Ballina

Ballina is an older community where the typical resident is 48, and 27.1% of the population are seniors. This is far older than the national typical age of 38, and the number of people aged 65 and over has risen by 5.6 points since 2011.

The area is predominantly Australian-born, with 81.4% born here, which is far below the national figure of 27.7% born overseas. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.

English is the primary language for 89.7% of residents. Only 4.7% use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.

A large number of residents report no religion, at 42.9%, which is well above the national figure. This has seen a significant increase of 22 points since 2011.

The community is well-qualified, with 22.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Year 12 completion has also risen by 9.4 points since 2011 to reach 49.4%.

Typical weekly family income is $1,848, which is a little below the national figure of $2,120. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen by 11 points since 2011.

More people here have long-term health conditions (32.5%) and mental health conditions (10.0%) compared to most areas. About 6.7% of residents need help with daily activities.

Volunteering is common at 17.3%, which is well above the national figure, though this is 5.4 points lower than in 2011. Unpaid care is also more common here than in most other areas.

First Nations people make up 3.9% of the population. The unemployment rate for this group is 8.0%, which is well below the national figure of 12.3%.

About 28.2% of people live alone, which is well above the state figure. Couples with children make up half of all households.

Home ownership is strong, with 41.3% of homes owned outright. Typical weekly rent is $420, which is a little above the national figure and has risen by $130 since 2011.

Cars are the primary way to get around, as only 0.3% of people commute by public transport. Working from home has become more common, rising 9.9 points since 2011 to 16.7%.

The area is quite mobile, with 40.6% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 9.1% of the population, which is well below the national figure.

The unemployment rate is very low at 3.4%, much lower than most areas. However, full-time employment is well below the national figure at 51.0%.

Ballina is a relatively advantaged area, scoring an 8 out of 10 for overall advantage. It has 5,221 businesses and has seen population growth of 5.2% since 2021.

The area is very wet, with average annual rainfall of 1,804mm, which is far above the state average. Minimum temperatures are also well above the state figure.

While assault and drug offence rates are lower than most areas, motor vehicle theft is much higher. The overall crime rate has risen by 36.4% over five years.

The area is somewhat walkable with a score of 5.0. While it has many parks, only 57.3% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, which is far below the state figure.