suburb.guide

NSW · Ballina Council

Rous, 2477

Est. population · Jun 2025

243

Growth (1 yr)

+1.7%

Growth (5 yr)

+7.0%

Median age

48

Median income

$1,687/wk

Employment rate

67.8%

University qualified

29.3%

Work from home

25.9%

Median house price · October to December 2025

$925,000

Languages at home

7.6%non-English

Most common: Afrikaans

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

54.9/100
Average

Top 19% of New South Wales' suburbs

Verified 94% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Agricultural
  • Rural living
What Rous is known for: Agricultural, Rural living

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Rous, NSW suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Rous, NSW Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/nsw/rous

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Suburb profile

Rous is a rural locality in New South Wales, in Ballina Council.

Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group, placing it among the highest-ranked rural localities, and open-space access is exceptionally strong. University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, with university qualifications 114% above the peer median, and socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median. Rents are among the highest in the peer group, with median rents 36% above the peer median.

Rous is a better fit for people who value school quality and open space more than lower rents.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in New South Wales (2685)

Strengths

  • Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group
  • Open-space access is exceptionally strong
  • University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group
  • Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
  • Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median

Weaknesses

  • Rents are among the highest in the peer group

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Rous compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

$925k

-1.3% change

Median rent

$700/wk

Houses $750 · Units $530

Population (ERP)

243

+1.7% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

4.7%

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

#37

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

15th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

82nd

percentile in NSW

Rented dwellings

22%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

9/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

60th

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
54.9/100 — Average
State standing
Top 19% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
1136th in Australia
State rank
406th in NSW
Peer rank
#37 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#59 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
94%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$530
Houses (January to March 2026)
$750
All types (January to March 2026)
$700
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
59
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$925,000
Median price change
-1.3%

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 (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

243(June 2025)

+1.7% annual · +7.0% over 5 years · 82th percentile in NSW

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.7%
5-year growth
+7.0%
Change in 1 year
+4
Change in 5 years
+16
Growth rank in NSW
82th 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 (~250), extrapolated at +1.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
230
Median age
48
Median household income / week
$1,687
Dwelling vacancy
4.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
4 of 85
Median monthly mortgage
$2,500
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$440
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
55.3% / 22.4% / 22.4%
Employment rate
67.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
25.9% / 0% / 56.1%
Walked or cycled to work
11.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
79 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted 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

Qualifications

29.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 14.9% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified29.3% · 27.8% NSW
  • Diploma qualified9.6% · 9.3% NSW
  • Trade / vocational14.9% · 15% NSW
  • Year 12 or below46.2% · 47.9% NSW

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce21.7%
  • Engineering and related technologies16.5%
  • Society and culture15.7%
  • Health10.4%
  • Education7%
  • Natural and physical sciences7%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$51,310

34th percentile in NSW · -13% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$56,999

31st percentile in NSW · -12% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
15.0%

58th percentile in NSW · +9% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$79,313

63rd percentile in NSW · +25% vs Australia

Residents with business income
13.0%

81st percentile in NSW · +25% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2477 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
7,809
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,190
Median net rent
$3,395
Taxpayers reporting business income
986
Taxable income vs state median
-8%
Salary / wages vs state median
-9%
Rental investment vs state median
+7%
Super vs state median
+13%
Business income vs state median
+30%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Seasonal & agricultural work

28.8% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 12.5× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.0% across New South Wales.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
28.8%

80th percentile in NSW · +1152% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
40
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 2477

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Managers31

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 2477 (Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.

Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)

Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for Richmond - Tweed (SA4 112), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12131,103
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212608
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419549
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415284
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412265
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211167
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214107
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841320
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841610
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110

Richmond - Tweed is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.

Census employed residents counted in G54: 139 · AFF share +1340% vs the state.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
  • Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0

Community & culture

7.6% speak a language other than English at home; 17.8% born overseas

Language at home
207 English only · 17 other
Non-English at home
7.6%
Born overseas
38 (17.8%)
Australian citizens
219
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
1

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Afrikaans3 · 100%

Religion

57%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 57%, while 37.4% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion37.4%32.8%
Christianity57%47.6%
Other / not stated5.7%19.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic18.7%22.4%
Anglican17.4%11.9%
Presbyterian and Reformed9.1%1.9%
Uniting Church4.3%2.1%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2477, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
9
Against the person
2
Against property
5
Rate per 1,000 residents
37
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 115 residents
State crime-rate percentile
15.4th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+0.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
3
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
12.35

Most common offence types

  • Domestic Violence Related Assault1
  • Fraud1
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment1
  • Malicious Damage To Property1
  • Steal From Motor Vehicle1

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
1,031
Median ICSEA percentile
60th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
3
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
2
School list
  • Rous Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1031 · 60th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 85 students · Top SEA quarter 20% · 0.8 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Alstonville HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Alstonville PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Rous PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Tregeagle PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • TRSC KadinaGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

34 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Ellis Rd After Whites Lane
  • Ellis Rd Before Whites Lane
  • Rous Cemetery Rd After Ellis Rd
  • Rous Cemetery Rd Before Ellis Rd
  • Rous Public School, Rous Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

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

5 mapped amenities

1 places of worship

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily needs
  • Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb
  • Well connected by public transport — 34 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
30/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
4.35
Community(1)
  • Rous Public SchoolSchool
Sport & outdoors(3)
  • Davis Scrub Nature ReserveNature reserve
  • Park
  • Alexandria CourtsSports field
Other(1)
  • Rous Anglican ChurchPlace of worship

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Davis Scrub Nature ReserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
1.6%
Woodland / forest cover
1.2%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
2
Parks (OSM)
1
Typical summer maximum
28°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Places of worship

1 places of worship within ~1.5 km

  • Rous Anglican Church

From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Nearest hospital
St Vincent's Private Hospital Lismore (12.5 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
9
Participants per 1,000 residents
37.0

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

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 (12%)

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· 1 proposal

  • March 2026

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Carport; Swimming pool; Residential Accommodation
    263 ROUS ROAD ROUS 2477Determined
2025· 5 proposals

  • August 2025

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    93 WEIS LANE ROUS 2477Determined

  • July 2025

  • Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure
    434 ELLIS ROAD ROUS 2477Determined
  • Subdivision
    427-435 ELLIS ROAD ROUS 2477Determined

  • March 2025

  • Demolition
    671 ELLIS ROAD ROUS 2477Determined
  • Shed; Erection of a new structure
    397 ELLIS ROAD ROUS 2477Determined
2024· 2 proposals

  • August 2024

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    92 WEIS LANE ROUS 2477Determined

  • March 2024

  • Subdivision
    107 ROUS ROAD ROUS 2477Determined
2023· 1 proposal

  • February 2023

  • Pools / decks / fencing
    281 ROUS ROAD ROUS 2477Determined
2022· 3 proposals

  • September 2022

  • Shed
    50 WEIS LANE ROUS 2477Determined

  • May 2022

  • Demolition
    709 DALWOOD ROAD ROUS 2477Determined

  • January 2022

  • Dwelling; Earthworks / change in levels
    30 ROUS CEMETERY ROAD ROUS 2477Determined
2021· 3 proposals

  • December 2021

  • Dwelling
    67 WEIS LANE ROUS 2477Determined
  • Dwelling; Pools / decks / fencing; Demolition; Stormwater management systems; Earthworks / change in levels
    92 WEIS LANE ROUS 2477Determined

  • November 2021

  • Alterations and additions to residential development; Garages, carports and car parking spaces; Shed
    671 ELLIS ROAD ROUS 2477Determined

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Page
Member of Parliament
Kevin HOGAN (The Nationals)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
129,373
Turnout (2025)
91.8%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+1.4 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 59.3%Labor 40.7%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 9.8 km away).

Coalition 60.9%Labor 39.1%

1.6 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -1.6 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • RousLabor 38.2% · Coalition 61.8% TPP (2025)0.8 km away
  • AlstonvilleLabor 51.5% · Coalition 48.5% TPP (2025)3.6 km away
  • WollongbarLabor 42.1% · Coalition 57.9% TPP (2025)4.4 km away
  • Meerschaum ValeLabor 44.3% · Coalition 55.7% TPP (2025)6.0 km away
  • Mcleans RidgesLabor 47.2% · Coalition 52.8% TPP (2025)7.7 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

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
9/10
IRSD decile (2021)
8/10

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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

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.