NSW · Ballina Council
Empire Vale, 2478
Current weather
18.5°CPartly cloudy
82% humidity · 9.3 km/h wind · 21.5° / 15.9° today · 0.1 mm rain
Updated
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Empire Vale is a residential smaller community in Ballina with a familiar suburban feel. The community is self-contained in the best sense. Local life comes first, with the region opening up beyond. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood.
Buses and nearby services make commuting and cross-suburb trips straightforward. Homes here are sought-after, with many people drawn to the lifestyle the area offers.
A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
Population
- Population
- 185
- Median age
- 48
- Median household income / week
- $1,428
- Dwelling vacancy
- 11%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 8 of 73
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,613
- Employment rate
- 58.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 3 / 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)
- $595
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $850
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $755
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 236
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)
- 17
- Against the person
- 3
- Against property
- 9
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 91.9
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 62 residents
- State safety percentile
- 64.7th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +13.6%
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Bail Conditions342
- Fraud335
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment155
- Malicious Damage To Property240
- Steal From Retail Store305
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
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 941
- Empire Vale Public SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
26 public transport stops in this suburb
- 406 River Dr
- 616 River Dr
- Empire Vale Public School, River Dr
- River Dr After Moylans Lane
- River Dr Opp 592
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).
13 planning-related records
2026· 1 proposal
February 2026
- Dual occupancy; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)254 MOYLANS LANE EMPIRE VALE 2478Under Assessment
2025· 4 proposals
October 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structureMOYLANS LANE EMPIRE VALE 2478Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural supportMOYLANS LANE EMPIRE VALE 2478Determined
March 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure283 EMPIRE VALE ROAD EMPIRE VALE 2478Withdrawn
January 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure283 EMPIRE VALE ROAD EMPIRE VALE 2478Determined
2024· 2 proposals
November 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation766 RIVER DRIVE EMPIRE VALE 2478Determined
September 2024
- Farm buildings; Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Fences; Garage, carport or carparking space; Rainwater tanks; Tennis courts; Swimming pool91 EMPIRE VALE ROAD EMPIRE VALE 2478Determined
2023· 2 proposals
May 2023
- Alterations and additions to residential development516 RIVER DRIVE EMPIRE VALE 2478Determined
March 2023
- Dual occupancy; Earthworks / change in levels; Garages, carports and car parking spaces293 EMPIRE VALE ROAD EMPIRE VALE 2478Determined
2022· 4 proposals
December 2022
- Earthworks / change in levelsMOYLANS LANE EMPIRE VALE 2478Determined
October 2022
- Earthworks / change in levelsMARTIN LANE EMPIRE VALE 2478Determined
May 2022
- Earthworks / change in levelsLot 7 DP 1043078 - Moylans Lane, Empire ValeDetermined
April 2022
- Shed91 EMPIRE VALE ROAD EMPIRE VALE 2478Withdrawn
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
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
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
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 5/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 6/10
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
- No overlay at centroid
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
Recent changes
- Breach Bail Conditionscrime342
- Fraudcrime335
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime155
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime240
- Steal From Retail Storecrime305
- 406 River Drtransport
- 616 River Drtransport
- Empire Vale Public School, River Drtransport
- River Dr After Moylans Lanetransport
- River Dr Opp 592transport
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
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.