Berrima, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Berrima is a small, well-preserved Georgian village in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, on Dharawal country between Sydney and Canberra. Surveyor-General Thomas Mitchell chose the site in 1830, hoping it would become the main administrative town of the colony's south; the name is said to come from a local Aboriginal word, variously given as meaning southward or black swan. The grand plan faded when the railway later bypassed the town, which left its 1830s sandstone buildings unusually intact. The Court House of 1838 and the convict-built gaol of the 1830s survive, along with the Surveyor General Inn and Edmund Blacket's Holy Trinity Church. Today the village trades on that heritage, with antique shops, cafes and galleries along the main street.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Berrima is more socio-economically advantaged than about 94% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1090, 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.
Berrima at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 813
- Median age
- 52
- Median weekly household income
- $2,100
- SEIFA score
- 1090
- Coordinates
- -34.4638, 150.3323
Berrima demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Berrima 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 32%, 13% of homes are rented, and 22% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 125 | 15% |
| Youth (15–24) | 73 | 9% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 117 | 14% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 265 | 32% |
| Seniors (65+) | 243 | 30% |
Share of the 823 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 145 | 50% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 95 | 33% |
| Rented | 38 | 13% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 280 | 100% |
| Townhouses & semis | 0 | 0% |
| Flats & apartments | 0 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 280 occupied private dwellings in Berrima.
- Median weekly rent
- $490
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,243
- Average household size
- 2.5 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,351
- Median weekly personal income
- $925
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 154 (22%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 42 (6%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 8 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 384 (57%)
- Labour-force participation
- 53%
- Unemployment rate
- 1.6%
- Employed full-time
- 191
- Employed part-time
- 139
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.
Common questions about Berrima
Where is Berrima?
Berrima is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Berrima?
At the 2021 Census, Berrima had a population of about 813.
Is Berrima an advantaged area?
Berrima has an ABS SEIFA score of 1090, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 94 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 94% of Australian suburbs.
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