At the 2011 census, there were people in the Ballina local government area, of these 48.0 per cent were male and 52.0 per cent were female. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people made up 3.1 per cent of the population, which was higher than the national and state averages of 2.5 per cent. The median age of people in the Ballina Shire area was 45 years, which was significantly higher than the national median of 37 years. Children aged 0 – 14 years made up 17.9 per cent of the population and people aged 65 years and over made up 21.5 per cent of the population. Of people in the area aged 15 years and over, 49.8 per cent were married and 14.1 per cent were either divorced or separated. Population growth in the Ballina Shira area between the 2001 census and the was 3.89 per cent; and in the subsequent five years to the 2011 census, population growth was 2.11 per cent. When compared with total population growth of Australia for the same periods, being 5.78 per cent and 8.32 per cent respectively, population growth in the Ballina local government area was significantly lower than the national average. The median weekly income for residents within the Ballina Shire area was significantly lower than the national average. At the 2011 census, the proportion of residents in the Ballina local government area who stated their ancestry as Australian or Anglo-Saxon exceeded 85 per cent of all residents. In excess of 60% of all residents in the Ballina nominated a religious affiliation with Christianity at the 2011 census, which was significantly higher than the national average of 50.2 per cent. Meanwhile, as at the census date, compared to the national average, households in the Ballina local government area had a significantly lower than average proportion where two or more languages are spoken ; and a significantly higher proportion where English only was spoken at home.
Ballina Shire Council is composed of ten Councillors, including the Mayor, for a fixed four-year term of office. The Mayor is directly elected while the nine other Councillors are elected proportionally as three separate wards, each electing three Councillors. The most recent election was held on 10 September 2016, and the makeup of the Council, including the Mayor, is as follows: The current Council, elected in 2016, in order of election by ward, is:
