Ballengarra vs Pembrooke

Ballengarra is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 50 in Pembrooke. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Pembrooke: a median of $1.5 million, against $550,000 in Ballengarra, though rent is higher in Ballengarra. On these figures, Ballengarra tends to suit couples and buyers on a tighter budget, while Pembrooke suits families with children and older residents.

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

Ballengarra

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (81% vs 61%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 86%)

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

First-home buyers

Ballengarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($550,000 vs $1,500,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Pembrooke

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($330/wk vs $400/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Pembrooke

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (399.7 km vs 402.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Pembrooke

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 10%)

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

Investors

Ballengarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (3.2% vs -7.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Ballengarra Pembrooke
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.

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Walkability 0 / 0
Ballengarra — Walkability: 0/100 Pembrooke — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 73 / 82
Ballengarra — Safety: 73/100 Pembrooke — Safety: 82/100
Low fire risk 45 / 42
Ballengarra — Low fire risk: 45/100 Pembrooke — Low fire risk: 42/100

Demographics

Ballengarra rents higher ($400/wk vs $330/wk); Pembrooke skews older (50 vs 45).

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Population 97 118
+22% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.2% -7.1%
Median age 45 50
Median household income $77,116/yr
+7% vs other
 $71,500/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+18% vs other
 $330/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ballengarra Pembrooke
0-4 3.1% / 11.0%
Ballengarra — 0-4: 3.1% Pembrooke — 0-4: 11.0%
5-14 12.4% / 9.3%
Ballengarra — 5-14: 12.4% Pembrooke — 5-14: 9.3%
15-19 10.3% / —
Ballengarra — 15-19: 10.3% Pembrooke — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 10.3% / —
Ballengarra — 20-24: 10.3% Pembrooke — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 10.3% / 12.7%
Ballengarra — 25-34: 10.3% Pembrooke — 25-34: 12.7%
35-44 10.3% / 8.5%
Ballengarra — 35-44: 10.3% Pembrooke — 35-44: 8.5%
45-54 7.2% / 13.6%
Ballengarra — 45-54: 7.2% Pembrooke — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 24.7% / 17.8%
Ballengarra — 55-64: 24.7% Pembrooke — 55-64: 17.8%
65-74 10.3% / 14.4%
Ballengarra — 65-74: 10.3% Pembrooke — 65-74: 14.4%
75-84 — / 8.5%
Ballengarra — 75-84: not among its largest Pembrooke — 75-84: 8.5%
85+ — / —
Ballengarra — 85+: not among its largest Pembrooke — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ballengarra 81.0% couple families
Ballengarra — Couple Families: 81.0% Ballengarra — Lone Person: 19.0% Ballengarra — Group Household: 0.0%
Pembrooke 60.9% couple families
Pembrooke — Couple Families: 60.9% Pembrooke — Lone Person: 21.7% Pembrooke — Group Household: 17.4%
Couple Families Lone Person Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ballengarra 0.0% renting
Ballengarra — Owned Outright: 39.1% Ballengarra — Mortgage: 60.9% Ballengarra — Renting: 0.0%
Pembrooke 8.3% renting
Pembrooke — Owned Outright: 44.4% Pembrooke — Mortgage: 47.2% Pembrooke — Renting: 8.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Ballengarra Pembrooke
England — / 5.1%
Ballengarra — England: not among its largest Pembrooke — England: 5.1%
South Africa 4.1% / —
Ballengarra — South Africa: 4.1% Pembrooke — South Africa: not among its largest
New Zealand — / 3.4%
Ballengarra — New Zealand: not among its largest Pembrooke — New Zealand: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).

Qualifications

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

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Certificate III & IV 24.7% / 22.9%
Ballengarra — Certificate III & IV: 24.7% Pembrooke — Certificate III & IV: 22.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.1% / 10.2%
Ballengarra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.1% Pembrooke — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.2%
Bachelor Degree 8.2% / 5.1%
Ballengarra — Bachelor Degree: 8.2% Pembrooke — Bachelor Degree: 5.1%
Postgraduate Degree 4.1% / 4.2%
Ballengarra — Postgraduate Degree: 4.1% Pembrooke — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ballengarra 100.0% houses
Ballengarra — Houses: 100.0% Ballengarra — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Pembrooke 85.7% houses
Pembrooke — Houses: 85.7% Pembrooke — Flats / Apartments: 14.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Median house price $550,000 $1,500,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $130,000 —

Zoning mix

Ballengarra has more rural and farming land (100% vs 84%); Pembrooke has more land zoned for conservation (13% vs 0%).

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Rural and farming 100% 84%
Environmental 0% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 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

Ballengarra Pembrooke
New dwellings approved 546
across Port Macquarie-Hastings
same for both
Approvals change year on year +33%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Ballengarra Pembrooke
House price Higher than 18% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Income Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 38% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 43% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 84% of NSW Higher than 15% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 47% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW

Liveability

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
same for both

Risk profile

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Bushfire Moderate
55/100
 Moderate
58/100
Crime Low
27/100
 Low
18/100
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
same for both

Schools

Ballengarra Pembrooke
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

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Parks & reserves 0 1
Waterways 1 51

Mobility

Ballengarra sits further from the CBD (402.9 km vs 399.7 km).

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 402.9 km 399.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 274 min 271 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2441
 0.5%
postcode 2446
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 72
postcode 2441
 69
postcode 2446

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.

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Car (driver) 78.4% / 78.0%
Ballengarra — Car (driver): 78.4% Pembrooke — Car (driver): 78.0%
Worked from Home 21.6% / 14.6%
Ballengarra — Worked from Home: 21.6% Pembrooke — Worked from Home: 14.6%
Walked Only — / 7.3%
Ballengarra — Walked Only: not among its largest Pembrooke — Walked Only: 7.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.4%).

Setting

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Elevation 30 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 21 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 19.1 km 12.3 km

NBN connectivity

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Connectivity score 29/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
36 premises
 0%
53 premises

Climate

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Annual rainfall 2,842 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.7°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Ballengarra Pembrooke
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.92 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Average residential rate $1,325/yr
same for both
Council Port Macquarie-Hastings
same for both

Federal electorate

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Division Lyne
same for both
Member Alison Penfold
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ballengarra Pembrooke
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ballengarra

Affordable Rural Students

Pembrooke

River Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ballengarra

Ballengarra vs Telegraph Point Ballengarra vs Cooperabung Ballengarra vs Rollands Plains Ballengarra vs Gum Scrub

Other comparisons with Pembrooke

Pembrooke vs Telegraph Point Pembrooke vs Sancrox Pembrooke vs Redbank Pembrooke vs Mortons Creek Pembrooke vs Blackmans Point Pembrooke vs Rawdon Island
Full data on Ballengarra Full data on Pembrooke
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or