Ballimore vs Wongarbon

Wongarbon is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 43 in Ballimore. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Wongarbon, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Wongarbon: a median of $605,000, against $275,000 in Ballimore, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Ballimore tends to suit people living alone, share households, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Wongarbon suits families with children and 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

Wongarbon

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 46%)

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 $605,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Ballimore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($240/wk vs $320/wk)

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 397.3 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (299 min vs 321 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Ballimore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 14%)

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 6.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Ballimore and Wongarbon 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 Wongarbon
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 Wongarbon
Walkability 0 / 0
Ballimore — Walkability: 0/100 Wongarbon — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 51 / 57
Ballimore — Safety: 51/100 Wongarbon — Safety: 57/100
Low fire risk 60 / 90
Ballimore — Low fire risk: 60/100 Wongarbon — Low fire risk: 90/100

Demographics

Wongarbon has more residents (814 vs 240); Wongarbon rents higher ($320/wk vs $240/wk).

Ballimore Wongarbon
Population 240 814
+239% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +21.8% +6.3%
Median age 43 38
Median household income $96,564/yr $98,384/yr
+2% vs other
Median weekly rent $240/wk $320/wk
+33% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ballimore Wongarbon
0-4 6.2% / 6.3%
Ballimore — 0-4: 6.2% Wongarbon — 0-4: 6.3%
5-14 11.2% / 19.4%
Ballimore — 5-14: 11.2% Wongarbon — 5-14: 19.4%
15-19 5.0% / 6.6%
Ballimore — 15-19: 5.0% Wongarbon — 15-19: 6.6%
20-24 5.8% / 2.0%
Ballimore — 20-24: 5.8% Wongarbon — 20-24: 2.0%
25-34 13.3% / 10.4%
Ballimore — 25-34: 13.3% Wongarbon — 25-34: 10.4%
35-44 9.2% / 13.4%
Ballimore — 35-44: 9.2% Wongarbon — 35-44: 13.4%
45-54 12.9% / 12.8%
Ballimore — 45-54: 12.9% Wongarbon — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 13.8% / 14.9%
Ballimore — 55-64: 13.8% Wongarbon — 55-64: 14.9%
65-74 12.5% / 9.5%
Ballimore — 65-74: 12.5% Wongarbon — 65-74: 9.5%
75-84 5.0% / 3.9%
Ballimore — 75-84: 5.0% Wongarbon — 75-84: 3.9%
85+ 2.1% / 1.0%
Ballimore — 85+: 2.1% Wongarbon — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ballimore 38.0% couple families
Ballimore — Couple Families: 38.0% Ballimore — Lone Person: 42.0% Ballimore — One Parent Families: 8.0% Ballimore — Group Household: 12.0%
Wongarbon 53.0% couple families
Wongarbon — Couple Families: 53.0% Wongarbon — Lone Person: 23.0% Wongarbon — One Parent Families: 20.8% Wongarbon — Group Household: 3.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

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%
Wongarbon 12.2% renting
Wongarbon — Owned Outright: 36.9% Wongarbon — Mortgage: 51.0% Wongarbon — Renting: 12.2%
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.

Ballimore Wongarbon
England 2.5% / 1.7%
Ballimore — England: 2.5% Wongarbon — England: 1.7%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.0%
Ballimore — New Zealand: 1.7% Wongarbon — New Zealand: 1.0%
Scotland 1.7% / —
Ballimore — Scotland: 1.7% Wongarbon — Scotland: not among its largest
Ireland — / 0.6%
Ballimore — Ireland: not among its largest Wongarbon — Ireland: 0.6%
Philippines — / 0.4%
Ballimore — Philippines: not among its largest Wongarbon — Philippines: 0.4%

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

Qualifications

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

Ballimore Wongarbon
Certificate III & IV 26.2% / 20.6%
Ballimore — Certificate III & IV: 26.2% Wongarbon — Certificate III & IV: 20.6%
Bachelor Degree 7.1% / 8.0%
Ballimore — Bachelor Degree: 7.1% Wongarbon — Bachelor Degree: 8.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.6% / 6.4%
Ballimore — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.6% Wongarbon — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Postgraduate Degree 2.5% / 0.9%
Ballimore — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5% Wongarbon — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.9%
Ballimore — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Wongarbon — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ballimore 97.3% houses
Ballimore — Houses: 97.3% Ballimore — Flats / Apartments: 2.7%
Wongarbon 96.9% houses
Wongarbon — Houses: 96.9% Wongarbon — Flats / Apartments: 3.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ballimore Wongarbon
Median house price $275,000 $605,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $310,000

Zoning mix

Ballimore Wongarbon
Rural and farming 98% 97%
Residential 0% 2%
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 Wongarbon
New dwellings approved 405
across Dubbo
same for both
Approvals change year on year -12%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Ballimore Wongarbon
House price Higher than 22% of NSW Higher than 11% of NSW
Income Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 39% of NSW Higher than 13% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 94% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 30% of NSW —
NBN connectivity Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW

Liveability

Ballimore Wongarbon
Grade — C
Score — 41/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Ballimore carries more bushfire risk (40 vs 10).

Ballimore Wongarbon
Bushfire Moderate
40/100
 Low
10/100
Crime Moderate
49/100
 Moderate
43/100
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

Ballimore Wongarbon
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Ballimore

  • Ballimore Public School Government · Primary

Schools in Wongarbon

  • Wongarbon Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Ballimore Wongarbon
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 18 31

Mobility

Wongarbon sits further from the CBD (397.3 km vs 369.6 km).

Ballimore Wongarbon
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 369.6 km 397.3 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 299 min 321 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 2830
 0.0%
postcode 2831
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 72
postcode 2830
 —
postcode 2831

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 Wongarbon
Car (driver) 65.8% / 78.5%
Ballimore — Car (driver): 65.8% Wongarbon — Car (driver): 78.5%
Worked from Home 27.0% / 11.5%
Ballimore — Worked from Home: 27.0% Wongarbon — Worked from Home: 11.5%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 6.6%
Ballimore — Car (passenger): 3.6% Wongarbon — Car (passenger): 6.6%
Walked Only 3.6% / 3.3%
Ballimore — Walked Only: 3.6% Wongarbon — Walked Only: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.5%).

Setting

Ballimore Wongarbon
Elevation 312 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 353 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ballimore Wongarbon
Connectivity score 17/100 30/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
65 premises
 0%
225 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Ballimore

Rural

Wongarbon

Affordable Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ballimore

Ballimore vs Dubbo Ballimore vs Geurie Ballimore vs Elong Elong Ballimore vs Gollan

Other comparisons with Wongarbon

Wongarbon vs Dubbo Wongarbon vs Geurie
Full data on Ballimore Full data on Wongarbon
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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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