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Balmain vs Newtown

State Electorate comparison ≈ 2.7 km apart · Balmain profile · Newtown profile

Balmain Newtown

Balmain and Newtown are neighbouring Inner West areas with similar populations, though they differ in how people live. Newtown is more focused on renting, with 59.2% of households renting compared to 47.7% in Balmain. Life in Newtown is also more car-free, as 35.0% of homes have no motor vehicle, while 20.7% of Balmain homes are without one. Balmain is more likely to have families and older residents; its typical age is 38, while Newtown's is 34, and 14.9% of Balmain residents are children under 15 compared to just 9.1% in Newtown.

These two areas share many similarities, with nearly identical rates of full-time employment and a similar share of residents who have completed Year 12. Both are well above the national figure for people with a bachelor degree or higher, with Balmain at 53.0% and Newtown at 51.7%. Many of the gaps between them have shifted since 2011, including the share of people born overseas and the typical age of residents, as both areas continue to evolve alongside each other.

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Where they differ most

No car: 14.3 pts higher in Newtown Separate houses: 12.8 pts higher in Balmain Renting: 11.6 pts higher in Newtown 3+ bedrooms: 9.5 pts higher in Balmain Unpaid child care: 8.7 pts higher in Balmain

Demographics & Identity

Population in Balmainin Newtown +2,960 larger in Balmain gap narrowing
83,273 86th pct 80,313 82nd pct
Median age in Balmainin Newtown +4 yrs older in Balmain gap narrowing
38 yrs 43rd pct 34 yrs 14th pct
First Nations in Balmainin Newtown +0.3 pts higher in Newtown gap narrowing
1.4% 33rd pct 1.7% 39th pct
Aged 65+ in Balmainin Newtown +3.4 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
13.5% 27th pct 10.1% 11th pct
Under 15 in Balmainin Newtown +5.8 pts higher in Balmain gap widening
14.9% 15th pct 9.1% 0th pct
De facto in Balmainin Newtown +4.1 pts higher in Newtown gap narrowing
18.6% 96th pct 22.7% 100th pct

Age structure

35.7% Young adults (25–44) +8.7 pts ▸ 44.4%
25.2% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +3.5 pts 21.7%
14.9% Children (0–14) ◂ +5.8 pts 9.1%
10.6% Youth (15–24) +4.1 pts ▸ 14.7%
13.5% Seniors (65+) ◂ +3.4 pts 10.1%

Marital status

48.4% Never married +16.6 pts ▸ 65.0%
37.0% Married ◂ +13.8 pts 23.3%
9.1% Divorced ◂ +1.8 pts 7.3%
2.9% Widowed ◂ +0.6 pts 2.3%
2.6% Separated ◂ +0.5 pts 2.1%

Age & sex structure

Balmain Newtown

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Balmainin Newtown +2.7 pts higher in Newtown gap narrowing
33.9% 73rd pct 36.6% 78th pct

Country of birth

61.3% Australia ◂ +3.9 pts 57.3%
6.0% England ◂ +1.1 pts 4.9%
3.4% China +0.9 pts ▸ 4.3%
2.5% New Zealand +0.1 pts ▸ 2.7%
1.2% Italy ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%
1.1% India even 1.1%
0.8% Vietnam +0.2 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.8% Philippines +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.7% South Africa ◂ +0.1 pts 0.7%
0.1% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Ancestry

33.4% English ◂ +3.2 pts 30.2%
25.4% Australian ◂ +2.1 pts 23.3%
14.4% Irish ◂ +0.8 pts 13.6%
10.5% Scottish ◂ +0.9 pts 9.6%
8.7% Chinese +1.6 pts ▸ 10.3%
5.9% Italian ◂ +1.5 pts 4.4%
3.7% German +0.1 pts ▸ 3.8%
2.2% Greek +0.6 pts ▸ 2.8%
2.0% Indian even 2.0%
1.2% Vietnamese +0.3 pts ▸ 1.5%
1.4% Dutch even 1.5%
1.2% Filipino +0.2 pts ▸ 1.4%

Language

Other language in Balmainin Newtown +3.6 pts higher in Newtown gap narrowing
20.9% 63rd pct 24.5% 69th pct
Limited English in Balmainin Newtown +0.9 pts higher in Newtown gap steady
2.7% 64th pct 3.6% 72nd pct

Language used at home

74.0% English only ◂ +4.8 pts 69.2%
3.8% Mandarin +0.8 pts ▸ 4.6%
1.5% Cantonese +0.3 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.7% Italian ◂ +0.8 pts 0.9%
1.0% Greek +0.5 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.9% Vietnamese +0.2 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.5% Arabic +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.5% Hindi even 0.4%
0.2% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Punjabi even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Balmainin Newtown +5.8 pts higher in Newtown gap narrowing
53.2% 94th pct 58.9% 100th pct

Religious affiliation

53.2% No religion +5.8 pts ▸ 58.9%
34.0% Christianity ◂ +8.5 pts 25.5%
6.7% Not stated +1.3 pts ▸ 8.1%
2.9% Buddhism +0.7 pts ▸ 3.6%
1.0% Islam +0.3 pts ▸ 1.3%
1.1% Hinduism +0.1 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.6% Judaism +0.4 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.6% Other religions even 0.6%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Balmainin Newtown even gap narrowing
79.8% 96th pct 79.8% 96th pct
Bachelor+ in Balmainin Newtown +1.3 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
53.0% 100th pct 51.7% 98th pct
Schools/1k kids in Balmainin Newtown +0.97 more in Newtown
2.17 60th pct 3.14 79th pct
Schools ≤3 km in Balmainin Newtown +4 more in Balmain
27 71st pct 23 60th pct
Students in Balmainin Newtown +2,380 more in Balmain
10,354 58th pct 7,974 38th pct
Avg size in Balmainin Newtown +4 larger in Balmain
383 31st pct 380 30th pct
ICSEA in Balmainin Newtown +9 higher in Newtown
1,129 92nd pct 1,138 94th pct

Highest year of school

79.8% Year 12 even 79.8%
7.5% Year 10 ◂ +1.3 pts 6.2%
3.8% Year 9 or below even 3.8%
2.9% Year 11 ◂ +0.1 pts 2.8%

Highest qualification level

41.4% Bachelor degree +1.7 pts ▸ 43.2%
21.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +1.7 pts 20.1%
11.4% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +0.8 pts 10.7%
8.5% Certificate III / IV ◂ +0.2 pts 8.4%
4.8% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.7 pts 4.1%
0.8% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.1 pts 0.8%

Field of qualification

23.4% Management & commerce ◂ +3.2 pts 20.2%
18.1% Society & culture ◂ +0.7 pts 17.4%
10.2% Creative arts +3.3 pts ▸ 13.6%
8.4% Health ◂ +0.7 pts 7.7%
7.2% Engineering & related ◂ +0.3 pts 6.9%
5.6% Education ◂ +1.1 pts 4.5%
4.6% Natural & physical sciences +0.3 pts ▸ 4.9%
4.5% Architecture & building ◂ +0.5 pts 4.1%
3.9% Information technology even 4.0%
2.6% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.4 pts ▸ 3.0%
1.0% Agriculture & environment even 1.0%

Income

Personal income in Balmainin Newtown +$140 higher in Balmain gap narrowing
$1,336 96th pct $1,196 91st pct
Household income in Balmainin Newtown +$248 higher in Balmain gap narrowing
$2,444 93rd pct $2,196 84th pct
Family income in Balmainin Newtown +$413 higher in Balmain gap narrowing
$3,642 100th pct $3,229 96th pct
High earners in Balmainin Newtown +6.2 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
30.7% 100th pct 24.4% 93rd pct
High-income homes in Balmainin Newtown +6.7 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
41.6% 99th pct 34.9% 89th pct

Household income distribution

31.0% $4,000 or more ◂ +7.2 pts 23.8%
24.1% $1,500–$2,999 +2.4 pts ▸ 26.5%
16.6% $650–$1,499 +0.8 pts ▸ 17.4%
13.0% Under $650 +2.6 pts ▸ 15.6%
10.6% $3,000–$3,999 +0.6 pts ▸ 11.2%

Personal income distribution

27.4% Under $650 +1.1 pts ▸ 28.5%
23.8% $650–$1,499 +2.9 pts ▸ 26.7%
25.3% $1,500–$2,999 +0.6 pts ▸ 26.0%
17.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +5.9 pts 11.4%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Balmainin Newtown +1.4 pts higher in Newtown
24.3% 28th pct 25.7% 36th pct
Mental health in Balmainin Newtown +2.6 pts higher in Newtown
9.3% 55th pct 11.9% 89th pct
Needs assistance in Balmainin Newtown +0.3 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
3.7% 12th pct 3.4% 8th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

9.3% Mental health +2.6 pts ▸ 11.9%
7.5% Asthma +0.7 pts ▸ 8.2%
7.8% Other condition +0.4 pts ▸ 8.1%
5.7% Arthritis ◂ +0.8 pts 4.8%
2.5% Diabetes even 2.6%
2.5% Heart disease ◂ +0.3 pts 2.3%
2.5% Cancer ◂ +0.5 pts 2.0%
1.1% Lung condition ◂ +0.1 pts 1.0%
0.5% Stroke even 0.5%
0.5% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

68.5% None ◂ +2.3 pts 66.1%
18.2% One condition +1.2 pts ▸ 19.4%
4.5% Two conditions +0.2 pts ▸ 4.7%
1.7% Three or more even 1.6%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Balmainin Newtown +0.9 pts higher in Balmain gap steady
16.4% 70th pct 15.5% 59th pct
Unpaid carers in Balmainin Newtown +1.7 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
9.6% 13th pct 7.9% 6th pct
Unpaid child care in Balmainin Newtown +8.7 pts higher in Balmain gap widening
22.5% 16th pct 13.8% 2nd pct
Defence service in Balmainin Newtown +0.3 pts higher in Balmain
1.5% 14th pct 1.2% 9th pct
Housework 15h+ in Balmainin Newtown +4.9 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
18.0% 22nd pct 13.1% 6th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Balmainin Newtown +0.2 larger in Balmain gap widening
2.2 10th pct 2.0 0th pct
One-parent in Balmainin Newtown +1.2 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
11.0% 18th pct 9.8% 8th pct
Living alone in Balmainin Newtown +5.2 pts higher in Newtown gap widening
33.4% 91st pct 38.6% 100th pct

Family composition

53.8% Couples with children ◂ +11.0 pts 42.8%
33.7% Couples without children +11.2 pts ▸ 45.0%
11.0% One-parent families ◂ +1.2 pts 9.8%
1.5% Other families +1.0 pts ▸ 2.5%

Household size

33.4% 1 person +5.2 pts ▸ 38.6%
35.1% 2 people +1.1 pts ▸ 36.2%
14.9% 3 people ◂ +1.6 pts 13.3%
12.8% 4 people ◂ +3.8 pts 9.0%
3.1% 5 people ◂ +0.7 pts 2.3%
0.7% 6 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Balmainin Newtown +$40 higher in Balmain gap narrowing
$550 97th pct $510 92nd pct
Mortgage in Balmainin Newtown +$499 higher in Balmain gap narrowing
$3,399 100th pct $2,900 98th pct
People / bedroom in Balmainin Newtown even gap steady
1.00 93rd pct 1.00 93rd pct
Renting in Balmainin Newtown +11.6 pts higher in Newtown gap narrowing
47.7% 90th pct 59.2% 98th pct
Owned outright in Balmainin Newtown +7.5 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
23.5% 19th pct 15.9% 6th pct
Separate houses in Balmainin Newtown +12.8 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
20.6% 2nd pct 7.8% 0th pct
3+ bedrooms in Balmainin Newtown +9.5 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
41.4% 3rd pct 32.0% 0th pct

How homes are owned or rented

47.7% Rented +11.6 pts ▸ 59.2%
26.4% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +3.9 pts 22.5%
23.5% Owned outright ◂ +7.5 pts 15.9%
1.3% Not stated ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%
1.2% Other tenure even 1.2%

Types of homes

43.2% Flat or apartment +10.3 pts ▸ 53.4%
35.3% Townhouse / semi-detached +1.3 pts ▸ 36.6%
20.6% Separate house ◂ +12.8 pts 7.8%
0.8% Other dwelling +0.9 pts ▸ 1.7%

Bedrooms per home

35.9% 2 bedrooms +0.3 pts ▸ 36.2%
28.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +6.3 pts 22.1%
18.6% 1 bedroom +6.3 pts ▸ 24.8%
10.6% 4 bedrooms ◂ +2.8 pts 7.8%
2.8% Studio / none +2.9 pts ▸ 5.7%
2.3% 5 or more ◂ +0.3 pts 2.0%

Weekly rent distribution

26.0% $350–$549 +4.1 pts ▸ 30.0%
26.8% $550–$749 ◂ +1.1 pts 25.7%
23.7% $750 or more ◂ +4.7 pts 19.0%
10.2% Under $200 +2.1 pts ▸ 12.3%
10.7% $200–$349 ◂ +0.4 pts 10.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

56.0% $3,000 or more ◂ +9.2 pts 46.7%
19.7% $1,800–$2,999 +5.4 pts ▸ 25.1%
9.8% $1,000–$1,799 +2.7 pts ▸ 12.5%
9.0% Under $1,000 +2.0 pts ▸ 11.0%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Balmainin Newtown +14.3 pts higher in Newtown gap widening
20.7% 97th pct 35.0% 100th pct
Work from home in Balmainin Newtown +2.1 pts higher in Balmain gap widening
56.3% 100th pct 54.2% 100th pct
PT commute in Balmainin Newtown +2.5 pts higher in Newtown gap narrowing
3.7% 70th pct 6.2% 88th pct
PT stops in Balmainin Newtown +19 more in Newtown
199 33rd pct 218 38th pct
Stops/1k in Balmainin Newtown +0.32 more in Newtown
2.39 13th pct 2.71 15th pct
Departures/1k in Balmainin Newtown +334.6 more in Newtown
2,697.3 93rd pct 3,031.9 96th pct
PT routes in Balmainin Newtown +94 more in Newtown
45 81st pct 139 90th pct

How people get to work

56.3% Worked at home ◂ +2.1 pts 54.2%
17.6% Car (driver) ◂ +3.8 pts 13.8%
5.1% Walked +1.9 pts ▸ 6.9%
0.6% Train +3.4 pts ▸ 4.0%
2.6% Bus ◂ +0.7 pts 1.9%
1.4% Bicycle +0.5 pts ▸ 1.8%
1.4% Car (passenger) ◂ +0.1 pts 1.2%

Motor vehicles per home

51.9% 1 vehicle ◂ +4.6 pts 47.3%
20.7% No vehicle +14.3 pts ▸ 35.0%
22.5% 2 vehicles ◂ +8.3 pts 14.2%
3.7% 3 vehicles ◂ +1.3 pts 2.5%
1.2% 4 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 1.0%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Balmainin Newtown +7.0 pts higher in Newtown gap narrowing
49.4% 88th pct 56.4% 95th pct
Recent arrivals in Balmainin Newtown +6.2 pts higher in Newtown gap narrowing
18.1% 76th pct 24.3% 90th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Balmainin Newtown +0.8 pts higher in Newtown gap narrowing
4.6% 44th pct 5.4% 64th pct
Participation in Balmainin Newtown +1.1 pts higher in Newtown gap narrowing
68.3% 87th pct 69.4% 90th pct
Full-time in Balmainin Newtown +0.8 pts higher in Balmain gap narrowing
65.6% 89th pct 64.7% 88th pct

Industries people work in

18.2% Professional & technical +0.3 pts ▸ 18.5%
11.6% Health care & social assistance even 11.5%
10.2% Education & training +0.1 pts ▸ 10.3%
9.7% Finance & insurance ◂ +2.1 pts 7.6%
5.1% Accommodation & food +1.8 pts ▸ 6.9%
6.5% Retail trade +0.3 pts ▸ 6.8%
5.5% Public administration & safety +0.8 pts ▸ 6.2%
5.1% Construction ◂ +1.0 pts 4.1%
5.0% Media & telecommunications even 5.0%
2.9% Arts & recreation +0.6 pts ▸ 3.5%
2.9% Administrative & support even 2.9%
2.7% Other services +0.2 pts ▸ 2.9%

Occupations people work in

43.1% Professionals +1.4 pts ▸ 44.5%
21.7% Managers ◂ +4.6 pts 17.2%
10.6% Clerical & administrative +0.2 pts ▸ 10.8%
6.6% Community & personal service +1.3 pts ▸ 7.8%
6.1% Technicians & trades +0.8 pts ▸ 6.8%
6.0% Sales workers ◂ +0.1 pts 5.9%
2.9% Labourers +0.6 pts ▸ 3.5%
1.6% Machinery operators & drivers +0.3 pts ▸ 1.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Balmainin Newtown +0.4 higher in Newtown
9.2 100th pct 9.6 100th pct
Types ≤15 min in Balmainin Newtown +0.1 more in Newtown
7.9 99th pct 8.0 100th pct
15-min city in Balmainin Newtown even
100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to shops in Balmainin Newtown +0.5 pts higher in Newtown
99.5% 99th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to transit in Balmainin Newtown even
100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to school in Balmainin Newtown even
99.9% 100th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to a park in Balmainin Newtown even
100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Walk to health in Balmainin Newtown +1.8 pts higher in Newtown
98.2% 99th pct 100.0% 100th pct
Amenities/1k in Balmainin Newtown +4.6 more in Newtown
10.8 18th pct 15.4 58th pct
Intersections/km² in Balmainin Newtown +186 higher in Newtown
418 96th pct 604 100th pct
Mean slope in Balmainin Newtown +1.1 pts higher in Balmain
7.4% 80th pct 6.3% 67th pct

Compare Balmain with nearby areas

Newtown Summer Hill Sydney Heffron Drummoyne Lane Cove Rockdale Canterbury

Compare Newtown with nearby areas

Balmain Heffron Sydney Summer Hill Rockdale Coogee Canterbury Maroubra

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Balmain vs Newtown [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sed/SED10004/balmain/vs/SED10059/newtown