Median price trend for houses
Based on 2 sales in the preceding 12 months
$672,000
Down 21.3% over 12 months
Aerial view
Imagery © Esri
The quick read on
Empire Vale
NSW 2478 · Ballina
What homes cost, how rents have moved, and a feel for the people who call it home.
- Median house
- $672,000
- Population
- 185
- Postcode
- 2478
latest suburb median
ABS 2021
Empire Vale, New South Wales
Property market insights for Empire Vale
Median sale price and rental income of properties in Empire Vale NSW
Median rent trend for houses
Based on 2 rental listings in the preceding 12 months
$800 per week
Up 6.7% over 12 months
Market data updated October 2026.
The median house price in Empire Vale, NSW is currently $672,000, based on the latest 12 months of sales. Empire Vale has a 12-month growth rate of -21.3% for houses.
If you're looking to lease, the median rent for houses in Empire Vale is $800 per week. The median house rent has increased 6.7% over the last 12 months.
Crime and safety
Is Empire Vale safe?
The overall rate for Empire Vale is 1,370 offences per 100,000 residents — 58% below the Rest of NSW benchmark.
That is the clearest suburb-wide answer. Open the detailed profile to see how the pattern changes across offence types and different parts of Empire Vale.
Overall crime rate
1,370
offences per 100,000 residents
58% belowRest of NSW
Empire ValeRest of NSW: 3,298
Suburb-wide estimate from Microburbs' public crime model; it is not an address-level measure.
The people behind the postcode
Who lives in Empire Vale?
Empire Vale NSW 2478 is in New South Wales, within Rest of NSW.
185 people call Empire Vale home, with an average of 2.7 people per household and a median household income of $1,428 a week.
Public ABS 2021 Census figures. The bars compare the local share with the capital-region benchmark.
- Population
- 185
- Median age
- 48 years
- Median mortgage
- $1,613 / month
- 2021 household rent
- $520 / week
Above the benchmarkBelow the benchmarkIn lineRest of NSW benchmark
Age profile
Share of residents in each age band.
Under 1511.4%Below
15–3425.4%Above
35–5422.7%Below
55–7431.9%Above
75 and over9.7%In line
Homes
Share of occupied private dwellings.
Separate houses106.2%Above
Townhouses0.0%Below
Apartments0.0%Below
Ownership
Share of homes with a stated ownership or rental status.
Owned outright48.4%Above
Paying a mortgage40.3%Above
Renting11.3%Below
Cars at home
Vehicles available to occupied households.
No car0.0%Below
One car28.1%Below
Two cars28.1%Below
Three or more48.4%Above
Getting to work
Selected ways residents worked or travelled on Census day.
Worked from home13.1%Below
Drove to work58.6%Below
Train, tram or bus0.0%Below
Walked or cycled0.0%Below
What stands out in Empire Vale
13.1% of workers in Empire Vale worked from home on Census day.
3.8% of Empire Vale residents were born in England.
37.8% of people in Empire Vale described themselves as having no religion in the 2021 Census.
A closer look at the Census
Questions people ask about Empire Vale
Open any question for a plain-English reading of the public 2021 Census for Empire Vale NSW 2478.
Is Empire Vale family-friendly?Age, family structure and household size describe the community families would be joining.
11.4% of Empire Vale's residents were children under 15 in the 2021 Census. That is well below the Rest of NSW average.
52 family households lived in Empire Vale; 48.1% were couple families and 15.4% were one-parent families.
19.2% of local families included children under 15. That is about half the Rest of NSW rate.
These are suburb-wide household figures, not school or childcare ratings.
What is the age profile of Empire Vale?The balance between younger adults, families and older residents changes how a suburb feels day to day.
Empire Vale had 185 residents at the 2021 Census.
17.8% of residents were aged 25 to 44.
41.6% were 55 or older. That is somewhat above the Rest of NSW average.
Age shares use the suburb’s total Census population.
What kind of homes are in Empire Vale?The dwelling mix shows whether the suburb is mostly detached homes, townhouses or apartments.
Separate houses made up 106.2% of occupied private dwellings in Empire Vale.
Townhouses and other attached homes represented 0.0% of occupied private dwellings.
Flats and apartments accounted for 0.0% of occupied private dwellings.
All three shares use occupied private dwellings as the denominator.
Do people own or rent in Empire Vale?Tenure shows how many households own outright, have a mortgage or rent.
48.4% of households with a stated tenure owned their home outright. That is well above the Rest of NSW average.
40.3% were buying their home with a mortgage.
11.3% rented their home. That is about half the Rest of NSW rate.
Tenure shares include households that stated one of these three arrangements.
How large are households in Empire Vale?Household-size data shows the mix behind the suburb-wide average.
The average household in Empire Vale had 2.7 people.
One-person households made up 21.7% of occupied homes. That is well below the Rest of NSW average.
Two-person households represented 30.4%, while 23.2% had four or more usual residents.
Household size counts usual residents in occupied homes.
How do people get to work in Empire Vale?Census-day travel shows the balance between home, road, public transport and active travel.
13.1% of workers worked from home on Census day. That is somewhat below the Rest of NSW average.
58.6% drove a car as their only travel method. That is close to the Rest of NSW average.
0.0% used only a train, tram or bus, while 0.0% walked or cycled.
Travel figures are a 2021 Census-day snapshot.
How many cars do households have in Empire Vale?Vehicle availability helps describe the routines local households can support.
0.0% of occupied households had no motor vehicle available. That is about half the Rest of NSW rate.
One-car households formed 28.1% of the total.
76.6% of households had two or more vehicles.
Vehicle counts refer to occupied households, not individual residents.
Who's moving to Empire Vale, and who stays?Address history shows how settled or recently mobile residents were at the Census date.
68.2% were at the same address five years earlier, while 31.8% reported a different address.
10.3% of residents were born outside Australia. That is close to the Rest of NSW average.
Mobility figures cover residents who answered the relevant Census question.
What languages are spoken in Empire Vale?Language at home gives a direct view of the community’s everyday linguistic mix.
89.7% of residents used only English at home.
0.0% used a language other than English at home.
0.0% spoke Mandarin at home, 0.0% spoke Cantonese and 0.0% spoke Hindi.
Home language is separate from English proficiency.
Where were Empire Vale residents born?Birthplace adds another layer to the local story, separate from ancestry and language.
10.3% of Empire Vale's population was born outside Australia, while roughly 89.7% was born in Australia.
0.0% of residents were born in China.
0.0% were born in India, while Australian citizenship across the whole suburb stood at 92.4%.
Birthplace, citizenship and ancestry describe different parts of identity.
What ancestries shape Empire Vale?Ancestry responses show how residents describe family and cultural background.
English ancestry accounted for 45.4% of ancestry responses in Empire Vale.
Australian ancestry made up 45.9% of responses.
Chinese ancestry represented 0.0% of responses.
People may nominate more than one ancestry, so these are shares of responses.
What work do people do in Empire Vale?Occupation describes a person’s role; industry describes the sector employing them.
13.1% of employed residents worked in professional occupations. That is well below the Rest of NSW average.
Managers accounted for 12.1% of employed residents, while clerical and administrative workers made up 11.1%.
Health care and social assistance employed 15.2% of workers, and education and training employed 6.1%.
Occupation and industry figures describe employed residents of the suburb.
How active is the workforce in Empire Vale?Participation, employment pattern and unemployment describe the resident labour force.
The labour-force participation rate was 59.4%, compared with 56.4% across Rest of NSW.
29.9% of residents aged 15 and over worked full time, while 20.4% worked part time.
Unemployment was 2.0%, compared with 4.6% across Rest of NSW.
Labour-force figures come from the 2021 Census.
What does the health profile of Empire Vale show?Selected long-term health conditions help describe community service needs.
56.8% reported no selected long-term health condition.
10.3% reported a long-term mental health condition, including depression or anxiety.
9.2% reported asthma, 10.3% arthritis and 7.6% diabetes excluding gestational diabetes.
These are self-reported suburb-wide Census figures, not address-level health risks.
How educated is Empire Vale?Qualifications describe the study pathways represented among local residents.
14.1% of people in the qualifications table held a bachelor degree. That is somewhat below the Rest of NSW average.
Postgraduate degrees accounted for 4.3% of qualification responses.
Diploma-level qualifications represented 9.8%, while certificate-level qualifications represented 58.7%.
Qualification categories are reported separately and are not school ratings.
What do incomes and housing costs look like in Empire Vale?Census income and household payments give historical context for local living costs.
Median household income was $1,428 per week in the 2021 Census.
The median monthly mortgage repayment reported by local households was $1,613.
Occupied renting households reported a median rent of $520 per week.
These household figures are from 2021; current sale and asking-rent medians appear in the market section.
How does Empire Vale compare with Rest of NSW?A few clear differences place the suburb in its wider metropolitan context.
Working from home was 13.1% in Empire Vale, compared with 15.7% across Rest of NSW.
Outright ownership was 48.4% locally and 39.6% across Rest of NSW. That is well above the Rest of NSW average.
Renting accounted for 11.3% in Empire Vale, against 27.9% across Rest of NSW.
Capital-region comparisons use the same Census definitions and year.
Three useful questions
A buyer’s quick guide to Empire Vale
Is Empire Vale expensive?
The median house price is $672,000. Bedroom count, land and condition still create a wide range around those suburb medians.
Is Empire Vale good for families?
The Census counted 52 local families, and 11.4% of residents were under 15. That describes the community; school quality, travel times and the right fit for a particular family need separate research.
What can I get for $1.5m in Empire Vale?
The free data does not have a dependable bedroom breakdown for this suburb. Compare the current house and unit medians above, then use live listings to see what a $1.5m budget buys today.
Medians describe recorded market activity across the suburb; they are historical context, not a valuation or forecast for an individual home.
Explore the area
Streets and suburbs around Empire Vale
6 streets in Empire Vale
Street-by-street reports are not published yet. The streets below are the ones this suburb covers.
- Empire Vale Rd
- Martin Ln
- Moylans Lane
- Purdies Ln
- Reedy Creek Rd
- River Dr
12 suburbs surrounding Empire Vale
Compare nearby suburb prices, rents and five-year market trends.
Keep exploring
Is Empire Vale right for your search?
Use the finders to compare places and properties, or open the full report when you need the street, risk, schools and growth research.
Read the thinking
Figures update as new market and census data arrives. This suburb overview is general information, not a valuation or financial advice.