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Balmain vs Birchgrove

Suburb / Locality comparison ≈ 0.8 km apart · Balmain profile · Birchgrove profile

Balmain Birchgrove

Balmain and Birchgrove are neighbouring areas with distinct housing and transport profiles. Balmain is more transit-oriented, with far more public transport routes and 2,661.8 weekly departures per 1,000 people compared to 437.7 in Birchgrove. Rental living is far more common in Balmain, where 41.4% of homes are rented, while Birchgrove has far more homes owned outright at 41.0%. This shift is reflected in the homes themselves; Birchgrove has a far higher share of three-plus bedroom properties (62.1%) compared to Balmain (46.6%).

Both areas have tracked closely since 2011, remaining very similar in their typical weekly family incomes and the proportion of children under 15. They share a highly educated population and a strong tendency to live without religion. While both are very walkable, Birchgrove's walkability is focused more on parks, whereas Balmain has more food and drink amenities. Residents in both areas earn well above the national figure, though Birchgrove has a slightly higher share of households earning $3,000 or more a week.

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Where they differ most

Population: 7,226 larger in Balmain 3+ bedrooms: 15.5 pts higher in Birchgrove Renting: 14.6 pts higher in Balmain Owned outright: 12.5 pts higher in Birchgrove Living alone: 8.1 pts higher in Balmain

Demographics & Identity

Population in Balmainin Birchgrove +7,226 larger in Balmain gap steady
10,454 87th pct 3,228 85th pct
Median age in Balmainin Birchgrove +4 yrs older in Birchgrove gap widening
42 yrs 38th pct 46 yrs 54th pct
First Nations in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.5 pts higher in Balmain gap steady
0.8% 38th pct 0.3% 32nd pct
Aged 65+ in Balmainin Birchgrove +3.8 pts higher in Birchgrove gap widening
16.4% 39th pct 20.2% 57th pct
Under 15 in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.1 pts higher in Birchgrove gap steady
17.2% 51st pct 17.3% 52nd pct
De facto in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.8 pts higher in Balmain gap steady
17.1% 80th pct 16.3% 77th pct

Age structure

29.3% Older adults (45–64) +1.9 pts ▸ 31.1%
29.4% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +6.7 pts 22.7%
16.4% Seniors (65+) +3.8 pts ▸ 20.2%
17.2% Children (0–14) +0.1 pts ▸ 17.3%
7.8% Youth (15–24) +0.5 pts ▸ 8.3%

Marital status

43.8% Married +6.8 pts ▸ 50.6%
38.9% Never married ◂ +5.6 pts 33.3%
11.3% Divorced ◂ +0.7 pts 10.6%
3.1% Widowed +0.2 pts ▸ 3.3%
2.8% Separated ◂ +0.5 pts 2.2%

Age & sex structure

Balmain Birchgrove

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Balmainin Birchgrove +3.0 pts higher in Balmain gap steady
31.2% 89th pct 28.2% 88th pct

Country of birth

64.8% Australia +4.2 pts ▸ 69.1%
9.1% England +0.9 pts ▸ 10.0%
2.8% New Zealand ◂ +0.4 pts 2.4%
1.2% China ◂ +0.6 pts 0.7%
1.0% South Africa ◂ +0.3 pts 0.6%
0.8% Italy ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%
0.7% India ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%
0.5% Philippines ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%
0.5% Vietnam ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.1% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

40.8% English +3.4 pts ▸ 44.2%
27.6% Australian +1.7 pts ▸ 29.3%
18.3% Irish +0.3 pts ▸ 18.6%
13.0% Scottish +0.4 pts ▸ 13.4%
4.7% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 4.6%
4.3% Chinese +0.3 pts ▸ 4.6%
3.9% German +0.6 pts ▸ 4.4%
2.0% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 1.7%
1.7% Dutch ◂ +0.2 pts 1.5%
1.6% Indian ◂ +0.7 pts 0.9%
0.8% Filipino +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.7% Vietnamese ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

Language

Other language in Balmainin Birchgrove +3.2 pts higher in Balmain gap steady
12.4% 79th pct 9.2% 74th pct
Limited English in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.5 pts higher in Balmain gap steady
1.2% 78th pct 0.7% 72nd pct

Language used at home

83.4% English only +4.5 pts ▸ 87.9%
1.5% Mandarin ◂ +0.5 pts 1.1%
1.2% Italian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.9%
0.8% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%
0.5% Cantonese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.4%
0.5% Vietnamese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%
0.5% Arabic ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%
0.2% Hindi ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.1% Tagalog ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.0% Punjabi even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.8 pts higher in Birchgrove gap narrowing
52.6% 85th pct 53.4% 86th pct

Religious affiliation

52.6% No religion +0.8 pts ▸ 53.4%
38.2% Christianity +0.9 pts ▸ 39.1%
5.7% Not stated ◂ +0.7 pts 5.0%
1.3% Buddhism even 1.2%
0.8% Judaism ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%
0.7% Hinduism ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%
0.5% Islam ◂ +0.4 pts 0.1%
0.3% Other religions ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Balmainin Birchgrove +4.2 pts higher in Birchgrove gap narrowing
81.0% 99th pct 85.2% 100th pct
Bachelor+ in Balmainin Birchgrove +6.1 pts higher in Birchgrove gap steady
55.4% 100th pct 61.6% 100th pct
Schools/1k kids in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.68 more in Birchgrove
1.11 10th pct 1.79 24th pct
Schools ≤3 km in Balmainin Birchgrove +9 more in Balmain
49 92nd pct 40 90th pct
Avg size in Balmainin Birchgrove +89 larger in Birchgrove
526 75th pct 616 86th pct
ICSEA in Balmainin Birchgrove +6 higher in Birchgrove
1,156 100th pct 1,163 100th pct

Highest year of school

81.0% Year 12 +4.2 pts ▸ 85.2%
8.1% Year 10 ◂ +1.6 pts 6.5%
3.5% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.7 pts 1.8%
2.8% Year 11 ◂ +0.1 pts 2.7%

Highest qualification level

42.2% Bachelor degree +3.1 pts ▸ 45.4%
22.1% Postgraduate degree +2.7 pts ▸ 24.8%
11.6% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.8 pts 9.8%
8.1% Certificate III / IV ◂ +2.4 pts 5.8%
5.7% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.3 pts 5.4%
0.7% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%

Field of qualification

27.5% Management & commerce ◂ +4.1 pts 23.4%
19.9% Society & culture +3.3 pts ▸ 23.1%
7.7% Health +2.5 pts ▸ 10.2%
8.6% Creative arts +0.5 pts ▸ 9.2%
7.2% Engineering & related ◂ +1.0 pts 6.2%
6.3% Education +0.3 pts ▸ 6.5%
4.9% Architecture & building +0.6 pts ▸ 5.5%
3.4% Natural & physical sciences +0.7 pts ▸ 4.1%
3.2% Information technology ◂ +0.8 pts 2.4%
2.0% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.8 pts 1.2%
1.0% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.3 pts 0.7%

Income

Personal income in Balmainin Birchgrove +$84 higher in Birchgrove gap narrowing
$1,577 100th pct $1,661 100th pct
Household income in Balmainin Birchgrove +$564 higher in Birchgrove gap widening
$3,039 97th pct $3,603 100th pct
Family income in Balmainin Birchgrove +$144 higher in Birchgrove gap narrowing
$4,562 100th pct $4,706 100th pct
High earners in Balmainin Birchgrove +2.5 pts higher in Birchgrove gap narrowing
38.1% 100th pct 40.7% 100th pct
High-income homes in Balmainin Birchgrove +6.5 pts higher in Birchgrove gap steady
48.2% 100th pct 54.6% 100th pct

Household income distribution

38.8% $4,000 or more +5.8 pts ▸ 44.6%
21.0% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.9 pts 20.1%
14.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.4 pts 11.4%
11.6% Under $650 ◂ +3.0 pts 8.6%
9.4% $3,000–$3,999 +0.6 pts ▸ 10.0%

Personal income distribution

24.9% $3,000 or more +4.3 pts ▸ 29.2%
24.7% Under $650 ◂ +0.4 pts 24.3%
24.5% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.7 pts 22.9%
21.2% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.4 pts 19.8%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Balmainin Birchgrove +1.6 pts higher in Balmain
25.6% 33rd pct 23.9% 26th pct
Mental health in Balmainin Birchgrove +3.0 pts higher in Balmain
9.0% 58th pct 6.0% 30th pct
Needs assistance in Balmainin Birchgrove +1.4 pts higher in Balmain gap steady
3.6% 38th pct 2.2% 26th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

9.0% Mental health ◂ +3.0 pts 6.0%
7.6% Other condition ◂ +1.0 pts 6.6%
7.4% Asthma ◂ +0.4 pts 7.0%
6.4% Arthritis ◂ +0.6 pts 5.8%
3.3% Cancer +0.6 pts ▸ 4.0%
3.0% Heart disease +0.5 pts ▸ 3.5%
2.6% Diabetes ◂ +0.5 pts 2.0%
1.1% Lung condition +0.1 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.6% Stroke ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%
0.5% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

67.6% None +2.6 pts ▸ 70.2%
19.1% One condition ◂ +0.3 pts 18.8%
4.6% Two conditions ◂ +0.9 pts 3.8%
1.8% Three or more ◂ +0.4 pts 1.4%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Balmainin Birchgrove +5.9 pts higher in Birchgrove gap widening
19.1% 55th pct 25.0% 75th pct
Unpaid carers in Balmainin Birchgrove +1.7 pts higher in Birchgrove gap steady
10.5% 28th pct 12.2% 44th pct
Unpaid child care in Balmainin Birchgrove +2.3 pts higher in Birchgrove gap steady
26.7% 58th pct 29.1% 69th pct
Defence service in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.2 pts higher in Birchgrove
1.8% 39th pct 2.0% 41st pct
Housework 15h+ in Balmainin Birchgrove +1.7 pts higher in Birchgrove gap steady
20.5% 29th pct 22.3% 38th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Balmainin Birchgrove +72 larger in Balmain
83 84th pct 11 60th pct
Median age in Balmainin Birchgrove +7 yrs older in Balmain
38 yrs 76th pct 31 yrs 66th pct
Year 12 in Balmainin Birchgrove
56.1% 81st pct —
Unemployment in Balmainin Birchgrove
11.1% 54th pct —
Median income in Balmainin Birchgrove +$3 higher in Balmain
$615 47th pct $612 47th pct
Household income in Balmainin Birchgrove +$812 higher in Birchgrove
$1,562 45th pct $2,374 75th pct
Indigenous language in Balmainin Birchgrove
6.0% 61st pct —

Family & Households

Household size in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.2 larger in Birchgrove gap steady
2.2 24th pct 2.4 43rd pct
One-parent in Balmainin Birchgrove +2.4 pts higher in Balmain gap steady
10.1% 45th pct 7.6% 31st pct
Living alone in Balmainin Birchgrove +8.1 pts higher in Balmain gap steady
33.2% 80th pct 25.1% 55th pct

Family composition

57.3% Couples with children +1.9 pts ▸ 59.3%
31.6% Couples without children +0.6 pts ▸ 32.3%
10.1% One-parent families ◂ +2.4 pts 7.6%
1.0% Other families ◂ +0.4 pts 0.6%

Household size

34.8% 2 people +3.4 pts ▸ 38.2%
33.2% 1 person ◂ +8.1 pts 25.1%
13.5% 4 people +2.8 pts ▸ 16.3%
14.2% 3 people +1.1 pts ▸ 15.3%
3.8% 5 people +0.3 pts ▸ 4.0%
0.4% 6 or more +0.7 pts ▸ 1.1%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Balmainin Birchgrove +$75 higher in Birchgrove gap steady
$625 100th pct $700 100th pct
Mortgage in Balmainin Birchgrove +$14 higher in Birchgrove gap narrowing
$3,986 100th pct $4,000 100th pct
People / bedroom in Balmainin Birchgrove even gap steady
0.90 86th pct 0.90 86th pct
Renting in Balmainin Birchgrove +14.6 pts higher in Balmain gap widening
41.4% 88th pct 26.8% 74th pct
Owned outright in Balmainin Birchgrove +12.5 pts higher in Birchgrove gap widening
28.5% 20th pct 41.0% 49th pct
Separate houses in Balmainin Birchgrove +6.5 pts higher in Birchgrove gap steady
21.8% 0th pct 28.2% 2nd pct
3+ bedrooms in Balmainin Birchgrove +15.5 pts higher in Birchgrove gap steady
46.6% 7th pct 62.1% 16th pct

How homes are owned or rented

41.4% Rented ◂ +14.6 pts 26.8%
28.5% Owned outright +12.5 pts ▸ 41.0%
28.1% Owned with a mortgage +1.7 pts ▸ 29.8%
1.1% Other tenure +0.6 pts ▸ 1.7%
0.8% Not stated ◂ +0.2 pts 0.6%

Types of homes

39.9% Townhouse / semi-detached +13.1 pts ▸ 53.0%
37.6% Flat or apartment ◂ +19.5 pts 18.1%
21.8% Separate house +6.5 pts ▸ 28.2%
0.5% Other dwelling ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

29.9% 3 bedrooms +7.6 pts ▸ 37.5%
36.4% 2 bedrooms ◂ +7.7 pts 28.7%
13.7% 4 bedrooms +6.6 pts ▸ 20.3%
14.2% 1 bedroom ◂ +6.9 pts 7.2%
3.0% 5 or more +1.2 pts ▸ 4.3%
2.1% Studio / none ◂ +1.1 pts 1.1%

Weekly rent distribution

29.8% $750 or more +11.9 pts ▸ 41.7%
28.9% $550–$749 +0.6 pts ▸ 29.6%
18.2% $350–$549 even 18.3%
10.8% Under $200 ◂ +10.0 pts 0.9%
10.4% $200–$349 ◂ +4.0 pts 6.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

61.8% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.5 pts 60.3%
15.1% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +4.4 pts 10.7%
9.9% Under $1,000 +2.1 pts ▸ 12.0%
6.0% $1,000–$1,799 +2.1 pts ▸ 8.1%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Balmainin Birchgrove +6.2 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
15.0% 91st pct 8.8% 86th pct
Work from home in Balmainin Birchgrove +1.0 pts higher in Birchgrove gap narrowing
60.9% 100th pct 62.0% 100th pct
PT commute in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.5 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
2.8% 85th pct 2.3% 82nd pct
PT stops in Balmainin Birchgrove +19 more in Balmain
25 86th pct 6 76th pct
Stops/1k in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.53 more in Balmain
2.39 67th pct 1.86 65th pct
Departures/1k in Balmainin Birchgrove +2,224.0 more in Balmain
2,661.8 95th pct 437.7 77th pct
PT routes in Balmainin Birchgrove +3 more in Balmain
4 82nd pct 1 71st pct
Stop walk in Balmainin Birchgrove +3 longer in Balmain
4 29th pct 1 0th pct
Drive to city in Balmainin Birchgrove +1 longer in Birchgrove
7 1st pct 8 3rd pct
Reach 30 min in Balmainin Birchgrove +12,658 more in Balmain
42,061 86th pct 29,403 82nd pct
Reach 45 min in Balmainin Birchgrove +15,456 more in Balmain
170,931 86th pct 155,475 86th pct
Transit to city in Balmainin Birchgrove +1 longer in Birchgrove
41 21st pct 42 22nd pct

How people get to work

60.9% Worked at home +1.0 pts ▸ 62.0%
17.9% Car (driver) +0.9 pts ▸ 18.8%
3.8% Walked ◂ +0.9 pts 2.9%
2.2% Bus ◂ +1.0 pts 1.3%
1.0% Car (passenger) +0.4 pts ▸ 1.4%
0.9% Bicycle +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.1% Train ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

54.7% 1 vehicle ◂ +3.8 pts 50.9%
25.1% 2 vehicles +6.8 pts ▸ 31.9%
15.0% No vehicle ◂ +6.2 pts 8.8%
3.9% 3 vehicles +2.1 pts ▸ 5.9%
1.4% 4 or more +0.1 pts ▸ 1.4%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Balmainin Birchgrove +5.8 pts higher in Balmain gap steady
45.4% 87th pct 39.6% 77th pct
Recent arrivals in Balmainin Birchgrove +1.2 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
11.7% 70th pct 10.5% 66th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.2 pts higher in Balmain gap steady
3.9% 55th pct 3.7% 52nd pct
Participation in Balmainin Birchgrove +2.4 pts higher in Balmain gap widening
68.7% 77th pct 66.3% 70th pct
Full-time in Balmainin Birchgrove +5.4 pts higher in Balmain gap widening
68.1% 86th pct 62.7% 72nd pct

Industries people work in

19.7% Professional & technical +0.1 pts ▸ 19.8%
12.1% Finance & insurance +1.3 pts ▸ 13.4%
9.9% Health care & social assistance +2.9 pts ▸ 12.8%
8.8% Education & training ◂ +1.0 pts 7.8%
6.0% Retail trade ◂ +1.1 pts 4.9%
5.7% Construction ◂ +0.2 pts 5.5%
4.6% Media & telecommunications +0.4 pts ▸ 5.0%
4.5% Public administration & safety +0.2 pts ▸ 4.7%
3.7% Accommodation & food +0.3 pts ▸ 3.9%
3.1% Manufacturing ◂ +0.2 pts 2.9%
3.1% Wholesale trade ◂ +0.7 pts 2.3%
3.0% Rental & real estate even 3.0%

Occupations people work in

42.7% Professionals +4.4 pts ▸ 47.1%
26.4% Managers ◂ +0.2 pts 26.2%
10.2% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.3 pts 9.9%
6.1% Sales workers ◂ +1.5 pts 4.6%
5.3% Community & personal service ◂ +0.4 pts 4.9%
5.1% Technicians & trades ◂ +1.4 pts 3.8%
1.8% Labourers ◂ +0.4 pts 1.4%
1.0% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +0.7 pts 0.3%

Walkability

Walk score in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.4 higher in Balmain
9.1 100th pct 8.7 100th pct
Types ≤15 min in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.1 more in Balmain
8.0 100th pct 7.9 100th pct
15-min city in Balmainin Birchgrove even
100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to shops in Balmainin Birchgrove even
100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to transit in Balmainin Birchgrove even
100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to school in Balmainin Birchgrove +3.6 pts higher in Balmain
100.0% 100th pct 96.4% 97th pct
Walk to a park in Balmainin Birchgrove even
100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to health in Balmainin Birchgrove +2.1 pts higher in Balmain
100.0% 100th pct 97.9% 99th pct
Amenities/1k in Balmainin Birchgrove +0.1 more in Balmain
11.9 46th pct 11.8 46th pct
Intersections/km² in Balmainin Birchgrove +79 higher in Balmain
378 99th pct 299 95th pct
Mean slope in Balmainin Birchgrove +2.1 pts higher in Birchgrove
8.3% 73rd pct 10.4% 83rd pct

Compare Balmain with nearby areas

Birchgrove Rozelle Balmain East Pyrmont Glebe Barangaroo Forest Lodge Woolwich

Compare Birchgrove with nearby areas

Balmain Balmain East Woolwich Rozelle Pyrmont Waverton Barangaroo McMahons Point

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Balmain vs Birchgrove [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL10165/balmain/vs/SAL10373/birchgrove