Albion Park vs Ballina
Property investment comparison - Albion Park, NSW 2527 vs Ballina, NSW 2478
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Albion Park wins 2, Ballina wins 3. The better choice depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow, growth, affordability, or liquidity, the table below highlights the winner on each metric.
| Metric | Albion Park | Ballina |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $980K | $980K |
| Median unit price | $780K | $735K |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 4.00% | - |
| Gross rental yield (units) | 4.59% | 4.36% |
| 1-year house growth | +12.1% | +5.8% |
| 3-year house growth | +11.3% | +19.0% |
| Vacancy rate | 0.8% | 0.3% |
| Population | 13,826 | 9,735 |
Albion Park vs Ballina: what the numbers say
Houses cost about the same in both suburbs: the median house price is $980K in Albion Park and $980K in Ballina.
For units, Albion Park sits at a median of $780K against $735K in Ballina, which makes Ballina the more affordable unit market and Albion Park the pricier one.
Over the past year house prices moved +12.1% in Albion Park and +5.8% in Ballina, so recent momentum favours Albion Park, although both suburbs recorded growth.
Looking back three years, Albion Park houses are +11.3% and Ballina houses +19.0%, so Ballina has compounded faster than Albion Park over the longer window.
Rental vacancy is 0.3% in Ballina and 0.8% in Albion Park, so landlords in Ballina face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.
Albion Park is the bigger suburb, with a population of 13,826 against 9,735, larger than Ballina; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: Albion Park for recent price momentum, Ballina for the tighter rental market. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.
Keep exploring
- National investment guide - top suburbs across every metric
- Take the suburb finder quiz - 5 questions to match your goals
- How our investment score works
- Property investment glossary - every term defined
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