Ballimore vs Dubbo

Dubbo is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 43 in Ballimore. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Dubbo: a median of $663,000, against $275,000 in Ballimore, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Ballimore tends to suit share households and buyers on a tighter budget, while Dubbo suits families with children.

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

Dubbo

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (88 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (32 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (24 vs 1)
  • But Ballimore carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 91/100)

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

First-home buyers

Ballimore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($275,000 vs $663,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Ballimore

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($240/wk vs $310/wk)
  • But Dubbo has a bigger rental market to choose from (35% vs 4%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Ballimore

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (369.6 km vs 402.8 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (299 min vs 324 min)
  • But Dubbo is more walkable (34/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dubbo

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (34/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (17 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (17% vs 3%)
  • But Ballimore carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 91/100)

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

Investors

Ballimore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.8% vs 11.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Ballimore Dubbo
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.

Ballimore Dubbo
Walkability 0 / 34
Ballimore — Walkability: 0/100 Dubbo — Walkability: 34/100
Safety 51 / 9
Ballimore — Safety: 51/100 Dubbo — Safety: 9/100
Low fire risk 60 / 74
Ballimore — Low fire risk: 60/100 Dubbo — Low fire risk: 74/100

Demographics

Dubbo has more residents (43,516 vs 240); Dubbo rents higher ($310/wk vs $240/wk).

Ballimore Dubbo
Population 240 43,516
+18032% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +21.8% +11.7%
Median age 43 35
Median household income $96,564/yr
+9% vs other
 $87,880/yr
Median weekly rent $240/wk $310/wk
+29% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ballimore Dubbo
0-4 6.2% / 7.4%
Ballimore — 0-4: 6.2% Dubbo — 0-4: 7.4%
5-14 11.2% / 14.1%
Ballimore — 5-14: 11.2% Dubbo — 5-14: 14.1%
15-19 5.0% / 5.8%
Ballimore — 15-19: 5.0% Dubbo — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 5.8% / 5.8%
Ballimore — 20-24: 5.8% Dubbo — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 13.3% / 15.7%
Ballimore — 25-34: 13.3% Dubbo — 25-34: 15.7%
35-44 9.2% / 12.3%
Ballimore — 35-44: 9.2% Dubbo — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 12.9% / 11.2%
Ballimore — 45-54: 12.9% Dubbo — 45-54: 11.2%
55-64 13.8% / 11.1%
Ballimore — 55-64: 13.8% Dubbo — 55-64: 11.1%
65-74 12.5% / 8.8%
Ballimore — 65-74: 12.5% Dubbo — 65-74: 8.8%
75-84 5.0% / 5.6%
Ballimore — 75-84: 5.0% Dubbo — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ 2.1% / 2.2%
Ballimore — 85+: 2.1% Dubbo — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ballimore 42.0% lone person
Ballimore — Lone Person: 42.0% Ballimore — Couple Families: 38.0% Ballimore — One Parent Families: 8.0% Ballimore — Group Household: 12.0% Ballimore — Other Families: 0.0%
Dubbo 36.2% lone person
Dubbo — Lone Person: 36.2% Dubbo — Couple Families: 39.6% Dubbo — One Parent Families: 18.0% Dubbo — Group Household: 4.7% Dubbo — Other Families: 1.5%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ballimore 4.4% renting
Ballimore — Owned Outright: 42.6% Ballimore — Mortgage: 52.9% Ballimore — Renting: 4.4%
Dubbo 35.1% renting
Dubbo — Owned Outright: 29.3% Dubbo — Mortgage: 35.7% Dubbo — Renting: 35.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ballimore Dubbo
Certificate III & IV 26.2% / 15.7%
Ballimore — Certificate III & IV: 26.2% Dubbo — Certificate III & IV: 15.7%
Bachelor Degree 7.1% / 10.1%
Ballimore — Bachelor Degree: 7.1% Dubbo — Bachelor Degree: 10.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.6% / 6.1%
Ballimore — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.6% Dubbo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.5% / 3.2%
Ballimore — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5% Dubbo — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.5%
Ballimore — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Dubbo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.2%).

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.

Ballimore Dubbo
England 2.5% / 1.0%
Ballimore — England: 2.5% Dubbo — England: 1.0%
New Zealand 1.7% / 0.7%
Ballimore — New Zealand: 1.7% Dubbo — New Zealand: 0.7%
Scotland 1.7% / —
Ballimore — Scotland: 1.7% Dubbo — Scotland: not among its largest
India — / 1.7%
Ballimore — India: not among its largest Dubbo — India: 1.7%
Nepal — / 1.6%
Ballimore — Nepal: not among its largest Dubbo — Nepal: 1.6%
Philippines — / 0.8%
Ballimore — Philippines: not among its largest Dubbo — Philippines: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ballimore 97.3% houses
Ballimore — Houses: 97.3% Ballimore — Flats / Apartments: 2.7% Ballimore — Townhouses: 0.0%
Dubbo 83.2% houses
Dubbo — Houses: 83.2% Dubbo — Flats / Apartments: 7.8% Dubbo — Townhouses: 9.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Ballimore Dubbo
Median house price $275,000 $663,000
Median unit price — $405,000
Median land price — $558,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 24 days
from 419 sales

Zoning mix

Ballimore has more rural and farming land (98% vs 76%).

Ballimore Dubbo
Rural and farming 98% 76%
Residential 0% 15%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 3%
Environmental 1% 3%
Industrial 0% 2%
Parks and recreation 0% 1%
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

Ballimore Dubbo
New dwellings approved 405
across Dubbo
same for both
Approvals change year on year -12%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Ballimore Dubbo
Houses — 4.2%
$580/wk on $715K
Units — 4.9%
$365/wk on $384K

Ranking within NSW

Ballimore Dubbo
House price Higher than 22% of NSW
same for both
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 72% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 39% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 30% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 83% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 64% of NSW

Liveability

Dubbo is more walkable (34 vs 0).

Ballimore Dubbo
Grade — C
Score — 40/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Dubbo carries more crime risk (91 vs 49); Ballimore carries more bushfire risk (40 vs 26).

Ballimore Dubbo
Bushfire Moderate
40/100
 Low
26/100
Crime Moderate
49/100
 High
91/100
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
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Ballimore Dubbo
Inside the suburb 1 24
Rated above peers 0 8
Rated at peers 0 8
Rated below peers 0 2

Schools in Ballimore

  • Ballimore Public School Government · Primary

Schools in Dubbo

  • Buninyong Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Burrabadine Christian Community School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Central West Leadership Academy Independent · Combined above peers
  • Dubbo Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Dubbo School of Distance Education Government · Combined above peers
  • St John's Catholic Primary School Dubbo Catholic · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Ballimore Dubbo
Supermarkets 0 6
Cafes & restaurants 0 21
Parks & reserves 2 88
Childcare 0 32
GPs 0 17
Pharmacies 0 11
Hospitals 0 4
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 13
Fuel stations 0 12
EV chargers 0 2
Waterways 18 125

Mobility

Dubbo sits further from the CBD (402.8 km vs 369.6 km).

Ballimore Dubbo
Walkability score 0/100 34/100
Distance to Sydney 369.6 km 402.8 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 299 min 324 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 2830
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 72
postcode 2830
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.

Ballimore Dubbo
Car (driver) 65.8% / 80.5%
Ballimore — Car (driver): 65.8% Dubbo — Car (driver): 80.5%
Worked from Home 27.0% / 8.9%
Ballimore — Worked from Home: 27.0% Dubbo — Worked from Home: 8.9%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 7.3%
Ballimore — Car (passenger): 3.6% Dubbo — Car (passenger): 7.3%
Walked Only 3.6% / 2.4%
Ballimore — Walked Only: 3.6% Dubbo — Walked Only: 2.4%
Bus — / 0.5%
Ballimore — Bus: not among its largest Dubbo — Bus: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.5%).

Setting

Ballimore Dubbo
Elevation 312 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 260 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ballimore Dubbo
Connectivity score 17/100 84/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
65 premises
 71%
22,678 premises

Climate

Ballimore Dubbo
Annual rainfall 603 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 32.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Ballimore Dubbo
Average residential rate $1,233/yr
same for both
Council Dubbo
same for both

Federal electorate

Ballimore Dubbo
Division Parkes
same for both
Member Jamie Chaffey
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ballimore Dubbo
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ballimore

Rural

Dubbo

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ballimore

Ballimore vs Wongarbon Ballimore vs Geurie Ballimore vs Elong Elong Ballimore vs Gollan

Other comparisons with Dubbo

Dubbo vs Narromine Dubbo vs Wongarbon Dubbo vs Geurie Dubbo vs Tomingley Dubbo vs Terramungamine Dubbo vs Brocklehurst
Full data on Ballimore Full data on Dubbo
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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