Dalwood vs Meerschaum Vale

Meerschaum Vale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 50 in Dalwood. 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 Dalwood: a median of $2 million, against $1.12 million in Meerschaum Vale, though rent is higher in Meerschaum Vale. On these figures, Dalwood tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Meerschaum Vale suits 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

Meerschaum Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 60%)

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

First-home buyers

Meerschaum Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,125,000 vs $2,000,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Dalwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($380/wk vs $435/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Meerschaum Vale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (715.4 km vs 732.4 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (466 min vs 476 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dalwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (25% vs 15%)

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

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

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
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.

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Walkability 14 / 14
Dalwood — Walkability: 14/100 Meerschaum Vale — Walkability: 14/100
Low fire risk 100 / 51
Dalwood — Low fire risk: 100/100 Meerschaum Vale — Low fire risk: 51/100

Demographics

Meerschaum Vale has more residents (372 vs 218); Meerschaum Vale rents higher ($435/wk vs $380/wk).

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Population 218 372
+71% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -6.8% -6.3%
Median age 50 47
Median household income $113,412/yr
+10% vs other
 $102,336/yr
Median weekly rent $380/wk $435/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
0-4 1.4% / 4.3%
Dalwood — 0-4: 1.4% Meerschaum Vale — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 12.4% / 9.7%
Dalwood — 5-14: 12.4% Meerschaum Vale — 5-14: 9.7%
15-19 4.1% / 7.5%
Dalwood — 15-19: 4.1% Meerschaum Vale — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 2.3% / 5.4%
Dalwood — 20-24: 2.3% Meerschaum Vale — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 6.4% / 8.1%
Dalwood — 25-34: 6.4% Meerschaum Vale — 25-34: 8.1%
35-44 12.8% / 12.4%
Dalwood — 35-44: 12.8% Meerschaum Vale — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 13.3% / 17.7%
Dalwood — 45-54: 13.3% Meerschaum Vale — 45-54: 17.7%
55-64 20.2% / 18.3%
Dalwood — 55-64: 20.2% Meerschaum Vale — 55-64: 18.3%
65-74 16.5% / 11.3%
Dalwood — 65-74: 16.5% Meerschaum Vale — 65-74: 11.3%
75-84 6.4% / 4.0%
Dalwood — 75-84: 6.4% Meerschaum Vale — 75-84: 4.0%
85+ 2.3% / —
Dalwood — 85+: 2.3% Meerschaum Vale — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dalwood 59.5% couple families
Dalwood — Couple Families: 59.5% Dalwood — Lone Person: 40.5% Dalwood — One Parent Families: 0.0% Dalwood — Group Household: 0.0%
Meerschaum Vale 57.5% couple families
Meerschaum Vale — Couple Families: 57.5% Meerschaum Vale — Lone Person: 23.8% Meerschaum Vale — One Parent Families: 13.8% Meerschaum Vale — Group Household: 5.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dalwood 18.9% renting
Dalwood — Owned Outright: 59.5% Dalwood — Mortgage: 21.6% Dalwood — Renting: 18.9%
Meerschaum Vale 15.4% renting
Meerschaum Vale — Owned Outright: 45.5% Meerschaum Vale — Mortgage: 39.0% Meerschaum Vale — Renting: 15.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Certificate III & IV 16.1% / 24.5%
Dalwood — Certificate III & IV: 16.1% Meerschaum Vale — Certificate III & IV: 24.5%
Bachelor Degree 13.3% / 12.1%
Dalwood — Bachelor Degree: 13.3% Meerschaum Vale — Bachelor Degree: 12.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.6% / 8.1%
Dalwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.6% Meerschaum Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Postgraduate Degree 5.0% / 2.7%
Dalwood — Postgraduate Degree: 5.0% Meerschaum Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 2.4%
Dalwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Meerschaum Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.5%).

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.

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
England 5.5% / 3.2%
Dalwood — England: 5.5% Meerschaum Vale — England: 3.2%
Canada 1.8% / —
Dalwood — Canada: 1.8% Meerschaum Vale — Canada: not among its largest
Thailand 1.4% / —
Dalwood — Thailand: 1.4% Meerschaum Vale — Thailand: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 1.1%
Dalwood — Netherlands: not among its largest Meerschaum Vale — Netherlands: 1.1%
South Africa — / 0.8%
Dalwood — South Africa: not among its largest Meerschaum Vale — South Africa: 0.8%
Scotland — / 0.8%
Dalwood — Scotland: not among its largest Meerschaum Vale — Scotland: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dalwood 96.5% houses
Dalwood — Houses: 96.5% Dalwood — Flats / Apartments: 3.5%
Meerschaum Vale 97.0% houses
Meerschaum Vale — Houses: 97.0% Meerschaum Vale — Flats / Apartments: 3.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Median house price $2,000,000 $1,125,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Dalwood has more rural and farming land (88% vs 65%).

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Rural and farming 88% 65%
Other and special use 7% 21%
Environmental 4% 14%
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

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
New dwellings approved 238
across Ballina
same for both
Approvals change year on year +210%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
House price Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Income Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 63% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW

Liveability

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Meerschaum Vale carries more bushfire risk (49 vs 0).

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
49/100
Crime — Low
32/100
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

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
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

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 3
same for both

Mobility

Dalwood sits further from the CBD (732.4 km vs 715.4 km).

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Walkability score 14/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 732.4 km
+2% vs other
 715.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 476 min 466 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2477
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 75
postcode 2477
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.

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Car (driver) 52.6% / 76.6%
Dalwood — Car (driver): 52.6% Meerschaum Vale — Car (driver): 76.6%
Worked from Home 36.0% / 16.2%
Dalwood — Worked from Home: 36.0% Meerschaum Vale — Worked from Home: 16.2%
Walked Only 7.9% / 3.2%
Dalwood — Walked Only: 7.9% Meerschaum Vale — Walked Only: 3.2%
Car (passenger) 3.5% / 3.9%
Dalwood — Car (passenger): 3.5% Meerschaum Vale — Car (passenger): 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.6%).

Setting

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Elevation 164 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.8 km 9.6 km

NBN connectivity

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Connectivity score 30/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
97 premises
 0%
137 premises

Council rates

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Average residential rate $1,264/yr
same for both
Council Ballina
same for both

Federal electorate

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dalwood Meerschaum Vale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dalwood

Retirees River Rural

Meerschaum Vale

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dalwood

Dalwood vs Rous Dalwood vs Lynwood Dalwood vs Rous Mill Dalwood vs Marom Creek

Other comparisons with Meerschaum Vale

Meerschaum Vale vs Wardell Meerschaum Vale vs Uralba Meerschaum Vale vs Lynwood Meerschaum Vale vs Marom Creek Meerschaum Vale vs Coolgardie Meerschaum Vale vs Bagotville
Full data on Dalwood Full data on Meerschaum Vale
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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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