East Wardell vs Wardell

East Wardell is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 47 in Wardell. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Wardell tends to suit people living alone.

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

  • East Wardell has more separate houses rather than flats (93% vs 78%)
  • Wardell has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

East Wardell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (23% vs 28%)

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

Commuting to the city

East Wardell

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (712.4 km vs 723 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (466 min vs 471 min)
  • But Wardell is more walkable (26/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wardell

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (26/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (22% vs 7%)

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

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

East Wardell and 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.

East Wardell 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.

East Wardell Wardell
Walkability 0 / 26
East Wardell — Walkability: 0/100 Wardell — Walkability: 26/100
Safety 11 / 11
East Wardell — Safety: 11/100 Wardell — Safety: 11/100
Low fire risk 88 / 51
East Wardell — Low fire risk: 88/100 Wardell — Low fire risk: 51/100

Demographics

Wardell has more residents (830 vs 312); East Wardell has higher household incomes ($80,600 vs $65,208).

East Wardell Wardell
Population 312 830
+166% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.3% -0.2%
Median age 44 47
Median household income $80,600/yr
+19% vs other
 $65,208/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

East Wardell Wardell
0-4 6.4% / 4.9%
East Wardell — 0-4: 6.4% Wardell — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 11.2% / 11.4%
East Wardell — 5-14: 11.2% Wardell — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 5.8% / 4.9%
East Wardell — 15-19: 5.8% Wardell — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 7.1% / 5.5%
East Wardell — 20-24: 7.1% Wardell — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 9.9% / 9.5%
East Wardell — 25-34: 9.9% Wardell — 25-34: 9.5%
35-44 9.3% / 9.6%
East Wardell — 35-44: 9.3% Wardell — 35-44: 9.6%
45-54 12.8% / 14.3%
East Wardell — 45-54: 12.8% Wardell — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 18.6% / 18.2%
East Wardell — 55-64: 18.6% Wardell — 55-64: 18.2%
65-74 12.5% / 13.6%
East Wardell — 65-74: 12.5% Wardell — 65-74: 13.6%
75-84 4.2% / 6.4%
East Wardell — 75-84: 4.2% Wardell — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ 1.3% / 1.8%
East Wardell — 85+: 1.3% Wardell — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

East Wardell 39.1% couple families
East Wardell — Couple Families: 39.1% East Wardell — Lone Person: 27.6% East Wardell — One Parent Families: 18.4% East Wardell — Group Household: 9.2% East Wardell — Other Families: 5.7%
Wardell 28.8% couple families
Wardell — Couple Families: 28.8% Wardell — Lone Person: 37.4% Wardell — One Parent Families: 20.5% Wardell — Group Household: 9.1% Wardell — Other Families: 4.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

East Wardell 26.9% renting
East Wardell — Owned Outright: 42.6% East Wardell — Mortgage: 30.6% East Wardell — Renting: 26.9%
Wardell 33.9% renting
Wardell — Owned Outright: 34.2% Wardell — Mortgage: 31.8% Wardell — Renting: 33.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

East Wardell Wardell
Certificate III & IV 24.7% / 20.1%
East Wardell — Certificate III & IV: 24.7% Wardell — Certificate III & IV: 20.1%
Bachelor Degree 8.7% / 5.4%
East Wardell — Bachelor Degree: 8.7% Wardell — Bachelor Degree: 5.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.1% / 5.9%
East Wardell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1% Wardell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / 1.2%
East Wardell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% Wardell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.8%
East Wardell — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Wardell — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%

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.

East Wardell Wardell
England 3.2% / 3.4%
East Wardell — England: 3.2% Wardell — England: 3.4%
New Zealand 1.0% / 1.4%
East Wardell — New Zealand: 1.0% Wardell — New Zealand: 1.4%
Italy 1.3% / 0.4%
East Wardell — Italy: 1.3% Wardell — Italy: 0.4%
Brazil — / 0.5%
East Wardell — Brazil: not among its largest Wardell — Brazil: 0.5%
Philippines — / 0.4%
East Wardell — Philippines: not among its largest Wardell — Philippines: 0.4%
South Africa — / 0.4%
East Wardell — South Africa: not among its largest Wardell — South Africa: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

East Wardell 92.9% houses
East Wardell — Houses: 92.9% East Wardell — Flats / Apartments: 1.8% East Wardell — Townhouses: 5.4%
Wardell 77.7% houses
Wardell — Houses: 77.7% Wardell — Flats / Apartments: 19.1% Wardell — Townhouses: 3.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

East Wardell Wardell
Median house price $855,000 $800,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $329,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 172 days
from 4 sales
 77 days
from 7 sales

Zoning mix

East Wardell has more rural and farming land (79% vs 38%); Wardell has more land zoned for conservation (19% vs 6%).

East Wardell Wardell
Rural and farming 79% 38%
Other and special use 15% 41%
Environmental 6% 19%
Residential 1%
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

East Wardell Wardell
New dwellings approved 238
across Ballina
same for both
Approvals change year on year +210%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

East Wardell Wardell
House price Higher than 32% of NSW
same for both
Income Higher than 48% of NSW Higher than 27% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 5% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW

Liveability

Wardell is more walkable (26 vs 0).

East Wardell Wardell
Grade — D
Score — 16/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Wardell carries more bushfire risk (49 vs 12).

East Wardell Wardell
Bushfire Low
12/100
 Moderate
49/100
Crime High
89/100
same for both
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
30/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

East Wardell Wardell
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in East Wardell

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

Schools in Wardell

  • Wardell Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Cabbage Tree Island Public School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

East Wardell Wardell
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 4
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 4 8

Mobility

Wardell sits further from the CBD (723 km vs 712.4 km).

East Wardell Wardell
Walkability score 0/100 26/100
Distance to Sydney 712.4 km 723 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 466 min 471 min
Public transport score 22/100
Bus
 38/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 4.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 14.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
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.

East Wardell Wardell
Car (driver) 65.7% / 78.8%
East Wardell — Car (driver): 65.7% Wardell — Car (driver): 78.8%
Worked from Home 19.7% / 13.6%
East Wardell — Worked from Home: 19.7% Wardell — Worked from Home: 13.6%
Car (passenger) 4.4% / 4.4%
East Wardell — Car (passenger): 4.4% Wardell — Car (passenger): 4.4%
Bicycle 7.3% / —
East Wardell — Bicycle: 7.3% Wardell — Bicycle: not among its largest
Walked Only 2.9% / 3.3%
East Wardell — Walked Only: 2.9% Wardell — Walked Only: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (78.8%).

Setting

East Wardell Wardell
Elevation 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.7 km 5.0 km

NBN connectivity

East Wardell Wardell
Connectivity score 30/100 39/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
131 premises
 13%
420 premises

Council rates

East Wardell Wardell
Average residential rate $1,264/yr
same for both
Council Ballina
same for both

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

East Wardell

Coastal Rural

Wardell

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with East Wardell

East Wardell vs Broadwater East Wardell vs Empire Vale

Other comparisons with Wardell

Wardell vs Broadwater Wardell vs Meerschaum Vale Wardell vs Pimlico Wardell vs Empire Vale Wardell vs Coolgardie Wardell vs Cabbage Tree Island
Full data on East Wardell Full data on Wardell
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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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