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Ballina vs Port Macquarie

Urban Area comparison ≈ 295 km apart · Ballina profile · Port Macquarie profile

Ballina Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie and Ballina are both substantial regional centres in New South Wales, though they offer different living patterns. Port Macquarie has a more connected urban layout, with 88.9% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and much higher street connectivity. In contrast, Ballina has a higher share of residents with a bachelor degree or higher (22.7%) and more people working from home (16.7%). Ballina also sees more people living in separate houses (71.7%) and has a higher share of residents with no religion (42.9%).

Both areas sit near the national figure for the share of people with no religion. They also share very similar demographics, including nearly identical proportions of children under 15 and people aged 65 and over. While Port Macquarie is currently seeing more new arrivals, with 45.2% of residents having moved in the last five years, the age gap between the two has narrowed significantly since 2011.

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Where they differ most

People / bedroom: 0.10 higher in Ballina No car: 2.0 pts higher in Port Macquarie Unemployment: 1.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie Housework 15h+: 1.9 pts higher in Ballina Recent movers: 4.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie

Demographics & Identity

Population in Ballinain Port Macquarie +4,003 larger in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
46,190 60th pct 50,193 62nd pct
Median age in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1 yrs older in Ballina gap narrowing
48 yrs 87th pct 47 yrs 86th pct
First Nations in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1.4 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap steady
3.9% 32nd pct 5.3% 49th pct
Aged 65+ in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
27.1% 87th pct 28.0% 88th pct
Under 15 in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.2 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
16.3% 17th pct 16.1% 14th pct
De facto in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1.1 pts higher in Ballina gap steady
12.4% 42nd pct 11.3% 20th pct

Age structure

27.1% Seniors (65+) +0.9 pts ▸ 28.0%
26.8% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.9 pts 24.9%
20.6% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +0.3 pts 20.3%
16.3% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.2 pts 16.1%
9.3% Youth (15–24) +1.5 pts ▸ 10.8%

Marital status

46.1% Married ◂ +0.1 pts 46.1%
32.0% Never married ◂ +1.3 pts 30.7%
11.2% Divorced +0.5 pts ▸ 11.8%
7.3% Widowed +0.4 pts ▸ 7.8%
3.3% Separated +0.4 pts ▸ 3.7%

Age & sex structure

Ballina Port Macquarie

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1.6 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap steady
12.7% 48th pct 14.3% 59th pct

Country of birth

81.5% Australia ◂ +0.5 pts 80.9%
3.7% England +0.8 pts ▸ 4.5%
1.7% New Zealand ◂ +0.1 pts 1.6%
0.4% Philippines +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.4% India +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.5% South Africa even 0.5%
0.1% China +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Italy ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

44.5% English +0.4 pts ▸ 44.9%
39.3% Australian +0.9 pts ▸ 40.2%
14.4% Irish ◂ +1.0 pts 13.4%
12.5% Scottish ◂ +1.3 pts 11.2%
4.6% German ◂ +0.5 pts 4.1%
3.3% Italian ◂ +1.1 pts 2.2%
1.5% Dutch even 1.5%
0.8% Chinese +0.2 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.6% Filipino +0.3 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.6% Indian +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.5% Greek even 0.5%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Language

Other language in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.6 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap steady
4.7% 25th pct 5.3% 33rd pct
Limited English in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.1 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap steady
0.4% 16th pct 0.5% 29th pct

Language used at home

89.8% English only +0.4 pts ▸ 90.1%
0.3% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.1% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Cantonese even 0.2%
0.1% Arabic +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Hindi even 0.1%
0.1% Greek even 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Ballinain Port Macquarie +4.8 pts higher in Ballina gap steady
42.9% 54th pct 38.1% 28th pct

Religious affiliation

47.6% Christianity +5.5 pts ▸ 53.1%
42.9% No religion ◂ +4.8 pts 38.1%
7.2% Not stated ◂ +0.9 pts 6.3%
1.1% Buddhism ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%
0.3% Hinduism +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.6% Other religions ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%
0.1% Islam +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1.1 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
49.3% 72nd pct 48.2% 68th pct
Bachelor+ in Ballinain Port Macquarie +3.3 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
22.7% 82nd pct 19.5% 72nd pct

Highest year of school

49.3% Year 12 ◂ +1.1 pts 48.2%
27.0% Year 10 +0.7 pts ▸ 27.8%
10.2% Year 9 or below +0.9 pts ▸ 11.1%
6.6% Year 11 +0.2 pts ▸ 6.8%

Highest qualification level

29.2% Certificate III / IV +3.0 pts ▸ 32.3%
24.8% Bachelor degree ◂ +3.2 pts 21.7%
15.9% Advanced diploma / diploma +0.1 pts ▸ 16.0%
6.4% Postgraduate degree ◂ +0.1 pts 6.3%
3.8% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.4 pts 3.4%
1.9% Certificate I / II +0.6 pts ▸ 2.5%

Field of qualification

16.3% Management & commerce +2.9 pts ▸ 19.2%
12.9% Health +0.7 pts ▸ 13.6%
11.3% Engineering & related +0.8 pts ▸ 12.1%
11.4% Society & culture +0.6 pts ▸ 12.0%
11.4% Education ◂ +1.5 pts 9.9%
6.7% Architecture & building ◂ +0.8 pts 5.9%
5.5% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.6 pts ▸ 6.0%
3.9% Creative arts ◂ +1.5 pts 2.4%
3.4% Agriculture & environment ◂ +1.6 pts 1.8%
2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.5 pts 1.8%
1.1% Information technology +0.9 pts ▸ 1.9%

Income

Personal income in Ballinain Port Macquarie +$50 higher in Ballina gap narrowing
$737 52nd pct $687 35th pct
Household income in Ballinain Port Macquarie +$123 higher in Ballina gap narrowing
$1,429 50th pct $1,306 35th pct
Family income in Ballinain Port Macquarie +$140 higher in Ballina gap narrowing
$1,848 52nd pct $1,708 36th pct
High earners in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.7 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
9.0% 55th pct 8.3% 48th pct
High-income homes in Ballinain Port Macquarie +2.1 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
16.4% 58th pct 14.3% 45th pct

Household income distribution

30.6% $650–$1,499 +2.4 pts ▸ 33.0%
27.9% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.8 pts 26.1%
18.1% Under $650 +2.2 pts ▸ 20.3%
8.3% $4,000 or more ◂ +1.3 pts 7.0%
8.1% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +0.8 pts 7.3%

Personal income distribution

41.3% Under $650 +3.5 pts ▸ 44.8%
33.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.3 pts 32.4%
14.4% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.7 pts 13.6%
3.4% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 3.0%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Ballinain Port Macquarie +4.2 pts higher in Port Macquarie
32.5% 49th pct 36.7% 82nd pct
Mental health in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1.7 pts higher in Port Macquarie
10.0% 40th pct 11.7% 72nd pct
Needs assistance in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1.6 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap steady
6.7% 52nd pct 8.3% 79th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.9% Arthritis +2.5 pts ▸ 13.3%
10.0% Mental health +1.7 pts ▸ 11.7%
8.1% Asthma +1.6 pts ▸ 9.7%
8.5% Other condition +1.1 pts ▸ 9.6%
5.6% Heart disease +0.2 pts ▸ 5.8%
4.3% Diabetes +1.1 pts ▸ 5.4%
4.0% Cancer +0.5 pts ▸ 4.5%
2.5% Lung condition +0.5 pts ▸ 3.1%
1.5% Stroke even 1.5%
1.1% Dementia +0.3 pts ▸ 1.5%

Number of long-term health conditions

59.4% None ◂ +3.3 pts 56.1%
21.5% One condition +1.7 pts ▸ 23.2%
7.2% Two conditions +1.3 pts ▸ 8.5%
3.9% Three or more +1.2 pts ▸ 5.1%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1.3 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
17.3% 75th pct 15.9% 61st pct
Unpaid carers in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.2 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
13.6% 72nd pct 13.4% 63rd pct
Unpaid child care in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1.1 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
25.0% 40th pct 23.9% 25th pct
Defence service in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie
3.6% 66th pct 3.9% 74th pct
Housework 15h+ in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1.9 pts higher in Ballina gap widening
23.4% 77th pct 21.5% 47th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.1 larger in Ballina gap narrowing
2.4 43rd pct 2.3 14th pct
One-parent in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
15.2% 33rd pct 16.2% 45th pct
Living alone in Ballinain Port Macquarie +2.7 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
28.2% 47th pct 31.0% 74th pct

Family composition

49.9% Couples with children ◂ +2.2 pts 47.7%
33.9% Couples without children +1.3 pts ▸ 35.2%
15.2% One-parent families +0.9 pts ▸ 16.2%
1.0% Other families even 0.9%

Household size

38.2% 2 people +0.1 pts ▸ 38.4%
28.2% 1 person +2.7 pts ▸ 31.0%
13.9% 3 people ◂ +1.2 pts 12.7%
12.4% 4 people ◂ +1.2 pts 11.2%
5.1% 5 people ◂ +0.4 pts 4.7%
2.2% 6 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 2.1%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Ballinain Port Macquarie +$35 higher in Ballina gap narrowing
$420 94th pct $385 86th pct
Mortgage in Ballinain Port Macquarie +$150 higher in Ballina gap narrowing
$1,950 86th pct $1,800 76th pct
People / bedroom in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.10 higher in Ballina gap widening
0.80 57th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Ballinain Port Macquarie +4.4 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap widening
26.7% 28th pct 31.1% 53rd pct
Owned outright in Ballinain Port Macquarie +2.8 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
41.3% 85th pct 38.5% 76th pct
Separate houses in Ballinain Port Macquarie +4.6 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
71.7% 14th pct 67.1% 9th pct
3+ bedrooms in Ballinain Port Macquarie +2.4 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
74.0% 24th pct 71.6% 14th pct

How homes are owned or rented

41.3% Owned outright ◂ +2.8 pts 38.5%
26.7% Rented +4.4 pts ▸ 31.1%
27.0% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +1.6 pts 25.4%
3.1% Other tenure +0.1 pts ▸ 3.2%
1.8% Not stated even 1.8%

Types of homes

71.7% Separate house ◂ +4.6 pts 67.1%
20.7% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +3.1 pts 17.6%
5.0% Flat or apartment +9.6 pts ▸ 14.7%
2.2% Other dwelling ◂ +1.7 pts 0.5%

Bedrooms per home

40.9% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.8 pts 40.1%
26.6% 4 bedrooms ◂ +1.1 pts 25.5%
20.3% 2 bedrooms +2.0 pts ▸ 22.2%
6.5% 5 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 6.0%
3.7% 1 bedroom +0.6 pts ▸ 4.3%
0.4% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

Weekly rent distribution

40.4% $350–$549 +12.6 pts ▸ 52.9%
19.6% $200–$349 +6.5 pts ▸ 26.1%
20.9% $550–$749 ◂ +12.8 pts 8.2%
11.5% Under $200 ◂ +2.8 pts 8.7%
4.0% $750 or more ◂ +2.9 pts 1.1%

Monthly mortgage distribution

33.9% $1,800–$2,999 +3.3 pts ▸ 37.2%
26.3% $1,000–$1,799 +4.0 pts ▸ 30.2%
17.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +5.9 pts 11.3%
15.8% Under $1,000 +1.3 pts ▸ 17.1%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Ballinain Port Macquarie +2.0 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
4.9% 26th pct 6.9% 66th pct
Work from home in Ballinain Port Macquarie +4.2 pts higher in Ballina gap widening
16.7% 84th pct 12.5% 75th pct
PT commute in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.1 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap steady
0.3% 27th pct 0.4% 36th pct

How people get to work

59.0% Car (driver) +5.7 pts ▸ 64.7%
16.7% Worked at home ◂ +4.2 pts 12.5%
3.6% Car (passenger) +1.7 pts ▸ 5.2%
2.8% Walked ◂ +0.2 pts 2.6%
1.1% Bicycle ◂ +0.6 pts 0.5%
0.3% Bus +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

37.1% 1 vehicle +5.9 pts ▸ 42.9%
39.1% 2 vehicles ◂ +3.7 pts 35.5%
12.3% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.1 pts 10.2%
4.9% No vehicle +2.0 pts ▸ 6.9%
6.6% 4 or more ◂ +2.0 pts 4.6%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Ballinain Port Macquarie +4.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap widening
40.6% 53rd pct 45.2% 83rd pct
Recent arrivals in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
9.1% 25th pct 9.4% 27th pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1.3 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
3.4% 14th pct 4.8% 49th pct
Participation in Ballinain Port Macquarie +2.4 pts higher in Ballina gap narrowing
55.5% 38th pct 53.1% 25th pct
Full-time in Ballinain Port Macquarie +3.1 pts higher in Port Macquarie gap narrowing
51.0% 10th pct 54.1% 21st pct

Industries people work in

18.6% Health care & social assistance +3.9 pts ▸ 22.5%
10.5% Retail trade +0.5 pts ▸ 11.0%
10.7% Education & training ◂ +0.3 pts 10.4%
10.2% Construction ◂ +1.2 pts 9.0%
8.8% Accommodation & food +1.0 pts ▸ 9.8%
5.8% Professional & technical ◂ +1.5 pts 4.3%
5.2% Public administration & safety +0.4 pts ▸ 5.6%
4.1% Manufacturing ◂ +1.0 pts 3.1%
4.0% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +3.3 pts 0.6%
3.8% Other services ◂ +0.1 pts 3.7%
0.7% Electricity, gas & water +2.7 pts ▸ 3.4%
3.3% Administrative & support +0.1 pts ▸ 3.4%

Occupations people work in

22.6% Professionals +0.9 pts ▸ 23.5%
13.5% Community & personal service +2.1 pts ▸ 15.6%
13.9% Managers ◂ +2.7 pts 11.2%
13.8% Technicians & trades ◂ +0.8 pts 13.0%
11.0% Clerical & administrative +1.4 pts ▸ 12.4%
10.0% Labourers ◂ +1.2 pts 8.9%
9.6% Sales workers +0.4 pts ▸ 10.0%
4.1% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +0.3 pts 3.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.5 higher in Port Macquarie
5.0 51st pct 5.5 71st pct
Types ≤15 min in Ballinain Port Macquarie +0.6 more in Port Macquarie
4.7 48th pct 5.3 71st pct
15-min city in Ballinain Port Macquarie +5.0 pts higher in Port Macquarie
52.8% 48th pct 57.8% 59th pct
Walk to shops in Ballinain Port Macquarie +11.2 pts higher in Ballina
57.4% 60th pct 46.2% 28th pct
Walk to transit in Ballinain Port Macquarie +10.4 pts higher in Port Macquarie
78.5% 39th pct 88.9% 75th pct
Walk to school in Ballinain Port Macquarie +7.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie
55.3% 29th pct 62.9% 47th pct
Walk to a park in Ballinain Port Macquarie +3.9 pts higher in Port Macquarie
87.6% 43rd pct 91.5% 60th pct
Walk to health in Ballinain Port Macquarie +9.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie
39.5% 46th pct 49.0% 72nd pct
Amenities/1k in Ballinain Port Macquarie +10.8 more in Ballina
24.3 86th pct 13.5 37th pct
Intersections/km² in Ballinain Port Macquarie +47 higher in Port Macquarie
11 28th pct 58 90th pct
Mean slope in Ballinain Port Macquarie +1.5 pts higher in Port Macquarie
5.5% 58th pct 7.0% 85th pct

Compare Ballina with nearby areas

Lismore Byron Bay Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Grafton Brisbane Coffs Harbour Warwick Toowoomba Kempsey Armidale Sunshine Coast Port Macquarie

Compare Port Macquarie with nearby areas

Camden Haven Kempsey Taree Forster - Tuncurry Coffs Harbour Nelson Bay Armidale Medowie Grafton Newcastle - Maitland Tamworth Singleton

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Ballina vs Port Macquarie [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1003/ballina/vs/1028/port-macquarie