Balgowlah NSW 2093
Located in New South Wales, Balgowlah sits 12 km from Sydney CBD, around 23 minutes by car. The suburb has 8,068 residents, a median age of 41, and a median household income of $139,412 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The suburb grew 1.3% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $640 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $3,250. Balgowlah is characterised by no recorded bushfire exposure. 3 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.
Is Balgowlah a good suburb?
Balgowlah scores a A (70/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on schools and prices.
Below the state average
3 schools · Bottom 21% in NSW
Walkable and central
Walkability 92/100 · 12.5 km · 23 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $3.5M · Less affordable than 91% of NSW
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 46/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 41 · 8,068 residents
Liveability Rating
70 / 100 · Ranked #307 in NSWEach bar is Balgowlah's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Balgowlah?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
70 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataBalgowlah's unit market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.36 million, about 6% above where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$1,360,000
30% above its 3 neighbours (median $1,050,000)
Based on 112 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 20 days — median across 41 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 15 sales $1.11M
- 2 bed 74 sales $1.3M
- 3 bed 19 sales $1.95M
Houses
$3,500,000
6% below its 6 neighbours (median $3,725,000)
Based on 79 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 21 days — median across 30 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 8 sales $2.9M
- 3 bed 35 sales $3.09M
- 4 bed 25 sales $3.92M
- 5 bed 7 sales $5.25M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Balgowlah are currently listed at around $2.7 million on average. Based on 3 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$2.7M
3 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$1.25M
8 units listed in the last 6 months.
11 of the suburb's 3,151 dwellings (0.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Balgowlah rent for around $1,498 a week on average, based on 16 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$1,498/wk
16 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$850/wk
36 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
52 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,002 rented homes (5.2%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $1,500/wk
- 14 bonds
- +35% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $850/wk
- 69 bonds
- +39% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2093 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202589 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 34% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2093.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$1,498/week ($78,000 a year) on a $2.7 million median
Based on a small sample (3 listings) — indicative only.
$850/week ($44,000 a year) on a $1.25 million median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
26 active Airbnb listings: 25 whole homes and 1 room. Whole homes are about 0.7% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Balgowlah safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Balgowlah sits in the moderate band, with 236 incidents recorded in 2025 — down about 8% on the prior year.
236 offences
8.5% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20259 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Northern Beaches Council has published 17 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 684 m
- Rate
- -0.06 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -6.3 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Three schools serve Balgowlah, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 2,093 students across 3 schools (avg 698)
- • Sectors: 2 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1115-1168, median 1147 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Northern Beaches Secondary College Balgowlah Boys Campus (1,100 students)
Primary
Secondary
Universities nearby
- 6.8 kmAustralian Catholic University-North Sydney CampusAustralian Catholic University · 95 courses
- 9.6 kmSydney C.Q.U. CampusCentral Queensland University · 54 courses
2.7% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Balgowlah is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 92/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 2 supermarkets, 3 parks and 15 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Balgowlah.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 343.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 202.1 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 165.9 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 23.6 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 1 min wait
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Balgowlah.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 2%
- Premises covered
- 3,960
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Northern Beaches: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 18 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 3 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the suburb closely.
Balgowlah is home to about 8,100 residents, with a median age of 41, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $139,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.3%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
8,068
Median Age
41
Median Household Income
$139,412/yr
Census Median Rent
$640/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$3,250/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$65,728/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.3%
Unoccupied Dwellings
6.9%
Total Dwellings
3,151
Owner-Occupier Rate
68.2%
Houses
34.6%
Rental Stress
23.9%
Mortgage Stress
28.0%
Work From Home
62.1%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
27 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 15 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 984 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 65.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 83.3%
- Employment Rate
- 65.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 61.1%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
365 residents (4.5%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 7,529 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
29% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (1,214 of 4,250).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 3,215 people work here; 4,250 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (0.8 per resident). At least 24% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,696 a year through Northern Beaches based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 68%
- Parks and recreation 12%
- Infrastructure and transport 6%
- Industrial 6%
- Environmental 4%
- Commercial 3%
- Not zoned 1%
Planning zones cover 99% of the suburb's area. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Northern Beaches
In the year to August 2026, 620 new dwellings were approved across Northern Beaches. That mix is 331 houses and 289 units. Approvals are up 50.6% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6.3 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 13.8 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.84 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Cook And Phillip monitoring station, 9.8 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Macquarie Park (Willandra Village), 13.9 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 54 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 575 m
- 700 m to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 1,176 mm
- 92 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
2 facilities within 5 km- 3.7 kmBeer ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
- 4.1 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
EV adoption
In postcode 2093, 439 of 15,080 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 4.0% (602 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 6.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2093, 2,248 rooftop-solar systems totalling 17.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 8,892 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 222 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
6 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 12 across postcode 2093.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $1,360,000 this is $760,000 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Zali Steggall Independent
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Zali Steggall | 54.5% | 45.5% | +5.2 |
| 2022 | Zali Steggall | 48.6% | 51.4% | -0.7 |
| 2019 | Zali Steggall | 47.9% | 52.1% | -9.0 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by James Griffin Liberal
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | James Griffin LP | 54.9% |
| 2019 | James Griffin LP | 62.9% |
| 2015 | Mike Baird LP | 74.5% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Balgowlah?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 8,068 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
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Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Sydney There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Sydney suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Seaforth NSW 2092
Manly Vale NSW 2093
Fairlight NSW 2094
North Balgowlah NSW 2093
Balgowlah Heights NSW 2093
Clontarf NSW 2093
Compare Balgowlah to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Balgowlah
Is Balgowlah a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Balgowlah is moderate (46/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Balgowlah?
Balgowlah has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Balgowlah a good place to live?
Balgowlah has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (70/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Balgowlah?
Balgowlah, NSW had a population of 8,068 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Balgowlah, NSW?
The postcode for Balgowlah, NSW is 2093.
How far is Balgowlah from Sydney?
Balgowlah is 12 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 23 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Balgowlah?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Balgowlah was $139,412 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Balgowlah?
The median advertised rent in Balgowlah is $1,498 a week for houses (16 listings) and $850 a week for units (36 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Balgowlah?
The median age of residents in Balgowlah was 41 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Balgowlah?
There are 3 schools inside the Balgowlah boundary: 3 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Balgowlah walkable?
Balgowlah scores 92/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it exceptionally walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Balgowlah?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Balgowlah (Cook And Phillip) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 13.8 µg/m³. That puts Balgowlah below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Balgowlah?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Balgowlah, Macquarie Park (Willandra Village) (13.9 km away), 1,176 mm of rain a year over 92 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Balgowlah?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Balgowlah belong to?
Balgowlah sits within the Northern Beaches local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Balgowlah?
The average residential rates bill through Northern Beaches is $1,696 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Balgowlah?
Across Northern Beaches, 620 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 50.6% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Balgowlah in?
Balgowlah sits within the federal Division of Warringah, currently held by Zali Steggall (Independent).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.