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, as of November 2025, the estimated population of Balmain is around 10,624. This reflects an increase of 170 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,454. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 10,648 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 13 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 6,898 persons per square kilometer, placing Balmain in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 1.6% growth since the census is within 1.8 percentage points of the SA3 area (3.4%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 72.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth in Balmain.

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. Looking ahead, population projections indicate an increase just below the median of national areas, with Balmain expected to expand by 679 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 7.3% over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, indicates Balmain experienced around 10 dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, between FY21 and FY25, approximately 52 homes were approved, with one additional approval in FY26 to date. Despite population decline during this period, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average expected construction cost of new dwellings is $1,278,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Commercial approvals registered this financial year totalled $16.0 million, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Balmain has significantly less development activity, at 68.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. Balmain is also under the national average in terms of development activity, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations.

New development consists of 83.0% detached dwellings and 17.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. Notably, 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 approximately 1776 people per dwelling approval. Looking ahead, Balmain is projected to grow by 779 residents through to 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting 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 has identified 15 projects likely to impact this area. Notable ones 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.

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

Balmain has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 3.4% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.8%. This is based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of June 2025, 6,698 residents were employed with an unemployment rate of 0.8% below Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in Balmain was 68.7%, compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%.

The key industries for employment among Balmain residents are professional & technical, finance & insurance, and health care & social assistance. Professional & technical services have a particularly high representation at 1.8 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance is under-represented with only 10.3% of Balmain's workforce compared to Greater Sydney's 14.1%. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels in Balmain increased by 3.8%, while the labour force grew by 4.2%. This led to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment growth of 2.6%, labour force expansion of 2.9%, and an increase in unemployment rate of 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years for national employment. However, growth rates vary significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Balmain's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.5% 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

Balmain's median income among taxpayers was $86,572 in financial year 2022, according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. The average income stood at $161,249 during the same period. In comparison, Greater Sydney's median and average incomes were $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. By September 2025, current estimates suggest Balmain's median income would be approximately $97,489 and average income around $181,582, factoring in a 12.61% growth since financial year 2022 based on Wage Price Index figures. According to the 2021 Census, Balmain's household, family, and personal incomes rank highly nationally, between the 97th and 98th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 40.6% of residents (4,313 people) fall into the $4,000+ bracket, contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. Notably, 50.4% earn above $3,000 weekly, reflecting prosperous pockets driving robust local economic activity. High housing costs consume 17.4% of income, yet strong earnings place disposable income at the 96th 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 in its latest Census report showed 21.8% houses and 78.2% 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 at 29.1%, similar to Sydney metro, with 28.6% of dwellings mortgaged and 42.3% rented. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Balmain was $3,986, higher than Sydney metro's $3,500 average. Median weekly rent in Balmain was recorded at $625, compared to Sydney metro's $600. Nationally, Balmain's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and 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 account for 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 constitute the remaining 36.5%, with lone person households at 33.2% and group households comprising 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

Educational attainment in Balmain is notably higher than broader benchmarks. 59.7% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in 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, 6.4% in secondary, and 6.0% pursuing tertiary education. Balmain Public School and Fr John Therry Catholic Primary School Balmain-Rozelle serve a total of 680 students. The area's educational performance is exceptional (ICSEA: 1173), placing local schools among the most advantaged nationally. Both schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas. There are 6.4 school places per 100 residents, below the regional average of 10.3, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Transport analysis shows 26 active transport stops operating in Balmain, consisting of a mix of ferry and bus services. These stops are served by 9 individual routes, collectively providing 2,568 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent with residents typically located 147 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 366 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 98 weekly trips per 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 is exceptionally high at approximately 90% of the total population (9,594 people), compared to 80.5% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 8.5 and 7.0% of residents respectively, while 72.6% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 73.2% across Greater Sydney.

The area has 18.2% of residents aged 65 and over (1,933 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 12.9% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home and 32.5% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Balmain, accounting for 40.8% of the population. However, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Sydney, making up 0.8% of Balmain's population versus 0.7%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (28.4%), Australian (19.3%), and Irish (12.7%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences in representation: Russian at 0.6% compared to 0.5%, French at 0.8% matching regional figures, and Hungarian at 0.4% equal to regional levels.

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

The median age in Balmain is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. The age group of 55-64 has a strong representation at 13.8%, compared to Greater Sydney's percentage, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 12.3%. According to data from the post-2021 Census, the population aged 15 to 24 grew from 7.8% to 9.8%, and the 75 to 84 age group increased from 5.0% to 6.7%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age group declined from 11.2% to 9.5%, and the 35 to 44 age group dropped from 17.1% to 15.9%. Population forecasts for Balmain in 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes. Notably, the 85+ age group is expected to grow by 147%, reaching 473 people from 191. The combined 65+ age groups are projected to account for 75% of total population growth, reflecting Balmain's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 15 to 24 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.