Median house price
$1.3M
+16% change
NSW · Ballina Council
West Ballina, 2478
Est. population · Jun 2025
3,252
Growth (1 yr)
-0.3%
Growth (5 yr)
+2.1%
Median age
54
Median income
$1,015/wk
Employment rate
41.1%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,300,000
Languages at home
3.6%non-English
Most common: Italian, Japanese, Thai
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- National parks
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Away from the major hubs, West Ballina is a mid-sized suburb in Ballina Council with its own quieter rhythm. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees. Sport and recreation are easy to access, with local venues supporting active weekends and after-work routines.
Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many regional towns, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus, and buses help with longer trips. Housing is expensive relative to much of the state.
Crime reports are up on the previous period. Light infill development is updating a few streets while the wider area stays largely unchanged.
Desirability lands around average here: softer community and employment weighing on the result versus similar regional towns, even with growth momentum holding up better.
At a glance
West Ballina snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$755/wk
Houses $850 · Units $595
Population (ERP)
3,252
-0.3% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
4.9%
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
#28
among Country & regional · Mature
Safety
65th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
6th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
87th
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
- 54.0/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 23% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 1676th in Australia
- State rank
- 493rd in NSW
- Peer rank
- #28 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #78 among Country & regional 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
3,252(June 2025)
-0.3% annual · +2.1% over 5 years · 6th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- -0.3%
- 5-year growth
- +2.1%
- Change in 1 year
- -10
- Change in 5 years
- +67
- 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 (~3,400), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 3,230
- Median age
- 54
- Median household income / week
- $1,015
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4.9%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 72 of 1,457
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,863
- Employment rate
- 41.1%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 945 / 261 / 54 (+ 131 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)
- 292
- Against the person
- 56
- Against property
- 156
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 89.8
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 58 residents
- State safety percentile
- 64.7th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +13.1%
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
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,113
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 87th
School list
- Emmanuel Anglican CollegeCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1113 · 87th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 878 students · Top SEA quarter 45% · 0.9 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
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- childcarechildcare
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated
Public transport
162 public transport stops in this suburb
- Claire Cct After Horizon Dr
- Horizon Dr Before Newland St
- Newland St At Horizon Dr
- River St Before Quays Dr
- Westland Dr Before Claire Cct
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
77 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 cafes · 1 pubs · 1 supermarkets · 2 fast food · 8 swimming pools · 1 ev charging · 3 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Reasonably walkable — many errands reachable on foot or by bus
- Great for outdoor family life — 14 parks mapped in suburb
- Well connected by public transport — 162 public transport stops
- Strong local sport and recreation — 10 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
- Walkability proxy
- 63/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0.31
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 1.24
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 4.33
Food & drink(4)
- Wild Bean CafeCafe
- KFCFast food
- McDonald'sFast food
- Westower TavernPub
Shopping(3)
- bpConvenience store
- Convenience store
- SparSupermarket
Community(1)
- Emmanuel Anglican CollegeSchool
62 Horizon Drive, West Ballina
Sport & outdoors(13)
- StreakFit GymGym
- Park
- Quays ReservePark
- westlands reservePark
- Sports field
- Swimming pool (8)
Transport(9)
9 bus stops
Other(27)
- The Big PrawnAttraction
River Street
- Bbq (2)
- Ballina ToyotaCar
2 Sunset Avenue, West Ballina
- Ballina Waterfront VillageCaravan Site
River Street
- Hibiscus Gardens Caravan ParkCaravan Site
491 River Street, West Ballina
- Clothes Dryer
- Compressed Air
- Bunnings WarehouseDoityourself
River Street, West Ballina
- bp pulseEV charging
- Camp kitchenKitchen
- Laundry
- Ballina Fun N Sun MotelMotel
471 River Street, West Ballina
- Chaparral MotelMotel
- Blue SkyOutdoor
- Parking (15)
- Truck ParkingParking
- Parking Entrance (2)
- BPPetrol station
- BPPetrol station
River Street
- Mobil West BallinaPetrol station
485 River Street
- Picnic Table (2)
- Public toilets
- Sanitary Dump Station
- Shelter (3)
- Shower (2)
- Slipway
- Waste Basket
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
8 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Faulks ReservePark
- Kimi ParkPark
- Paringa ParkPark
- Porter ParkPark
- Quays ReservePark
- Riverside ParkPark
- weerama parkPark
- westlands reservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 17
- Parks (OSM)
- 14
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 (4.1 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)
- 132
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 40.6
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· 15 proposals
July 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation2 3 MONICA PLACE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Demolition; Shed; Erection of a new structure16 LINDERMAN STREET WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
June 2026
- Shed; Erection of a new structure44 KALINGA STREET WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Warehouse or distribution centre; Advertising and signage; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Garage, carport or carparking space; Advertising structure; Freight transport facility66 TEVEN ROAD WEST BALLINA 2478Additional Information Requested
- Erection of a new structure; Carport73 RIVERSIDE DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
May 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool28 HAYMAN STREET WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Fences; Garage, carport or carparking space; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external); Swimming pool; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development112 RIVERSIDE DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
April 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure48 DOLPHIN DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; School62 HORIZON DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool29 LEACH CRESCENT WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
March 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool27 LEACH CRESCENT WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Demolition; Shed; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Home occupation25 HOWARD CRESCENT WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Hardware and building supply507 RIVER STREET WEST BALLINA 2478Additional Information Requested
February 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Jetty117 RIVERSIDE DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport18 DOLPHIN DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
2025· 27 proposals
December 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Early Education and Care Facility; Centre-based child care; Community facility; Other Infrastructure10 HAYMAN STREET WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure23 QUAYS DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
November 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool59 BURNS POINT FERRY ROAD WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Demolition; Signage; 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; Garage, carport or carparking space; Recreation facility (indoor)28 SMITH DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Under Assessment
October 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Carport; Minor building alterations (external); Supporting Development96 RIVERSIDE DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; School62 HORIZON DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure117 RIVERSIDE DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
August 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Fences; Garage, carport or carparking space; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external); Swimming pool; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development112 RIVERSIDE DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation39 BURNS POINT FERRY ROAD WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Subdivision445-455 RIVER STREET WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
July 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure42 RIVERSIDE DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
June 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Carport; Residential Accommodation9 HORIZON DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Shop top housing; Office Premise; Erection of a new structure; Light industry449 RIVER STREET WEST BALLINADetermined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool5 BOATHARBOUR ROAD WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure8 LEACH CRESCENT WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Warehouse or distribution centre; Advertising and signage; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Garage, carport or carparking space; Advertising structure; Freight transport facility66 TEVEN ROAD WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
May 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Stairway; Residential Accommodation78 RIVERSIDE DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Highway service centre41 BRUXNER HIGHWAY WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Warehouse or distribution centre; Erection of a new structure31 KALINGA STREET WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Jetty70 DOLPHIN DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
April 2025
- Shop top housing; Office Premise; Erection of a new structure; Light industry449 RIVER STREET WEST BALLINADetermined
March 2025
- Demolition; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Home occupation; Entertainment associated with existing premises25 HOWARD CRESCENT WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation60 DOLPHIN DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
February 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Water recreation structure44 DOLPHIN DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Fences1 20 HORIZON DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
January 2025
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool40 HORIZON DRIVE WEST BALLINA 2478Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure139 RIVERSIDE DRIVE WEST 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)
Roadworks & transport
1 active roadworks / incidents
- Follow directions on site. Use an alternative route. <ul><li>No access to Boatharbour Road from River Street. (No left turn)</li><li>No access to River Street from Boatharbour Road (No right turn).</li></ul>Boatharbour Road, River Street09 Jun 2026 – 15 Feb 2027
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
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 · 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 10.1 km away).
Coalition 40.8%Labor 59.2%
0.8 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -0.2 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
- Ballina NorthLabor 59.0% · Coalition 41.0% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
- Ballina WestLabor 54.7% · Coalition 45.3% TPP (2025)3.0 km away
- Ballina (Richmond)Labor 65.0% · Coalition 35.0% TPP (2025)4.6 km away
- Ballina EastLabor 62.3% · Coalition 37.7% TPP (2025)6.7 km away
- TintenbarLabor 55.0% · Coalition 45.0% TPP (2025)7.1 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)
- 2/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
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.