Lynwood vs Meerschaum Vale

Meerschaum Vale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 50 in Lynwood. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Lynwood tends to suit 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

Lynwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 32/100)

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

Lynwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($400/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 733.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (466 min vs 476 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lynwood

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 32/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 15%)

Weighs 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

Lynwood 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.

Lynwood 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.

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
Walkability 14 / 14
Lynwood — Walkability: 14/100 Meerschaum Vale — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 90 / 68
Lynwood — Safety: 90/100 Meerschaum Vale — Safety: 68/100
Low fire risk 100 / 51
Lynwood — Low fire risk: 100/100 Meerschaum Vale — Low fire risk: 51/100

Demographics

Meerschaum Vale has more residents (372 vs 215); Lynwood skews older (50 vs 47).

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
Population 215 372
+73% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -5.7% -6.3%
Median age 50 47
Median household income $101,192/yr $102,336/yr
+1% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk $435/wk
+9% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
0-4 6.5% / 4.3%
Lynwood — 0-4: 6.5% Meerschaum Vale — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 9.8% / 9.7%
Lynwood — 5-14: 9.8% Meerschaum Vale — 5-14: 9.7%
15-19 4.2% / 7.5%
Lynwood — 15-19: 4.2% Meerschaum Vale — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 4.2% / 5.4%
Lynwood — 20-24: 4.2% Meerschaum Vale — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 9.8% / 8.1%
Lynwood — 25-34: 9.8% Meerschaum Vale — 25-34: 8.1%
35-44 5.6% / 12.4%
Lynwood — 35-44: 5.6% Meerschaum Vale — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 15.8% / 17.7%
Lynwood — 45-54: 15.8% Meerschaum Vale — 45-54: 17.7%
55-64 13.0% / 18.3%
Lynwood — 55-64: 13.0% Meerschaum Vale — 55-64: 18.3%
65-74 14.4% / 11.3%
Lynwood — 65-74: 14.4% Meerschaum Vale — 65-74: 11.3%
75-84 11.6% / 4.0%
Lynwood — 75-84: 11.6% Meerschaum Vale — 75-84: 4.0%
85+ 4.2% / —
Lynwood — 85+: 4.2% Meerschaum Vale — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lynwood 56.9% couple families
Lynwood — Couple Families: 56.9% Lynwood — Lone Person: 13.7% Lynwood — One Parent Families: 21.6% Lynwood — Other Families: 7.8% Lynwood — 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 — Other Families: 0.0% Meerschaum Vale — Group Household: 5.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lynwood 13.6% renting
Lynwood — Owned Outright: 56.1% Lynwood — Mortgage: 30.3% Lynwood — Renting: 13.6%
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

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.

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
England 5.1% / 3.2%
Lynwood — England: 5.1% Meerschaum Vale — England: 3.2%
India 1.9% / —
Lynwood — India: 1.9% Meerschaum Vale — India: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 1.1%
Lynwood — Netherlands: not among its largest Meerschaum Vale — Netherlands: 1.1%
South Africa — / 0.8%
Lynwood — South Africa: not among its largest Meerschaum Vale — South Africa: 0.8%
Scotland — / 0.8%
Lynwood — Scotland: not among its largest Meerschaum Vale — Scotland: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).

Qualifications

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

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
Certificate III & IV 15.8% / 24.5%
Lynwood — Certificate III & IV: 15.8% Meerschaum Vale — Certificate III & IV: 24.5%
Bachelor Degree 12.6% / 12.1%
Lynwood — Bachelor Degree: 12.6% Meerschaum Vale — Bachelor Degree: 12.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 13.5% / 8.1%
Lynwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 13.5% Meerschaum Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Postgraduate Degree 4.2% / 2.7%
Lynwood — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2% Meerschaum Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.2% / 2.4%
Lynwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2% Meerschaum Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lynwood 100.0% houses
Lynwood — Houses: 100.0% Lynwood — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Meerschaum Vale 97.0% houses
Meerschaum Vale — Houses: 97.0% Meerschaum Vale — Flats / Apartments: 3.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
Median house price $1,138,000 $1,125,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Lynwood has more rural and farming land (94% vs 65%); Meerschaum Vale has more land zoned for conservation (14% vs 1%).

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
Rural and farming 94% 65%
Other and special use 4% 21%
Environmental 1% 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

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

Ranking within NSW

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
House price Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Income Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 63% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW

Liveability

Lynwood 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); Meerschaum Vale carries more crime risk (32 vs 10).

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
49/100
Crime Low
10/100
 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

Lynwood 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

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Waterways 5 3

Mobility

Lynwood sits further from the CBD (733.5 km vs 715.4 km).

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
Walkability score 14/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 733.5 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.

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
Car (driver) 58.2% / 76.6%
Lynwood — Car (driver): 58.2% Meerschaum Vale — Car (driver): 76.6%
Worked from Home 31.9% / 16.2%
Lynwood — Worked from Home: 31.9% Meerschaum Vale — Worked from Home: 16.2%
Car (passenger) 9.9% / 3.9%
Lynwood — Car (passenger): 9.9% Meerschaum Vale — Car (passenger): 3.9%
Walked Only — / 3.2%
Lynwood — Walked Only: not among its largest Meerschaum Vale — Walked Only: 3.2%

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

Setting

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
Elevation 154 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.9 km 9.6 km

NBN connectivity

Lynwood Meerschaum Vale
Connectivity score 31/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 1%
86 premises
 0%
137 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Lynwood

Retirees River Rural

Meerschaum Vale

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lynwood

Lynwood vs Alstonville Lynwood vs Uralba Lynwood vs Rous Lynwood vs Dalwood

Other comparisons with Meerschaum Vale

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