Balmain

Balmain is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Balmain's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 15,951. This figure reflects an increase of 372 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 15,579. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,990 as of June 2024 and an additional 8 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 6,182 persons per square kilometer, placing Balmain within the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land in the area. Balmain's growth rate of 2.4% since the Census is within 1.0 percentage points of its SA3 area (3.4%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 72.4% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary population growth in the area.

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, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, 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. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Balmain is expected to grow by approximately 1,072 persons to 2041, reflecting a total gain of 6.9% over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Balmain is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Balmain has granted around 12 residential properties approval each year over the past five financial years. From FY-21 to FY-25, a total of 61 homes were approved, with an additional 2 approved so far in FY-26. Despite population decline during this period, development activity has been adequate relative to population changes, which is positive for buyers.

The average value of new homes being built is $609,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY-26, there have been $16.0 million in commercial approvals, showing moderate levels of commercial development compared to previous years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Balmain has significantly less development activity, 74.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. Nationally, Balmain's development activity is also below average, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints.

New building activity in Balmain shows 83.0% detached dwellings and 17.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. This preference for detached housing is higher than current patterns suggest (22.0% at Census), indicating ongoing robust demand for family homes despite increasing density pressures. The location has approximately 1984 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. Population forecasts indicate Balmain will gain 1,100 residents through to 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. If current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, likely intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Balmain has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 29 projects that could impact the area. Key projects include Western Harbour Tunnel, White Bay Power Station Redevelopment, Loyalty Square Balmain Revitalisation, and Bays West Precinct Master Plan. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Balmain demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Balmain has an educated workforce with the technology sector prominent. Its unemployment rate is 3.0%.

Over the past year, employment stability was relative. As of September 2025, 9,646 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.2% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, and workforce participation is high at 67.5%. Dominant sectors include professional & technical, finance & insurance, health care & social assistance. Professional & technical employment is notably concentrated, at 1.8 times the regional average.

Retail trade is under-represented, with only 6.0% of Balmain's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 9.3%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by Census data. In the 12 months prior, labour force increased by 0.2% while employment decreased by 0.1%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.3 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1%. State-level data to 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly between sectors. Applying these projections to Balmain's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.5% over five years and 14.9% over ten years.

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

Balmain SA2 has a median taxpayer income of $87,396 and an average income of $162,783 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Nationally, this is exceptionally high, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $98,417 (median) and $183,310 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family, and personal incomes in Balmain rank highly nationally, between the 98th and 98th percentiles. Income analysis shows that the $4000+ earnings band captures 41.8% of the community (6,667 individuals), differing from patterns across regional levels where $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 30.9%. This indicates a substantial proportion of high earners (51.8% above $3,000/week) in Balmain, suggesting strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. High housing costs consume 16.3% of income, but strong earnings still place disposable income at the 97th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

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

Balmain's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 22.3% houses and 77.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Sydney metro's 30.0% houses and 70.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Balmain was 32.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.5% and rented ones at 39.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $4,000, while the median weekly rent was $640. Nationally, Balmain's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially above the national figure of $375.

Balmain features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 65.4% of all households, including 27.9% couples with children, 29.1% couples without children, and 7.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 34.6%, with lone person households at 31.7% and group households comprising 3.1%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than Greater Sydney's average of 2.3.

Educational achievement in Balmain places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Balmain's residents aged 15+ have a higher educational attainment than broader averages: 61.2% hold university qualifications compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 36.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (19.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.7%). Vocational pathways account for 18.3%, with advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 8.9%. Educational participation is high, with 26.6% currently enrolled in formal education: 8.8% in primary, 6.9% in secondary, and 5.9% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 26.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.8% in primary education, 6.9% in secondary education, and 5.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Balmain has 46 active public transport stops offering a mix of ferry and bus services. These are served by 15 different routes, together facilitating 6,129 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 150 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency stands at 875 trips daily across all routes, translating to around 133 weekly trips per individual stop.

Balmain's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis shows Balmain's health metrics are strong with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover rate is high at approximately 88% (14,020 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 80.5%. Nationally, it stands at 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are most common, affecting 7.8% and 7.1%, respectively. 73.1% report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Sydney's 73.2%. Balmain has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.3% (3,086 people), compared to Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Seniors' health outcomes are strong, outperforming the general population.

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

Balmain's cultural diversity surpassed most local markets, with 12.0% speaking a language other than English at home and 31.4% born overseas. Christianity dominated Balmain's religious landscape, comprising 41.1%. Notably, Judaism was slightly overrepresented in Balmain at 0.8%, compared to Greater Sydney's 0.7%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (29.1%), Australian (19.4%), and Irish (12.7%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: French (0.8% vs regional 0.8%), Russian (0.5% vs 0.5%), and Scottish (9.0% vs 8.1%) were present in Balmain at levels comparable to or slightly higher than the regional averages.

Balmain's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Balmain is 43 years, which is higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 55-64 make up 14.3% of the population, while those aged 25-34 make up 11.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 8.1% to 10.0%, and the 75-84 cohort has grown from 5.4% to 7.0%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group has decreased from 11.3% to 9.8%, and the 35-44 age group has dropped from 15.8% to 14.7%. By 2041, demographic projections show that the 85+ age cohort is expected to grow exceptionally, increasing by 410 people (142%) from 288 to 699. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are projected to account for 77% of total population growth, reflecting Balmain's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the 15-24 and 0-4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.