Balmain

NSW 2041 · Inner West

10,454 (2021) → 10,782 est. (2025) · Stable

Part of the Inner West local government area (est. 172,783 residents)

Overall score

Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.

10,454

Population

$3.05M

Median house (2025)

Safety score

Transport score

Balmain is a stable suburb in Inner West, NSW 2041, about 3km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $3.05M is more expensive than the NSW average. The suburb has 3 schools, a transport score of 81/100, and is a short drive from the coast. Balmain has an overall score of 91/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 67/100.

3.0 km

To Sydney CBD

9.5 km

To coast

$1,250/wk

Median rent (house)

2.5 km

To nearest station

Demographics

10,454

Population

Median age

2.2

Avg household

Age distribution

Housing tenure

Owned
Mortgage
Rented

Commute to work

Car
Public transport
Walk/cycle
Work from home

Inner West LGA population (est. 2025)172,783

Median household income (weekly)$3,039

vs NSW median+64.3%

Bachelor degree or higher70.0%

Born in Australia64.8%

Dwellings: house / unit / townhouse974 / 1,684 / 1,785

Top countries of birth: England (9.08%), New Zealand (2.79%), USA (1.66%), Ireland (1.34%), China (1.24%)

Top languages: Mandarin (1.52%), Italian (1.18%), Spanish (0.99%), French (0.78%), Greek (0.77%)

Source: ABS Census 2021

Property

$3.05M+12.9%

Median house (2025)

$1.44M-24.3%

Median unit (2025)

Median price history

Median rent — house / unit$1,250 / $750 wk

Rental yield (house)2.1%

Days on market (house)39 days

Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q4 2025

Residential Safety

Residential

Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:

Break & enter dwelling115/100k

Steal from dwelling325/100k

Motor vehicle theft105/100k

Domestic assault402/100k

Robbery10/100k

Residential incidents over time

Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.

Area crime context

Total recorded incidents: 796 (all categories, latest year)7,614 per 100,000 residents2-yr5-yr

An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.

Source: BOCSAR · Updated 2025

Schools

360

Within 10km3 in suburb

Govt (suburb)

Catholic (suburb)

Indep. (suburb)

Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 1112 (above the national average of 1000).

In suburb

Balmain Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1183
Inner Sydney Montessori SchoolPrimary · IndependentICSEA 1181
Fr John Therry Catholic Primary School Balmain-RozellePrimary · CatholicICSEA 1153

Nearby (within 10km)

Birchgrove Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 0.6kmICSEA 1131
Sydney Secondary College Balmain CampusSecondary · Government · 0.9kmICSEA 1112
Rozelle Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.1kmICSEA 1151
Nicholson Street Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.2kmICSEA 1148
Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay CampusSecondary · Government · 2kmICSEA 1100
St Scholastica's College Glebe PointSecondary · Independent · 2kmICSEA 1134
Annandale North Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.3kmICSEA 1151
Fort Street Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.3kmICSEA 1103
Inner Sydney Montessori School, LilyfieldPrimary · Independent · 2.3km
St Mark's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2.4kmICSEA 1153
St James Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2.4kmICSEA 1120
Marist Sisters' College WoolwichSecondary · Catholic · 2.4kmICSEA 1103

Source: ACARA 2023

Transport

26Bus

CBD commute (est.)21 min (bus)

Nearest train stationWynyard (2.5 km)

Source: TfNSW GTFS

Liveability

25.9°C

Summer max

17.0°C

Winter max

1,213mm

Rainfall/yr

Sun/day

Amenities within 2–3km

Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.

332 in suburbSupermarkets

9522 in suburbCafes/Rest.

12428 in suburbParks

338 in suburbPlaygrounds

22926 in suburbPools

241 in suburbGyms

0Dog parks

142 in suburbGPs

312 in suburbPharmacies

230 in suburbChildcare

61 in suburbLibraries

19411 in suburbSports fields

21 in suburbVets

Nearest beachMilk Beach (8.1 km)

Nearest hospitalSydney Hospital (3.2 km)

Nearest vet80 m

Nearest airportSydney (9.8 km)

Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap

Population & Growth

Stable

Annual growth rate0.78%

Projected population 204110,546

Projected households 2041Data not available

Source: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI

Nearby suburbs in Inner West

Birchgrove$2.65M78transport Rozelle$2.13M81transport Balmain East$3.95M86transport Lilyfield$2.16M87transport Annandale$2.25M93transport Leichhardt$1.96M93transport

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Balmain

Frequently asked questions about Balmain

Is Balmain safe?

Balmain has a residential safety score of 67/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 7,614 per 100,000 across all categories.

What are property prices in Balmain?

In Balmain, the median house price is $3.05M and the median unit price is $1.44M. Median weekly house rent is $1,250.

How far is Balmain from Sydney CBD?

Balmain is about 3.0 km from Sydney CBD, an estimated 21 minutes by public transport.

What schools are in Balmain?

Balmain has 3 schools, with an average ICSEA of 1172 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.

What is public transport like in Balmain?

Balmain has a transport score of 81/100 and 26 bus stops.