Balwyn North
VICBalwyn North is a stable suburb in VIC with 21,302 residents.
- SAL code
- 20124
- SA2
- 207011148
- Population
- 21,302
Balwyn North, VIC had 21,302 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 2.4% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 45-54 years, and the median age sits at 42. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $3,078 a month. Around 78.1% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 45.8%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 83.2% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 25 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Balwyn North, VIC at a glance
Balwyn North is an established, affluent residential suburb ~10 km east of Melbourne CBD in the City of Boroondara. Most homes are larger-lot post-war houses now mixed with substantial knockdown-rebuilds; the suburb is consistently in Melbourne's top-20 most exclusive postcodes and dominated by family owner-occupiers drawn to the Balwyn High School zone. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market + lifestyle + council context.
For homebuyers
Balwyn North suits buyers prioritising school zoning, big lots, and proximity to the eastern hubs. Stock skews to large 1950s-70s family homes on ~700-900m² blocks, with steady knockdown-rebuild activity lifting the streetscape. The Balwyn High School catchment sets the gravity field here — properties inside the zone routinely sell at a meaningful premium over those just outside. Greythorn Primary, Balwyn North Primary, Boroondara Park and Bellevue Primary anchor the public-school options; Carey Baptist Grammar and Camberwell Grammar are nearby. "The Village" at Doncaster/Bulleen Roads handles daily shopping; Westfield Doncaster and Box Hill are minutes away. Tram route 48 runs along Doncaster Road; the 907 SmartBus is a ~24-minute peak run to the CBD via the Eastern Freeway. Macleay Park, Hislop Park and Gordon Barnard Reserve form a green corridor through the middle of the suburb. In short: a settled, high-amenity family suburb where the school zone, lot size, and Boroondara address do most of the talking.
For investors
Balwyn North is a capital-preservation play, not a cashflow one. Median house $2.32M against $900/wk rent gives ~2.05% gross yield (houses); units median $1.11M with ~3.26% gross yield (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month house growth -0.09%; unit growth +0.91%. 310 house + 67 unit sales in 12 months — a deep, liquid market for the price point. Days-on-market 32 (houses), 44 (units).
Strengths
- Premium owner-occupier base + Balwyn High zoning underpin durable price floors (median $2.32M, YIP May 2026).
- Deep transaction market (~377 sales/yr across houses + units) makes entry and exit relatively orderly for the price tier.
- Strong long-run capital appreciation track record — short-term flat (-0.09% YoY houses) follows a high base.
- Boroondara LGA — some of Melbourne's most stable governance, low crime, mature infrastructure.
Trade-offs
- Yields are thin (~2.0% houses / ~3.3% units) — holding cost is a real consideration.
- Days-on-market 32-44 (YIP May 2026) reflects price-tier friction; off-zone properties sit longer.
- Capital growth has gone sideways over the past 12 months (-0.09% houses) — not a momentum story.
- Entry price ($2M+ for houses) caps the buyer pool and limits gearing efficiency.
What's coming
The City of Boroondara's 2025-26 budget allocates $247,575 for North Balwyn Village upgrade investigation and design, plus a share of $27M (4 years) for sporting-pavilion refurbishments including Greythorn Park. The North East Link (due 2028) will reshape the Bulleen interchange and add an express CBD busway via the Doncaster Park and Ride — a structural commute upgrade for the corridor.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a high-amenity Boroondara address where the Balwyn High zone and lot size justify the premium. For investors: a low-yield capital-preservation hold with a deep but expensive market — not a cashflow play.
Population
?21,302
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+2.4%
3yr: +5.4% · 10yr: +5.3%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,346/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
42
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?9/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?3.4%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
6
5 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?13
3 long day, 7 OSHC
Parks & green space
?25
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?72
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Balwyn North (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Balwyn North suburb alone is ~21,302 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 19,958 to 22,454 over 24 years, averaging 0.5% per year.
Schools
6 in suburbSector
5 public · 1 private
Type
5 primary · 1 secondary
Total enrolment
3,828
Avg per school
638
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for VIC.
Source when available: Victorian Department of Education / Vicmap School Zones.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Almost entirely detached houses (83.2%), owner-occupied (78.1%).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
This suburb falls outside every bushfire polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: Vicmap Planning — Bushfire Prone Area + Vicmap flood overlays.
Flood risk
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Overlay (flood codes)
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
9 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRZ3 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 3Residential | 74.1% | 6.74 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 14.1% | 1.28 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 7.2% | 0.65 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 1.6% | 0.15 km² |
| GRZ5 | General Residential Zone Schedule 5Residential | 0.9% | 0.08 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.8% | 0.07 km² |
| NRZ2 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 2Residential | 0.7% | 0.07 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 0.5% | 0.04 km² |
| GRZ4 | General Residential Zone Schedule 4Residential | 0.1% | 0.01 km² |
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Zones (ZONE_VIC/2026-04-29/08783d2926383881) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.