Ballina
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Ballina are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Ballina's population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, stands at 18,844 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 215 people, a 1.2% rise since the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 18,629. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 18,815 in June 2024 and an additional 145 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 521 persons per square kilometer, indicating significant space per person and potential for further development. Over the past decade, Ballina has exhibited resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.9%, outperforming its SA4 region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 56.8% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch employs ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are utilized, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, regional areas across the nation are expected to experience above median population growth, with Ballina projected to increase by 3,337 persons to 2041, marking a 17.5% total increase over these 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Ballina when compared nationally

Ballina has granted approximately 74 residential properties approval per year. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 370 approvals across the past five financial years from FY20 to FY25, with an additional 2 approvals in FY26 so far. On average, around 3.3 people have moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five years. This high demand outpaces supply, putting upward pressure on prices and increasing competition among buyers.

Developers target the premium market segment, with new homes constructed at an average value of $750,000. In FY26, $35.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating robust local business investment. However, Ballina records significantly lower building activity compared to the Rest of NSW and nationally, reflecting its mature area status and possible planning constraints. New building activity consists of 54% standalone homes and 46% townhouses or apartments, offering options across different price points. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 467 people, indicating a quiet development environment.

Population forecasts project Ballina will gain 3,303 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Ballina has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 32 projects that could impact the area. Notable projects include New Ballina SES Headquarters, Total Tools Ballina, New Ballina SES Headquarters, and Ballina District Hospital Redevelopment, with the following list detailing those likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

The employment landscape in Ballina presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 3.5%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing

Ballina has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate was 3.5% as of June 2025.

At this time, 7,618 residents were employed, an unemployment rate of 0.1% lower than Rest of NSW's 3.7%. Workforce participation in Ballina lagged significantly at 47.0%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries of employment among residents were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Notably, health care & social assistance had employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing showed lower representation at 2.1% compared to the regional average of 5.3%. Many residents commuted elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Ballina's labour force decreased by 4.8%, employment declined by 4.3%, leading to a fall in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. Meanwhile, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and a rise in unemployment by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 showed NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, and employment growth lagged behind the national average of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts from May 2025 projected national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ballina's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.9%% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Ballina had a median income among taxpayers of $45,709. The average income stood at $61,422. Both figures are below the national averages of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively for Rest of NSW. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates as of March 2025 would be approximately $50,554 (median) and $67,933 (average). According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Ballina fall between the 10th and 22nd percentiles nationally. Income distribution data shows 27.4% of Ballina's population, equating to 5,163 individuals, fall within the $400 - $799 income range, differing from regional levels where the $1,500 - $2,999 category is predominant at 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Ballina, with only 80.6% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 9th percentile nationally.

Ballina displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Ballina's latest Census data shows 57.7% houses and 42.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro NSW had 75.1% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ballina was 43.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 21.6% and rented at 35.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,980. Median weekly rent in Ballina was $390, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $450. Nationally, Ballina's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,733 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher at $390 than the national figure of $375.

Ballina features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 60.0% of all households, including 17.1% couples with children, 30.1% couples without children, and 11.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 40.0%, with lone person households at 35.8% and group households comprising 4.2%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in Ballina fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 21.9%, significantly lower than NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 15.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 38.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (27.1%). A total of 24.0% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 8.0% in primary, 6.6% in secondary, and 3.0% in tertiary education.

Ballina has a network of eight schools educating approximately 3,283 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 985) and balanced educational opportunities. The schools include three primaries, one secondary, and four K-12 institutions. School capacity exceeds residential needs at 17.5 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 13.2, suggesting Ballina serves as an educational hub for the broader region.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Ballina has 352 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 66 different routes that together facilitate 1,350 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of the transport system is rated as excellent, with residents on average being located just 100 meters from their nearest stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 192 trips across all routes, which works out to approximately three weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Ballina is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Ballina faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents.

Approximately 51% (~9,535 people) have private health cover, which is relatively low compared to other areas. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 11.4%) and mental health issues (9.7%). In contrast, 58.6% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 68.0% in the rest of NSW. Ballina has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 33.3% (6,278 people), compared to 23.6% in the rest of NSW. While health outcomes among seniors are challenging, they perform better than the general population in certain health metrics.

Ballina is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Ballina had 89.5% citizens, 86.7% born in Australia, and 94.8% speaking English only at home, indicating lower cultural diversity than average. Christianity was the predominant religion at 54.5%, compared to 42.2% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were English (32.4%), Australian (28.6%), and Irish (10.2%).

Notably, Scottish (8.9%) and Australian Aboriginal (3.4%) were overrepresented in Ballina, while French was underrepresented at 0.5%.

Ballina ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Ballina is 52 years, significantly higher than Rest of NSW's average of 43 years and also above the national norm of 38 years. The 75-84 age cohort is notably over-represented in Ballina at 12.1%, compared to Rest of NSW's average, while the 5-14 year-olds are under-represented at 8.9%. This concentration of the 75-84 cohort is well above the national average of 6.0%. Between 2021 and present, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 10.1% to 11.1% of Ballina's population. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 17.0% to 15.5%, and the 55 to 64 age group has dropped from 13.5% to 12.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Ballina, with the strongest projected growth in the 85+ cohort at 73%, adding 786 residents to reach 1,857. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 55-64 and 15-24 age cohorts.