East Ballina

East Ballina has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

East Ballina's population, as of November 2025, is estimated at around 5892 people. This reflects an increase of 10 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5882. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 5849 in June 2024, based on examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS, and an additional 25 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 906 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 56% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking ahead, an above median population growth is projected nationally for non-metropolitan areas. The East Ballina statistical area (Lv2) is expected to grow by 925 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 16.1% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in East Ballina according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

East Ballina has seen approximately 4 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. From FY-21 to FY-25, around 22 homes were approved, with an additional 2 approved so far in FY-26. Each dwelling built attracted an average of 7.9 people per year over the past five financial years.

This demand outpaces supply, typically exerting upward pressure on prices and intensifying competition among buyers. The average construction value for new homes is $750,000, indicating a focus on premium developments. Commercial development approvals totaled $7.5 million in FY-26, suggesting limited commercial development activity compared to the rest of NSW, where East Ballina shows substantially reduced construction levels (88.0% below regional average per person). This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. Nationally, East Ballina's development level is lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints.

New developments consist of 60.0% detached dwellings and 40.0% attached dwellings, offering a mix of medium-density options across price brackets. The area had an estimated 1313 people per dwelling approval, indicating a quiet, low activity development environment. Future projections estimate East Ballina will add 950 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

East Ballina has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects that could impact the area. Key projects include New Ballina SES Headquarters, Ballina District Hospital Redevelopment, Kingsford Smith Reserve Pump Track, and Mana Ballina (Norton Street Villas). The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.4%, East Ballina has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

East Ballina has a well-educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate as of September 2025 is 3.4%, lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

There are 2,618 residents in work, and the workforce participation rate is similar to that of Rest of NSW at 56.4%. Key industries of employment among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. The area has a particular specialization in education & training, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 1.7% of East Ballina's workforce compared to 5.3% in Rest of NSW.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force decreased by 2.8%, employment declined by 2.5%, causing a fall in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.5% and labour force decline of 0.1%, with a rise in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. As of 25-Nov-25, NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a national expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to East Ballina's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

The median taxpayer income in East Ballina is $55,558, with an average of $74,660, according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is higher than the national averages of $52,390 (median) and $65,215 (average). Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $60,480 (median) and $81,275 (average). Census data shows that household, family, and personal incomes in East Ballina rank modestly, between the 38th and 52nd percentiles. Income distribution reveals that 32.1% of the population falls within the $1,500 - $2,999 range, consistent with surrounding regions at 29.9%. Housing affordability is severe, with only 84.7% of income remaining, ranking at the 40th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

East Ballina's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 61.2% houses and 38.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Non-Metro NSW's figures of 75.1% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Ballina stood at 46.0%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (25.3%) or rented (28.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,800, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,980. The median weekly rent figure in East Ballina was $460, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $450. Nationally, East Ballina's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,800 against the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially higher at $460 versus the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 69.5% of all households, including 23.9% couples with children, 33.5% couples without children, and 11.5% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 30.5%, with lone person households at 26.1% and group households comprising 4.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Educational attainment in East Ballina aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate of 31.1%, as of the latest data, exceeds both the Rest of NSW average (21.3%) and the SA4 region average (24.3%). Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 22.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational credentials are held by 37.3% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 12.5% and certificates at 24.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.1% currently enrolled in formal education, including 8.7% in primary, 7.2% in secondary, and 3.5% in tertiary education.

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

East Ballina has 122 active public transport stops. These are served by a mix of buses, with 39 different routes operating in total. Each week, these routes facilitate 400 passenger trips.

The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average located just 103 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 57 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately three weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in East Ballina is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

East Ballina faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is high at approximately 56% of the total population (~3,324 people), compared to 51.7% across Rest of NSW.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 9.7 and 8.2% of residents respectively. However, 66.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 68.0% across Rest of NSW. As of 2018-19, 26.2% of residents are aged 65 and over (1,543 people), higher than the 23.6% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

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

East Ballina showed cultural diversity levels below average, with 87.3% of its population born in Australia and 91.6% being citizens. English was the language spoken at home by 95.6%. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 50.8% of East Ballina's population.

Notably, Judaism was overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to 0.6% in Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were English (32.4%), Australian (27.2%), and Irish (11.4%). Scottish ancestry was notably higher than regional averages at 9.6%. French and Welsh ancestries were also present but not significantly different from regional averages, at 0.7% and 0.6%, respectively.

East Ballina hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

East Ballina's median age is 47 years, significantly higher than the Rest of NSW average of 43 and substantially exceeding the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 65-74 are particularly prominent at 15.8%, while the 15-24 group is comparatively smaller at 9.5% than in the Rest of NSW, with this concentration being well above the national figure of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the population aged 35 to 44 has grown from 11.8% to 13.2%, while the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 14.4% to 13.1% and the 65 to 74 group has dropped from 17.1% to 15.8%. By 2041, East Ballina is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition, with the 35 to 44 group projected to grow by 34%, reaching 1,039 people from a previous figure of 777. Meanwhile, both the 55 to 64 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.