Balwyn North, VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Balwyn North, also known as North Balwyn, is an affluent residential suburb about ten kilometres east of central Melbourne, spread across the Cities of Boroondara and Whitehorse. The traditional owners of the area are the Wurundjeri people. The suburb shares its name with neighbouring Balwyn, drawn from a local estate and said to combine the Gaelic bal and the Saxon wyn to mean the home of the vine. Largely farmland until the postwar years, it was then laid out as classic Melbourne suburbia, with quiet streets, generous blocks and leafy parks. Its eastern part is known as Greythorn, whose name evolved from earlier whitethorn hedges. Families are drawn by the parks and by sought-after schools, among them Balwyn High School on Buchanan Avenue.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Balwyn North is more socio-economically advantaged than about 97% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1115, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Balwyn North at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 21,302
- Median age
- 42
- Median weekly household income
- $2,346
- SEIFA score
- 1115
- Coordinates
- -37.7908, 145.0846
Balwyn North demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Balwyn North using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 30%, 19% of homes are rented, and 44% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 3,800 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 3,349 | 16% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 4,126 | 19% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 6,297 | 30% |
| Seniors (65+) | 3,740 | 18% |
Share of the 21,312 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 3,248 | 46% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,287 | 32% |
| Rented | 1,381 | 19% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 5,882 | 83% |
| Townhouses & semis | 957 | 13% |
| Flats & apartments | 228 | 3% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 7,093 occupied private dwellings in Balwyn North.
- Median weekly rent
- $554
- Median monthly mortgage
- $3,078
- Average household size
- 2.9 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,727
- Median weekly personal income
- $854
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 9,238 (44%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 10,143 (49%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 43 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 13,256 (82%)
- Labour-force participation
- 61%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.1%
- Employed full-time
- 5,804
- Employed part-time
- 3,768
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Balwyn North
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Balwyn North is January (average daytime high around 27°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.9°C). The area receives roughly 724 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°C | 14.9°C | 62 mm |
| Feb | 25.8°C | 14.1°C | 32 mm |
| Mar | 24°C | 13.3°C | 47 mm |
| Apr | 20°C | 10.5°C | 62 mm |
| May | 16°C | 8.4°C | 63 mm |
| Jun | 13.4°C | 6.5°C | 63 mm |
| Jul | 12.9°C | 6.1°C | 50 mm |
| Aug | 13.7°C | 6.2°C | 59 mm |
| Sep | 16.3°C | 7.3°C | 65 mm |
| Oct | 19.6°C | 8.8°C | 76 mm |
| Nov | 21.6°C | 10.8°C | 79 mm |
| Dec | 24.5°C | 12.6°C | 66 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Balwyn North
Where is Balwyn North?
Balwyn North is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Balwyn North?
At the 2021 Census, Balwyn North had a population of about 21,302.
Is Balwyn North an advantaged area?
Balwyn North has an ABS SEIFA score of 1115, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 97 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 97% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Balwyn North?
Balwyn North has average daytime highs of about 19.6°C and overnight lows of about 10°C, with roughly 724 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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