Balaclava vs Willow Vale

Balaclava is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 45 in Willow Vale. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Willow Vale: a median of $1.3 million, against $1.08 million in Balaclava, though rent is higher in Balaclava. On these figures, Balaclava tends to suit families with children and buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Too close to call

Nothing among the 5 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Balaclava

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 28%)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,077,500 vs $1,305,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Balaclava has a bigger rental market to choose from (23% vs 13%)
  • Willow Vale has cheaper rent ($457/wk vs $500/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Willow Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (108.9 km vs 111.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Balaclava and Willow Vale drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Balaclava Willow Vale
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Balaclava Willow Vale
Walkability 17 / 22
Balaclava — Walkability: 17/100 Willow Vale — Walkability: 22/100
Low fire risk 19 / 15
Balaclava — Low fire risk: 19/100 Willow Vale — Low fire risk: 15/100

Demographics

Willow Vale has more residents (826 vs 574); Willow Vale skews older (45 vs 40).

Balaclava Willow Vale
Population 574 826
+44% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.7% +15.2%
Median age 40 45
Median household income $105,196/yr
+2% vs other
 $102,648/yr
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+9% vs other
 $457/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Balaclava Willow Vale
0-4 8.7% / 6.5%
Balaclava — 0-4: 8.7% Willow Vale — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 13.1% / 11.1%
Balaclava — 5-14: 13.1% Willow Vale — 5-14: 11.1%
15-19 3.5% / 5.2%
Balaclava — 15-19: 3.5% Willow Vale — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 5.1% / 4.1%
Balaclava — 20-24: 5.1% Willow Vale — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 10.8% / 13.6%
Balaclava — 25-34: 10.8% Willow Vale — 25-34: 13.6%
35-44 14.8% / 9.6%
Balaclava — 35-44: 14.8% Willow Vale — 35-44: 9.6%
45-54 15.3% / 12.6%
Balaclava — 45-54: 15.3% Willow Vale — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 11.3% / 18.6%
Balaclava — 55-64: 11.3% Willow Vale — 55-64: 18.6%
65-74 9.8% / 11.9%
Balaclava — 65-74: 9.8% Willow Vale — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 5.1% / 5.6%
Balaclava — 75-84: 5.1% Willow Vale — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ 1.9% / 0.7%
Balaclava — 85+: 1.9% Willow Vale — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Balaclava 51.0% couple families
Balaclava — Couple Families: 51.0% Balaclava — Lone Person: 27.2% Balaclava — One Parent Families: 17.2% Balaclava — Group Household: 4.6% Balaclava — Other Families: 0.0%
Willow Vale 54.8% couple families
Willow Vale — Couple Families: 54.8% Willow Vale — Lone Person: 24.2% Willow Vale — One Parent Families: 13.4% Willow Vale — Group Household: 3.8% Willow Vale — Other Families: 3.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Balaclava 22.9% renting
Balaclava — Owned Outright: 41.1% Balaclava — Mortgage: 35.9% Balaclava — Renting: 22.9%
Willow Vale 12.6% renting
Willow Vale — Owned Outright: 42.7% Willow Vale — Mortgage: 44.8% Willow Vale — Renting: 12.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Balaclava Willow Vale
Certificate III & IV 19.7% / 20.5%
Balaclava — Certificate III & IV: 19.7% Willow Vale — Certificate III & IV: 20.5%
Bachelor Degree 10.3% / 9.7%
Balaclava — Bachelor Degree: 10.3% Willow Vale — Bachelor Degree: 9.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 9.6%
Balaclava — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Willow Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.6%
Postgraduate Degree 3.0% / 3.1%
Balaclava — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0% Willow Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 2.1%
Balaclava — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Willow Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.5%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Balaclava Willow Vale
England 4.2% / 5.3%
Balaclava — England: 4.2% Willow Vale — England: 5.3%
New Zealand 1.4% / 1.0%
Balaclava — New Zealand: 1.4% Willow Vale — New Zealand: 1.0%
Thailand 1.0% / 1.0%
Balaclava — Thailand: 1.0% Willow Vale — Thailand: 1.0%
Netherlands 1.2% / 0.7%
Balaclava — Netherlands: 1.2% Willow Vale — Netherlands: 0.7%
Fiji — / 0.8%
Balaclava — Fiji: not among its largest Willow Vale — Fiji: 0.8%
Vietnam 0.7% / —
Balaclava — Vietnam: 0.7% Willow Vale — Vietnam: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Balaclava 102.0% houses
Balaclava — Houses: 102.0% Balaclava — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Willow Vale 99.7% houses
Willow Vale — Houses: 99.7% Willow Vale — Flats / Apartments: 0.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Balaclava Willow Vale
Median house price $1,077,500 $1,305,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $1,620,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 3 sales
 120 days
from 10 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Balaclava Willow Vale
3 bed $860K / $1M
Balaclava — 3 bed: $860K (7 sales) Willow Vale — 3 bed: $1M (5 sales)

7 vs 5 sales

4 bed $1.23M / $1.2M
Balaclava — 4 bed: $1.23M (12 sales) Willow Vale — 4 bed: $1.2M (15 sales)

12 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

Balaclava has more rural and farming land (37% vs 2%).

Balaclava Willow Vale
Residential 17% 58%
Environmental 41% 33%
Rural and farming 37% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 5% 4%
Industrial 0% 2%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Balaclava Willow Vale
New dwellings approved 335
across Wingecarribee
same for both
Approvals change year on year +6%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Balaclava Willow Vale
House price Higher than 53% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Income Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 71% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 72% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW

Liveability

Balaclava scores higher overall (41 vs 30).

Balaclava Willow Vale
Grade C D
Score 41/100 30/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Balaclava Willow Vale
Bushfire High
81/100
 High
85/100
Crime Low
17/100
 —
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Balaclava Willow Vale
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Balaclava Willow Vale
Childcare 2 0
GPs 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0

Mobility

Balaclava sits further from the CBD (111.5 km vs 108.9 km).

Balaclava Willow Vale
Walkability score 17/100 22/100
Distance to Sydney 111.5 km
+2% vs other
 108.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 84 min 80 min
Public transport score 29/100
Bus
 24/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 6.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 1.5 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2575
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2575
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Balaclava Willow Vale
Car (driver) 74.2% / 73.2%
Balaclava — Car (driver): 74.2% Willow Vale — Car (driver): 73.2%
Worked from Home 17.5% / 19.2%
Balaclava — Worked from Home: 17.5% Willow Vale — Worked from Home: 19.2%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / 6.8%
Balaclava — Car (passenger): 4.8% Willow Vale — Car (passenger): 6.8%
Walked Only 2.4% / 0.8%
Balaclava — Walked Only: 2.4% Willow Vale — Walked Only: 0.8%
Bus 1.2% / —
Balaclava — Bus: 1.2% Willow Vale — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.2%).

Setting

Balaclava Willow Vale
Elevation 606 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 629 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 36.8 km 38.2 km

NBN connectivity

Balaclava Willow Vale
Connectivity score 65/100 71/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 36%
276 premises
 46%
312 premises

Climate

Balaclava Willow Vale
Annual rainfall 974 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Balaclava Willow Vale
Average residential rate $2,072/yr
same for both
Council Wingecarribee
same for both

Federal electorate

Balaclava Willow Vale
Division Whitlam
same for both
Member Carol Berry
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Balaclava Willow Vale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Balaclava

Acreage Young Families

Willow Vale

Large Blocks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Balaclava

Balaclava vs Mittagong Balaclava vs Renwick Balaclava vs Braemar Balaclava vs Aylmerton

Other comparisons with Willow Vale

Willow Vale vs Mittagong Willow Vale vs Colo Vale Willow Vale vs Braemar
Full data on Balaclava Full data on Willow Vale
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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