Living in Ballina

Median personal income was A$737 per week in August 2021. The city covered 74 km² in 2016. Ballina, a city in Australia, had a population of 46,190 in August 2021.

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Ballina?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Ballina.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median rent was A$420 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,950 in August 2021.

What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	1 EUR/month	4 Aug 2026	Numbeo⁷Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	60 EUR/month	4 Aug 2026	Numbeo⁷Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	16 EUR	4 Aug 2026	Numbeo⁷Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	10 EUR/month	4 Aug 2026	Numbeo⁷Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	0 EUR/month	4 Aug 2026	Numbeo⁷Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	915 EUR/month	4 Aug 2026	Numbeo⁷Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	19,664 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings	18,244 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Weekly Rent Aud	420 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

12.7% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 5,875 people of 46,190 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 3% in March 2026. Median household income was A$1,429 per week in August 2021.

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Ballina is 3.0%. Of 100 cities with data, 29 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment Full Time Count	10,575 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Employment rate	53.6 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median Household Income Aud Week	1,429 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Personal Income Aud Week	737 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median gross salary (regional)	1,672 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁵Official
Unemployment rate	3 %country median 4.4%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026⁶Independent

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Ballina. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Ballina. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Language Other Than English At Home Share Percent	4.74 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Ballina. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) — State Language Course

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For eligible migrants, humanitarian entrants.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridfree

Open official information

Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) — Newcomer Adaptation

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For humanitarian entrants.

In Person, Hybridfree

Open official information

Open the full Australia section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Ballina.

Cities of a similar size in Australia

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Australia cities

Gold Coast - Tweed Heads45,185 residents Taree43,874 residents Traralgon - Morwell43,252 residents Warragul - Drouin42,827 residents Singleton50,193 residents Port Macquarie41,920 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	73.98 km²	1 Jul 2016	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.³Official
Foreign-resident share	18.5 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Foreign residents	5,875 people	10 Aug 2021	Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.²Official
Population density	375.8 people/km²	30 Jun 2021	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁴Official
Population Female	23,969 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population Male	22,225 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Population	46,190 people	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

Population rose 28.2% between 2001 and 2025, from 37,808 to 48,465.

International community in Ballina

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	46,190	100.0%
Australia	37,622	81.5%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	5,875	12.7%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	46,190	100.0%
Australia	37,622	81.5%
Country of birth not stated	2,691	5.8%
England	1,699	3.7%
New Zealand	770	1.7%
Born elsewhere(d)	578	1.3%
South Africa	254	0.5%
United States of America	236	0.5%
Germany	184	0.4%
India	182	0.4%
Scotland	172	0.4%

Show 40 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Philippines	164	0.4%
Canada	148	0.3%
Netherlands	147	0.3%
Thailand	128	0.3%
Italy	104	0.2%
Brazil	94	0.2%
Japan	85	0.2%
Ireland	77	0.2%
France	76	0.2%
Papua New Guinea	70	0.2%
Wales	66	0.1%
Malaysia	64	0.1%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	52	0.1%
Vietnam	46	0.1%
Indonesia	45	0.1%
Zimbabwe	43	0.1%
Chile	40	0.1%
Fiji	35	0.1%
Nepal	35	0.1%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	30	0.1%
Singapore	26	0.1%
Sri Lanka	25	0.1%
Iran	24	0.1%
Korea, Republic of (South)	23	0.0%
Malta	23	0.0%
Poland	20	0.0%
Egypt	12	0.0%
Croatia	11	0.0%
Bangladesh	10	0.0%
Taiwan	9	0.0%
Greece	8	0.0%
Mauritius	7	0.0%
Samoa	6	0.0%
Cambodia	5	0.0%
Iraq	5	0.0%
North Macedonia	5	0.0%
Pakistan	5	0.0%
Turkey	5	0.0%
Myanmar	4	0.0%
Lebanon	3	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	46,190	100.0%
Australian citizen	41,794	90.5%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source²

Is Ballina a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker44%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 34–54%

Skilled employee52%strong on work, weak on safety · range 44–60%

Student38%strong on education, weak on safety · range 30–46%

Family47%strong on family, weak on safety · range 38–56%

Retirement48%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 35–61%

Foreign residents5,875 people10 Aug 2021Official source · Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.

Population46,190 people10 Aug 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Dwellings19,664 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Employment rate53.6 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Median gross salary (regional)1,672 EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Unemployment rate3 %31 Mar 2026Independent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	12.72 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Households	18,244 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Labour force participation rate	55.5 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics²Official
Median age	48 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official
Median Monthly Mortgage Repayment Aud	1,950 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia²Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Ballina when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Ballina?

The median gross salary is 1,672 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

What is the unemployment rate in Ballina?

The unemployment rate is 3 %. Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

How many people live in Ballina?

The published population is 46,190 people. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How many foreign residents live in Ballina?

5,875 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality..

How much is public transport in Ballina?

A monthly transport pass is 0 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Numbeo.

Is Ballina a good place to live?

Ballina may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Australia live in Ballina?

The official country of birth distribution records 37,622 people (81.5%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 14). Ballina, Australia: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; version approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/ballina/ Retrieved 2026-09-14. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_ballina-australia-rent-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_715d635433b7,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Ballina, Australia: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-14},
  version = {approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab},
  snapshot = {approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/ballina/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-14. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Ballina, Australia: rent, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/ballina/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; version approved-static-8975a8c3d87026ab; retrieved 2026-09-14; built 2026-09-14.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-03
Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-08-10
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27
DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
Numbeo numbeo.com · checked 2026-08-04

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.