Empire Vale vs Pimlico
Pimlico is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 48 in Empire Vale. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Pimlico: a median of $1 million, against $750,000 in Empire Vale, though rent is higher in Empire Vale. On these figures, Empire Vale tends to suit people living alone, older residents, 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
Empire Vale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (71/100 vs 86/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Empire Vale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($749,500 vs $1,002,500)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Pimlico
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (24% vs 36%)
- has cheaper rent ($395/wk vs $520/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Pimlico
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has a shorter drive in (464 min vs 475 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Empire Vale
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 17%)
- carries lower crime risk (71/100 vs 86/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Pimlico
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (20.5% vs 6.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Empire Vale and Pimlico 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
Pimlico has more residents (358 vs 185); Empire Vale rents higher ($520/wk vs $395/wk).
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 185 | 358 +94% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +6.9% | +20.5% |
| Median age | 48 | 41 |
| Median household income | $74,256/yr | $84,500/yr +14% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $520/wk +24% vs other | $395/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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 (3.8%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $749,500 | $1,002,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 77 days from 5 sales |
Zoning mix
Pimlico has more land zoned for conservation (16% vs 0%).
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 81% | 76% |
| Other and special use | 19% | 8% |
| Environmental | 0% | 16% |
| 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
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 238 across Ballina same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +210% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 36% of NSW same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 41% of NSW | Higher than 53% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 72% of NSW | Higher than 66% of NSW |
| Affordability | Higher than 56% of NSW | Higher than 66% of NSW |
| EV adoption | Higher than 82% of NSW same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 59% of NSW | Higher than 53% of NSW |
Liveability
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 |
Risk profile
Pimlico carries more crime risk (86 vs 71).
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 21/100 | Low 29/100 |
| Crime | High 71/100 | High 86/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | Low 11/100 | None 0/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
Schools in Empire Vale
- Empire Vale Public School Government · Primary below peers
Schools in Pimlico
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 1 | 37 |
Mobility
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 23/100 | 16/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 719.9 km | 720.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 475 min | 464 min |
| 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 (79.6%).
Setting
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 2 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 4 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 1.7 km | 4.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 81 premises | 0% 137 premises |
Council rates
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,264/yr same for both | |
| Council | Ballina same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Page | Richmond |
| Member | Kevin Hogan | Justine Elliot |
| Party | The Nationals | Australian Labor Party |
First Home Owner Grant
| Empire Vale | Pimlico | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Empire Vale
Other comparisons with Pimlico
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.