Blue Mountains · Council (LGA)

Housing & Dwellings in Blue Mountains

Where and how people live — the homes, how they are held, and what they cost.

Typical weekly rents in the Blue Mountains rose by $120 between 2011 and 2021, reflecting a shift in the local property market. The area is now defined by large family homes and a very high rate of outright home ownership. Most residents live in detached houses, which are far more common here than in the rest of the state.

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📍 Blue Mountains, Council (LGA)

Where Blue Mountains sits — Median rent (weekly)

$400 ▲ +42.9%
  • $0–$21: 0 areas
  • $21–$43: 0 areas
  • $43–$64: 3 areas
  • $64–$86: 15 areas
  • $86–$107: 11 areas
  • $107–$129: 20 areas
  • $129–$150: 15 areas
  • $150–$171: 45 areas
  • $171–$193: 25 areas
  • $193–$214: 57 areas
  • $214–$236: 36 areas
  • $236–$257: 48 areas
  • $257–$279: 36 areas
  • $279–$300: 27 areas
  • $300–$321: 45 areas
  • $321–$343: 28 areas
  • $343–$364: 27 areas
  • $364–$386: 28 areas
  • $386–$407: 26 areas
  • $407–$429: 10 areas
  • $429–$450: 6 areas
  • $450–$471: 12 areas
  • $471–$493: 2 areas
  • $493–$514: 7 areas
  • $514–$536: 5 areas
  • $536–$557: 4 areas
  • $557–$579: 2 areas
  • $579–$600: 7 areas

All council (lga) areas, 2021. The marker is Blue Mountains — higher than 87% of areas.

Median rent (weekly) compared with the state and national average
Blue Mountains$400
Greater Sydney $470
New South Wales $420
Australia $375

Housing costs

Rents, mortgages and crowding.

Typical weekly rents are $400 and monthly mortgage payments are $2,035, both of which are much higher than in most areas. These costs have climbed since 2011, with the usual monthly mortgage payment rising by $193.

$400 ▲ +42.9%

Higher than 87% of council (lga) areas.

  • 2011: $280
  • 2016: $350
  • 2021: $400

Median weekly rent paid by households renting their home.

$2,035 ▲ +10.5%

Higher than 84% of council (lga) areas.

  • 2011: $1,842
  • 2016: $1,842
  • 2021: $2,035

Median monthly mortgage repayment for households with a mortgage.

Weekly rent distribution

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In Blue Mountains, $350–$549 is the majority at 58%; $200–$349 is next at 23%.

Monthly mortgage distribution

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In Blue Mountains, the largest group is $1,800–$2,999 at 41%, followed by $1,000–$1,799 (25%) and $3,000 or more (19%).

Owning & renting

How homes are owned or rented.

Home ownership is strong here, with 40.9% of homes owned outright, a figure well above the national average. This helps explain why the proportion of households renting is far below the state and national figures at just 17.8%.

17.8% ▼ -7.2%

Lower than 84% of council (lga) areas.

  • 2011: 19.2%
  • 2016: 18.4%
  • 2021: 17.8%

Share of occupied private dwellings that are rented.

40.9% ▲ +9.3%

Higher than 61% of council (lga) areas.

  • 2011: 37.4%
  • 2016: 39.2%
  • 2021: 40.9%

Share of occupied private dwellings owned outright (no mortgage).

How homes are owned or rented

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Blue Mountains splits fairly evenly between Owned outright (41%) and Owned with a mortgage (39%), with Rented at 18%.

Types of homes

Houses, townhouses, apartments and bedrooms.

Detached houses are the norm in the Blue Mountains, making up 92.1% of homes, which is far above the state average. This is reflected in the fact that 81.9% of homes have three or more bedrooms, though the number of people per bedroom has fallen to 0.70 since 2011.

0.70 ▼ -36.4%

Lower than 99% of council (lga) areas.

  • 2011: 1.10
  • 2016: 0.80
  • 2021: 0.70

Average number of usual residents per bedroom — a crowding measure.

92.1% ▼ -0.6%

Higher than 64% of council (lga) areas.

  • 2011: 92.7%
  • 2016: 92.5%
  • 2021: 92.1%

Share of occupied private dwellings that are separate houses.

81.9% ▲ +1.6%

Higher than 78% of council (lga) areas.

  • 2011: 80.6%
  • 2016: 80.7%
  • 2021: 81.9%

Share of occupied private dwellings with three or more bedrooms.

Types of homes

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In Blue Mountains, Separate house is the majority at 92%; Townhouse / semi-detached is next at 4%.

Bedrooms per home

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In Blue Mountains, the largest group is 3 bedrooms at 42%, followed by 4 bedrooms (30%) and 2 bedrooms (14%).

Sources

  • Census of Population and Housing — Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 (CC BY 4.0).

More for Blue Mountains

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Housing & Dwellings in Blue Mountains [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/lga/LGA10900/blue-mountains/topic/housing-dwellings