Located in New South Wales, Wardell sits 723 km from Sydney CBD, around 7 hours 50 minutes by car. The suburb has 830 residents, a median age of 47, and a median household income of $65,208 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $350 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,569. Wardell is characterised by high crime risk. 2 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Wardell a good suburb?
Wardell scores a D (16/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit, safety, and community.
Mixed results
2 schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 26/100 · 723 km · 471 min drive to Sydney
Around the state median
Median $800K
High crime risk
Fire 49/100 · Crime 89/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 47 · 830 residents
Liveability Rating
16 / 100 · Ranked #1519 in NSWEach bar is Wardell's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Wardell?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
16 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataWardell's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $800,000, about 10% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$800,000
13% above its 3 neighbours (median $710,000)
Based on 21 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 77 days — median across 7 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 10 sales $774K
Land
$329,000
Based on only 8 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Rental Market
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $800/wk
- 23 bonds
- +22% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2477 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202588 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 34% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2477.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Short-Stay Rentals
1 active Airbnb listing: 1 whole home and 0 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.3% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Wardell safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Wardell sits in the high band, with 100 incidents recorded in 2025 — up about 8% on the prior year.
100 offences
7.5% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20254 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Ballina Shire Council has published 6 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Schools
Two schools serve Wardell, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 45 students across 2 schools (avg 22)
- • ICSEA 694-952, median 823 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Wardell Public School (24 students)
Primary
Walkability
Wardell is car-dependent on foot — at 26/100, most errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Wardell.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 14.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 3.3 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.1 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 13.6 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Wardell.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 13%
- Premises covered
- 420
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Ballina: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Wardell is home to 830 residents, with a median age of 47, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $65,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.6%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
830
Median Age
47
Median Household Income
$65,208/yr
Census Median Rent
$350/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,569/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$33,384/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.6%
Unoccupied Dwellings
6.7%
Total Dwellings
314
Owner-Occupier Rate
66.1%
Houses
77.7%
Rental Stress
27.9%
Mortgage Stress
28.9%
Work From Home
13.6%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 81.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.3%
- Employment Rate
- 50.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 28.1%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
3 residents (0.4%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,264 a year through Ballina based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Other and special use 41%
- Rural and farming 38%
- Environmental 19%
- Residential 1%
- Zones under 1% 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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Ballina
In the year to August 2026, 238 new dwellings were approved across Ballina. That mix is 154 houses and 84 units. Approvals are up 210.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Jali Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Setting
- Elevation
- 2 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 5.0 km
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 2477, 70 of 10,190 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.8% (286 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2477, 3,981 rooftop-solar systems totalling 23.5 MW have been installed since 2001, against 5,294 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 204 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in postcode 2477.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $800,000 this is $200,000 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Kevin Hogan The Nationals
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Kevin Hogan | 40.7% | 59.3% | +1.4 |
| 2022 | Kevin Hogan | 39.3% | 60.7% | +1.3 |
| 2019 | Kevin Hogan | 40.5% | 59.5% | +7.2 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Tamara Smith The Greens
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tamara Smith GRN | 57.7% |
| 2019 | Tamara Smith GRN | 55.4% |
| 2015 | Tamara Smith GRN | 53.1% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Wardell?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 830 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
- #2 in Best Ballina suburbs for good public primary schools
- #8 in Ballina suburbs with the best public transport
- #9 in Ballina suburbs that grew fastest, 2016-2021
- #9 in Ballina suburbs that added the most residents, 2016-2021
- #9 in Most walkable suburbs in Ballina
- #9 in Ballina suburbs with the best NBN connectivity
Nearby suburbs
Broadwater NSW 2472
Meerschaum Vale NSW 2477
Pimlico NSW 2478
East Wardell NSW 2477
Empire Vale NSW 2478
Coolgardie NSW 2478
Compare Wardell to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Wardell
Is Wardell a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Wardell is high (89/100, ranked against other NSW suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Wardell?
Wardell has a moderate recorded bushfire history (49/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Wardell a good place to live?
Wardell has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (16/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Wardell?
Wardell, NSW had a population of 830 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Wardell, NSW?
The postcode for Wardell, NSW is 2477.
How far is Wardell from Sydney?
Wardell is 723 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 471 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Wardell?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Wardell was $65,208 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Wardell?
There are too few current rental listings in Wardell for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $350, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Wardell?
The median age of residents in Wardell was 47 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Wardell at risk of bushfire?
Wardell has a moderate recorded bushfire history (49/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Wardell?
There are 2 schools inside the Wardell boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Wardell walkable?
Wardell scores 26/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Wardell?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Wardell belong to?
Wardell sits within the Ballina local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Wardell?
The average residential rates bill through Ballina is $1,264 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Wardell?
Across Ballina, 238 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 210.0% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Wardell in?
Wardell sits within the federal Division of Page, currently held by Kevin Hogan (The Nationals).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2023
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.