Meerschaum Vale vs Wardell

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Meerschaum Vale, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Meerschaum Vale: a median of $1.12 million, against $800,000 in Wardell, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Meerschaum Vale tends to suit couples, while Wardell suits people living alone 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

Meerschaum Vale

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 89/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 49%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 78%)
  • But Wardell has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Meerschaum Vale leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 29%)
  • Wardell has cheaper houses ($800,000 vs $1,125,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Wardell

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (34% vs 15%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $435/wk)
  • But Meerschaum Vale leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 28%)

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

  • has a shorter drive in (466 min vs 471 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (715.4 km vs 723 km)
  • But Wardell is more walkable (26/100 vs 14/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wardell

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (22% vs 3%)
  • is more walkable (26/100 vs 14/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 15%)
  • But Meerschaum Vale carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 89/100)

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

Investors

Wardell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-0.2% vs -6.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Meerschaum Vale 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.

Meerschaum Vale 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.

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Walkability 14 / 26
Meerschaum Vale — Walkability: 14/100 Wardell — Walkability: 26/100
Safety 68 / 11
Meerschaum Vale — Safety: 68/100 Wardell — Safety: 11/100
Low fire risk 51 / 51
Meerschaum Vale — Low fire risk: 51/100 Wardell — Low fire risk: 51/100

Demographics

Wardell has more residents (830 vs 372); Meerschaum Vale has higher household incomes ($102,336 vs $65,208).

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Population 372 830
+123% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -6.3% -0.2%
Median age 47
same for both
Median household income $102,336/yr
+36% vs other
 $65,208/yr
Median weekly rent $435/wk
+20% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
0-4 4.3% / 4.9%
Meerschaum Vale — 0-4: 4.3% Wardell — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 9.7% / 11.4%
Meerschaum Vale — 5-14: 9.7% Wardell — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 7.5% / 4.9%
Meerschaum Vale — 15-19: 7.5% Wardell — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 5.4% / 5.5%
Meerschaum Vale — 20-24: 5.4% Wardell — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 8.1% / 9.5%
Meerschaum Vale — 25-34: 8.1% Wardell — 25-34: 9.5%
35-44 12.4% / 9.6%
Meerschaum Vale — 35-44: 12.4% Wardell — 35-44: 9.6%
45-54 17.7% / 14.3%
Meerschaum Vale — 45-54: 17.7% Wardell — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 18.3% / 18.2%
Meerschaum Vale — 55-64: 18.3% Wardell — 55-64: 18.2%
65-74 11.3% / 13.6%
Meerschaum Vale — 65-74: 11.3% Wardell — 65-74: 13.6%
75-84 4.0% / 6.4%
Meerschaum Vale — 75-84: 4.0% Wardell — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ — / 1.8%
Meerschaum Vale — 85+: not among its largest Wardell — 85+: 1.8%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

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% Meerschaum Vale — Other Families: 0.0%
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.

Meerschaum Vale 15.4% renting
Meerschaum Vale — Owned Outright: 45.5% Meerschaum Vale — Mortgage: 39.0% Meerschaum Vale — Renting: 15.4%
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.

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Certificate III & IV 24.5% / 20.1%
Meerschaum Vale — Certificate III & IV: 24.5% Wardell — Certificate III & IV: 20.1%
Bachelor Degree 12.1% / 5.4%
Meerschaum Vale — Bachelor Degree: 12.1% Wardell — Bachelor Degree: 5.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 5.9%
Meerschaum Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Wardell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.7% / 1.8%
Meerschaum Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7% Wardell — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 1.2%
Meerschaum Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Wardell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

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.

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
England 3.2% / 3.4%
Meerschaum Vale — England: 3.2% Wardell — England: 3.4%
New Zealand — / 1.4%
Meerschaum Vale — New Zealand: not among its largest Wardell — New Zealand: 1.4%
South Africa 0.8% / 0.4%
Meerschaum Vale — South Africa: 0.8% Wardell — South Africa: 0.4%
Netherlands 1.1% / —
Meerschaum Vale — Netherlands: 1.1% Wardell — Netherlands: not among its largest
Scotland 0.8% / —
Meerschaum Vale — Scotland: 0.8% Wardell — Scotland: not among its largest
Brazil — / 0.5%
Meerschaum Vale — Brazil: not among its largest Wardell — Brazil: 0.5%
Philippines — / 0.4%
Meerschaum Vale — Philippines: not among its largest Wardell — Philippines: 0.4%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Meerschaum Vale 97.0% houses
Meerschaum Vale — Houses: 97.0% Meerschaum Vale — Flats / Apartments: 3.0% Meerschaum Vale — Townhouses: 0.0%
Wardell 77.7% houses
Wardell — Houses: 77.7% Wardell — Flats / Apartments: 19.1% Wardell — Townhouses: 3.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Median house price $1,125,000 $800,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $329,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 77 days
from 7 sales

Zoning mix

Meerschaum Vale has more rural and farming land (65% vs 38%).

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Rural and farming 65% 38%
Other and special use 21% 41%
Environmental 14% 19%
Residential 0% 1%
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

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

Ranking within NSW

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
House price Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
Income Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 27% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 68% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW

Liveability

Wardell is more walkable (26 vs 14).

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Grade — D
Score — 16/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Wardell carries more crime risk (89 vs 32).

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Bushfire Moderate
49/100
same for both
Crime Low
32/100
 High
89/100
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

Meerschaum Vale 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 Meerschaum Vale

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

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 0 4
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 3 8

Mobility

Wardell sits further from the CBD (723 km vs 715.4 km).

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Walkability score 14/100 26/100
Distance to Sydney 715.4 km 723 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 466 min 471 min
Public transport score 21/100
Bus
 38/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 5.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 14.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1.5 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.

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Car (driver) 76.6% / 78.8%
Meerschaum Vale — Car (driver): 76.6% Wardell — Car (driver): 78.8%
Worked from Home 16.2% / 13.6%
Meerschaum Vale — Worked from Home: 16.2% Wardell — Worked from Home: 13.6%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 4.4%
Meerschaum Vale — Car (passenger): 3.9% Wardell — Car (passenger): 4.4%
Walked Only 3.2% / 3.3%
Meerschaum Vale — Walked Only: 3.2% Wardell — Walked Only: 3.3%

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

Setting

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.6 km 5.0 km

NBN connectivity

Meerschaum Vale Wardell
Connectivity score 29/100 39/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
137 premises
 13%
420 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Meerschaum Vale

Rural

Wardell

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Meerschaum Vale

Meerschaum Vale vs Uralba Meerschaum Vale vs Dalwood Meerschaum Vale vs Lynwood Meerschaum Vale vs Marom Creek Meerschaum Vale vs Coolgardie Meerschaum Vale vs Bagotville

Other comparisons with Wardell

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