Armstrong Beach vs Sarina

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Armstrong Beach, about half of households are couple families.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Sarina

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • But Armstrong Beach carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 79/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Sarina

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($372,000 vs $644,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Sarina

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $340/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Sarina

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sarina

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • But Armstrong Beach carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 79/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Sarina

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.8% vs 4.3%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Armstrong Beach and Sarina drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Walkability 0 / 15
Armstrong Beach — Walkability: 0/100 Sarina — Walkability: 15/100
Safety 80 / 21
Armstrong Beach — Safety: 80/100 Sarina — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 100 / 86
Armstrong Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100 Sarina — Low fire risk: 86/100

Demographics

Sarina has more residents (5,619 vs 903); Armstrong Beach has higher household incomes ($99,424 vs $83,460).

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Population 903 5,619
+522% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.6% +1.8%
Median age 41 40
Median household income $99,424/yr
+16% vs other
 $83,460/yr
Median weekly rent $340/wk
+12% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Armstrong Beach Sarina
0-4 5.8% / 6.2%
Armstrong Beach — 0-4: 5.8% Sarina — 0-4: 6.2%
5-14 14.1% / 13.4%
Armstrong Beach — 5-14: 14.1% Sarina — 5-14: 13.4%
15-19 6.0% / 6.9%
Armstrong Beach — 15-19: 6.0% Sarina — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 4.0% / 5.4%
Armstrong Beach — 20-24: 4.0% Sarina — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 11.5% / 10.9%
Armstrong Beach — 25-34: 11.5% Sarina — 25-34: 10.9%
35-44 14.2% / 12.2%
Armstrong Beach — 35-44: 14.2% Sarina — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 15.1% / 13.3%
Armstrong Beach — 45-54: 15.1% Sarina — 45-54: 13.3%
55-64 12.5% / 14.0%
Armstrong Beach — 55-64: 12.5% Sarina — 55-64: 14.0%
65-74 11.6% / 10.7%
Armstrong Beach — 65-74: 11.6% Sarina — 65-74: 10.7%
75-84 5.2% / 5.1%
Armstrong Beach — 75-84: 5.2% Sarina — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 0.6% / 1.9%
Armstrong Beach — 85+: 0.6% Sarina — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Armstrong Beach 48.7% couple families
Armstrong Beach — Couple Families: 48.7% Armstrong Beach — Lone Person: 32.0% Armstrong Beach — One Parent Families: 13.2% Armstrong Beach — Group Household: 6.1% Armstrong Beach — Other Families: 0.0%
Sarina 44.1% couple families
Sarina — Couple Families: 44.1% Sarina — Lone Person: 33.4% Sarina — One Parent Families: 16.9% Sarina — Group Household: 3.7% Sarina — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Armstrong Beach 26.1% renting
Armstrong Beach — Owned Outright: 35.5% Armstrong Beach — Mortgage: 38.5% Armstrong Beach — Renting: 26.1%
Sarina 26.8% renting
Sarina — Owned Outright: 35.7% Sarina — Mortgage: 37.4% Sarina — Renting: 26.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Certificate III & IV 21.5% / 18.9%
Armstrong Beach — Certificate III & IV: 21.5% Sarina — Certificate III & IV: 18.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.8% / 4.0%
Armstrong Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8% Sarina — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.0%
Bachelor Degree 3.5% / 3.7%
Armstrong Beach — Bachelor Degree: 3.5% Sarina — Bachelor Degree: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 0.7%
Armstrong Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Sarina — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%
Postgraduate Degree 1.0% / 0.4%
Armstrong Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0% Sarina — Postgraduate Degree: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Armstrong Beach Sarina
New Zealand 1.0% / 2.0%
Armstrong Beach — New Zealand: 1.0% Sarina — New Zealand: 2.0%
England 1.6% / 1.2%
Armstrong Beach — England: 1.6% Sarina — England: 1.2%
South Africa 0.4% / 0.5%
Armstrong Beach — South Africa: 0.4% Sarina — South Africa: 0.5%
Philippines — / 0.9%
Armstrong Beach — Philippines: not among its largest Sarina — Philippines: 0.9%
Indonesia 0.4% / —
Armstrong Beach — Indonesia: 0.4% Sarina — Indonesia: not among its largest
China 0.3% / —
Armstrong Beach — China: 0.3% Sarina — China: not among its largest
Thailand — / 0.2%
Armstrong Beach — Thailand: not among its largest Sarina — Thailand: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Armstrong Beach 92.4% houses
Armstrong Beach — Houses: 92.4% Armstrong Beach — Townhouses: 3.2% Armstrong Beach — Flats / Apartments: 4.4%
Sarina 91.2% houses
Sarina — Houses: 91.2% Sarina — Townhouses: 6.5% Sarina — Flats / Apartments: 2.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Median house price $585,000 $543,000
Median unit price — $490,000
Median land price $644,000 $372,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 67 days
from 5 sales
 26 days
from 51 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Armstrong Beach Sarina
2 bed $470K / $398K
Armstrong Beach — 2 bed: $470K (5 sales) Sarina — 2 bed: $398K (12 sales)

5 vs 12 sales

3 bed $582K / $525K
Armstrong Beach — 3 bed: $582K (10 sales) Sarina — 3 bed: $525K (55 sales)

10 vs 55 sales

4 bed $597K / $700K
Armstrong Beach — 4 bed: $597K (13 sales) Sarina — 4 bed: $700K (31 sales)

13 vs 31 sales

Development activity

Armstrong Beach Sarina
New dwellings approved 574
across Mackay
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Houses 4.3%
$620/wk on $750K
 4.8%
$650/wk on $699K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Armstrong Beach Sarina
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 74% of QLD Higher than 55% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 30% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 51% of QLD Higher than 76% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 5% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 46% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 69% of QLD Higher than 87% of QLD

Liveability

Sarina is more walkable (15 vs 0); Armstrong Beach scores higher overall (49 vs 23).

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Grade C D
Score 49/100 23/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Sarina carries more bushfire risk (14 vs 0); Sarina carries more crime risk (79 vs 20).

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
14/100
Crime Low
20/100
 High
79/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
84/100
 High
80/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Inside the suburb 0 4
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 3

Schools in Armstrong Beach

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Sarina

  • Sarina State High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Sarina State School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Anne's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Swayneville State School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 0 10
Childcare 0 5
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 3
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 0 44

Mobility

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Walkability score 0/100 15/100
Distance to Brisbane 933 km 933.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 634 min 635 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 4737
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 66
postcode 4737
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Car (driver) 85.1% / 81.4%
Armstrong Beach — Car (driver): 85.1% Sarina — Car (driver): 81.4%
Worked from Home 6.2% / 6.0%
Armstrong Beach — Worked from Home: 6.2% Sarina — Worked from Home: 6.0%
Car (passenger) 5.1% / 6.4%
Armstrong Beach — Car (passenger): 5.1% Sarina — Car (passenger): 6.4%
Walked Only 1.2% / 4.5%
Armstrong Beach — Walked Only: 1.2% Sarina — Walked Only: 4.5%
Bus 2.4% / 1.3%
Armstrong Beach — Bus: 2.4% Sarina — Bus: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.1%).

Setting

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Elevation 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 111 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.5 km 9.7 km

NBN connectivity

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Connectivity score 29/100 52/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
357 premises
 23%
2,568 premises

Climate

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Annual rainfall 1,517 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 12.4°C
same for both

Council rates

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Average residential rate $1,873/yr
same for both
Council Mackay
same for both

Federal electorate

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Division Capricornia
same for both
Member Michelle Landry
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Armstrong Beach Sarina
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Armstrong Beach

Acreage Affordable Coastal

Sarina

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Armstrong Beach

Armstrong Beach vs Freshwater Point Armstrong Beach vs Coral Sea

Other comparisons with Sarina

Sarina vs Alligator Creek Sarina vs Koumala Sarina vs Grasstree Beach Sarina vs Sarina Beach Sarina vs Sarina Range Sarina vs Freshwater Point
Full data on Armstrong Beach Full data on Sarina
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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