Balmain
NSWBalmain is a declining suburb in NSW with 10,454 residents.
- SAL code
- 10165
- SA2
- 120021387
- Population
- 10,454
Balmain, NSW had 10,454 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area roughly steady over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 42. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $3,986 a month. Around 57.8% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being rented at 42.2%. Most dwellings are townhouses or semi-detached homes, making up 41.0% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 28 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Population
?10,454
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
-0.5%
3yr: +4.0% · 10yr: -1.7%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$3,039/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
42
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?10/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?2.9%
SA4 · Q4 2025
Schools
2
2 primary
Hospitals
?1
Within suburb
Childcare services
?9
5 long day, 5 OSHC
Parks & green space
?28
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?25
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Balmain (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Balmain suburb alone is ~10,454 (Census 2021).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 14,708 to 16,124 over 24 years, averaging 0.4% per year.
Schools
2 in suburbGovernment school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Balmain PS47.8%
- Rozelle PS 22.4%
- Birchgrove PS 18.4%
- Nicholson St PS 11.0%
Secondary
SSC Balmain100.0%
- SSC Blackwattle Bay 100.0%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 5.2%Mostly townhouses (41%), mixed tenure (58% own or mortgage).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire & flood risk
Hazard data is not yet available for NSW.
Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
5 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | ZoneResidential | 72.8% | 1.12 km² |
| PAE | ZoneOther | 8.4% | 0.13 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 8.1% | 0.12 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 5.6% | 0.09 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 3.9% | 0.06 km² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.