Ballina vs Kinvara

Kinvara is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 56 in Ballina. In both, most households own their home. In Ballina, most households are people living alone. In Kinvara, the large majority of homes are detached houses and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Kinvara: a median of $1.8 million, against $950,000 in Ballina, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Ballina tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Ballina

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (17 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 0)
  • But Kinvara has more separate houses rather than flats (96% vs 53%)

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

First-home buyers

Ballina

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($950,000 vs $1,802,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Ballina has cheaper rent ($360/wk vs $500/wk)
  • Kinvara leaves renters under less rental stress (28% vs 36%)

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

Commuting to the city

Ballina

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (28/100 vs 10/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (733.3 km vs 737.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Ballina

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (47% vs 4%)
  • has more GPs (8 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (28/100 vs 10/100)

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

Where they sit

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

Ballina Kinvara
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.

Ballina Kinvara
Walkability 28 / 10
Ballina — Walkability: 28/100 Kinvara — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 6 / 13
Ballina — Safety: 6/100 Kinvara — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Ballina — Low fire risk: 100/100 Kinvara — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Ballina has more residents (9,735 vs 193); Kinvara has higher household incomes ($94,224 vs $52,676).

Ballina Kinvara
Population 9,735
+98% vs other
 193
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +12.5% —
Median age 56 50
Median household income $52,676/yr $94,224/yr
+79% vs other
Median weekly rent $360/wk $500/wk
+39% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ballina Kinvara
0-4 3.9% / 3.1%
Ballina — 0-4: 3.9% Kinvara — 0-4: 3.1%
5-14 8.0% / 6.2%
Ballina — 5-14: 8.0% Kinvara — 5-14: 6.2%
15-19 3.8% / 4.1%
Ballina — 15-19: 3.8% Kinvara — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 3.9% / 6.2%
Ballina — 20-24: 3.9% Kinvara — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 9.0% / 9.3%
Ballina — 25-34: 9.0% Kinvara — 25-34: 9.3%
35-44 9.6% / 9.8%
Ballina — 35-44: 9.6% Kinvara — 35-44: 9.8%
45-54 10.3% / 11.4%
Ballina — 45-54: 10.3% Kinvara — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 13.0% / 25.4%
Ballina — 55-64: 13.0% Kinvara — 55-64: 25.4%
65-74 16.2% / 17.1%
Ballina — 65-74: 16.2% Kinvara — 65-74: 17.1%
75-84 13.0% / 1.6%
Ballina — 75-84: 13.0% Kinvara — 75-84: 1.6%
85+ 9.2% / 3.1%
Ballina — 85+: 9.2% Kinvara — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ballina 56.9% lone person
Ballina — Lone Person: 56.9% Ballina — Couple Families: 19.6% Ballina — One Parent Families: 16.3% Ballina — Group Household: 6.0% Ballina — Other Families: 1.2%
Kinvara 45.7% lone person
Kinvara — Lone Person: 45.7% Kinvara — Couple Families: 34.8% Kinvara — One Parent Families: 19.6% Kinvara — Group Household: 0.0% Kinvara — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ballina 41.0% renting
Ballina — Owned Outright: 39.4% Ballina — Mortgage: 19.5% Ballina — Renting: 41.0%
Kinvara 32.4% renting
Kinvara — Owned Outright: 43.7% Kinvara — Mortgage: 23.9% Kinvara — Renting: 32.4%
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.

Ballina Kinvara
England 3.6% / 3.1%
Ballina — England: 3.6% Kinvara — England: 3.1%
New Zealand 1.7% / 1.6%
Ballina — New Zealand: 1.7% Kinvara — New Zealand: 1.6%
India 1.0% / —
Ballina — India: 1.0% Kinvara — India: not among its largest
Philippines 0.7% / —
Ballina — Philippines: 0.7% Kinvara — Philippines: not among its largest
South Africa 0.4% / —
Ballina — South Africa: 0.4% Kinvara — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.6%).

Qualifications

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

Ballina Kinvara
Certificate III & IV 15.9% / 14.5%
Ballina — Certificate III & IV: 15.9% Kinvara — Certificate III & IV: 14.5%
Bachelor Degree 9.3% / 13.5%
Ballina — Bachelor Degree: 9.3% Kinvara — Bachelor Degree: 13.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 9.8%
Ballina — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Kinvara — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / 5.7%
Ballina — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% Kinvara — Postgraduate Degree: 5.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 2.1%
Ballina — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Kinvara — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ballina 52.6% houses
Ballina — Houses: 52.6% Ballina — Townhouses: 32.8% Ballina — Flats / Apartments: 14.6%
Kinvara 95.8% houses
Kinvara — Houses: 95.8% Kinvara — Townhouses: 0.0% Kinvara — Flats / Apartments: 4.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ballina Kinvara
Median house price $950,000 $1,802,500
Median unit price $675,000 —
Median land price $705,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 72 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Kinvara has more rural and farming land (70% vs 22%); Ballina has more land zoned for conservation (27% vs 17%).

Ballina Kinvara
Rural and farming 22% 70%
Environmental 27% 17%
Residential 17% 10%
Other and special use 15% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 0%
Parks and recreation 5% 0%
Industrial 4% 0%
Commercial 2% 0%
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

Ballina Kinvara
New dwellings approved 238
across Ballina
same for both
Approvals change year on year +210%
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.

Ballina Kinvara
Houses 4.1%
$750/wk on $945K
 —
Units 4.8%
$600/wk on $652K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Ballina Kinvara
House price Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Income Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 61% of NSW
Schools Higher than 29% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 26% of NSW Higher than 18% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 82% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 78% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 56% of NSW —

Liveability

Ballina is more walkable (28 vs 10).

Ballina Kinvara
Grade D —
Score 26/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Ballina Kinvara
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
94/100
 High
87/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
49/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Ballina Kinvara
Inside the suburb 5 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Ballina

  • Ballina Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Richmond Christian College Independent · Combined at peers
  • St Francis Xavier Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Ballina Coast High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Biala Special School Independent · Combined · Special school

Schools in Kinvara

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Ballina Kinvara
Supermarkets 7 0
Cafes & restaurants 20 0
Parks & reserves 17 0
Childcare 7 0
GPs 8 0
Pharmacies 5 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 11 0
Fuel stations 4 0
EV chargers 2 0
Waterways 8 4

Mobility

Kinvara sits further from the CBD (737.6 km vs 733.3 km).

Ballina Kinvara
Walkability score 28/100 10/100
Distance to Sydney 733.3 km 737.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 475 min 474 min
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 2478
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 66
postcode 2478
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.

Ballina Kinvara
Car (driver) 71.6% / 52.7%
Ballina — Car (driver): 71.6% Kinvara — Car (driver): 52.7%
Worked from Home 12.5% / 38.7%
Ballina — Worked from Home: 12.5% Kinvara — Worked from Home: 38.7%
Walked Only 6.5% / 8.6%
Ballina — Walked Only: 6.5% Kinvara — Walked Only: 8.6%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / —
Ballina — Car (passenger): 5.4% Kinvara — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bicycle 3.5% / —
Ballina — Bicycle: 3.5% Kinvara — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.6%).

Setting

Ballina Kinvara
Elevation 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.1 km
3.3 km to a named beach
 4.6 km

NBN connectivity

Ballina Kinvara
Connectivity score 84/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 29%
6,742 premises
 0%
93 premises

Council rates

Ballina Kinvara
Average residential rate $1,264/yr
same for both
Council Ballina
same for both

Federal electorate

Ballina Kinvara
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ballina Kinvara
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ballina

Regional Centre Retirees Townhouses

Kinvara

Premium Rural

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Kinvara

Kinvara vs Lennox Head Kinvara vs Cumbalum Kinvara vs Tintenbar Kinvara vs Knockrow
Full data on Ballina Full data on Kinvara
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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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