NSW · Ballina Council
Dalwood, 2477
Current weather
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84% humidity · 9.1 km/h wind · 21.6° / 13.7° today · 0.5 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- National parks
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Dalwood is a quieter smaller community in Ballina, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. A strong local centre anchors daily routines, while the surrounding region adds variety for weekends away. The landscape itself is part of the lifestyle: open paddocks, big skies and room to breathe.
A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name. Strong public transport connections keep the wider area accessible.
Housing carries a premium, but residents tend to feel the lifestyle justifies the commitment. Renewal is happening in measured doses, with new development complementing what is already there.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because growth momentum and local dining and lifestyle amenities lag similar regional towns, despite relative strength in housing affordability and community and employment. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 218
- Median age
- 50
- Median household income / week
- $2,181
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 4 of 88
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,408
- Employment rate
- 67.9%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 4 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $530
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $750
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $700
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 59
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 9
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 4
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 41.3
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 109 residents
- State safety percentile
- 16.1th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +0.3%
Reported offences are unchanged compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Domestic Violence Related Assault37
- Fraud33
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment40
- Malicious Damage To Property62
- Steal From Motor Vehicle47
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Public transport
34 public transport stops in this suburb
- 308 Dalwood Rd
- 47 Victoria Park Rd
- 50 Dalwood Rd
- Dalwood Rd Before Cooks Lane
- Victoria Park Rd After Victoria Park Lane
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
23 planning-related records
2026· 1 proposal
May 2026
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space104C RUSTY LANE NORTH ARM DALWOOD 2335Under Assessment
2025· 2 proposals
January 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home635 DALWOOD ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Manufactured home; Residential Accommodation551 WARDELL ROAD DALWOOD 2477Determined
2024· 3 proposals
July 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home635 DALWOOD ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
March 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure232B FERNHILL ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
February 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)122 FERNHILL ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
2023· 5 proposals
December 2023
- Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation232E FERNHILL ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
October 2023
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Dual occupancy (detached)14 FERNHILL ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
June 2023
- Alterations and additions to residential development232B FERNHILL ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
April 2023
- Retaining walls, protection of trees14 FERNHILL ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
January 2023
- DwellingDALWOOD ROAD DALWOOD 2477Determined
2022· 6 proposals
November 2022
- Other700 DALWOOD ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
September 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development232B FERNHILL ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
- Alterations and additions to residential development145-149 VICTORIA PARK ROAD DALWOOD 2477Determined
August 2022
- Dual occupancy571 WARDELL ROAD DALWOOD 2477Determined
June 2022
- Dual occupancy14 FERNHILL ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
March 2022
- Dwelling; Pools / decks / fencing577 WARDELL ROAD DALWOOD 2477Determined
2021· 6 proposals
November 2021
- Shed91 Victoria Park Road Dalwood 2477Determined
October 2021
- DwellingLot 101 Dalwood Road, DalwoodDetermined
August 2021
- Other10 VICTORIA PARK LANE DALWOOD 2477Determined
July 2021
- Pools / decks / fencing116 FERNHILL ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
- Pools / decks / fencing14 FERNHILL ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
June 2021
- Other700 DALWOOD ROAD DALWOOD 2335Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
7 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Avonlee Lodge Pet ResortAnimal Boarding
- Bbq
- Picnic Table (2)
- Public toilets
- Shelter (2)
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Victoria Park Nature ReserveNature reserve
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 8/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 9/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 1
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 34.8/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4425th in Australia
- State rank
- 1407th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #251 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #542 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 70%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- Avonlee Lodge Pet Resortamenitiesanimal_boarding
- Bbqamenitiesbbq
- Picnic Tableamenitiespicnic_table
- Picnic Tableamenitiespicnic_table
- Public toiletsamenitiestoilets
- Shelteramenitiesshelter
- Shelteramenitiesshelter
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime37
- Fraudcrime33
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime40
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Ballina Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.