Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Ballina
20 km²
A far older population than the national average defines Ballina, where the typical resident is 56. This community is notable for its high proportion of seniors, with 38.4% aged 65 and over. Many residents live alone in smaller households, contributing to a distinct residential character. This trend is reflected in the health data, with a significantly high number of people needing daily assistance or managing long-term conditions.
Ballina's schools draw a more advantaged community than local incomes would suggest.
Explore Ballina by topic
Seniors make up 38.4% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 17.2%. Conversely, children under 15 are well below the state average at 11.9%, making the community far older than most areas.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up 13.4%, which is far below the New South Wales figure of 29.3%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 86.6% of residents. While the 5.6% who use another language at home is higher than in similar areas, it remains far below the state average of 26.6%.
About 37.7% of people report having no religion, which is well above the New South Wales figure of 33.2% and a little below the national figure of 38.9%.
Year 12 completion is far below the national figure at 38.4%. Similarly, only 14.9% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the state average of 27.8%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,013, which is far below the national figure of $1,746. Only 7.5% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, a figure that is much lower than most areas.
Long-term health conditions are very common here, affecting 41.3% of people, which is far above the national figure of 27.7%. This includes a high rate of arthritis and mental health conditions.
A higher number of people have served in the Defence Force compared to most areas. However, the proportion of people caring for children unpaid is well below the national average at 17.8%.
There are 487 First Nations people in the area, and 8.4% speak a First Nations language, which is well above the New South Wales average of 4.0%.
Many residents live alone, accounting for 41.8% of households, which is far above the national average of 25.6%. One-parent families are also well above the state figure at 21.0%.
Renting is common, with 37.0% of households renting, which is well above the national figure of 30.6%. Homes are generally smaller, with only 54.9% having three or more bedrooms.
The area has a high number of homes with no motor vehicle (11.9%) compared to the national average of 7.4%. Most workers commute by car, as only 10.3% work from home.
The community is quite mobile, with 44.2% of people moving in the last five years, which is well above the national figure of 40.7%.
Only 42.8% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national average of 61.1%. Health care and social assistance is the most common industry for workers.
Ballina is very walkable, with 87.1% of homes having a 15-minute-city walkshed. This is far above the New South Wales average of 71.9%, with easy access to groceries and parks.