Bendemeer vs Balala
Bendemeer is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 56 in Balala. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bendemeer, about half of households are people living alone. In Balala, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Balala: a median of $572,000, against $500,000 in Bendemeer, though rent is higher in Bendemeer. On these figures, Bendemeer tends to suit people living alone, while Balala 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
- Bendemeer has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
- Balala is already more of a family suburb (57% vs 46%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Bendemeer
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($500,000 vs $572,500)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Balala
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 29%)
- has cheaper rent ($175/wk vs $300/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Bendemeer
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (338 min vs 366 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (454.7 km vs 472.5 km)
- But Balala is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Balala
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Bendemeer
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-1.2% vs -15.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Bendemeer and Balala drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Bendemeer has more residents (486 vs 122); Bendemeer rents higher ($300/wk vs $175/wk).
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 486 +75% vs other | 122 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -1.2% | -15.3% |
| Median age | 52 | 56 |
| Median household income | $53,092/yr | $71,500/yr +35% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk +42% vs other | $175/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.6%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.4%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $500,000 | $572,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $250,000 | — |
Zoning mix
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% same for both | |
| 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
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 390 across Tamworth | 17 across Uralla |
| Approvals change year on year | -35% | — |
Ranking within NSW
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 13% of NSW | Higher than 19% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 13% of NSW | Higher than 38% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 8% of NSW | Higher than 54% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 74% of NSW | Higher than 79% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 61% of NSW | Higher than 13% of NSW |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 39% of NSW | Higher than 20% of NSW |
Liveability
Balala is more walkable (8 vs 0).
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Bendemeer carries more bushfire risk (46 vs 36).
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 46/100 | Low 36/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 64/100 | Moderate 68/100 |
| 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
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
Schools in Bendemeer
- Bendemeer Public School Government · Primary below peers
Schools in Balala
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 5 | 0 |
| Childcare | 1 same for both | |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 23 | 4 |
Mobility
Balala sits further from the CBD (472.5 km vs 454.7 km).
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 8/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 454.7 km | 472.5 km +4% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 338 min | 366 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 2355 | 0.2% postcode 2358 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 40 postcode 2355 | 52 postcode 2358 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.3%).
Setting
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 820 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 888 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 27/100 | 15/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 228 premises | 0% 51 premises |
Climate
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 784 mm | 684 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 27.5°C | — |
| Winter min (Jul) | 0.1°C | — |
Council rates
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,397/yr | $699/yr |
| Council | Tamworth | Uralla |
Federal electorate
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | New England same for both | |
| Member | Barnaby Joyce same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Bendemeer | Balala | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Bendemeer
Balala
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Bendemeer
Other comparisons with Balala
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.