SuburbCheck

Cumbalum

NSW 2478 · Ballina

2,211 (2021) → 2,340 est. (2025) · Moderate Growth

Part of the Ballina local government area (est. 48,591 residents)

35
Overall score

Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.

2,211
Population
$1.26M
Median house (2026)
86
Safety score
35
Transport score

Cumbalum is a moderate growth suburb in Ballina, NSW 2478, about 604km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $1.26M is around the same as the NSW average. The suburb has no schools recorded, a transport score of 35/100, and is a short drive from the coast. Cumbalum has an overall score of 35/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 86/100.

603.8 km
To Sydney CBD
6.3 km
To coast
$850/wk
Median rent (house)
5.0 km
To nearest station
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Demographics

2,211
Population
37
Median age
3
Avg household

Age distribution

Ballina LGA population (est. 2025)48,591
Median household income (weekly)$2,170
vs NSW median+17.3%
Median taxable income (individual)$52,815/yr
vs national median ($59,576)↓ -11%

ATO 2023-24, postcode 2478 area — postcode-level, not suburb-specific.

Bachelor degree or higher38.4%
Born in Australia81.3%
Dwellings: house / unit / townhouse670 / 5 / 40

Top countries of birth: England (3.3%), New Zealand (2.4%), India (0.68%), Philippines (0.68%), Thailand (0.54%)

Top languages: Spanish (0.9%), Hindi (0.5%), Mandarin (0.45%), French (0.41%), Italian (0.36%)

Source: ABS Census 2021

Property

$1.26M+10.8%
Median house (2026)
$935K
Median unit (2026)

Median price history

Median rent — house / unit$850 / $650 wk
Rental yield (house)3.5%
Days on market (house)45 days

Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q1 2026

Residential Safety

86
Residential

Small population (under 3,000) — crime rates may be volatile due to low sample size.

Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:

0
Break & enter dwelling0/100k
6
Steal from dwelling271/100k
3
Motor vehicle theft136/100k
7
Domestic assault317/100k
0
Robbery0/100k
3
Non-domestic assault136/100k

Includes street and public-place assaults — supplementary context, not part of the safety score.

Residential incidents over time

Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.

Area crime context

Total recorded incidents: 48 (all categories, latest year)2,171 per 100,000 residents2-yr5-yr

An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.

Source: BOCSAR · Updated March 2026

Schools

49

Reasonable school mix

Around the national average — a reasonable mix of schools, though the strongest options may require some travel.

16
Within 10km0 in suburb
0
Govt (suburb)
0
Catholic (suburb)
0
Indep. (suburb)

Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 1010 (above the national average of 1000).

No schools inside the suburb boundary — the schools below are in adjoining suburbs (counted within 10km for the education score).

Nearby (within 10km)

  • Richmond Christian CollegeCombined · Independent · 3.3kmICSEA 1069
  • Teven-Tintenbar Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 4.3kmICSEA 1057
  • Emmanuel Anglican CollegeCombined · Independent · 4.8kmICSEA 1113
  • Biala Special SchoolCombined · Independent · 5.4kmICSEA 898
  • Ballina Coast High SchoolSecondary · Government · 6kmICSEA 952
  • Lennox Head Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 6.1kmICSEA 1064
  • Southern Cross Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 6.1kmICSEA 1053
  • Southern Cross School of Distance EducationCombined · Government · 6.1kmICSEA 896
  • St Francis Xavier Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 6.2kmICSEA 1045
  • Ballina Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 6.3kmICSEA 869
  • Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 6.4kmICSEA 1102
  • Xavier Catholic College BallinaSecondary · Catholic · 6.5kmICSEA 1081

Source: ACARA MySchool · Updated 2025

Transport

35
CBD commute (est.)Data not available
Nearest train stationBallina West Coach Stop (5.0 km)

Source: TfNSW GTFS

Employment & Economy

Unemployment rate2.7% · vs NSW avg 4.1% ↓

Top local industries

Health Care & Social Assistance
17.6%
Retail Trade
10.5%
Education & Training
10.4%
Construction
9.4%
Accommodation & Food Services
7.4%

Source: DEWR SALM / ABS Census 2021 · Updated SALM Mar 2026 / 2021 Census

Liveability

30.0°C
Summer max
20.5°C
Winter max
1,300mm
Rainfall/yr
7h
Sun/day

Amenities within 2–3km

Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.

00 in suburbSupermarkets
00 in suburbCafes/Rest.
44 in suburbParks
0Playgrounds
0Pools
11 in suburbGyms
0Dog parks
00 in suburbGPs
00 in suburbPharmacies
00 in suburbChildcare
00 in suburbLibraries
0Sports fields
0Vets

In this suburb

1Public toilets
Air qualityGood air quality (76/100, 2026-07-27)
Nearest beachBoulder Beach (6.7 km)
Nearest hospitalBallina District Hospital (5.7 km)
Nearest vet6.1 km
Nearest airportBallina/Byron (3.1 km)

Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap · Healthdirect NHSD (via Geoscience Australia)

Fitness

2

Few fitness options

Very few fitness facilities in and around this suburb.

1
Gyms
1
Leisure centres
0
Public pools
0
Sports fields

Facilities within 3km of the suburb centre. The Fitness Score is a national percentile of these counts per resident.

Source: OpenStreetMap

Outdoors

13

Mostly urban

Very little parkland or outdoor recreation in and around this suburb.

4
Parks
0
Nature reserves
0
Bike paths
0
Hiking trails
0
Dog parks
0
Picnic areas
0
Skate parks

Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Outdoor Score is a national percentile led by parks and green space.

Source: OpenStreetMap

Culture

14

Few cultural venues

Very few cultural venues in and around this suburb.

0
Theatres
0
Cinemas
0
Museums
0
Galleries
0
Libraries
0
Arts centres
2
Landmarks

Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Culture Score is a national percentile weighting theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and arts centres most heavily.

Source: OpenStreetMap

Entertainment Scene

0

Not much nightlife

No licensed on-premises venues recorded in this suburb.

0
Licensed venues (within 2km)
0.00
Per 1,000 residents

No licensed pubs, bars or clubs are registered in this suburb per the Liquor & Gaming NSW register.

View nearby venues on the Entertainment Map →

Source: OpenStreetMap

Population & Growth

Moderate Growth
Annual growth rate1.43%
Projected population 20412,463
Projected households 2041808

Source: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI

Nearby suburbs in Ballina

KinvaraData not available35transportBallina$990K64transportTintenbar$2.30M0transportWest Ballina$1.06M64transportTeven$1.54M0transportSkennars Head$1.77M35transport

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Cumbalum

Frequently asked questions about Cumbalum

Is Cumbalum safe?

Cumbalum has a residential safety score of 86/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 2,171 per 100,000 across all categories.

What are property prices in Cumbalum?

In Cumbalum, the median house price is $1.26M and the median unit price is $935K. Median weekly house rent is $850.

How far is Cumbalum from Sydney CBD?

Cumbalum is about 603.8 km from Sydney CBD.

What schools are in Cumbalum?

Cumbalum has 0 schools. Schools are listed factually, not ranked.

What is public transport like in Cumbalum?

Cumbalum has a transport score of 35/100.

Data sources: ABS Census 2021 & ERP, NSW Valuer General, BOCSAR, TfNSW, ACARA, Bureau of Meteorology, OpenStreetMap, NSW DPHI. Data refreshed quarterly.

Data shown is from public sources and may not reflect current conditions. How we calculate scores.