Cumbalum vs Tintenbar

Cumbalum is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 46 in Tintenbar. 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 Tintenbar: a median of $1.9 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, while Tintenbar suits older residents.

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 the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 53/100)

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

First-home buyers

Cumbalum

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,160,000 vs $1,900,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Tintenbar

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($555/wk vs $610/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Tintenbar

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (34/100 vs 18/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (738.3 km vs 741.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tintenbar

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (34/100 vs 18/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 13%)
  • But Cumbalum carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 53/100)

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

Where they sit

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

Cumbalum Tintenbar
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.

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Walkability 18 / 34
Cumbalum — Walkability: 18/100 Tintenbar — Walkability: 34/100
Safety 66 / 47
Cumbalum — Safety: 66/100 Tintenbar — Safety: 47/100
Low fire risk 67 / 100
Cumbalum — Low fire risk: 67/100 Tintenbar — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Cumbalum has more residents (2,211 vs 618); Tintenbar skews older (46 vs 37).

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Population 2,211
+72% vs other
 618
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +45.3% —
Median age 37 46
Median household income $112,840/yr
+13% vs other
 $98,592/yr
Median weekly rent $610/wk
+9% vs other
 $555/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cumbalum Tintenbar
0-4 6.7% / 4.7%
Cumbalum — 0-4: 6.7% Tintenbar — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 16.1% / 13.6%
Cumbalum — 5-14: 16.1% Tintenbar — 5-14: 13.6%
15-19 6.1% / 6.5%
Cumbalum — 15-19: 6.1% Tintenbar — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 5.0% / 3.4%
Cumbalum — 20-24: 5.0% Tintenbar — 20-24: 3.4%
25-34 11.8% / 7.4%
Cumbalum — 25-34: 11.8% Tintenbar — 25-34: 7.4%
35-44 15.7% / 11.2%
Cumbalum — 35-44: 15.7% Tintenbar — 35-44: 11.2%
45-54 13.7% / 14.6%
Cumbalum — 45-54: 13.7% Tintenbar — 45-54: 14.6%
55-64 11.0% / 14.4%
Cumbalum — 55-64: 11.0% Tintenbar — 55-64: 14.4%
65-74 8.8% / 15.0%
Cumbalum — 65-74: 8.8% Tintenbar — 65-74: 15.0%
75-84 3.8% / 7.0%
Cumbalum — 75-84: 3.8% Tintenbar — 75-84: 7.0%
85+ 0.6% / 1.8%
Cumbalum — 85+: 0.6% Tintenbar — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cumbalum 63.4% couple families
Cumbalum — Couple Families: 63.4% Cumbalum — Lone Person: 15.0% Cumbalum — One Parent Families: 15.8% Cumbalum — Group Household: 4.1% Cumbalum — Other Families: 1.8%
Tintenbar 59.7% couple families
Tintenbar — Couple Families: 59.7% Tintenbar — Lone Person: 21.6% Tintenbar — One Parent Families: 15.1% Tintenbar — Group Household: 3.6% Tintenbar — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cumbalum 18.1% renting
Cumbalum — Owned Outright: 32.9% Cumbalum — Mortgage: 49.0% Cumbalum — Renting: 18.1%
Tintenbar 13.6% renting
Tintenbar — Owned Outright: 53.9% Tintenbar — Mortgage: 32.5% Tintenbar — Renting: 13.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Bachelor Degree 14.0% / 16.7%
Cumbalum — Bachelor Degree: 14.0% Tintenbar — Bachelor Degree: 16.7%
Certificate III & IV 16.8% / 13.8%
Cumbalum — Certificate III & IV: 16.8% Tintenbar — Certificate III & IV: 13.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 9.9%
Cumbalum — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Tintenbar — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.6% / 6.0%
Cumbalum — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6% Tintenbar — Postgraduate Degree: 6.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 2.4%
Cumbalum — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Tintenbar — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

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.

Cumbalum Tintenbar
England 3.3% / 5.3%
Cumbalum — England: 3.3% Tintenbar — England: 5.3%
New Zealand 2.4% / 1.1%
Cumbalum — New Zealand: 2.4% Tintenbar — New Zealand: 1.1%
India 0.7% / 1.0%
Cumbalum — India: 0.7% Tintenbar — India: 1.0%
Scotland — / 1.5%
Cumbalum — Scotland: not among its largest Tintenbar — Scotland: 1.5%
France — / 1.5%
Cumbalum — France: not among its largest Tintenbar — France: 1.5%
Thailand 0.5% / 0.6%
Cumbalum — Thailand: 0.5% Tintenbar — Thailand: 0.6%
Philippines 0.7% / —
Cumbalum — Philippines: 0.7% Tintenbar — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cumbalum 93.7% houses
Cumbalum — Houses: 93.7% Cumbalum — Townhouses: 5.6% Cumbalum — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Tintenbar 100.0% houses
Tintenbar — Houses: 100.0% Tintenbar — Townhouses: 0.0% Tintenbar — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Median house price $1,160,000 $1,900,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $620,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 38 days
from 57 sales
 54 days
from 9 sales

Zoning mix

Tintenbar has more rural and farming land (94% vs 57%).

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Rural and farming 57% 94%
Other and special use 20% 4%
Residential 17% 0%
Environmental 5% 2%
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 Tintenbar
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.

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Houses 3.6%
$938/wk on $1.34M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Cumbalum Tintenbar
House price Higher than 60% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Income Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 62% 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 56% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 53% of NSW —

Liveability

Tintenbar is more walkable (34 vs 18); Tintenbar scores higher overall (56 vs 49).

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Grade B
same for both
Score 49/100 56/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Cumbalum carries more bushfire risk (33 vs 0); Tintenbar carries more crime risk (53 vs 34).

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Bushfire Low
33/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
34/100
 Moderate
53/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Cumbalum

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

Schools in Tintenbar

  • Teven-Tintenbar Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 1 13

Mobility

Cumbalum sits further from the CBD (741.3 km vs 738.3 km).

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Walkability score 18/100 34/100
Distance to Sydney 741.3 km 738.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 475 min 472 min
Public transport score 26/100
Bus
 22/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 6.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 5.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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.

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Car (driver) 76.0% / 66.9%
Cumbalum — Car (driver): 76.0% Tintenbar — Car (driver): 66.9%
Worked from Home 18.0% / 28.1%
Cumbalum — Worked from Home: 18.0% Tintenbar — Worked from Home: 28.1%
Car (passenger) 4.9% / 3.4%
Cumbalum — Car (passenger): 4.9% Tintenbar — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Walked Only — / 1.5%
Cumbalum — Walked Only: not among its largest Tintenbar — Walked Only: 1.5%
Bicycle 0.6% / —
Cumbalum — Bicycle: 0.6% Tintenbar — Bicycle: not among its largest
Bus 0.5% / —
Cumbalum — Bus: 0.5% Tintenbar — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.0%).

Setting

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Elevation 42 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 35 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.2 km 7.9 km

NBN connectivity

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Connectivity score 84/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 72%
1,204 premises
 0%
233 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cumbalum Tintenbar
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cumbalum

Acreage Family

Tintenbar

Acreage Premium River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cumbalum

Cumbalum vs Ballina Cumbalum vs West Ballina Cumbalum vs Teven Cumbalum vs Kinvara

Other comparisons with Tintenbar

Tintenbar vs Teven Tintenbar vs Fernleigh Tintenbar vs Brooklet Tintenbar vs Kinvara Tintenbar vs Knockrow
Full data on Cumbalum Full data on Tintenbar
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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