NSW · Ballina Council
Patchs Beach, 2478
Current weather
18.5°CPartly cloudy
82% humidity · 9.3 km/h wind · 21.5° / 15.9° today · 0.1 mm rain
Updated
- Residential
- Amenities
- Open space
- Suburban
- Community
Suburb profile
Patchs Beach is a welcoming smaller community in Ballina, with a settled community character. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood.
Property is in demand, reflecting the appeal of living in a place people actively choose. Local identity runs deep. This is the kind of place people stay once they have found it.
The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
Population
- Population
- 45
- Median age
- 49
- Median household income / week
- $1,833
- Dwelling vacancy
- 20%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 5 of 25
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,400
- Employment rate
- 56.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 0 / 0 / 0
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 · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
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 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 tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 4
- Against the person
- 1
- Against property
- 2
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 88.9
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 45 residents
- State safety percentile
- 62.2th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +0.3%
Reported offences are unchanged compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
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 · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Public transport
4 public transport stops in this suburb
- 159 Patchs Beach Rd
- 159 Patchs Beach Rd
- Patchs Beach Lane At Patchs Beach Rd
- Patchs Beach Lane At Patchs Beach Rd
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 · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
2 planning-related records
2026· 1 proposal
April 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Fences; Swimming pool155 PATCHS BEACH ROAD PATCHS BEACH 2478Determined
2025· 1 proposal
June 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure195 PATCHS BEACH ROAD PATCHS BEACH 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 · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
2 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Patch's Beach ReservePark
- Parking
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Patch's Beach ReservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 5/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 6/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
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 · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 3
- Parks (OSM)
- 1
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 features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Recent changes
- Breach Bail Conditionscrime342
- Fraudcrime335
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime155
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime240
- Steal From Retail Storecrime305
- 159 Patchs Beach Rdtransport
- 159 Patchs Beach Rdtransport
- Patchs Beach Lane At Patchs Beach Rdtransport
- Patchs Beach Lane At Patchs Beach Rdtransport
- Patch's Beach Reservegovernmentpark
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Updated on site
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
More in Ballina Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.