Balcolyn vs Silverwater
Balcolyn is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 51 in Silverwater. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Silverwater: a median of $1 million, against $870,000 in Balcolyn. On these figures, Silverwater tends to suit older residents.
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
Balcolyn
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($870,000 vs $1,005,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Silverwater
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 23%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.
Investors
Balcolyn
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (3.6% vs -9.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Balcolyn and Silverwater drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Balcolyn has more residents (1,002 vs 274); Silverwater skews older (51 vs 43).
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,002 +73% vs other | 274 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +3.6% | -9.0% |
| Median age | 43 | 51 |
| Median household income | $79,300/yr +9% vs other | $72,124/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $390/wk +3% vs other | $380/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.9%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.8%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $870,000 | $1,005,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $850,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 30 days from 12 sales | 24 days from 4 sales |
Zoning mix
Silverwater has more land zoned for conservation (81% vs 10%).
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Residential | 83% | 19% |
| Environmental | 10% | 81% |
| Parks and recreation | 7% | 0% |
| 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
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1,212 across Lake Macquarie same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +2% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 39% of NSW | Higher than 74% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 46% of NSW | Higher than 39% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 74% of NSW | Higher than 70% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 58% of NSW | Higher than 15% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 45% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 88% of NSW | Higher than 81% of NSW |
Liveability
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | B | — |
| Score | 52/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 35/100 | — |
| 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 | 3 within 5 km | 2 within 5 km |
Schools
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 0 |
Mobility
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 28/100 | 21/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 121.3 km | 121.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 97 min | 101 min |
| Public transport score | 32/100 Bus | 23/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 6.5 7-9am + 5-7pm | 1.8 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual | 39 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2264 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 52 postcode 2264 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.1%).
Setting
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 2 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 14 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 8.3 km | 7.9 km |
NBN connectivity
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 78/100 | 74/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 60% 468 premises | 52% 140 premises |
Climate
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,272 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 26.4°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 10.6°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 5.0 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 11.6 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | 0.27 pphm same for both | |
Council rates
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,708/yr same for both | |
| Council | Lake Macquarie same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Hunter same for both | |
| Member | Dan Repacholi same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Balcolyn | Silverwater | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Balcolyn
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Balcolyn
Other comparisons with Silverwater
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.