Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth

An assessment of population growth drivers in Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth's population is approximately 20,909 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 177 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 20,732. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 20,895 in June 2024 and 52 new addresses validated since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,747 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 0.9% since the Census is within 2.3 percentage points of its SA4 region (3.2%), indicating strong fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 77.5% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area's population is projected to decline by 111 persons overall, but specific age cohorts like those aged 85 and over are expected to grow, with a projected increase of 470 people in this group.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth has recorded approximately 60 residential properties granted approval annually. Between FY21 and FY25304 homes were approved, with a further 28 approved in FY26 as of the current date. Despite population decline in the area, development activity has been relatively adequate, which is positive for buyers.

The average expected construction cost value of new homes is $792,000, indicating developers are focusing on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY26, $18.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth shows moderately higher construction activity, 23.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values.

However, construction activity is lower than the national average, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. Recent construction comprises 51.0% standalone homes and 49.0% attached dwellings, offering a mix of medium-density options across various price brackets. The area has approximately 381 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established location with stable or declining population projections. This should reduce housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 15 projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include Stockland Balgowlah Shopping Centre Expansion & Residential, Totem Road Precinct - Balgowlah Heights, Seaforth Village Masterplan & Redevelopment, and Seaforth Public School Expansion & Modernisation. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

While Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.7%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth has a highly educated workforce, with the technology sector prominent. Its unemployment rate as of September 2025 is 3.7%, below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

There are 11,178 residents in work, with workforce participation at 65.4% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Dominant employment sectors include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Professional & technical has notable concentration, at 1.7 times the regional average, while health care & social assistance is lower at 11.0% versus the regional average of 14.1%. Over the year to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 0.6%, employment declined by 2.3%, raising unemployment rate by 1.7 percentage points.

In contrast, Greater Sydney had employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%. State-level data to 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 14.7% over ten years.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, the Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $72,636. The average income stood at $150,159. This places it in the top percentile nationally, compared to levels of $56,994 and $80,856 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $81,795 (median) and $169,094 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth, between the 94th and 99th percentiles nationally. In terms of income distribution, 44.7% of the population (9,346 individuals) fall within the $4000+ income range, unlike trends in the region where 30.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. The locality demonstrates considerable affluence with 55.4% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Housing accounts for 14.9% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 98th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth, as per the latest Census (2016), consisted of 65.4% houses and 34.6% other dwellings. In comparison, Sydney metropolitan area had 36.7% houses and 63.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth was 39.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 38.7% and rented ones at 21.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area, as of 2016, was $4,000, higher than Sydney metro's $3,800. The median weekly rent figure for Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth was $697, compared to Sydney metro's $720. Nationally, mortgage repayments in the area were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863 (as of 2016), and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 80.0% of all households, including 45.8% couples with children, 24.8% couples without children, and 8.6% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 20.0%, with lone person households at 17.4% and group households comprising 2.6%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.5.

Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth's educational attainment exceeds national and state averages. Among residents aged 15+, 51.9% have university qualifications (Australia: 30.4%, NSW: 32.2%). Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 35.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Vocational pathways account for 22.0%, with advanced diplomas at 11.2% and certificates at 10.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 33.2% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (11.3%), secondary (10.4%), and tertiary (6.0%).

Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth area has 159 active public transport stops. These are served by buses via 73 different routes. Weekly, these routes facilitate 4,005 passenger trips.

Residential accessibility to transport is excellent, with an average distance of 127 meters to the nearest stop. Daily service frequency averages 572 trips across all routes, equating to about 25 weekly trips per individual stop.

Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth shows excellent health outcomes with very low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Approximately 86% of its total population of 17,898 have private health cover, significantly higher than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (6.2%) and arthritis (5.4%), with 77.5% of residents reporting no medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 77.4%. As of 2021, 16.6% of residents are aged 65 and over, totaling 3,475 people. Senior health outcomes align with the general population's profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth, as per the 2016 Census, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas with 14.3% of residents speaking a language other than English at home and 32.9% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Balgowlah-Clontarf-Seaforth, comprising 51.5%. Judaism, however, showed an overrepresentation at 0.4%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.4%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (30.5%), Australian (21.0%), and Irish (9.8%). Notably, French (1.1%) was overrepresented compared to the regional figure of 1.4%, as were South African (1.3% vs 1.1%) and Welsh (0.9% vs 0.9%).

Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years, and also considerably older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 45-54 age group makes up 16.9% of the population in Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 7.1%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 12.3% to 14.6%, and conversely, the 35 to 44 cohort has declined from 12.7% to 11.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Balgowlah - Clontarf - Seaforth. Leading this shift, the 85+ age group is expected to grow by 89%, reaching 960 people from 508. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 98% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 25 to 34 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.