Median house price
$1.3M
+16% change
NSW · Ballina Council
Skennars Head, 2478
Est. population · Jun 2025
1,452
Growth (1 yr)
+2.8%
Growth (5 yr)
+14.0%
Median age
47
Median income
$1,674/wk
Employment rate
60.8%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,300,000
Languages at home
3.8%non-English
Most common: French
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Excellent transport
- Green suburb
- Education hub
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Life in Skennars Head revolves around the coast at a genuine remove from Sydney. Long-term locals and family households define much of the community, with family life visible on every street. Fitness and outdoor sport options are a real part of local life, not just a distant club trip away.
Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many coastal suburbs, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Buses make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward. Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs.
Local crime has been trending higher of late. Occasional new builds add variety while most of the suburb keeps its established look.
Desirability lands around average here: softer community and employment weighing on the result versus similar coastal suburbs, even with schools and education, plus growth momentum holding up better. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Skennars Head snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$755/wk
Houses $850 · Units $595
Population (ERP)
1,452
+2.8% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.8%
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
#43
among Coastal & beach · Mature
Safety
65th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
93rd
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
8/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
79th
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
- 41.8/100 — Average
- National rank
- 3438th in Australia
- State rank
- 1056th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #43 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #102 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
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
1,452(June 2025)
+2.8% annual · +14.0% over 5 years · 93th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +2.8%
- 5-year growth
- +14.0%
- Change in 1 year
- +40
- Change in 5 years
- +178
- Growth rank in NSW
- 93th 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 (~1,600), extrapolated at +2.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 1,303
- Median age
- 47
- Median household income / week
- $1,674
- Dwelling vacancy
- 3.8%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 20 of 531
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,297
- Employment rate
- 60.8%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 449 / 49 / 3 (+ 5 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)
- 130
- Against the person
- 25
- Against property
- 70
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 89.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 52 residents
- State safety percentile
- 64.5th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +12.4%
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
- 3
- Median school ICSEA (3 schools)
- 1,081
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 79th
School list
- Xavier Catholic College BallinaSecondary · Catholic · ICSEA 1081 · 79th percentile · LBOTE 6% · 884 students · Top SEA quarter 33% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
- Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1102 · 85th percentile · LBOTE 3% · 446 students · Top SEA quarter 39% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
- Southern Cross Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1053 · 70th percentile · LBOTE 12% · 388 students · Top SEA quarter 25% · 2.0 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
Public transport
37 public transport stops in this suburb
- Headlands Dr Before Skennars Head Rd
- Killarney Cres Before Headlands Dr
- The Coast Rd After Headlands Dr
- The Coast Rd At Flat Rock Rd
- Waterford Pde After Smith St
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
32 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 playgrounds · 12 swimming pools
Local character & venue list
Local character
- A car helps for daily errands
- Great for outdoor family life — 3 parks mapped in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
- Well connected by public transport — 37 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 14 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 30/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 2.3
Community(2)
- Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolSchool
- Xavier Catholic College BallinaSchool
Sport & outdoors(17)
- Park (3)
- Playground
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (12)
Transport(9)
9 bus stops
Other(2)
- Parking (3)
- Shelter
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
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 6
- Parks (OSM)
- 3
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 (4.2 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)
- 29
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 20.0
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
- 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· 10 proposals
August 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure6 SURF AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Under Assessment
July 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool77 HEADLANDS DRIVE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Clothes hoists and clothes lines; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Fences; Garage, carport or carparking space; Letterboxes; Rainwater tanks; Swimming pool78 KILLARNEY CRESCENT SKENNARS HEAD 2478Under Assessment
May 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space68 KILLARNEY CRESCENT SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
April 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation14 SEASIDE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
February 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool14 SEASIDE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Seniors housing; Independent living units; Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia67 SKENNARS HEAD ROAD SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Fences; Swimming pool5 COVE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Demolition; Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Medium Density Housing; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Garage, carport or carparking space; Letterboxes; Pathways and paving; Residential Accommodation162/-/DP1261459Determined
January 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Supporting Development12 DUNE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
2025· 21 proposals
December 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool; Residential Accommodation35 CARROLL AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation85 SKENNARS HEAD ROAD SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool4 SEASIDE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
November 2025
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah (screened enclosures); Non-standard Housing; Residential Accommodation54 KILLARNEY CRESCENT SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
October 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support9 DUNE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Fences; Swimming pool5 COVE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Withdrawn
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Fences; Swimming pool; Supporting Development16 WAVE BREAK CIRCUIT SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
August 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Recreation/Tourist Premise; Caravan park35 SKENNARS HEAD ROAD SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support23 COVE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah6 CARROLL AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
July 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation6 SMITH STREET SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
June 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool3 WATERFORD PARADE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure1 REDFORD DRIVE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
May 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Fences; Swimming pool5 COVE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool1 DUNE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
March 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Fences; Swimming pool21 COVE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support265 HUTLEY DRIVE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool19 COVE AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Shop top housing; Commercial development; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Retail Premise; Residential Accommodation21 AUREUS BOULEVARD SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
February 2025
- Demolition; Seniors housing; Erection of a new structure67 SKENNARS HEAD ROAD SKENNARS HEAD 2478Withdrawn
January 2025
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure39 CARROLL AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Withdrawn
2024· 12 proposals
December 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure67 CARROLL AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Demolition; Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Garage, carport or carparking space; Letterboxes; Pathways and paving162/-/DP1261459Determined
November 2024
- Multi-dwelling housing; Erection of a new structure25 SWELL AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Office Premise; Erection of a new structureAUREUS BOULEVARD SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool67 CARROLL AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
October 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure60 KILLARNEY CRESCENT SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool1 34 REDFORD DRIVE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Fences; Swimming pool24 WAVE BREAK CIRCUIT SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
September 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool33 CARROLL AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure18 SUNHAVEN AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
August 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support22 SUNHAVEN AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 2478Determined
July 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Fences; Swimming pool65 CARROLL AVENUE SKENNARS HEAD 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 11.4 km away).
Coalition 33.9%Labor 66.1%
6.1 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +10.0 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- Skennars HeadLabor 68.7% · Coalition 31.3% TPP (2025)1.2 km away
- Ballina EastLabor 62.3% · Coalition 37.7% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
- Lennox HeadLabor 67.7% · Coalition 32.4% TPP (2025)4.3 km away
- Ballina (Richmond)Labor 65.0% · Coalition 35.0% TPP (2025)4.4 km away
- Ballina NorthLabor 59.0% · Coalition 41.0% TPP (2025)4.6 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)
- 8/10
- 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 (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.