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Ballina vs Sunshine Coast

Name: Ballina vs Sunshine Coast — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Urban Area comparison ≈ 283 km apart · Ballina profile · Sunshine Coast profile

Ballina Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast and Ballina are both regional hubs, but they differ in their demographics and layout. Sunshine Coast has a more diverse population, with 21.1% of people born overseas compared to 12.7% in Ballina. It also has a more connected street layout and a higher share of residents who finished Year 12 (56.5% versus 49.3%). Ballina is older, with a typical resident aged 48 and a higher proportion of seniors at 27.1%. It also offers better access to daily needs, with 24.3 walkable amenities per 1,000 residents compared to 12.6 in Sunshine Coast.

The age gap between the two has narrowed since 2011, and they now share very similar family lives. Both areas have almost the same number of children under 15 and an identical share of people in de facto relationships. They also track closely on typical personal income, which is $755 in Sunshine Coast and $737 in Ballina. While Ballina has more homes owned outright at 41.3%, Sunshine Coast has seen more growth in its population, with 48.0% of residents moving in within the last five years.

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Where they differ most

Population: 336,713 larger in Sunshine Coast Unpaid carers: 1.9 pts higher in Ballina Born overseas: 8.3 pts higher in Sunshine Coast Recent movers: 7.4 pts higher in Sunshine Coast Living alone: 4.6 pts higher in Ballina

Demographics & Identity

Population in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +336,713 larger in Sunshine Coast gap widening

46,190 60th pct 382,903 86th pct

Median age in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +4 yrs older in Ballina gap narrowing

48 yrs 87th pct 44 yrs 71st pct

Age structure

27.1% Seniors (65+) ◂ +4.9 pts 22.2%

26.8% Older adults (45–64) +0.2 pts ▸ 27.0%

20.6% Young adults (25–44) +2.4 pts ▸ 22.9%

16.3% Children (0–14) +0.9 pts ▸ 17.2%

9.3% Youth (15–24) +1.5 pts ▸ 10.7%

Marital status

46.1% Married +2.6 pts ▸ 48.7%

32.0% Never married ◂ +0.6 pts 31.4%

11.2% Divorced ◂ +0.2 pts 11.0%

7.3% Widowed ◂ +1.9 pts 5.5%

3.3% Separated +0.1 pts ▸ 3.4%

Age & sex structure

Ballina Sunshine Coast

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

81.5% Australia ◂ +7.6 pts 73.9%

3.7% England +2.4 pts ▸ 6.1%

1.7% New Zealand +2.6 pts ▸ 4.3%

0.5% South Africa +0.7 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.4% India +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.4% Philippines +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.1% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.2% Italy even 0.2%

0.1% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%

Ancestry

44.5% English +1.2 pts ▸ 45.6%

39.3% Australian ◂ +4.1 pts 35.2%

14.4% Irish ◂ +1.9 pts 12.6%

12.5% Scottish ◂ +0.2 pts 12.4%

4.6% German +1.9 pts ▸ 6.5%

3.3% Italian ◂ +0.6 pts 2.7%

1.5% Dutch +0.5 pts ▸ 2.0%

0.8% Chinese +0.1 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.6% Indian +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.6% Filipino +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.5% Greek even 0.5%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

89.8% English only ◂ +1.0 pts 88.7%

0.3% Italian even 0.3%

0.1% Mandarin +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

0.2% Punjabi even 0.2%

0.1% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

0.1% Cantonese even 0.1%

0.1% Hindi even 0.1%

0.1% Greek even 0.1%

0.1% Arabic even 0.1%

Religion

Religious affiliation

47.6% Christianity ◂ +4.2 pts 43.4%

42.9% No religion +4.0 pts ▸ 47.0%

7.2% Not stated even 7.2%

1.1% Buddhism ◂ +0.1 pts 1.0%

0.3% Hinduism +0.3 pts ▸ 0.6%

0.6% Other religions ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

0.1% Islam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

0.1% Judaism even 0.1%

Education & Qualifications

Highest year of school

49.3% Year 12 +7.2 pts ▸ 56.5%

27.0% Year 10 ◂ +4.5 pts 22.5%

10.2% Year 9 or below ◂ +3.3 pts 6.8%

6.6% Year 11 +1.1 pts ▸ 7.7%

Highest qualification level

29.2% Certificate III / IV +2.5 pts ▸ 31.7%

24.8% Bachelor degree ◂ +1.5 pts 23.3%

15.9% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.0 pts ▸ 16.9%

6.4% Postgraduate degree ◂ +0.2 pts 6.2%

3.8% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.2 pts 3.6%

1.9% Certificate I / II +0.1 pts ▸ 2.0%

Field of qualification

16.3% Management & commerce +0.9 pts ▸ 17.2%

11.3% Engineering & related +1.8 pts ▸ 13.2%

12.9% Health ◂ +0.3 pts 12.6%

11.4% Society & culture +0.1 pts ▸ 11.5%

11.4% Education ◂ +2.2 pts 9.2%

6.7% Architecture & building +0.8 pts ▸ 7.5%

5.5% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.7 pts ▸ 6.2%

3.9% Creative arts ◂ +0.4 pts 3.6%

3.4% Agriculture & environment ◂ +1.2 pts 2.2%

2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.1 pts 2.1%

1.1% Information technology +0.5 pts ▸ 1.5%

Income

Personal income in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +$18 higher in Sunshine Coast gap narrowing

$737 52nd pct $755 57th pct

Household income in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +$161 higher in Sunshine Coast gap steady

$1,429 50th pct $1,590 67th pct

Family income in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +$69 higher in Sunshine Coast gap narrowing

$1,848 52nd pct $1,917 58th pct

Household income distribution

30.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +2.1 pts 28.5%

27.9% $1,500–$2,999 +1.9 pts ▸ 29.8%

18.1% Under $650 ◂ +2.6 pts 15.5%

8.3% $4,000 or more +0.9 pts ▸ 9.3%

8.1% $3,000–$3,999 +1.0 pts ▸ 9.0%

Personal income distribution

41.3% Under $650 ◂ +0.5 pts 40.8%

33.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.5 pts 33.1%

14.4% $1,500–$2,999 +1.1 pts ▸ 15.5%

3.4% $3,000 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 3.9%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

10.9% Arthritis ◂ +0.5 pts 10.4%

10.0% Mental health ◂ +0.8 pts 9.2%

8.5% Other condition +0.1 pts ▸ 8.6%

8.1% Asthma ◂ +0.1 pts 8.0%

5.6% Heart disease ◂ +1.0 pts 4.7%

4.3% Diabetes ◂ +0.6 pts 3.6%

4.0% Cancer ◂ +0.2 pts 3.8%

2.5% Lung condition ◂ +0.3 pts 2.2%

1.5% Stroke ◂ +0.3 pts 1.1%

1.1% Dementia ◂ +0.2 pts 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

59.4% None +2.5 pts ▸ 61.8%

21.5% One condition ◂ +1.4 pts 20.0%

7.2% Two conditions ◂ +0.7 pts 6.5%

3.9% Three or more ◂ +0.5 pts 3.4%

Community Participation

Family & Households

Household size in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +0.1 larger in Sunshine Coast gap steady

2.4 43rd pct 2.5 71st pct

Family composition

49.9% Couples with children +3.0 pts ▸ 52.9%

33.9% Couples without children ◂ +1.3 pts 32.6%

15.2% One-parent families ◂ +1.6 pts 13.7%

1.0% Other families ◂ +0.2 pts 0.8%

Household size

38.2% 2 people +0.3 pts ▸ 38.5%

28.2% 1 person ◂ +4.6 pts 23.6%

13.9% 3 people +1.2 pts ▸ 15.0%

12.4% 4 people +2.2 pts ▸ 14.6%

5.1% 5 people +0.7 pts ▸ 5.8%

2.2% 6 or more +0.3 pts ▸ 2.5%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +$25 higher in Sunshine Coast gap narrowing

$420 94th pct $445 99th pct

Mortgage in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +$22 higher in Ballina gap narrowing

$1,950 86th pct $1,928 85th pct

People / bedroom in Ballina in Sunshine Coast even gap steady

0.80 57th pct 0.80 57th pct

How homes are owned or rented

41.3% Owned outright ◂ +6.6 pts 34.7%

27.0% Owned with a mortgage +7.2 pts ▸ 34.2%

26.7% Rented +0.2 pts ▸ 26.8%

3.1% Other tenure ◂ +0.3 pts 2.9%

1.8% Not stated ◂ +0.4 pts 1.4%

Types of homes

71.7% Separate house +1.4 pts ▸ 73.2%

20.7% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +7.4 pts 13.3%

5.0% Flat or apartment +7.5 pts ▸ 12.6%

2.2% Other dwelling ◂ +1.5 pts 0.7%

Bedrooms per home

40.9% 3 bedrooms ◂ +3.3 pts 37.7%

26.6% 4 bedrooms +5.6 pts ▸ 32.2%

20.3% 2 bedrooms ◂ +2.6 pts 17.7%

6.5% 5 or more +0.8 pts ▸ 7.3%

3.7% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.3 pts 3.4%

0.4% Studio / none +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%

Weekly rent distribution

40.4% $350–$549 +12.6 pts ▸ 53.0%

20.9% $550–$749 ◂ +4.1 pts 16.8%

19.6% $200–$349 ◂ +4.0 pts 15.6%

11.5% Under $200 ◂ +4.1 pts 7.4%

4.0% $750 or more even 4.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

33.9% $1,800–$2,999 +3.7 pts ▸ 37.6%

26.3% $1,000–$1,799 +1.9 pts ▸ 28.1%

17.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +3.7 pts 13.6%

15.8% Under $1,000 ◂ +1.6 pts 14.2%

Transport & Vehicles

How people get to work

59.0% Car (driver) +3.1 pts ▸ 62.2%

16.7% Worked at home ◂ +1.7 pts 15.0%

3.6% Car (passenger) +0.4 pts ▸ 3.9%

2.8% Walked ◂ +0.8 pts 2.0%

1.1% Bicycle ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%

0.3% Bus +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%

0.0% Train +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Motor vehicles per home

39.1% 2 vehicles +0.7 pts ▸ 39.8%

37.1% 1 vehicle ◂ +1.8 pts 35.3%

12.3% 3 vehicles +1.1 pts ▸ 13.3%

6.6% 4 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 7.6%

4.9% No vehicle ◂ +0.9 pts 3.9%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

18.6% Health care & social assistance ◂ +1.1 pts 17.5%

10.2% Construction +1.9 pts ▸ 12.1%

10.7% Education & training ◂ +2.0 pts 8.7%

10.5% Retail trade ◂ +0.6 pts 10.0%

8.8% Accommodation & food even 8.8%

5.8% Professional & technical +0.5 pts ▸ 6.3%

5.2% Public administration & safety ◂ +1.4 pts 3.9%

4.1% Manufacturing +0.4 pts ▸ 4.5%

3.8% Other services +0.2 pts ▸ 4.0%

4.0% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +2.6 pts 1.4%

3.3% Administrative & support +0.3 pts ▸ 3.6%

2.6% Transport & warehousing +0.5 pts ▸ 3.0%

Occupations people work in

22.6% Professionals ◂ +1.6 pts 21.0%

13.8% Technicians & trades +1.4 pts ▸ 15.1%

13.9% Managers ◂ +1.3 pts 12.6%

13.5% Community & personal service even 13.4%

11.0% Clerical & administrative +0.9 pts ▸ 11.9%

10.0% Labourers ◂ +0.3 pts 9.7%

9.6% Sales workers +0.1 pts ▸ 9.7%

4.1% Machinery operators & drivers +0.6 pts ▸ 4.8%

Walkability

Walk score in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +0.1 higher in Ballina

5.0 51st pct 4.9 48th pct

Types ≤15 min in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +0.1 more in Ballina

4.7 48th pct 4.6 43rd pct

15-min city in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +0.9 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

52.8% 48th pct 53.7% 50th pct

Walk to shops in Ballina in Sunshine Coast even

57.4% 60th pct 57.5% 60th pct

Walk to transit in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +7.2 pts higher in Ballina

78.5% 39th pct 71.3% 29th pct

Walk to school in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +5.9 pts higher in Ballina

55.3% 29th pct 49.4% 23rd pct

Walk to a park in Ballina in Sunshine Coast even

87.6% 43rd pct 87.5% 42nd pct

Walk to health in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +7.0 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

39.5% 46th pct 46.5% 67th pct

Amenities/1k in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +11.7 more in Ballina

24.3 86th pct 12.6 26th pct

Intersections/km² in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +10 higher in Sunshine Coast

11 28th pct 21 56th pct

Mean slope in Ballina in Sunshine Coast +0.9 pts higher in Sunshine Coast

5.5% 58th pct 6.4% 71st 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 Sunshine Coast with nearby areas

Gympie Maryborough Hervey Bay Kingaroy Brisbane Bundaberg Toowoomba Gold Coast - Tweed Heads Warwick Byron Bay Lismore Ballina

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Ballina vs Sunshine Coast [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sua/1003/ballina/vs/3015/sunshine-coast