Blue Mountain vs Sarina

Sarina is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 44 in Blue Mountain. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Blue Mountain tends to suit families with children.

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 Blue Mountain is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 61%)

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

First-home buyers

Blue Mountain

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (5% vs 25%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Blue Mountain

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $300/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 19%)

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

Commuting to the city

Sarina

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (635 min vs 659 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (933.4 km vs 948.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sarina

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • But Blue Mountain carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 79/100)

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

Investors

Sarina

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (1.8% vs -9.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Blue Mountain 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.

Blue Mountain 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.

Blue Mountain Sarina
Walkability 0 / 15
Blue Mountain — Walkability: 0/100 Sarina — Walkability: 15/100
Safety 51 / 21
Blue Mountain — Safety: 51/100 Sarina — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 52 / 86
Blue Mountain — Low fire risk: 52/100 Sarina — Low fire risk: 86/100

Demographics

Sarina has more residents (5,619 vs 83); Sarina rents higher ($300/wk vs $200/wk).

Blue Mountain Sarina
Population 83 5,619
+6670% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -9.8% +1.8%
Median age 44 40
Median household income $79,612/yr $83,460/yr
+5% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk $300/wk
+50% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Blue Mountain Sarina
0-4 9.6% / 6.2%
Blue Mountain — 0-4: 9.6% Sarina — 0-4: 6.2%
5-14 16.9% / 13.4%
Blue Mountain — 5-14: 16.9% Sarina — 5-14: 13.4%
15-19 9.6% / 6.9%
Blue Mountain — 15-19: 9.6% Sarina — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 3.6% / 5.4%
Blue Mountain — 20-24: 3.6% Sarina — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 13.3% / 10.9%
Blue Mountain — 25-34: 13.3% Sarina — 25-34: 10.9%
35-44 4.8% / 12.2%
Blue Mountain — 35-44: 4.8% Sarina — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 14.5% / 13.3%
Blue Mountain — 45-54: 14.5% Sarina — 45-54: 13.3%
55-64 19.3% / 14.0%
Blue Mountain — 55-64: 19.3% Sarina — 55-64: 14.0%
65-74 4.8% / 10.7%
Blue Mountain — 65-74: 4.8% Sarina — 65-74: 10.7%
75-84 12.0% / 5.1%
Blue Mountain — 75-84: 12.0% Sarina — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ — / 1.9%
Blue Mountain — 85+: not among its largest Sarina — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Blue Mountain 43.8% couple families
Blue Mountain — Couple Families: 43.8% Blue Mountain — One Parent Families: 56.2% Blue Mountain — Lone Person: 0.0% Blue Mountain — Group Household: 0.0% Blue Mountain — Other Families: 0.0%
Sarina 44.1% couple families
Sarina — Couple Families: 44.1% Sarina — One Parent Families: 16.9% Sarina — Lone Person: 33.4% Sarina — Group Household: 3.7% Sarina — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Blue Mountain 25.0% renting
Blue Mountain — Owned Outright: 57.1% Blue Mountain — Mortgage: 17.9% Blue Mountain — Renting: 25.0%
Sarina 26.8% renting
Sarina — Owned Outright: 35.7% Sarina — Mortgage: 37.4% Sarina — Renting: 26.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Blue Mountain Sarina
England 6.0% / 1.2%
Blue Mountain — England: 6.0% Sarina — England: 1.2%
New Zealand — / 2.0%
Blue Mountain — New Zealand: not among its largest Sarina — New Zealand: 2.0%
Philippines — / 0.9%
Blue Mountain — Philippines: not among its largest Sarina — Philippines: 0.9%
South Africa — / 0.5%
Blue Mountain — South Africa: not among its largest Sarina — South Africa: 0.5%
Thailand — / 0.2%
Blue Mountain — Thailand: not among its largest Sarina — Thailand: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.0%).

Qualifications

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

Blue Mountain Sarina
Certificate III & IV 13.3% / 18.9%
Blue Mountain — Certificate III & IV: 13.3% Sarina — Certificate III & IV: 18.9%
Bachelor Degree 8.4% / 3.7%
Blue Mountain — Bachelor Degree: 8.4% Sarina — Bachelor Degree: 3.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / 4.0%
Blue Mountain — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Sarina — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.7%
Blue Mountain — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Sarina — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.4%
Blue Mountain — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Sarina — Postgraduate Degree: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Blue Mountain 100.0% houses
Blue Mountain — Houses: 100.0% Blue Mountain — Townhouses: 0.0% Blue Mountain — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Sarina 91.2% houses
Sarina — Houses: 91.2% Sarina — Townhouses: 6.5% Sarina — Flats / Apartments: 2.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Blue Mountain Sarina
Median house price — $543,000
Median unit price — $490,000
Median land price — $372,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 26 days
from 51 sales

Development activity

Blue Mountain Sarina
New dwellings approved 27
across Isaac
 574
across Mackay
Approvals change year on year +0% -6%

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.

Blue Mountain Sarina
Houses — 4.8%
$650/wk on $699K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Blue Mountain Sarina
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 50% of QLD Higher than 55% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 30% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 35% 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 12% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 87% of QLD

Liveability

Sarina is more walkable (15 vs 0).

Blue Mountain Sarina
Grade — D
Score — 23/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Blue Mountain carries more bushfire risk (48 vs 14); Sarina carries more crime risk (79 vs 49).

Blue Mountain Sarina
Bushfire Moderate
48/100
 Low
14/100
Crime Moderate
49/100
 High
79/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
80/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Blue Mountain 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 Blue Mountain

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

Blue Mountain 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 19 44

Mobility

Blue Mountain sits further from the CBD (948.3 km vs 933.4 km).

Blue Mountain Sarina
Walkability score 0/100 15/100
Distance to Brisbane 948.3 km
+2% vs other
 933.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 659 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.

Blue Mountain Sarina
Car (driver) 57.7% / 81.4%
Blue Mountain — Car (driver): 57.7% Sarina — Car (driver): 81.4%
Worked from Home 42.3% / 6.0%
Blue Mountain — Worked from Home: 42.3% Sarina — Worked from Home: 6.0%
Car (passenger) — / 6.4%
Blue Mountain — Car (passenger): not among its largest Sarina — Car (passenger): 6.4%
Walked Only — / 4.5%
Blue Mountain — Walked Only: not among its largest Sarina — Walked Only: 4.5%
Bus — / 1.3%
Blue Mountain — Bus: not among its largest Sarina — Bus: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.4%).

Setting

Blue Mountain Sarina
Elevation 203 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 111 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 28.3 km 9.7 km

NBN connectivity

Blue Mountain Sarina
Connectivity score 15/100 52/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
17 premises
 23%
2,568 premises

Climate

Blue Mountain 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

Blue Mountain Sarina
Average residential rate $925/yr $1,873/yr
Council Isaac Mackay

Federal electorate

Blue Mountain 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

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

Tags

Blue Mountain

Family Rural Young Families

Sarina

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Blue Mountain

Blue Mountain vs Nebo Blue Mountain vs Koumala Blue Mountain vs Eton Blue Mountain vs Oakenden Blue Mountain vs Sarina Range Blue Mountain vs Sunnyside

Other comparisons with Sarina

Sarina vs Armstrong Beach Sarina vs Alligator Creek Sarina vs Koumala Sarina vs Grasstree Beach Sarina vs Sarina Beach Sarina vs Sarina Range
Full data on Blue Mountain 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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