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 is 18,844 as of August 2025. This figure shows a rise from the 2021 Census count of 18,629 people, an increase of 215 individuals (1.2%). The growth is estimated based on ABS data from June 2024 indicating 18,815 residents and validated new addresses totalling 145 since the Census date. This results in a population density of 521 persons per square kilometre. Ballina's growth over the past decade has been resilient, with a compound annual growth rate of 0.9%, exceeding that of its SA4 region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 56.8% to recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses 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 from 2022 using 2021 as the base year are employed. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, Ballina is expected to have above median population growth by 2041, with an increase of 3,337 persons and a total rise of 17.5%.

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

Ballina granted around 35 residential approvals annually. From FY21 to FY25, it totalled 177 approvals, with 2 so far in FY26. Each year, about 3.3 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these years. This outpaces supply, potentially increasing prices and competition among buyers.

New homes averaged $750,000, indicating a focus on premium properties. In FY26, commercial approvals reached $35.6 million, suggesting strong local business investment. Compared to Rest of NSW, Ballina's building activity is 68.0% lower per person. This limited construction often reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. Nationally, it's also below average, possibly due to planning constraints or area maturity.

New building activity consists of 54.0% standalone homes and 46.0% townhouses/apartments, offering various price points. With 467 people estimated per dwelling approval, Ballina has a quiet development environment. By 2041, it's forecasted to gain 3,303 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 33 projects likely impacting the area. Notable ones include New Ballina SES Headquarters, Total Tools Ballina, New Ballina SES Headquarters, and Ballina District Hospital Redevelopment. The following list details those 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's workforce is skilled with well-represented essential services sectors and an unemployment rate of 3.5% as of June 2025. There are 7,618 residents employed in Ballina while the unemployment rate is 0.1% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%.

Workforce participation stands at 47.0%, significantly lower than Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries of 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. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 2.1% compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

Many Ballina residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 4.8%, employment declined by 4.3%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.4 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and unemployment rise of 0.4 percentage points. State-level data for NSW from Sep-25 shows employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs) with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National unemployment stands at 4.5% with national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 14.2% 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

Ballina had a median income among taxpayers of $45,709 and an average level of $61,422 in financial year 2022. These figures are below the national average. In comparison, Rest of NSW had median and average incomes of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. By March 2025, estimated median and average incomes in Ballina would be approximately $50,554 and $67,933 based on a 10.6% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Ballina fall between the 10th and 22nd percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 27.4% of Ballina's population (5,163 individuals) earn within the $400 - $799 range, unlike 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 dwellings, as recorded in the latest Census, consisted of 57.7% houses and 42.3% other types such as semi-detached units, apartments, and 'other' dwellings, compared 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, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (21.6%) or rented (35.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Ballina was $1,733, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,980. The median weekly rent figure in Ballina was $390, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $450. Nationally, Ballina's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded 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 account for 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 constitute the remaining 40.0%, with lone person households at 35.8% and group households comprising 4.2% of the total. 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 - advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (27.1%). Currently, 24.0% of the population is pursuing formal education: 8.0% in primary, 6.6% in secondary, and 3.0% in tertiary education.

Ballina has a robust network of 8 schools educating approximately 3,283 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 985) and balanced educational opportunities. The schools include 3 primary, 1 secondary, and 4 K-12 institutions. School capacity exceeds residential needs at 17.4 places per 100 residents versus the regional average of 13.2, indicating Ballina serves as an educational center 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, consisting of both train and bus services. These stops are served by 66 individual routes, offering a total of 1,350 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 100 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency is 192 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 3 weekly trips per 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 (11.4%) and mental health issues (9.7%). Conversely, 58.6% of residents report no medical ailments, lower than the 68.0% in Rest of NSW. Ballina has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 33.3% (6,278 people), compared to 23.6% in Rest of NSW. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are notably better than those of the general population.

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 89.5% of its population being citizens, 86.7% born in Australia, and 94.8% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Ballina is Christianity, comprising 54.5% of the population, compared to 42.2% across Rest of NSW. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups represented in Ballina are English (32.4%), Australian (28.6%), and Irish (10.2%).

Notably, Scottish representation is higher than regional averages at 8.9%, while Australian Aboriginal is at 3.4% compared to 2.2%. French ancestry, however, is lower at 0.5% compared to the regional average of 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 and well above the national norm of 38. Compared to Rest of NSW, the 75-84 age cohort is notably over-represented at 12.1% locally, while those aged 5-14 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 grown 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.