Balgowlah

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

As of November 2025, Balgowlah's population is estimated at around 7,814, reflecting a decrease of 254 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 8,068. This estimate, based on AreaSearch's analysis of ABS population updates and new addresses validated by them, considers the resident population of 7,811 from their examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 19 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 3,986 persons per square kilometer, placing Balgowlah in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 78.0% of overall population gains during recent periods for the suburb. AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021 for areas not covered by the former data.

Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to this methodology, Balgowlah's population is projected to decline by 60 persons by 2041. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, with the 75 to 84 age group expected to increase by 199 people over this period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Balgowlah, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Balgowlah shows around 24 new homes approved annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 121 homes were approved, with a further 5 approved so far in FY-26. This suggests that new supply has been keeping up with demand, offering good choice to buyers despite population decline.

The average value of new dwellings is $965,000, indicating focus on the premium market. There have been $15.5 million in commercial approvals this financial year, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Balgowlah shows moderately higher construction activity (25.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period), preserving reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. However, construction activity has eased recently and is lower than nationally, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints.

New building activity comprises 53.0% standalone homes and 47.0% medium and high-density housing, indicating an expanding range of medium-density options across price brackets. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses (53.0%) than the current mix suggests (35.0% at Census), pointing to strong demand for family homes. Balgowlah indicates a mature market with around 492 people per approval. Future projections show Balgowlah adding 239 residents by 2041, suggesting that current construction levels should adequately meet demand and create favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified five projects potentially affecting this region. Notable ones are Stockland Balgowlah Shopping Centre Expansion & Residential, Totem Road Precinct - Balgowlah Heights, The Strand - Balgowlah, and Balgowlah RSL Club Renovations (Stage 1 of Master Plan).

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

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AreaSearch assessment positions Balgowlah ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Balgowlah has a highly educated workforce. The technology sector is particularly well-represented.

As of June 2025, the unemployment rate was 3.0%. This figure was obtained from AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. In Balgowlah, 4,687 residents were in work as of that month. The unemployment rate was 1.2% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation in Balgowlah was 68.0%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. The leading employment industries among residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and finance & insurance. Balgowlah has a particular specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 1.6 times the regional level. However, transport, postal & warehousing is under-represented, with only 2.6% of Balgowlah's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 5.3%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between Jun-24 and Jul-25, the labour force in Balgowlah increased by 0.1%. However, employment declined by 1.1%, leading to a rise in unemployment of 1.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with an unemployment rate increase of 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 offer insight into potential future demand within Balgowlah. These projections estimate that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Balgowlah's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.6% over ten years.

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

Balgowlah's income level is among the top percentile nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Balgowlah's median income among taxpayers is $71,616 and average income stands at $148,050, compared to Greater Sydney's figures of $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $80,647 (median) and $166,719 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Balgowlah, between the 93rd and 93rd percentiles nationally. The earnings profile shows the $4000+ bracket dominates with 34.1% of residents (2,664 people), diverging from the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 category predominates at 30.9%. Economic strength emerges through 46.0% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 17.0% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 92nd percentile and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Balgowlah features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Balgowlah's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 34.6% houses and 65.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compared to Sydney metro's figures of 36.7% houses and 63.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Balgowlah was at 34.7%, aligning with the Sydney metro level. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 33.5%, while rented dwellings were 31.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Balgowlah was $3,250, below Sydney metro's average of $3,800. Median weekly rent was recorded at $640, compared to Sydney metro's $720. Nationally, Balgowlah's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Balgowlah features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 71.2% of all households, including 35.0% couples with children, 25.5% couples without children, and 9.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 28.8%, with lone person households at 24.8% and group households comprising 4.0%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with the Greater Sydney average.

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

Balgowlah's educational attainment exceeds national and state averages. Among residents aged 15+, 51.0% hold university qualifications compared to Australia's 30.4% and NSW's 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 34.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational pathways account for 24.2%, with advanced diplomas at 12.0% and certificates at 12.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.6% in primary, 8.1% in secondary, and 5.6% in tertiary education. Balgowlah's three schools have a combined enrollment of 2,170 students as of the latest data. The area has significant socio-educational advantages with an ICSEA score of 1143. Education provision is balanced with two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. As of recent statistics, Balgowlah functions as an education hub with 27.8 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 12.1, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Balgowlah has 58 operational public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by a total of 64 routes, facilitating 3,688 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 102 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 526 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 63 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Balgowlah shows excellent health outcomes, with a low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The private health cover rate is exceptionally high at approximately 85% of the total population (6,652 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.4 and 5.7% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 76.5%, report being completely free from medical ailments, slightly lower than the Greater Sydney average of 77.4%. Balgowlah has a senior population (aged 65 and over) of 17.4% (1,359 people). The health outcomes among seniors align closely with those of the general population.

Balgowlah 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

Balgowlah, as per the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census Data from June 2016, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas with 14.4% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 33.2% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Balgowlah with 47.6%. Notably, Judaism, although small at 0.4%, was proportionally equal to Greater Sydney's 0.4%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (30.5%), Australian (21.0%), and Irish (10.1%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: French (1.4%) and Welsh (0.9%) were equally represented, while South African was slightly higher at 1.2% compared to the regional average of 1.1%.

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

Balgowlah's median age is 41 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and slightly older than Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Balgowlah has a notably over-represented cohort of 45-54 year-olds (15.5%) and an under-represented group of 25-34 year-olds (10.5%). According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group grew from 10.4% to 12.8%, while the 35-44 cohort declined from 14.9% to 13.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Balgowlah's age profile. The 75-84 cohort is expected to grow by 38%, adding 203 residents to reach 743. Residents aged 65 and older are projected to represent 93% of the population growth, while declines are anticipated for the 45-54 and 15-24 cohorts.