Balmain
Statistical Area - sa2

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 is approximately 15,957 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 378 people, a 2.4% rise since the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 15,579. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 15,985 in June 2024 and the addition of 13 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a population density ratio of 6,184 persons per square kilometer, placing Balmain within the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, indicating high demand for land. Balmain's growth rate of 2.4% since the Census is close to the SA3 area's rate of 3.4%, suggesting strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 72.4% of overall population gains in recent periods.

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 from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Balmain is expected to grow by approximately 1,072 persons, representing 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 recorded approximately 12 residential properties granted 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 the population change, which is beneficial for buyers.

The average value of new homes being built is $1,278,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In terms of commercial approvals, there have been $16.0 million in FY-26, showing moderate levels of commercial development. 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, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New building activity comprises 83.0% detached dwellings and 17.0% attached dwellings, maintaining Balmain's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

This is higher than current patterns suggest (22.0% at Census), demonstrating ongoing robust demand for family homes. The location has approximately 1984 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. Population forecasts project that Balmain will gain 1,094 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Balmain has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

The performance of an area can be significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 27 projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable projects include the Western Harbour Tunnel, White Bay Power Station Redevelopment, 73-75 Beattie Street Balmain, and Loyalty Square Balmain Revitalisation. The following list details those projects 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 a highly educated workforce. In the technology sector, it stands out with an unemployment rate of 3.1%.

Over the past year, estimated employment growth was 3.9%. As of June 2025, 9,905 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.1% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Balmain is higher at 67.5%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance.

Professional & technical jobs are particularly notable, with levels at 1.8 times the regional average. Retail trade is under-represented, with only 6.0% of Balmain's workforce compared to 9.3% in Greater Sydney. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 3.9% and labour force by 4.2%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.6%, labour force growth of 2.9%, with unemployment rising 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Balmain's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.5% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

Balmain had a median taxpayer income of $87,396 and an average income of $162,783 in financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. Nationally, this is exceptionally high, contrasting with Greater Sydney's median income of $56,994 and average income of $80,856. As of September 2025, current estimates suggest the median income would be approximately $98,417 and the average income would be around $183,310, based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022. In Balmain, household, family, and personal incomes ranked highly nationally, between the 98th and 99th percentiles, according to 2021 Census figures. Income analysis revealed that 41.8% of the community (6,670 individuals) earned over $4,000 per week, differing from patterns across regional levels where earnings predominantly fell within the $1,500 - 2,999 range at 30.9%. This indicates a substantial proportion of high earners in Balmain, with 51.8% earning above $3,000 per week. High housing costs consumed 16.3% of income, but strong earnings placed disposable income at the 97th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed 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). This contrasted with Sydney metro's figures of 30.0% houses and 70.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Balmain was higher at 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, significantly higher than Sydney metro's average of $3,500. The median weekly rent figure for Balmain was $640, compared to Sydney metro's $600. Nationally, Balmain's mortgage repayments were substantially higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were also significantly above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 account for 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 the Greater Sydney 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

Educational attainment in Balmain is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 61.2% hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. 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% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.4% and certificates at 8.9%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.8% in primary, 6.9% in secondary, and 5.9% in tertiary education. Balmain's four schools have a combined enrollment of 1,019 students, demonstrating exceptional performance (ICSEA: 1160). These schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available nearby. School places per 100 residents stand at 6.4, below the regional average of 10.3, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

The analysis of public transport in Balmain shows that there are currently 46 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops offer a mix of ferry and bus services. There are 15 individual routes servicing these stops, collectively providing 6,129 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 150 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are 875 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 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 of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Balmain with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover was found to be exceptionally high at approximately 88% of the total population (14,026 people), compared to 80.5% across Greater Sydney and 55.3% nationally. The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues and asthma, impacting 7.8 and 7.1% of residents respectively, while 73.1% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 73.2% across Greater Sydney.

The area has 19.3% of residents aged 65 and over (3,087 people), which is higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Balmain was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Balmain's cultural diversity was notable, with 12.0% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 31.4% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Balmain, comprising 41.1% of people. However, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 0.8% of Balmain's population versus 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 was equally represented at 0.8%, Russian also stood at 0.5%, and Scottish were slightly more prevalent at 9.0% compared to Greater Sydney's 8.1%.

Balmain hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

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 individuals aged 55-64 years make up 14.3% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years comprise 11.5%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of individuals aged 15-24 years has increased from 8.1% to 10.0%, and those aged 75-84 years have risen from 5.4% to 7.0%. Conversely, the percentage of individuals aged 5-14 years has decreased from 11.3% to 9.8%, and those aged 35-44 years have dropped from 15.8% to 14.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Balmain's age structure. The number of individuals aged 85+ is projected to grow by 410 people (142%), increasing from 288 to 699. Notably, the combined age groups of 65+ will account for 77% of total population growth, reflecting Balmain's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the age cohorts of 15-24 and 0-4 are expected to experience population declines.