Ballina crime rate and Crime Score · New South Wales council area
Ballina is a council area in New South Wales with about 48,603 residents. It has a Crime Score 51 out of 100 (moderate), 167th of 362 councils nationally.
The score blends national percentile ranks for each published offence category with fixed severity weights; here it is driven most by homicide (72nd percentile), robbery (74th percentile), sexual offences (58th percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 39.
In 2025-26: violent 1,165 per 100,000 (+27% vs five years earlier); property 3,671 per 100,000 (+66% vs five years earlier); break-ins 469 per 100,000 (+152% vs five years earlier); theft 1,558 per 100,000 (+65% vs five years earlier). For violent crime that is 72nd of 129 New South Wales councils with data, highest first.
Unemployment in the Ballina council area is 3.4% (New South Wales 4.9%), Census, 10 August 2021. Social housing makes up 3.7% of occupied homes (531 public and 140 community-housing dwellings at the 2021 Census; New South Wales 4.2%). An estimated 124 people were homeless on Census night 2021, 26.4 per 10,000 residents (New South Wales 43.4), apportioned from ABS Statistical Area Level 2 counts. 13.5% of residents were born overseas (New South Wales 31%), most often in England, New Zealand, South Africa. Modelled estimates for 2026-27, not measurements: unemployment about 3.4% (confidence 82 of 100); social housing about 3.3% of homes; about 26 homeless people per 10,000 residents; about 13.7% born overseas. Confidence falls with distance from the last published figure, and the map's Estimates toggle shows every year back to 1994-95.
| Offences | Per 100,000 | Count | 5-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent | 1,165 | 566 | +27% |
| Property | 3,671 | 1,784 | +66% |
| Break-ins | 469 | 228 | +152% |
| Theft | 1,558 | 757 | +65% |
Questions
Is Ballina safe?
Ballina recorded 1,160 violent offences per 100,000 residents in 2025-26, close to the New South Wales rate (1,150) and about 9% lower than the national rate (1,280). Its Crime Score is 51.1 out of 100 (moderate), 167th of 362 councils. These are offences recorded by police per resident: they describe the area as a whole, not the risk on any particular street, and places with a busy centre record more because offences are counted where they happen.
How many break-ins are there in Ballina?
228 break-ins were recorded in 2025-26: 469 per 100,000 residents, about 56% higher than the New South Wales rate (301).
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Suburbs in the Ballina council area
Alstonvale · Alstonville · Bagotville · Ballina · Brooklet · Cabbage Tree Island · Coolgardie · Cumbalum · East Ballina · East Wardell · Empire Vale · Fernleigh · Goat Island · Keith Hall · Kinvara · Knockrow · Lennox Head · Lynwood · Meerschaum Vale · Newrybar · Patchs Beach · Pearces Creek · Pimlico · Pimlico Island · Rous · Rous Mill · Skennars Head · South Ballina · Teven · Tintenbar · Tuckombil · Uralba · Wardell · West Ballina · Wollongbar
Postcodes in the Ballina council area
australiancrimerate.com.au/council/nsw-ballina/ · Australian Crime Map