Median price trend for houses
Based on 26 sales in the preceding 12 months
$4,150,000
Up 15.0% over 12 months
- 2 bed
- $2.08m
- 3 bed
- $3.1m
- 4 bed
- $4.62m
- 5+ bed
- $6.5m
Aerial view
Imagery © Esri
The quick read on
Balmain East
NSW 2041 · Inner West
What homes cost, how rents have moved, and a feel for the people who call it home.
- Median house
- $4,150,000
- Median unit
- $1,550,000
- Population
- 1,900
- Postcode
- 2041
latest suburb median
latest suburb median
ABS 2021
Balmain East, New South Wales
Property market insights for Balmain East
Median sale price and rental income of properties in Balmain East NSW
Median rent trend for houses
Based on 14 rental listings in the preceding 12 months
$1,400 per week
Up 21.7% over 12 months
Market data updated October 2026.
The median house price in Balmain East, NSW is currently $4,150,000, based on the latest 12 months of sales. Balmain East has a 12-month growth rate of 15.0% for houses and -1.6% for units.
Two-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $2,080,000, Three-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $3,100,000, Four-bedroom houses have a median sale price of $4,620,000, Larger houses have a median sale price of $6,500,000 in Balmain East.
If you're looking to lease, the median rent for houses in Balmain East is $1,400 per week. The median house rent has increased 21.7% over the last 12 months.
The median price of apartments and units for sale in Balmain East is $1,550,000, which has decreased 1.6% since the same time last year. One-bedroom apartments and units have a median sale price of $898,000, Two-bedroom apartments and units have a median sale price of $1,750,000 in Balmain East. The median rent for units and apartments in Balmain East is $800 per week and has increased 6.7% over the last 12 months.
Crime and safety
Is Balmain East safe?
The overall rate for Balmain East is 5,415 offences per 100,000 residents — 58% above the Greater Sydney benchmark.
That is the clearest suburb-wide answer. Open the detailed profile to see how the pattern changes across offence types and different parts of Balmain East.
Overall crime rate
5,415
offences per 100,000 residents
58% aboveGreater Sydney
Balmain EastGreater Sydney: 3,437
Suburb-wide estimate from Microburbs' public crime model; it is not an address-level measure.
The people behind the postcode
Who lives in Balmain East?
Balmain East NSW 2041 is in New South Wales, within Greater Sydney.
1,900 people call Balmain East home, with an average of 2.2 people per household and a median household income of $3,020 a week.
Public ABS 2021 Census figures. The bars compare the local share with the capital-region benchmark.
- Population
- 1,900
- Median age
- 46 years
- Median mortgage
- $4,333 / month
- 2021 household rent
- $617 / week
Above the benchmarkBelow the benchmarkIn lineGreater Sydney benchmark
Age profile
Share of residents in each age band.
Under 1514.1%Below
15–3420.7%Below
35–5430.3%Above
55–7427.2%Above
75 and over7.9%Above
Homes
Share of occupied private dwellings.
Separate houses15.8%Below
Townhouses46.3%Above
Apartments37.7%Above
Ownership
Share of homes with a stated ownership or rental status.
Owned outright34.7%Above
Paying a mortgage24.1%Below
Renting41.2%Above
Cars at home
Vehicles available to occupied households.
No car14.1%Above
One car52.1%Above
Two cars27.5%Below
Three or more7.1%Below
Getting to work
Selected ways residents worked or travelled on Census day.
Worked from home61.2%Above
Drove to work18.3%Below
Train, tram or bus0.9%Below
Walked or cycled2.5%In line
What stands out in Balmain East
61.2% of workers in Balmain East worked from home on Census day — noticeably more common than across Greater Sydney.
8.5% of Balmain East residents were born in England, about twice the rate across Greater Sydney.
50.7% of people in Balmain East described themselves as having no religion in the 2021 Census.
A closer look at the Census
Questions people ask about Balmain East
Open any question for a plain-English reading of the public 2021 Census for Balmain East NSW 2041.
Is Balmain East family-friendly?Age, family structure and household size describe the community families would be joining.
14.1% of Balmain East's residents were children under 15 in the 2021 Census. That is somewhat below the Greater Sydney average.
507 family households lived in Balmain East; 38.3% were couple families and 9.7% were one-parent families.
30.8% of local families included children under 15. That is well below the Greater Sydney average.
These are suburb-wide household figures, not school or childcare ratings.
What is the age profile of Balmain East?The balance between younger adults, families and older residents changes how a suburb feels day to day.
Balmain East had 1,900 residents at the 2021 Census.
24.8% of residents were aged 25 to 44.
35.1% were 55 or older. That is well above the Greater Sydney average.
Age shares use the suburb’s total Census population.
What kind of homes are in Balmain East?The dwelling mix shows whether the suburb is mostly detached homes, townhouses or apartments.
Separate houses made up 15.8% of occupied private dwellings in Balmain East.
Townhouses and other attached homes represented 46.3% of occupied private dwellings.
Flats and apartments accounted for 37.7% of occupied private dwellings.
All three shares use occupied private dwellings as the denominator.
Do people own or rent in Balmain East?Tenure shows how many households own outright, have a mortgage or rent.
34.7% of households with a stated tenure owned their home outright. That is well above the Greater Sydney average.
24.1% were buying their home with a mortgage.
41.2% rented their home. That is somewhat above the Greater Sydney average.
Tenure shares include households that stated one of these three arrangements.
How large are households in Balmain East?Household-size data shows the mix behind the suburb-wide average.
The average household in Balmain East had 2.2 people.
One-person households made up 33.1% of occupied homes. That is well above the Greater Sydney average.
Two-person households represented 38.0%, while 17.7% had four or more usual residents.
Household size counts usual residents in occupied homes.
How do people get to work in Balmain East?Census-day travel shows the balance between home, road, public transport and active travel.
61.2% of workers worked from home on Census day. That is well above the Greater Sydney average.
18.3% drove a car as their only travel method. That is about half the Greater Sydney rate.
0.9% used only a train, tram or bus, while 2.5% walked or cycled.
Travel figures are a 2021 Census-day snapshot.
How many cars do households have in Balmain East?Vehicle availability helps describe the routines local households can support.
14.1% of occupied households had no motor vehicle available. That is somewhat above the Greater Sydney average.
One-car households formed 52.1% of the total.
34.6% of households had two or more vehicles.
Vehicle counts refer to occupied households, not individual residents.
Who's moving to Balmain East, and who stays?Address history shows how settled or recently mobile residents were at the Census date.
59.2% were at the same address five years earlier, while 40.8% reported a different address.
28.0% of residents were born outside Australia. That is well below the Greater Sydney average.
Mobility figures cover residents who answered the relevant Census question.
What languages are spoken in Balmain East?Language at home gives a direct view of the community’s everyday linguistic mix.
84.6% of residents used only English at home.
10.6% used a language other than English at home.
1.1% spoke Mandarin at home, 0.6% spoke Cantonese and 0.3% spoke Hindi.
Home language is separate from English proficiency.
Where were Balmain East residents born?Birthplace adds another layer to the local story, separate from ancestry and language.
28.0% of Balmain East's population was born outside Australia, while roughly 72.0% was born in Australia.
1.2% of residents were born in China.
0.4% were born in India, while Australian citizenship across the whole suburb stood at 86.3%.
Birthplace, citizenship and ancestry describe different parts of identity.
What ancestries shape Balmain East?Ancestry responses show how residents describe family and cultural background.
English ancestry accounted for 43.6% of ancestry responses in Balmain East.
Australian ancestry made up 27.3% of responses.
Chinese ancestry represented 3.8% of responses.
People may nominate more than one ancestry, so these are shares of responses.
What work do people do in Balmain East?Occupation describes a person’s role; industry describes the sector employing them.
46.0% of employed residents worked in professional occupations. That is well above the Greater Sydney average.
Managers accounted for 26.6% of employed residents, while clerical and administrative workers made up 10.4%.
Health care and social assistance employed 11.0% of workers, and education and training employed 9.4%.
Occupation and industry figures describe employed residents of the suburb.
How active is the workforce in Balmain East?Participation, employment pattern and unemployment describe the resident labour force.
The labour-force participation rate was 62.6%, compared with 60.0% across Greater Sydney.
40.8% of residents aged 15 and over worked full time, while 15.3% worked part time.
Unemployment was 3.9%, compared with 5.1% across Greater Sydney.
Labour-force figures come from the 2021 Census.
What does the health profile of Balmain East show?Selected long-term health conditions help describe community service needs.
64.5% reported no selected long-term health condition.
7.7% reported a long-term mental health condition, including depression or anxiety.
8.5% reported asthma, 6.1% arthritis and 1.9% diabetes excluding gestational diabetes.
These are self-reported suburb-wide Census figures, not address-level health risks.
How educated is Balmain East?Qualifications describe the study pathways represented among local residents.
42.2% of people in the qualifications table held a bachelor degree. That is well above the Greater Sydney average.
Postgraduate degrees accounted for 24.2% of qualification responses.
Diploma-level qualifications represented 9.3%, while certificate-level qualifications represented 10.3%.
Qualification categories are reported separately and are not school ratings.
What do incomes and housing costs look like in Balmain East?Census income and household payments give historical context for local living costs.
Median household income was $3,020 per week in the 2021 Census.
The median monthly mortgage repayment reported by local households was $4,333.
Occupied renting households reported a median rent of $617 per week.
These household figures are from 2021; current sale and asking-rent medians appear in the market section.
How does Balmain East compare with Greater Sydney?A few clear differences place the suburb in its wider metropolitan context.
Working from home was 61.2% in Balmain East, compared with 38.9% across Greater Sydney.
Outright ownership was 34.7% locally and 28.6% across Greater Sydney. That is well above the Greater Sydney average.
Renting accounted for 41.2% in Balmain East, against 37.1% across Greater Sydney.
Capital-region comparisons use the same Census definitions and year.
Three useful questions
A buyer’s quick guide to Balmain East
Is Balmain East expensive?
The median house price is $4,150,000, while units and apartments sit at $1,550,000. Bedroom count, land and condition still create a wide range around those suburb medians.
Is Balmain East good for families?
The Census counted 507 local families, and 14.1% of residents were under 15. That describes the community; school quality, travel times and the right fit for a particular family need separate research.
What can I get for $1.5m in Balmain East?
2-bedroom houses have a median around $2,080,000, the closest bedroom benchmark we hold to a $1.5m budget. Individual homes can differ substantially with block size, renovation and location.
Medians describe recorded market activity across the suburb; they are historical context, not a valuation or forecast for an individual home.
Explore the area
Streets and suburbs around Balmain East
34 streets in Balmain East
Street-by-street reports are not published yet. The streets below are the ones this suburb covers.
- Brett Ave
- Broadside St
- Clifton Ln
- Clifton St
- Cooper St
- Darling St
- Datchett St
- Duke Pl
- Duke St
- Edward St
- Gallimore Ave
- Garrard Ln
- Gilchrist Pl
- Hart St
- Hosking St
- James Ln
- Johnston St
- Killeen St
Show all 34 streetsShow fewer streets
- Little Edward St
- Little Nicholson St
- Lookes Ave
- Nicholson St
- Paul St
- Pearson St
- School St
- Simmons St
- Stack St
- St Marys St
- Ternen St
- The Avenue
- Union St
- Vernon St
- Weston St
- William St
12 suburbs surrounding Balmain East
Compare nearby suburb prices, rents and five-year market trends.
Keep exploring
Is Balmain East right for your search?
Use the finders to compare places and properties, or open the full report when you need the street, risk, schools and growth research.
Read the thinking
Figures update as new market and census data arrives. This suburb overview is general information, not a valuation or financial advice.