Ballina

Population growth drivers in Ballina are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Ballina's population is 18,853 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 224 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 18,629. The change is inferred from ABS estimates: Ballina had an estimated resident population of 18,816 in June 2024 and gained 149 validated new addresses after the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 521 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Ballina's compound annual growth rate was 0.9%, outpacing its SA4 region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 56.8% of recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. These projections indicate an above median population growth for regional areas nationally, with Ballina expected to increase by 3,337 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 17.5% over the 17 years.

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

Ballina recorded approximately 35 residential properties granted approval per year over the past five financial years, totalling 177 homes. In FY26 so far, 14 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.3 people moved to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25. This high demand outpaces supply, which typically increases competition among buyers and puts upward pressure on prices.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $437,000, slightly above the regional average. In FY26, $35.6 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating high local commercial activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Ballina records significantly lower building activity, 68.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction often reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings, which is also below national averages, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New building activity consists of 54.0% standalone homes and 46.0% townhouses or apartments, offering options across different price points.

The estimated population per dwelling approval in Ballina is 467 people, indicating a quiet development environment. Population forecasts suggest Ballina will gain 3,294 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Ballina has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 31 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects are New Ballina SES Headquarters, Total Tools Ballina, Ballina District Hospital Redevelopment, and Solhaven. The following details projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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The employment landscape in Ballina presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 4.0%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing

Ballina has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate in September 2025 was 4.0%.

Out of the 7,707 residents employed, the unemployment rate was 0.1% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation was lower at 47.0% compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Health care & social assistance shows notable concentration with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average, while agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 2.1% compared to the regional average of 5.3%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis.

From September 2024 to September 2025, Ballina's labour force decreased by 2.6%, with employment declining by 2.2%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW had an employment decline of 0.5%, labour force decline of 0.1%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. As of 25-Nov in the same year, NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ballina's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simple 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 ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Ballina SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $45,709 and an average income of $61,422. These figures are below the national averages of $49,459 (median) and $62,998 (average). By September 2025, estimates suggest these incomes will have increased to approximately $51,473 (median) and $69,167 (average), based on a 12.61% growth in the Wage Price Index since financial year 2022. According to 2021 Census figures, Ballina's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 10th and 21st percentiles nationally. Income distribution data shows that 27.4% of Ballina's population (5,165 individuals) earn within the $400 - $799 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 dwelling structure in the latest Census showed 57.7% houses and 42.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 75.1% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ballina was 43.3%, similar to Non-Metro NSW. Mortgaged dwellings were at 21.6% and rented dwellings at 35.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,980. Median weekly rent in Ballina was $390, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $450 and the national average of $375. Nationally, Ballina's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863.

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 the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common university qualifications at 15.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.8% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas being 11.7% and certificates 27.1%.

A substantial 24.0% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, including 8.0% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 3.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 66 different routes that collectively facilitate 1,350 weekly passenger trips. The city's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing within 100 meters of the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 192 trips per day across all routes, equating 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 age groups.

The rate of private health cover in Ballina is relatively low at approximately 51%, covering around 9,539 people. Among residents, arthritis is the most common medical condition, impacting 11.4% of the population, followed by mental health issues at 9.7%. Conversely, 58.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 68.0% across Rest of NSW. Ballina has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 33.3% (6,281 people) compared to the state average of 23.6%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Ballina perform better than the general population in terms of 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's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with its population comprising 89.5% citizens, 86.7% born in Australia, and 94.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Ballina, accounting for 54.5%, compared to 42.2% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups are English (32.4%), Australian (28.6%), and Irish (10.2%).

Notably, Scottish representation is higher at 8.9% in Ballina versus 9.0% regionally, Australian Aboriginal is also higher at 3.4% compared to 2.2%, and French representation is lower at 0.5% versus 0.9%.

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 the Rest of NSW 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 proportion of the population in the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 10.1% to 11.1%, while the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 17.0% to 15.5% and the 55 to 64 group has dropped from 13.5% to 12.4%. Population forecasts for Ballina indicate substantial demographic changes by 2041. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 73%, adding 786 residents to reach a total of 1,857. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 55-64 and 15-24 age cohorts.