Balldale vs Hopefield

Hopefield is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 47 in Balldale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Balldale, about half of households are people living alone. In Hopefield, most households are couple families. On these figures, Balldale tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Hopefield suits couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Balldale carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 83/100)
  • Hopefield is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 49%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Balldale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 21%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Balldale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $200/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Balldale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (579.9 km vs 610.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Balldale

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (38/100 vs 83/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (32% vs 16%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Hopefield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (14.5% vs 7.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Balldale and Hopefield drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Balldale Hopefield
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Balldale Hopefield
Walkability 0 / 0
Balldale — Walkability: 0/100 Hopefield — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 62 / 17
Balldale — Safety: 62/100 Hopefield — Safety: 17/100
Low fire risk 68 / 60
Balldale — Low fire risk: 68/100 Hopefield — Low fire risk: 60/100

Demographics

Hopefield rents higher ($200/wk vs $100/wk); Hopefield has higher household incomes ($114,816 vs $63,336).

Balldale Hopefield
Population 168
+43% vs other
 95
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.7% +14.5%
Median age 47 38
Median household income $63,336/yr $114,816/yr
+81% vs other
Median weekly rent $100/wk $200/wk
+100% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Balldale Hopefield
0-4 9.5% / 3.2%
Balldale — 0-4: 9.5% Hopefield — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 13.1% / 22.1%
Balldale — 5-14: 13.1% Hopefield — 5-14: 22.1%
15-19 4.2% / 7.4%
Balldale — 15-19: 4.2% Hopefield — 15-19: 7.4%
20-24 1.8% / 3.2%
Balldale — 20-24: 1.8% Hopefield — 20-24: 3.2%
25-34 7.7% / 15.8%
Balldale — 25-34: 7.7% Hopefield — 25-34: 15.8%
35-44 13.1% / 11.6%
Balldale — 35-44: 13.1% Hopefield — 35-44: 11.6%
45-54 8.9% / 7.4%
Balldale — 45-54: 8.9% Hopefield — 45-54: 7.4%
55-64 12.5% / 9.5%
Balldale — 55-64: 12.5% Hopefield — 55-64: 9.5%
65-74 23.8% / 15.8%
Balldale — 65-74: 23.8% Hopefield — 65-74: 15.8%
75-84 8.3% / —
Balldale — 75-84: 8.3% Hopefield — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ — / —
Balldale — 85+: not among its largest Hopefield — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.8%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Balldale Hopefield
Scotland — / 3.2%
Balldale — Scotland: not among its largest Hopefield — Scotland: 3.2%
New Zealand 1.8% / —
Balldale — New Zealand: 1.8% Hopefield — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Balldale 40.5% couple families
Balldale — Couple Families: 40.5% Balldale — Lone Person: 51.4% Balldale — One Parent Families: 8.1%
Hopefield 60.0% couple families
Hopefield — Couple Families: 60.0% Hopefield — Lone Person: 40.0% Hopefield — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Balldale 100.0% houses
Balldale — Houses: 100.0%
Hopefield 100.0% houses
Hopefield — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Balldale Hopefield
Certificate III & IV 13.7% / 13.7%
Balldale — Certificate III & IV: 13.7% Hopefield — Certificate III & IV: 13.7%
Bachelor Degree 5.4% / 17.9%
Balldale — Bachelor Degree: 5.4% Hopefield — Bachelor Degree: 17.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.8% / —
Balldale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8% Hopefield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest
Postgraduate Degree 1.8% / —
Balldale — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8% Hopefield — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Balldale 0.0% renting
Balldale — Owned Outright: 69.8% Balldale — Mortgage: 30.2% Balldale — Renting: 0.0%
Hopefield 20.0% renting
Hopefield — Owned Outright: 56.0% Hopefield — Mortgage: 24.0% Hopefield — Renting: 20.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Balldale Hopefield
Median house price $115,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Balldale has more rural and farming land (100% vs 77%); Hopefield has more land zoned for conservation (19% vs 0%).

Balldale Hopefield
Rural and farming 100% 77%
Environmental 0% 19%
Residential 0% 3%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Balldale Hopefield
New dwellings approved 86
across Greater Hume
 47
across Federation
Approvals change year on year +33% +38%

Ranking within NSW

Balldale Hopefield
House price Higher than 1% of NSW —
Income Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 5% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 99% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 12% of NSW Higher than 13% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 43% of NSW

Liveability

Balldale Hopefield
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Hopefield carries more crime risk (83 vs 38).

Balldale Hopefield
Bushfire Low
32/100
 Moderate
40/100
Crime Low
38/100
 High
83/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Balldale Hopefield
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Balldale Hopefield
Parks & reserves 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Waterways 1 2

Mobility

Hopefield sits further from the CBD (610.9 km vs 579.9 km).

Balldale Hopefield
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 579.9 km 610.9 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 374 min 377 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2646
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 59
postcode 2646
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Balldale Hopefield
Car (driver) 78.7% / 68.3%
Balldale — Car (driver): 78.7% Hopefield — Car (driver): 68.3%
Worked from Home 21.3% / 19.5%
Balldale — Worked from Home: 21.3% Hopefield — Worked from Home: 19.5%
Walked Only — / 12.2%
Balldale — Walked Only: not among its largest Hopefield — Walked Only: 12.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.7%).

Setting

Balldale Hopefield
Elevation 164 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 140 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Balldale Hopefield
Connectivity score 21/100 28/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
55 premises
 0%
47 premises

Climate

Balldale Hopefield
Annual rainfall 540 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 32.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.4°C
same for both

Council rates

Balldale Hopefield
Average residential rate $992/yr $951/yr
Council Greater Hume Federation

Federal electorate

Balldale Hopefield
Division Farrer
same for both
Member David Farley
same for both
Party One Nation
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Balldale Hopefield
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Balldale

Affordable Family Retirees Rural Young Families

Hopefield

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Balldale

Balldale vs Howlong Balldale vs Brocklesby Balldale vs Coreen Balldale vs Lowesdale Balldale vs Daysdale Balldale vs Goombargana

Other comparisons with Hopefield

Hopefield vs Corowa Hopefield vs Howlong Hopefield vs Lowesdale
Full data on Balldale Full data on Hopefield
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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