Balmain NSW 2041
Located in New South Wales, Balmain sits 6 km from Sydney CBD, around 11 minutes by car. The suburb has 10,454 residents, a median age of 42, and a median household income of $158,028 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $625 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $3,986. Balmain is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 2 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Balmain a good suburb?
Balmain scores a A (86/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on prices.
Mixed results
2 schools · 1 above peer schools
Walkable and central
Walkability 95/100 · 5.5 km · 11 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $2.63M · Less affordable than 78% of NSW
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 69/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 42 · 10,454 residents
Liveability Rating
86 / 100 · Ranked #96 in NSWEach bar is Balmain's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
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 Balmain?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
86 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataBalmain's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $2.63 million, roughly 12% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$2,629,000
13% above its 3 neighbours (median $2,325,000)
Based on 196 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 21 days — median across 81 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 5 sales $1.39M
- 2 bed 63 sales $2.17M
- 3 bed 80 sales $2.75M
- 4 bed 38 sales $4.03M
- 5 bed 6 sales $6.58M
Units
$1,330,000
17% above its 3 neighbours (median $1,135,000)
Based on 85 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 14 days — median across 38 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 29 sales $905K
- 2 bed 43 sales $1.4M
- 3 bed 12 sales $1.76M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Balmain are currently listed at around $2.55 million on average. Based on 40 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$2.55M
40 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$1.1M
23 units listed in the last 6 months.
63 of the suburb's 4,473 dwellings (1.4%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Balmain rent for around $1,450 a week on average, based on 25 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$1,450/wk
25 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$760/wk
34 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
59 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,888 rented homes (3.1%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $1,328/wk
- 32 bonds
- +28% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $862/wk
- 48 bonds
- +33% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2041 (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 202585 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 35% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2041.
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$1,450/week ($75,000 a year) on a $2.55 million median
$760/week ($40,000 a year) on a $1.1 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
58 active Airbnb listings: 54 whole homes and 4 rooms. Whole homes are about 1.1% 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 Balmain safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Balmain sits in the moderate band, with 545 incidents recorded in 2025 — down about 6% on the prior year.
545 offences
5.7% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20256 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
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
Inner West Council has published 11 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
- Dobroyd Canal and Hawthorne Canal Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan 2020
- Leichhardt Floodplain Risk Management Plan 2017
- Leichhardt Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan: Flood Study Addendum 2017
- Leichhardt Floodplain Risk Management Study 2017
- Marrickville Valley Floodplain Risk Management Plan 2017
Schools
Two schools serve Balmain, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Balmain Public School leads the pack.
- • 670 students across 2 schools (avg 335)
- • Sectors: 1 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1170-1172, median 1171 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Fr John Therry Catholic Primary School Balmain - Rozelle (349 students)
Primary
Universities nearby
- 3.0 kmSydney C.Q.U. CampusCentral Queensland University · 54 courses
- 3.4 kmThe University of SydneyThe University of Sydney · 599 courses
- 3.4 kmUniversity of Technology Sydney (City Campus)University of Technology Sydney · 524 courses
2.1% 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
Balmain is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 95/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 2 supermarkets, 13 parks and 18 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Balmain.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 296.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 221.4 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 199.2 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 21.0 hours
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 Balmain.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 4%
- Premises covered
- 6,113
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
Inner West: 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 28 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.
Balmain is home to about 10,500 residents, with a median age of 42, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $158,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
10,454
Median Age
42
Median Household Income
$158,028/yr
Census Median Rent
$625/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$3,986/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$82,004/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
12.8%
Total Dwellings
4,473
Owner-Occupier Rate
57.8%
Houses
21.8%
Rental Stress
20.6%
Mortgage Stress
30.3%
Work From Home
69.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
233 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 38 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,853 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 64.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 83.4%
- Employment Rate
- 66%
- Completed Year 12
- 64.9%
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.
480 residents (4.6%) 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 9,818 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
45% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (2,560 of 5,711).
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.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,342 a year through Inner West based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 73%
- Other and special use 9%
- Parks and recreation 8%
- Commercial 6%
- Infrastructure and transport 4%
- 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: Inner West
In the year to August 2026, 849 new dwellings were approved across Inner West. That mix is 87 houses and 762 units. Approvals are down 25.3% 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 6.5 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 15.7 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.62 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Rozelle monitoring station, 1.6 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Sydney Airport AMO, 9.8 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 37 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 7.0 km
- 1.9 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 1,129 mm
- 99 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 27.5°C
- 7 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 9.5°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
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
6 facilities within 5 km- 2.2 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers) · Toluene (methylbenzene)
- 3.2 km
- 3.9 kmHigher EducationTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5) · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 4.3 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 4.4 kmWaste Treatment and Disposal ServicesTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Zinc and compounds · Chromium (III) compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 2041, 277 of 8,890 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 5.6% (496 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 8.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2041, 909 rooftop-solar systems totalling 5.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,420 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 88 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
13 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
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 $2,629,000 this is $2,029,000 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 2026-10-26 — 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 Tanya Plibersek Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tanya Plibersek | 78.1% | 21.9% | +2.4 |
| 2022 | Tanya Plibersek | 75.6% | 24.4% | -6.9 |
| 2019 | Tanya Plibersek | 68.7% | 31.3% | -3.4 |
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 Kobi Shetty The Greens
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Kobi Shetty GRN | 51.8% |
| 2019 | Jamie Parker GRN | 60.0% |
| 2015 | Jamie Parker GRN | 54.7% |
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 Balmain?
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 10,454 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
Compare Balmain 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 Balmain
Is Balmain a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Balmain is moderate (69/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Balmain?
Balmain has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Balmain a good place to live?
Balmain has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (86/100), 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 Balmain?
Balmain, NSW had a population of 10,454 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Balmain, NSW?
The postcode for Balmain, NSW is 2041.
How far is Balmain from Sydney?
Balmain is 6 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 11 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Balmain?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Balmain was $158,028 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 Balmain?
The median advertised rent in Balmain is $1,450 a week for houses (25 listings) and $760 a week for units (34 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Balmain?
The median age of residents in Balmain was 42 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Balmain?
There are 2 schools inside the Balmain boundary: 1 above and 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Balmain walkable?
Balmain scores 95/100 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 Balmain?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Balmain (Rozelle) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.5 µg/m³ and PM10 of 15.7 µg/m³. That puts Balmain 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 Balmain?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Balmain, Sydney Airport AMO (9.8 km away), summer days average 27.5°C, winter nights 9.5°C, 1,129 mm of rain a year over 99 rainy days, and 7 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Balmain?
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 Balmain belong to?
Balmain sits within the Inner West local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Balmain?
The average residential rates bill through Inner West is $1,342 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Balmain?
Across Inner West, 849 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 25.3% 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 Balmain in?
Balmain sits within the federal Division of Sydney, currently held by Tanya Plibersek (Australian Labor Party).
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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.