Compare

Balmain vs Rockdale

Name: Balmain vs Rockdale — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

State Electorate comparison ≈ 7.8 km apart · Balmain profile · Rockdale profile

Balmain Rockdale

Rockdale and Balmain are neighbouring areas with distinct profiles. Rockdale is much more multicultural, with 46.9% of people born overseas and 52.7% using a language other than English at home. In contrast, Balmain has a higher share of people with university degrees (53.0% compared to 33.6% in Rockdale) and significantly higher incomes, with a typical weekly family income of $3,642 compared to $2,231 in Rockdale. Balmain also has a much higher proportion of people reporting no religion, at 53.2%, while Rockdale is far lower at 24.9%.

Since 2011, the two areas have seen some gaps widen and others narrow. The difference in income and the share of people working from home have both grown, while the gap in university qualifications and Year 12 completion has shrunk. Despite these shifts, they remain very similar in some ways, such as having nearly identical shares of children under 15 and a similar percentage of people who have served in the Defence Force. Both areas are also highly accessible, with 100% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport.

Open map →

Where they differ most

Other language: 31.8 pts higher in Rockdale No religion: 28.3 pts higher in Balmain Work from home: 21.6 pts higher in Balmain Bachelor+: 19.4 pts higher in Balmain De facto: 8.0 pts higher in Balmain

Demographics & Identity

Population in Balmain in Rockdale +10,690 larger in Rockdale gap widening

83,273 86th pct 93,963 89th pct

Median age in Balmain in Rockdale +2 yrs older in Balmain gap widening

38 yrs 43rd pct 36 yrs 29th pct

Age structure

35.7% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +0.2 pts 35.5%

25.2% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.8 pts 22.4%

13.5% Seniors (65+) +2.2 pts ▸ 15.8%

14.9% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.2 pts 14.7%

10.6% Youth (15–24) +1.0 pts ▸ 11.6%

Marital status

48.4% Never married ◂ +10.2 pts 38.3%

37.0% Married +8.7 pts ▸ 45.7%

9.1% Divorced ◂ +0.9 pts 8.2%

2.9% Widowed +1.8 pts ▸ 4.7%

2.6% Separated +0.6 pts ▸ 3.1%

Age & sex structure

Balmain Rockdale

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

61.3% Australia ◂ +13.7 pts 47.6%

3.4% China +2.8 pts ▸ 6.3%

6.0% England ◂ +4.5 pts 1.5%

0.1% Nepal +3.4 pts ▸ 3.5%

2.5% New Zealand ◂ +1.2 pts 1.3%

0.8% Philippines +1.1 pts ▸ 1.9%

1.1% India +0.5 pts ▸ 1.6%

0.8% Vietnam +0.4 pts ▸ 1.2%

1.2% Italy ◂ +0.2 pts 1.0%

0.7% South Africa ◂ +0.4 pts 0.3%

Ancestry

33.4% English ◂ +19.9 pts 13.5%

25.4% Australian ◂ +12.1 pts 13.3%

14.4% Irish ◂ +9.4 pts 5.0%

8.7% Chinese +3.7 pts ▸ 12.4%

2.2% Greek +8.5 pts ▸ 10.7%

10.5% Scottish ◂ +7.2 pts 3.4%

5.9% Italian ◂ +1.1 pts 4.7%

3.7% German ◂ +2.2 pts 1.5%

1.2% Filipino +1.3 pts ▸ 2.6%

2.0% Indian +0.3 pts ▸ 2.3%

1.2% Vietnamese +0.4 pts ▸ 1.6%

1.4% Dutch ◂ +1.0 pts 0.5%

Language

Language used at home

74.0% English only ◂ +33.2 pts 40.7%

1.0% Greek +6.6 pts ▸ 7.6%

0.5% Arabic +6.2 pts ▸ 6.7%

3.8% Mandarin +2.4 pts ▸ 6.2%

1.5% Cantonese +1.7 pts ▸ 3.2%

1.7% Italian ◂ +0.4 pts 1.3%

0.9% Vietnamese +0.5 pts ▸ 1.4%

0.2% Tagalog +0.7 pts ▸ 0.9%

0.5% Hindi +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Punjabi +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

53.2% No religion ◂ +28.3 pts 24.9%

34.0% Christianity +14.5 pts ▸ 48.5%

1.0% Islam +8.3 pts ▸ 9.3%

6.7% Not stated +0.8 pts ▸ 7.5%

1.1% Hinduism +4.0 pts ▸ 5.1%

2.9% Buddhism +1.2 pts ▸ 4.0%

0.6% Judaism ◂ +0.3 pts 0.2%

0.6% Other religions ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Balmain in Rockdale +0.51 more in Balmain

2.17 60th pct 1.66 36th pct

Schools ≤3 km in Balmain in Rockdale +4 more in Balmain

27 71st pct 23 60th pct

Students in Balmain in Rockdale +3,766 more in Balmain

10,354 58th pct 6,588 26th pct

Avg size in Balmain in Rockdale +97 larger in Balmain

383 31st pct 286 19th pct

ICSEA in Balmain in Rockdale +75 higher in Balmain

1,129 92nd pct 1,054 66th pct

Highest year of school

79.8% Year 12 ◂ +11.7 pts 68.1%

7.5% Year 10 +4.7 pts ▸ 12.2%

3.8% Year 9 or below +4.8 pts ▸ 8.6%

2.9% Year 11 +1.0 pts ▸ 3.9%

Highest qualification level

41.4% Bachelor degree ◂ +7.4 pts 34.0%

21.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +7.8 pts 14.0%

11.4% Advanced diploma / diploma +4.2 pts ▸ 15.6%

8.5% Certificate III / IV +7.0 pts ▸ 15.5%

4.8% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +2.3 pts 2.5%

0.8% Certificate I / II +0.4 pts ▸ 1.2%

Field of qualification

23.4% Management & commerce +4.0 pts ▸ 27.4%

18.1% Society & culture ◂ +7.6 pts 10.5%

7.2% Engineering & related +4.4 pts ▸ 11.5%

10.2% Creative arts ◂ +5.7 pts 4.5%

8.4% Health ◂ +0.9 pts 7.5%

3.9% Information technology +1.9 pts ▸ 5.9%

5.6% Education ◂ +0.3 pts 5.3%

2.6% Food, hospitality & personal services +2.3 pts ▸ 4.8%

4.6% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.5 pts 3.1%

4.5% Architecture & building even 4.5%

1.0% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.2 pts 0.7%

Income

Personal income in Balmain in Rockdale +$468 higher in Balmain gap widening

$1,336 96th pct $868 67th pct

Household income in Balmain in Rockdale +$496 higher in Balmain gap narrowing

$2,444 93rd pct $1,948 67th pct

Family income in Balmain in Rockdale +$1,411 higher in Balmain gap widening

$3,642 100th pct $2,231 64th pct

Household income distribution

24.1% $1,500–$2,999 +8.2 pts ▸ 32.2%

31.0% $4,000 or more ◂ +17.0 pts 13.9%

16.6% $650–$1,499 +6.0 pts ▸ 22.7%

13.0% Under $650 +1.0 pts ▸ 14.1%

10.6% $3,000–$3,999 +1.2 pts ▸ 11.8%

Personal income distribution

27.4% Under $650 +9.1 pts ▸ 36.5%

23.8% $650–$1,499 +8.3 pts ▸ 32.0%

25.3% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +6.2 pts 19.1%

17.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +12.6 pts 4.7%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

9.3% Mental health ◂ +4.1 pts 5.2%

7.8% Other condition ◂ +1.1 pts 6.6%

7.5% Asthma ◂ +2.3 pts 5.2%

5.7% Arthritis +0.5 pts ▸ 6.2%

2.5% Diabetes +1.9 pts ▸ 4.4%

2.5% Heart disease +0.9 pts ▸ 3.4%

2.5% Cancer ◂ +0.3 pts 2.3%

1.1% Lung condition ◂ +0.1 pts 1.0%

0.5% Stroke +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.5% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

Number of long-term health conditions

68.5% None +2.7 pts ▸ 71.2%

18.2% One condition ◂ +3.6 pts 14.6%

4.5% Two conditions ◂ +0.3 pts 4.1%

1.7% Three or more +0.3 pts ▸ 2.0%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Balmain in Rockdale +0.3 larger in Rockdale gap narrowing

2.2 10th pct 2.5 43rd pct

Family composition

53.8% Couples with children +2.8 pts ▸ 56.6%

33.7% Couples without children ◂ +5.0 pts 28.7%

11.0% One-parent families +1.9 pts ▸ 12.9%

1.5% Other families +0.4 pts ▸ 1.9%

Household size

35.1% 2 people ◂ +1.4 pts 33.7%

33.4% 1 person ◂ +7.5 pts 25.9%

14.9% 3 people +2.3 pts ▸ 17.3%

12.8% 4 people +1.3 pts ▸ 14.1%

3.1% 5 people +2.7 pts ▸ 5.7%

0.7% 6 or more +2.5 pts ▸ 3.3%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Balmain in Rockdale +$50 higher in Balmain gap narrowing

$550 97th pct $500 91st pct

Mortgage in Balmain in Rockdale +$999 higher in Balmain gap widening

$3,399 100th pct $2,400 88th pct

People / bedroom in Balmain in Rockdale even gap steady

1.00 93rd pct 1.00 93rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

47.7% Rented ◂ +8.5 pts 39.2%

26.4% Owned with a mortgage +3.1 pts ▸ 29.4%

23.5% Owned outright +4.9 pts ▸ 28.3%

1.3% Not stated +0.2 pts ▸ 1.5%

1.2% Other tenure +0.3 pts ▸ 1.5%

Types of homes

43.2% Flat or apartment +6.7 pts ▸ 49.9%

20.6% Separate house +17.1 pts ▸ 37.7%

35.3% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +23.9 pts 11.4%

0.8% Other dwelling even 0.7%

Bedrooms per home

35.9% 2 bedrooms +6.2 pts ▸ 42.0%

28.5% 3 bedrooms +0.3 pts ▸ 28.7%

18.6% 1 bedroom ◂ +9.4 pts 9.1%

10.6% 4 bedrooms +2.1 pts ▸ 12.7%

2.3% 5 or more +3.1 pts ▸ 5.4%

2.8% Studio / none ◂ +2.3 pts 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

26.0% $350–$549 +24.5 pts ▸ 50.5%

26.8% $550–$749 +1.1 pts ▸ 27.9%

23.7% $750 or more ◂ +17.6 pts 6.1%

10.7% $200–$349 ◂ +2.5 pts 8.2%

10.2% Under $200 ◂ +6.0 pts 4.2%

Monthly mortgage distribution

56.0% $3,000 or more ◂ +23.6 pts 32.4%

19.7% $1,800–$2,999 +14.4 pts ▸ 34.1%

9.8% $1,000–$1,799 +5.6 pts ▸ 15.3%

9.0% Under $1,000 +1.7 pts ▸ 10.7%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Balmain in Rockdale +176 more in Rockdale

199 33rd pct 375 76th pct

Stops/1k in Balmain in Rockdale +1.60 more in Rockdale

2.39 13th pct 3.99 37th pct

Departures/1k in Balmain in Rockdale +1,456.5 more in Balmain

2,697.3 93rd pct 1,240.8 60th pct

PT routes in Balmain in Rockdale +17 more in Balmain

45 81st pct 28 54th pct

How people get to work

56.3% Worked at home ◂ +21.6 pts 34.7%

17.6% Car (driver) +15.8 pts ▸ 33.4%

0.6% Train +6.2 pts ▸ 6.8%

5.1% Walked ◂ +3.0 pts 2.0%

1.4% Car (passenger) +1.4 pts ▸ 2.7%

2.6% Bus ◂ +1.7 pts 0.9%

1.4% Bicycle ◂ +1.1 pts 0.3%

Motor vehicles per home

51.9% 1 vehicle ◂ +4.6 pts 47.3%

22.5% 2 vehicles +4.6 pts ▸ 27.0%

20.7% No vehicle ◂ +6.6 pts 14.1%

3.7% 3 vehicles +3.6 pts ▸ 7.3%

1.2% 4 or more +3.0 pts ▸ 4.1%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

18.2% Professional & technical ◂ +7.8 pts 10.4%

11.6% Health care & social assistance +0.9 pts ▸ 12.5%

10.2% Education & training ◂ +3.0 pts 7.2%

9.7% Finance & insurance ◂ +2.6 pts 7.0%

6.5% Retail trade +2.8 pts ▸ 9.3%

5.1% Construction +3.1 pts ▸ 8.2%

2.6% Transport & warehousing +4.7 pts ▸ 7.3%

5.1% Accommodation & food +1.9 pts ▸ 7.0%

5.5% Public administration & safety ◂ +0.2 pts 5.3%

5.0% Media & telecommunications ◂ +2.9 pts 2.1%

2.9% Administrative & support +1.2 pts ▸ 4.1%

2.8% Manufacturing +1.3 pts ▸ 4.1%

Occupations people work in

43.1% Professionals ◂ +15.8 pts 27.3%

21.7% Managers ◂ +8.0 pts 13.8%

10.6% Clerical & administrative +4.1 pts ▸ 14.7%

6.1% Technicians & trades +4.8 pts ▸ 10.9%

6.6% Community & personal service +2.7 pts ▸ 9.3%

6.0% Sales workers +2.7 pts ▸ 8.7%

2.9% Labourers +5.2 pts ▸ 8.1%

1.6% Machinery operators & drivers +3.6 pts ▸ 5.2%

Walkability

Walk score in Balmain in Rockdale +1.1 higher in Balmain

9.2 100th pct 8.1 89th pct

Types ≤15 min in Balmain in Rockdale +0.4 more in Balmain

7.9 99th pct 7.5 88th pct

15-min city in Balmain in Rockdale +1.9 pts higher in Balmain

100.0% 100th pct 98.1% 92nd pct

Walk to shops in Balmain in Rockdale +11.9 pts higher in Balmain

99.5% 99th pct 87.6% 77th pct

Walk to transit in Balmain in Rockdale even

100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 99th pct

Walk to school in Balmain in Rockdale +4.8 pts higher in Balmain

99.9% 100th pct 95.1% 85th pct

Walk to a park in Balmain in Rockdale even

100.0% 100th pct 100.0% 87th pct

Walk to health in Balmain in Rockdale +10.5 pts higher in Balmain

98.2% 99th pct 87.7% 87th pct

Amenities/1k in Balmain in Rockdale +2.3 more in Balmain

10.8 18th pct 8.6 4th pct

Intersections/km² in Balmain in Rockdale +199 higher in Balmain

418 96th pct 218 78th pct

Mean slope in Balmain in Rockdale +2.8 pts higher in Balmain

7.4% 80th pct 4.6% 33rd pct

Compare Balmain with nearby areas

Newtown Summer Hill Sydney Heffron Drummoyne Lane Cove Rockdale Canterbury

Compare Rockdale with nearby areas

Kogarah Canterbury Summer Hill Newtown Heffron Balmain Oatley Strathfield

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Balmain vs Rockdale [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sed/SED10004/balmain/vs/SED10072/rockdale