Birchgrove, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Birchgrove NSW is 3,228 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Birchgrove is $1,661 per week ($86,372 per year). Median rent in Birchgrove is $700 per week ($3,033 per month). Birchgrove has a median age of 46 years, older than the national median of 38. Birchgrove has a population density of 5,510 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Birchgrove is England. The most common religion is No religion (52.4% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is German. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Birchgrove is $4,000.

There were 15 recorded offences in Birchgrove in 2025-26, a rate of 5 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (5 offences).

Population
3,228
Census 2021
Median income
$1,661/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$700/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
46years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Birchgrove vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Birchgrove is $1,661 a week, 117% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 16th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $700 a week, $315 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 19.4% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 46, 3 years older than in the typical NSW suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureBirchgroveTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,661/wk$765/wk +117%$766/wk
Household income$3,603/wk$1,704/wk +111%$1,637/wk
Rent$700/wk$385/wk +82%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$4,000/mo$1,965/mo +104%$1,733/mo
Median age4643 +3 yrs42
Rent share of household income19.4%22.6% −3.2 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Birchgrove, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Birchgrove Population

3,228 residents at the 2021 Census.

Birchgrove Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,661/wk
$86,372 per year
Ranked 60 of 14,663
Median Rent
$700/wk
$3,033 per month
Ranked 85 of 14,663
Median Age
46years
8 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$4,000/mo
Avg household size: 2.4 · 0.9 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Birchgrove Rent Prices & Affordability

19% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $3,603/wk
Median rent $700/wk
Rent to income 19.4%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Birchgrove against your income

About $15,613 a month
Median rent $700/wk
Left after rent $2,903/wk
Rent share 19.4%

Birchgrove Schools

46
schools nearby
19
government
1132
avg ICSEA score
22,202
total students
SHORE - Sydney Church of England Grammar School Independent
Secondary · K-12 · 1,724 students
1205
ICSEA
North Sydney Girls High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 916 students
1203
ICSEA
North Sydney Boys High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 933 students
1195
ICSEA
St Andrew's Cathedral School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 1,436 students
1189
ICSEA
Wenona School Independent
Combined · K-12 · 1,385 students
1187
ICSEA
Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College Independent
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,186 students
1179
ICSEA
Cameragal Montessori School Independent
Primary · K-6 · 40 students
1179
ICSEA
Inner Sydney Montessori School Independent
Primary · K-6 · 95 students
1178
ICSEA
Greenwich Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 367 students
1175
ICSEA
Balmain Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 321 students
1172
ICSEA
International Chinese School Independent
Primary · K-6 · 116 students
1172
ICSEA
Fr John Therry Catholic Primary School Balmain - Rozelle Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 349 students
1170
ICSEA
Marist Catholic College North Shore Catholic
Combined · K-12 · 1,609 students
1166
ICSEA
Rozelle Public School Government
Primary · P-6 · 507 students
1162
ICSEA
Saint Ignatius' College Independent
Secondary · 5-12 · 1,613 students
1159
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 46 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Birchgrove, with a map

Birchgrove Map

Birchgrove, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Birchgrove, New South Wales: 33.8509°S, 151.1831°E

Birchgrove Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (46)

People in Birchgrove

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 47.9% (1,547) Female 52.1% (1,681)

Population Density

5,510
people per km²
3,228 people · 0.6 km²

Households

2.4
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$4,706
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
10.0%
New Zealand
2.4%
United States of America
1.7%
Ireland
1.1%
Germany
1.0%
Scotland
1.0%
China
0.7%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

German
1.1%
Mandarin
1.1%
French
0.9%
Italian
0.9%
Spanish
0.8%
Greek
0.6%
Cantonese
0.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
44.2%
Australian
29.3%
Irish
18.6%
Scottish
13.4%
Italian
4.6%
Chinese
4.6%
German
4.4%
Greek
1.7%
Welsh
1.6%
Dutch
1.5%
Filipino
1.1%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
52.4%
Catholic
20.4%
Anglican
11.5%
Not stated
5.0%
Eastern Orthodox
1.9%
Presbyterian and Reformed
1.7%
Uniting Church
1.4%
Buddhism
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.3%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
50.6% 1,349
Separated
2.2% 59
Divorced
10.6% 283
Widowed
3.3% 88
Never married
33.3% 888

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
45.0%
Couple: no children
32.5%
Couple: no children under 15
14.7%
One parent: children under 15
4.1%
One parent: no children under 15
3.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
25.0%
2 persons
38.2%
3 persons
15.3%
4 persons
16.3%
5 persons
4.0%
6+ persons
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Birchgrove

Housing Tenure

Of the 1,285 occupied private dwellings in Birchgrove at the 2021 Census, 26.8% were rented, 41.0% owned outright and 29.8% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.7% 22 dwellings
Owned outright
41.0% 527 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
29.8% 383 dwellings
Rented
26.8% 345 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.6% 8 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Semi-detached (2+ storey)
48.4%
Separate house
34.5%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
17.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
7.4%
2 bedrooms
29.3%
3 bedrooms
38.3%
4 bedrooms
20.7%
5 bedrooms
3.8%
6+ bedrooms
0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
19.6%
$300-$449/mo
2.5%
$450-$599/mo
1.8%
$600-$799/mo
2.5%
$800-$999/mo
1.8%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.8%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
9.2%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
13.5%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
11.7%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
27.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
8.9%
1 vehicle
51.4%
2 vehicles
32.2%
3 vehicles
6.0%
4+ vehicles
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Birchgrove

Employment

Employed full-time
43.7% 1,072 people
Employed part-time
20.4% 500 people
Unemployed
2.4% 60 people
Not in labour force
33.4% 820 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
51.9%
Managers
28.2%
Clerical & Administrative
8.7%
Technicians & Trade Workers
3.9%
Community & Personal Service
3.3%
Sales Workers
3.0%
Labourers
0.6%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.7%
$1-$149/wk
1.0%
$150-$299/wk
0.5%
$300-$399/wk
1.2%
$400-$499/wk
2.5%
$500-$649/wk
2.1%
$650-$799/wk
2.8%
$800-$999/wk
2.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
3.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
3.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
3.9%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
3.7%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
9.0%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
4.6%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
6.8%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
3.8%
$4,000+/wk
47.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
9.4%
$1-$149/wk
3.0%
$150-$299/wk
2.7%
$300-$399/wk
1.4%
$400-$499/wk
1.4%
$500-$649/wk
1.3%
$650-$799/wk
3.9%
$800-$999/wk
5.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.5%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.7%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.0%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.8%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
12.9%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
6.4%
$3,500+/wk
26.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
51.8%
Did not go to work
25.3%
Walked only
7.9%
Car (passenger)
3.9%
Bus
3.5%
Ferry
2.9%
Bicycle
2.7%
Motorbike/Scooter
1.0%
Other
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
89.4%
Year 10 or equivalent
6.8%
Year 11 or equivalent
2.8%
Year 9 or equivalent
0.9%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
49.5%
Postgraduate Degree
26.8%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
10.5%
Certificate III/IV
6.3%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
6.0%
Certificate I/II
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
27.6%
Society & Culture
25.5%
Health
11.4%
Creative Arts
9.8%
Architecture & Building
6.2%
Engineering
5.9%
Education
4.3%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.0%
Information Technology
2.9%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
1.7%
Agriculture & Environment
0.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
28.9%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
15.3%
Secondary: Catholic
12.1%
Primary: Catholic
11.4%
Secondary: Government
11.3%
Pre-school
7.6%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
7.5%
Vocational Education
5.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
94.1%
Has need for assistance
2.2%
Need for assistance not stated
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
195
Asthma
107
Heart disease
76
Arthritis
68
Cancer
62
Diabetes
38
Lung condition
36
Kidney disease
21
Stroke
16
Dementia
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
12.7% 325
Did not provide
87.3% 2,239

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
25.9% 667
Not a volunteer
74.1% 1,906

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Previously served
2.0% 51
Never served
98.0% 2,523

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
39.5%
1 child
17.6%
2 children
29.4%
3 children
10.2%
4 children
3.1%
5+ children
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
23
1951: 1960
31
1961: 1970
95
1971: 1980
94
1981: 1990
134
1991: 2000
124
2001: 2010
179
2011: 2015
112
2016
20
2017
17
2018
32
2019
24
2020
6
2021
17

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

16.2%
moved in the last year
41.0%
moved in the last 5 years
3.5%
unemployment rate (Census)
66.2%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
2,590
Moved from NSW
229
Moved: same area (SA2)
185
Moved from overseas
53
Moved from VIC
13
Moved from QLD
12
Moved from ACT
5
Moved from WA
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
25.0%
5: 14 hours
39.1%
15: 29 hours
16.6%
30+ hours
6.5%
Did not do domestic work
12.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
93.3%
Step family: no other children
4.5%
Blended family: no other children
2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Birchgrove Crime Statistics

15 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
5
Property Damage
3
Other Against Property
3
Assault
2
Other Against Person
2

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Wamboin
Income: $1,362/wk Rent: $520/wk $180/wk less rent
Balmain East
Income: $1,550/wk Rent: $617/wk $83/wk less rent
Cremorne Point
Income: $1,661/wk Rent: $650/wk $50/wk less rent
Kirribilli
Income: $1,598/wk Rent: $520/wk $180/wk less rent
McMahons Point
Income: $1,664/wk Rent: $580/wk $120/wk less rent
Gundaroo
Income: $1,352/wk Rent: $475/wk $225/wk less rent
Elizabeth Bay
Income: $1,676/wk Rent: $500/wk $200/wk less rent
Kurraba Point
Income: $1,744/wk Rent: $610/wk $90/wk less rent

Suburbs near Birchgrove

The closest suburb to Birchgrove is Balmain, 0.9 km away.

Balmain
0.9 km away · income $1,577/wk · rent $625/wk
Balmain East
1.1 km away · income $1,550/wk · rent $617/wk
Rozelle
1.7 km away · income $1,652/wk · rent $650/wk
Waverton
1.9 km away · income $1,528/wk · rent $600/wk
McMahons Point
1.9 km away · income $1,664/wk · rent $580/wk
Millers Point
2.2 km away · income $1,723/wk · rent $800/wk

Compare Birchgrove

Frequently Asked Questions About Birchgrove

What is the population of Birchgrove NSW?

The population of Birchgrove NSW is 3,228 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 5,510 people per km². Birchgrove is ranked #2,275 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Birchgrove?

The median personal income in Birchgrove NSW is $1,661 per week, or $86,372 per year. The median household income is $3,603 per week. Family income is $4,706 per week. Birchgrove is ranked #60 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Birchgrove?

Median rent in Birchgrove NSW is $700 per week ($3,033 per month). Rent represents 19.4% of household income, which is considered affordable. Birchgrove ranks #85 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Birchgrove?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Birchgrove NSW is $4,000. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Birchgrove?

The median age in Birchgrove NSW is 46 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Birchgrove a good suburb to live in?

Birchgrove is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 3,228. The median income is $1,661/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (19.4% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Sydney Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 10373. All dollar figures in AUD.