Median house price
$1.3M
+16% change
NSW · Ballina Council
East Ballina, 2478
Est. population · Jun 2025
5,918
Growth (1 yr)
-0.3%
Growth (5 yr)
+2.2%
Median age
48
Median income
$1,554/wk
Employment rate
55.6%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,300,000
Languages at home
4.4%non-English
Most common: Portuguese, German, Japanese
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Green suburb
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Well away from Sydney, East Ballina is a coastal mid-sized suburb built around sand, sea and space. Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. Fitness and outdoor sport options are a real part of local life, not just a distant club trip away.
Green space punches above what many coastal suburbs offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. Strong connections via buses keep the wider area accessible. Housing is expensive relative to much of the state.
Local crime has been trending higher of late. Occasional new builds add variety while most of the suburb keeps its established look.
Against similar coastal suburbs, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because schools and education lag behind, despite relative strength in growth momentum. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
East Ballina snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$755/wk
Houses $850 · Units $595
Population (ERP)
5,918
-0.3% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
7.8%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#27
among Coastal & beach · Mature
Safety
65th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
6th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
7/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
40th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 47.7/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 35% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 2470th in Australia
- State rank
- 737th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #27 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #76 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 96%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $595
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $850
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $755
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 236
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,300,000
- Median price change
- +16.1%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
5,918(June 2025)
-0.3% annual · +2.2% over 5 years · 6th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- -0.3%
- 5-year growth
- +2.2%
- Change in 1 year
- -15
- Change in 5 years
- +129
- Growth rank in NSW
- 6th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~6,150), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 5,882
- Median age
- 48
- Median household income / week
- $1,554
- Dwelling vacancy
- 7.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 203 of 2,609
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,800
- Employment rate
- 55.6%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 1,473 / 738 / 160 (+ 34 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 532
- Against the person
- 101
- Against property
- 285
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 89.9
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 58 residents
- State safety percentile
- 64.8th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +13%
Most common offence types
- Breach Bail Conditions342
- Fraud335
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment155
- Malicious Damage To Property240
- Steal From Retail Store305
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 2
- Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
- 974.5
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 40th
School list
- Southern Cross School of Distance EducationCombined · Government · ICSEA 896 · 10th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 79 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 0.5 km awayView on My School →
- Southern Cross Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1053 · 70th percentile · LBOTE 12% · 388 students · Top SEA quarter 25% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Childcare
2 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- childcarechildcare
- childcarechildcare
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Public transport
209 public transport stops in this suburb
- Ballina Flood Recovery Centre, Compton Dr
- Bayview Dr Opp Barwen St
- Eyles Dr After John Sharpe St
- Eyles Dr Walkway, Angels Beach Dr
- Links Av At Fred Stoker Park
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
375 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
2 cafes · 1 pubs · 5 playgrounds · 1 dog parks · 246 swimming pools · 1 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 29 parks mapped in suburb, 5 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 209 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 254 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 36/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.34
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0.51
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 4.93
Food & drink(3)
- Shelly Beach CafeCafe
1 Shelly Beach Road, East Ballina
- The Belle GeneralCafe
12 Shelly Beach Road
- Shaws Bay HotelPub
3 Brighton Street, East Ballina
Community(5)
- Childcare (2)
- Southern Cross Primary SchoolSchool
East Ballina
- Southern Cross Public SchoolSchool
- Southern Cross School of Distance EducationSchool
2-40 Chickiba Drive, East Ballina
Sport & outdoors(272)
- Dog park
- Ballina Golf & Sports ClubGolf course
Jameson Avenue
- Antrim Street ReservePark
- Bayview Drive ReservePark
- Chickiba ParkPark
- Easton ParkPark
- Eliza Mackinnon ParkPark
- Fred Stoker ParkPark
- Jan Moon ReservePark
- Lions ParkPark
- McDougall ReservePark
- Mercer ParkPark
- Park (4)
- Pop Denison ParkPark
- Richmond ParkPark
- Shearwater ReservePark
- The Serpentine ParkPark
- Playground (5)
- Sports field
- Ballina Children's PoolSwimming pool
- Swimming pool (245)
Entertainment(2)
- Lighthouse Beach LookoutViewpoint
- The Norman Sharpe Rotary LookoutViewpoint
Transport(27)
27 bus stops
Other(21)
- Apartment
- Bench (2)
- Biergarten
- Discovery Parks - BallinaCaravan Site
25 Fenwick Drive
- Drinking water
- Laundry
- Mall
- Ballina Golf ClubParking
- BSCParking
- Parking (24)
- Shaws Bay HotelParking
- Bonnie’s EmporiumPet
13a Wyuna Crescent
- Petrol station
- Picnic Table (8)
- Public toilets
- Recycling (3)
- Sanitary Dump Station
- Richmond OystersSeafood
- Shelter (7)
- Shower
- Waste Basket (7)
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Parks & reserves
17 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Antrim Street ReservePark
- Bayview Drive ReservePark
- Chickiba ParkPark
- Easton ParkPark
- Eliza Mackinnon ParkPark
- Fred Stoker ParkPark
- Jan Moon ReservePark
- Lions ParkPark
- McDougall ReservePark
- Mercer ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 138
- Parks (OSM)
- 29
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Ballina District Hospital (2.4 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 239
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 40.4
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 28° / 19°
- Rainfall
- 569 mm · ~71 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 25° / 16°
- Rainfall
- 612 mm · ~76 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 20° / 10°
- Rainfall
- 289 mm · ~36 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 25° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 300 mm · ~38 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.
2026· 21 proposals
August 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space21 PACIFIC TERRACE EAST BALLINA 2478Under Assessment
July 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space; Swimming pool; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development20 CEDAR CRESCENT EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Minor building alterations (internal)15 NEWPORT STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Under Assessment
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah26 COOGEE STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Additional Information Requested
June 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure50 FENWICK DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool94 EYLES DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
May 2026
- Dual occupancy; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Carport; Driveways and hard stand spaces52 ANTRIM STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (detached)23 CONDON DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure25 CEDAR CRESCENT EAST BALLINA 2478Under Assessment
- Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space10 TRILBY AVENUE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation4 MELALEUCA PLACE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
April 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation2 5 BAYVIEW STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses; Carport; Swimming pool13 CASUARINA ROAD EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Carport51 JAMESON AVENUE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure5 JOHN SHARPE STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool57 NORTHUMBERLAND DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
March 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool7 SHORT STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Swimming pool30 PINE AVENUE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support11 SUZANNE STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation28 NORTHUMBERLAND DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
January 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool1 6 ANTRIM STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
2025· 23 proposals
December 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation28 NORTHUMBERLAND DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external); Skylights, roof windows and ventilators; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development114 EYLES DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Fences; Hours of operation and trading1 13 KARDELLA AVENUE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
November 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Garage, carport or carparking space24 COOGEE STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation31 BAYVIEW DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
October 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah15 JAMESON AVENUE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Fences68 BAYVIEW DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Shed; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure7 RAINBOW PLACE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Carport19 AINSWORTH CLOSE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Fences; Swimming pool2 TUCKEROO DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Swimming pool37 ANDERSON STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
September 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool8 Sea Swallow Place East Ballina NSW 2478Determined
August 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation7 STAPLETON STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Supporting Development4 17-19 ANDERSON STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
July 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool12 SILVER GULL DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure4 WATTLE CRESCENT EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
June 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool29 ANDERSON STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Subdivision17 SEAVIEW STREET EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah22 CENTRAL AVENUE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures); Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Garage, carport or carparking space; Rainwater tanks23 COMPTON DRIVE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
May 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures); Carport; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Garage, carport or carparking space; Landscaping structures; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external); Pathways and paving; Skylights, roof windows and ventilators; Stairway3 PINE AVENUE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport46 CEDAR CRESCENT EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool2 FIG TREE PLACE EAST BALLINA 2478Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Richmond
- Member of Parliament
- Justine ELLIOT (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 126,814
- Turnout (2025)
- 89.5%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +1.8 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 40.0%Labor 60.0%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 13.4 km away).
Coalition 37.5%Labor 62.5%
2.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +9.2 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Ballina EastLabor 62.3% · Coalition 37.7% TPP (2025)0.9 km away
- Ballina (Richmond)Labor 65.0% · Coalition 35.0% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
- Skennars HeadLabor 68.7% · Coalition 31.3% TPP (2025)3.4 km away
- Ballina WestLabor 54.7% · Coalition 45.3% TPP (2025)3.8 km away
- Ballina NorthLabor 59.0% · Coalition 41.0% TPP (2025)4.5 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 7/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 7/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
Compare with
Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
More in Ballina Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.