4,323
Unemployed
118
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.5%
Part-time
25.8%
Participation
55.7%
Employed
1,420
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.5%
Postgraduate
2.8%
Born Overseas
5.6%
Dwellings
1,329
Transport to Work
Transport in Blayney is almost entirely car-dependent: 89.2% of residents drive to work, while only 0.3% use public transport and 5.0% walk or cycle. This is significantly higher car reliance than the national average, consistent with the rural scale of 184 sq km. No schools are recorded in the suburb dataset for Blayney, so families rely on nearby educational facilities. The IRSAD decile of 4 indicates moderate disadvantage relative to the national distribution, placing Blayney below the national median on combined advantage and disadvantage. Volunteering runs at 15.6% of residents, a solid community participation rate. Housing stress indicators are positive: rent-to-income at 19.2% and mortgage-to-income at 23.0% both fall below the 30% stress threshold, so most residents are not financially strained by accommodation costs.
Drive
89.2%
Public Transport
0.3%
Walk / Cycle
5.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.65%/yr
(+51 people/yr)
EstablishedBlayney's annual population growth rate is 0.65%, adding roughly 51 people per year. The 10-year population change of 7.3% is positive but modest, and medium forecasts project the broader SA2 area growing from 7,855 in 2025 to 8,114 by 2031. Migration is balanced, with net internal inflow of 28 per year and overseas inflow of 19. Resident turnover is low at 20.4%, meaning 79.6% of residents stayed in the same dwelling, which points to stability rather than churn. The gentrification score of 53 and active stage classification in one model contrasts with a separate signal showing not gentrifying, reflecting a suburb where affordability is eroding (affordability worsened from 33.0% in 2011 to 35.3% in 2021) without the demographic replacement typical of urban gentrification.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+19
Net Internal / yr
+28
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Blayney compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blayney a good suburb to live in?
Blayney suits buyers and residents who prioritise affordability and space over urban amenity. The $517,500 median house price is well below the NSW state median, and housing stress is low with mortgage-to-income at 23.0%. The SEIFA IRSAD decile of 4 indicates moderate disadvantage nationally, but 92.6% separate house ownership and low population density of 18.7 per sq km give residents a genuinely rural lifestyle.
What is the median house price in Blayney?
The median house price is $517,500 as of the 2024-2025 period. Prices rose from $475,000 in 2024 to $560,000 in 2025, an 18% one-year gain. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,380, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 23.0%, below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $265.
What schools are in Blayney?
No schools are recorded inside the Blayney suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on educational facilities in nearby towns. The local university qualification rate is 16.5%, which is 13.6 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades, healthcare and manual occupations rather than professional sectors.
Is Blayney safe?
Crime rate data is not available for Blayney in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the SEIFA IRSD decile is 4, placing the suburb in the moderate disadvantage range nationally, below the median. Unemployment at 6.7% is higher than the national rate, which can correlate with social stress, though housing affordability is relatively strong with rent-to-income at 19.2%.
Is Blayney good for property investment?
Blayney offers entry-level pricing at a $517,500 median, and rents grew 54.3% over the decade, outpacing income growth of 17.1%. The vacancy rate of 8.2% is elevated, meaning tenant demand does not tightly exceed supply. Net migration is balanced at 47 people per year total, supporting gradual rather than rapid growth. The 18% price rise in 2024-2025 suggests recent momentum, though from a low base.
How is Blayney's population changing?
Blayney's population was 3,448 at the 2021 Census and the broader SA2 area reached 7,855 by 2025. Annual growth runs at 0.65%, adding about 51 people per year. The 10-year growth rate was 7.3%. Migration is balanced, with 28 net internal arrivals and 19 net overseas arrivals annually. The demographic trend is aging, with the senior share up 3.3 points over the decade.
How much development is happening in Blayney?
There were 44 development applications lodged in the 12 months to mid-2026, a moderate level for a 3,448-person town. Recent applications include new dwelling houses via Complying Development Certificates and standard Development Applications for dwellings, carports and sheds. This activity is consistent with steady organic growth rather than a major construction pipeline.
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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