Cumbalum vs Teven
Cumbalum is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 46 in Teven. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Teven: a median of $2.06 million, against $1.16 million in Cumbalum, though rent is higher in Cumbalum. On these figures, Cumbalum tends to suit families with children 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
Cumbalum
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 44/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 65%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Cumbalum
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper houses ($1,160,000 vs $2,060,000)
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 30%)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Teven
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($400/wk vs $610/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 28%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Teven
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (733.4 km vs 741.3 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Cumbalum
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 44/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Cumbalum
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (45.3% vs 7.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Cumbalum and Teven 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
Cumbalum has more residents (2,211 vs 306); Cumbalum rents higher ($610/wk vs $400/wk).
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,211 +86% vs other | 306 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +45.3% | +7.0% |
| Median age | 37 | 46 |
| Median household income | $112,840/yr +16% vs other | $94,900/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $610/wk +34% vs other | $400/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).
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 (3.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,160,000 | $2,060,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $620,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 38 days from 57 sales | — |
Zoning mix
Teven has more rural and farming land (88% vs 57%).
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 57% | 88% |
| Other and special use | 20% | 7% |
| Residential | 17% | 0% |
| Environmental | 5% same for both | |
| Parks and recreation | 1% | 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
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 238 across Ballina same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +210% same for both | |
Gross rental yield
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 3.6% $938/wk on $1.34M | — |
| Units | — same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 60% of NSW | Higher than 82% of NSW |
| Income | Higher than 78% of NSW | — |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 69% of NSW | Higher than 66% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 62% of NSW | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 82% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 92% of NSW | Higher than 51% of NSW |
| Rental yield (houses) | Higher than 53% of NSW | — |
Liveability
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | B | — |
| Score | 49/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Cumbalum carries more bushfire risk (33 vs 0); Teven carries more crime risk (44 vs 34).
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 33/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Low 34/100 | Moderate 44/100 |
| 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 | 3 within 5 km | 2 within 5 km |
Schools
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 1 | 4 |
Mobility
Cumbalum sits further from the CBD (741.3 km vs 733.4 km).
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 18/100 | 16/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 741.3 km +1% vs other | 733.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 475 min | 471 min |
| Public transport score | 26/100 Bus same for both | |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 6.0 7-9am + 5-7pm | 7.8 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 2 min scheduled, not actual | 1 min scheduled, not actual |
| 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.0%).
Setting
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 42 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 48 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 5.2 km | 7.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 84/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 72% 1,204 premises | 0% 118 premises |
Council rates
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,264/yr same for both | |
| Council | Ballina same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Richmond same for both | |
| Member | Justine Elliot same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Cumbalum | Teven | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Cumbalum
Other comparisons with Teven
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.