Broadwater vs East Wardell

East Wardell is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 50 in Broadwater. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Broadwater, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in East Wardell: a median of $855,000, against $710,000 in Broadwater, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Broadwater tends to suit people living alone 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

East Wardell

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (58% vs 43%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (93% vs 78%)
  • But Broadwater has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Broadwater has cheaper houses ($710,000 vs $855,000)
  • East Wardell leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 34%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Broadwater

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Broadwater

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (459 min vs 466 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (705.8 km vs 712.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Broadwater

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (22% vs 7%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 18%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Broadwater East Wardell
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.

Broadwater East Wardell
Walkability 0 / 0
Broadwater — Walkability: 0/100 East Wardell — Walkability: 0/100
Low fire risk 41 / 88
Broadwater — Low fire risk: 41/100 East Wardell — Low fire risk: 88/100

Demographics

Broadwater has more residents (670 vs 312); East Wardell has higher household incomes ($80,600 vs $55,692).

Broadwater East Wardell
Population 670
+53% vs other
 312
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.7% +2.3%
Median age 50 44
Median household income $55,692/yr $80,600/yr
+45% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk $350/wk
+40% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Broadwater East Wardell
0-4 3.7% / 6.4%
Broadwater — 0-4: 3.7% East Wardell — 0-4: 6.4%
5-14 12.1% / 11.2%
Broadwater — 5-14: 12.1% East Wardell — 5-14: 11.2%
15-19 4.5% / 5.8%
Broadwater — 15-19: 4.5% East Wardell — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 2.5% / 7.1%
Broadwater — 20-24: 2.5% East Wardell — 20-24: 7.1%
25-34 7.3% / 9.9%
Broadwater — 25-34: 7.3% East Wardell — 25-34: 9.9%
35-44 12.2% / 9.3%
Broadwater — 35-44: 12.2% East Wardell — 35-44: 9.3%
45-54 14.8% / 12.8%
Broadwater — 45-54: 14.8% East Wardell — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 18.7% / 18.6%
Broadwater — 55-64: 18.7% East Wardell — 55-64: 18.6%
65-74 16.6% / 12.5%
Broadwater — 65-74: 16.6% East Wardell — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 6.9% / 4.2%
Broadwater — 75-84: 6.9% East Wardell — 75-84: 4.2%
85+ 1.2% / 1.3%
Broadwater — 85+: 1.2% East Wardell — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Broadwater 47.0% lone person
Broadwater — Lone Person: 47.0% Broadwater — Couple Families: 29.8% Broadwater — One Parent Families: 13.6% Broadwater — Group Household: 7.1% Broadwater — Other Families: 2.5%
East Wardell 27.6% lone person
East Wardell — Lone Person: 27.6% East Wardell — Couple Families: 39.1% East Wardell — One Parent Families: 18.4% East Wardell — Group Household: 9.2% East Wardell — Other Families: 5.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Broadwater 24.6% renting
Broadwater — Owned Outright: 42.3% Broadwater — Mortgage: 33.1% Broadwater — Renting: 24.6%
East Wardell 26.9% renting
East Wardell — Owned Outright: 42.6% East Wardell — Mortgage: 30.6% East Wardell — Renting: 26.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Broadwater East Wardell
Certificate III & IV 20.0% / 24.7%
Broadwater — Certificate III & IV: 20.0% East Wardell — Certificate III & IV: 24.7%
Bachelor Degree 6.4% / 8.7%
Broadwater — Bachelor Degree: 6.4% East Wardell — Bachelor Degree: 8.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.5% / 6.1%
Broadwater — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.5% East Wardell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.0%
Broadwater — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% East Wardell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / —
Broadwater — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% East Wardell — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

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

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.

Broadwater East Wardell
England 2.4% / 3.2%
Broadwater — England: 2.4% East Wardell — England: 3.2%
New Zealand 0.6% / 1.0%
Broadwater — New Zealand: 0.6% East Wardell — New Zealand: 1.0%
Italy — / 1.3%
Broadwater — Italy: not among its largest East Wardell — Italy: 1.3%
Thailand 0.9% / —
Broadwater — Thailand: 0.9% East Wardell — Thailand: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.6% / —
Broadwater — Netherlands: 0.6% East Wardell — Netherlands: not among its largest
India 0.4% / —
Broadwater — India: 0.4% East Wardell — India: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Broadwater 78.3% houses
Broadwater — Houses: 78.3% Broadwater — Flats / Apartments: 21.7% Broadwater — Townhouses: 0.0%
East Wardell 92.9% houses
East Wardell — Houses: 92.9% East Wardell — Flats / Apartments: 1.8% East Wardell — Townhouses: 5.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Broadwater East Wardell
Median house price $710,000 $855,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $227,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 88 days
from 4 sales
 172 days
from 4 sales

Zoning mix

Broadwater has more land zoned for conservation (72% vs 6%); East Wardell has more rural and farming land (79% vs 26%).

Broadwater East Wardell
Rural and farming 26% 79%
Environmental 72% 6%
Other and special use 0% 15%
Infrastructure and transport 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

Broadwater East Wardell
New dwellings approved 24
across Richmond Valley
 238
across Ballina
Approvals change year on year -78% +210%

Ranking within NSW

Broadwater East Wardell
House price Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
Income Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 5% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 66% of NSW
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 68% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW

Liveability

Broadwater East Wardell
Grade D —
Score 13/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Broadwater carries more bushfire risk (59 vs 12).

Broadwater East Wardell
Bushfire Moderate
59/100
 Low
12/100
Crime — High
89/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
60/100
 Low
30/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Broadwater East Wardell
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Broadwater

  • Broadwater Public School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in East Wardell

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

Amenities in the suburb

Broadwater East Wardell
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 3 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 21 4

Mobility

East Wardell sits further from the CBD (712.4 km vs 705.8 km).

Broadwater East Wardell
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 705.8 km 712.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 459 min 466 min
Public transport score 29/100
Bus
 22/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 8.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2472
 0.7%
postcode 2477
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 79
postcode 2472
 75
postcode 2477

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.

Broadwater East Wardell
Car (driver) 72.5% / 65.7%
Broadwater — Car (driver): 72.5% East Wardell — Car (driver): 65.7%
Worked from Home 16.9% / 19.7%
Broadwater — Worked from Home: 16.9% East Wardell — Worked from Home: 19.7%
Car (passenger) 5.9% / 4.4%
Broadwater — Car (passenger): 5.9% East Wardell — Car (passenger): 4.4%
Walked Only 4.7% / 2.9%
Broadwater — Walked Only: 4.7% East Wardell — Walked Only: 2.9%
Bicycle — / 7.3%
Broadwater — Bicycle: not among its largest East Wardell — Bicycle: 7.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.5%).

Setting

Broadwater East Wardell
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.6 km
3.0 km to a named beach
 1.7 km

NBN connectivity

Broadwater East Wardell
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
270 premises
 0%
131 premises

Council rates

Broadwater East Wardell
Average residential rate $1,282/yr $1,264/yr
Council Richmond Valley Ballina

Federal electorate

Broadwater East Wardell
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Broadwater East Wardell
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Broadwater

Affordable Coastal Rural

East Wardell

Coastal Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Broadwater

Broadwater vs Evans Head Broadwater vs Wardell Broadwater vs Woodburn Broadwater vs Doonbah Broadwater vs Rileys Hill Broadwater vs Bagotville

Other comparisons with East Wardell

East Wardell vs Wardell East Wardell vs Empire Vale
Full data on Broadwater Full data on East Wardell
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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