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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, Balmain's estimated population as of November 2025 is around 10,826. This reflects an increase of 372 people (3.6%) since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 10,454. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 10,726 residents following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 13 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 7,029 persons per square kilometer, placing Balmain in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 3.6% since census is within 0.2 percentage points of its SA3 area (3.8%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 72.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth in the area.

AreaSearch adopts 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. Population projections indicate an increase just below the median of national areas, with Balmain expected to expand by 670 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 5.2% 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

AreaSearch analysis indicates Balmain has around 10 dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, approximately 52 homes were approved, with another 9 approved in FY-26 so far. Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, maintaining a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average expected construction cost for new dwellings is $1,278,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment. This financial year, $10.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Balmain has significantly less development activity, 68.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. The area is also under the national average, reflecting its established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

New development consists of 83.0% detached dwellings and 17.0% attached dwellings, sustaining Balmain's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (22.0% at Census), indicating continued strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. Balmain reflects a highly mature market with around 1776 people per dwelling approval. Looking ahead, Balmain is expected to grow by 568 residents through to 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Should 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 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 15 projects likely impacting the area. Major initiatives include Western Harbour Tunnel, White Bay Power Station Redevelopment, Loyalty Square Balmain Revitalisation, and Bays West Precinct Master Plan. 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.

The employment environment in Balmain shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Balmain has an educated workforce, notably in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate is 3.4%.

Over the past year, it maintained relative employment stability. As of September 2025, 6,517 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.4%, below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Balmain is high at 68.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Key industries include professional & technical services, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance.

The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share of 1.8 times the regional average. However, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 10.3% versus the regional average of 14.1%. Most residents commute for work due to limited local opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Balmain's labour force increased by 0.2%, while employment decreased by 0.2%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.4%, with a smaller unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. As of 25-November-25, NSW's employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Balmain's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.5% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

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

The suburb of Balmain has one of the highest income levels nationally according to AreaSearch data based on ATO figures for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Balmain is $86,572 and the average income stands at $161,249. These compare to Greater Sydney's median income of $60,817 and average income of $83,030 respectively. By September 2025, based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86%, the estimated median income in Balmain would be approximately $94,242 and the average income $175,536. The 2021 Census shows household, family, and personal incomes in Balmain rank highly nationally, between the 97th and 98th percentiles. In terms of income distribution, 40.6% of individuals earn more than $4,000 weekly, compared to the broader area where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket is most common at 30.9%. Half of Balmain's population exceeds $3,000 weekly earnings, indicating strong purchasing power. High housing costs consume 17.4% of income, but disposable income still ranks at the 96th percentile nationally. The suburb'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 structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 21.8% houses and 78.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 30.0% houses and 70.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Balmain was 29.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.6% and rented ones at 42.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $3,986, higher than Sydney metro's $3,500. The median weekly rent figure for Balmain was $625, compared to Sydney metro's $600. Nationally, Balmain's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were 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 constitute 63.5% of all households, including 27.2% couples with children, 27.5% couples without children, and 7.9% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 36.5%, with lone person households at 33.2% and group households at 3.3%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.3.

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

Balmain's educational attainment is notably higher than national and state averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 59.7% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in New South Wales (NSW). Bachelor degrees are the most common at 36.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (18.8%) and graduate diplomas (4.8%). Vocational pathways account for 19.3% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.9% and certificates at 9.4%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.7% in primary education, 6.4% in secondary education, and 6.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Balmain has 45 active public transport stops, consisting of both ferry and bus services. These stops are served by 10 different routes that together facilitate 2,914 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average being located 142 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 416 trips per day, which equates to approximately 64 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 90% of the total population (9,776 people), compared to 80.2% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions in the area were mental health issues impacting 8.5% of residents and asthma affecting 7.0%, while 72.6% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 73.2% across Greater Sydney.

As of June 20XX (exact year not provided), 18.2% of Balmain's residents were aged 65 and over (1,970 people), which is higher than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors in Balmain are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Balmain's cultural diversity is notable, with 12.9% of its population speaking languages other than English at home and 32.5% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Balmain, accounting for 40.8% of its population. While Judaism comprises only 0.8%, this figure is slightly higher than Greater Sydney's 0.7%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (28.4%), Australian (19.3%), and Irish (12.7%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: Russian (0.6% vs regional 0.5%), French (0.8% vs 0.8%), and Hungarian (0.4% vs 0.4%) are present in Balmain at levels similar to or slightly higher than the regional averages.

Balmain's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Balmain is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's median age of 38 years. The 55-64 age group comprises 13.8% of the population in Balmain, compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 12.3%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 7.8% to 9.8%, and the 75 to 84 age group has risen from 5.0% to 6.7%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age group has decreased from 11.2% to 9.5%, and the 35 to 44 age group has dropped from 17.1% to 15.9%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Balmain, with the 85+ age group expected to grow by 142% (277 people), reaching 472 from 194. The combined 65+ age groups are projected to account for 80% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.