Caloundra vs Moffat Beach

Moffat Beach is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 58 in Caloundra. In both, most households own their home. In Caloundra, about half of homes are flats or apartments and most households are people living alone. In Moffat Beach, the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Moffat Beach: a median of $1.62 million, against $1 million in Caloundra, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Caloundra tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Moffat Beach

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (75% vs 24%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (55% vs 33%)
  • carries lower crime risk (66/100 vs 93/100)
  • But Caloundra has more childcare (7 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Caloundra

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,002,000 vs $1,622,500)
  • has cheaper units ($880,000 vs $1,075,000)
  • But Moffat Beach leaves households under less mortgage stress (30% vs 38%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Caloundra

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 31%)
  • has cheaper rent ($360/wk vs $400/wk)
  • But Moffat Beach leaves renters under less rental stress (24% vs 37%)

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

Commuting to the city

Caloundra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 79/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Caloundra

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (9 vs 1)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (76% vs 25%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (38% vs 23%)
  • But Moffat Beach carries lower crime risk (66/100 vs 93/100)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Caloundra returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.1% vs 3.2%)
  • Moffat Beach is growing faster (5.4% vs 0.4%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Caloundra Moffat Beach
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.

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Walkability 89 / 79
Caloundra — Walkability: 89/100 Moffat Beach — Walkability: 79/100
Safety 7 / 34
Caloundra — Safety: 7/100 Moffat Beach — Safety: 34/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Caloundra — Low fire risk: 100/100 Moffat Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Moffat Beach has higher household incomes ($85,228 vs $50,960); Caloundra has more residents (3,932 vs 2,691).

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Population 3,932
+32% vs other
 2,691
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.4% +5.4%
Median age 58 47
Median household income $50,960/yr $85,228/yr
+67% vs other
Median weekly rent $360/wk $400/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Caloundra Moffat Beach
0-4 2.6% / 4.1%
Caloundra — 0-4: 2.6% Moffat Beach — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 6.0% / 10.5%
Caloundra — 5-14: 6.0% Moffat Beach — 5-14: 10.5%
15-19 4.0% / 5.9%
Caloundra — 15-19: 4.0% Moffat Beach — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 4.1% / 5.1%
Caloundra — 20-24: 4.1% Moffat Beach — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 8.8% / 9.1%
Caloundra — 25-34: 8.8% Moffat Beach — 25-34: 9.1%
35-44 8.8% / 10.8%
Caloundra — 35-44: 8.8% Moffat Beach — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 11.4% / 14.6%
Caloundra — 45-54: 11.4% Moffat Beach — 45-54: 14.6%
55-64 16.1% / 16.3%
Caloundra — 55-64: 16.1% Moffat Beach — 55-64: 16.3%
65-74 17.1% / 13.7%
Caloundra — 65-74: 17.1% Moffat Beach — 65-74: 13.7%
75-84 13.9% / 7.1%
Caloundra — 75-84: 13.9% Moffat Beach — 75-84: 7.1%
85+ 7.2% / 2.2%
Caloundra — 85+: 7.2% Moffat Beach — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Caloundra 60.9% lone person
Caloundra — Lone Person: 60.9% Caloundra — Couple Families: 17.7% Caloundra — One Parent Families: 15.3% Caloundra — Group Household: 4.7% Caloundra — Other Families: 1.4%
Moffat Beach 36.7% lone person
Moffat Beach — Lone Person: 36.7% Moffat Beach — Couple Families: 40.1% Moffat Beach — One Parent Families: 15.1% Moffat Beach — Group Household: 6.7% Moffat Beach — Other Families: 1.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Caloundra 44.2% renting
Caloundra — Owned Outright: 40.5% Caloundra — Mortgage: 15.3% Caloundra — Renting: 44.2%
Moffat Beach 31.3% renting
Moffat Beach — Owned Outright: 39.5% Moffat Beach — Mortgage: 29.2% Moffat Beach — Renting: 31.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Certificate III & IV 16.7% / 14.5%
Caloundra — Certificate III & IV: 16.7% Moffat Beach — Certificate III & IV: 14.5%
Bachelor Degree 10.7% / 16.7%
Caloundra — Bachelor Degree: 10.7% Moffat Beach — Bachelor Degree: 16.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 9.1%
Caloundra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% Moffat Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.9% / 4.5%
Caloundra — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9% Moffat Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 2.4%
Caloundra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Moffat Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

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.

Caloundra Moffat Beach
England 5.5% / 5.5%
Caloundra — England: 5.5% Moffat Beach — England: 5.5%
New Zealand 5.3% / 3.4%
Caloundra — New Zealand: 5.3% Moffat Beach — New Zealand: 3.4%
South Africa 0.5% / 1.0%
Caloundra — South Africa: 0.5% Moffat Beach — South Africa: 1.0%
Scotland 0.9% / —
Caloundra — Scotland: 0.9% Moffat Beach — Scotland: not among its largest
Philippines 0.5% / 0.4%
Caloundra — Philippines: 0.5% Moffat Beach — Philippines: 0.4%
Nepal 0.7% / —
Caloundra — Nepal: 0.7% Moffat Beach — Nepal: not among its largest
Zimbabwe — / 0.4%
Caloundra — Zimbabwe: not among its largest Moffat Beach — Zimbabwe: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Caloundra 23.6% houses
Caloundra — Houses: 23.6% Caloundra — Flats / Apartments: 49.6% Caloundra — Townhouses: 26.8%
Moffat Beach 75.3% houses
Moffat Beach — Houses: 75.3% Moffat Beach — Flats / Apartments: 12.0% Moffat Beach — Townhouses: 12.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Median house price $1,002,000 $1,622,500
Median unit price $880,000 $1,075,000
Median land price — $1,120,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 22 sales
 29 days
from 11 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

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

Caloundra Moffat Beach
2 bed $865K / $880K
Caloundra — 2 bed: $865K (94 sales) Moffat Beach — 2 bed: $880K (17 sales)

94 vs 17 sales

3 bed $1.25M / $1.85M
Caloundra — 3 bed: $1.25M (37 sales) Moffat Beach — 3 bed: $1.85M (6 sales)

37 vs 6 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.

Caloundra Moffat Beach
2 bed $960K / $1.14M
Caloundra — 2 bed: $960K (11 sales) Moffat Beach — 2 bed: $1.14M (6 sales)

11 vs 6 sales

3 bed $946K / $1.61M
Caloundra — 3 bed: $946K (21 sales) Moffat Beach — 3 bed: $1.61M (19 sales)

21 vs 19 sales

4 bed $1.23M / $1.82M
Caloundra — 4 bed: $1.23M (6 sales) Moffat Beach — 4 bed: $1.82M (20 sales)

6 vs 20 sales

5 bed $1.35M / $1.78M
Caloundra — 5 bed: $1.35M (5 sales) Moffat Beach — 5 bed: $1.78M (6 sales)

5 vs 6 sales

Development activity

Caloundra Moffat Beach
New dwellings approved 2,962
across Sunshine Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year -41%
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.

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Houses 4.1%
$780/wk on $995K
 3.2%
$900/wk on $1.45M
Units 4.0%
$695/wk on $900K
 —

Ranking within QLD

Caloundra Moffat Beach
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 14% of QLD Higher than 59% of QLD
Schools Higher than 60% of QLD —
Walkability Higher than 98% of QLD Higher than 95% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 81% of QLD Higher than 82% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of QLD Higher than 89% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 59% of QLD Higher than 15% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 32% of QLD —

Liveability

Moffat Beach scores higher overall (68 vs 46); Caloundra is more walkable (89 vs 79).

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Grade C A
Score 46/100 68/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Caloundra carries more crime risk (93 vs 66).

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
93/100
 Moderate
66/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
86/100
 Low
17/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Inside the suburb 4 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
UniSC Sunshine Coast, 9.6 km
same for both
Full-time students aged 15–24 0.9% 1.7%

Schools in Caloundra

  • Caloundra State School Government · Primary above peers
  • Caloundra Christian College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Caloundra State High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Kairos Community College - Caloundra Campus Independent · Secondary · Special school

Schools in Moffat Beach

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

Amenities in the suburb

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Supermarkets 5 1
Cafes & restaurants 26 2
Parks & reserves 10 9
Childcare 7 0
GPs 9 1
Pharmacies 7 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 9 1
Fuel stations 2 1
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 6 0

Mobility

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Walkability score 89/100 79/100
Distance to Brisbane 91.3 km 92 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 81 min 79 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 84.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 43.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 4551
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 72
postcode 4551
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.

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Car (driver) 66.9% / 68.2%
Caloundra — Car (driver): 66.9% Moffat Beach — Car (driver): 68.2%
Worked from Home 14.9% / 20.7%
Caloundra — Worked from Home: 14.9% Moffat Beach — Worked from Home: 20.7%
Walked Only 9.9% / 2.8%
Caloundra — Walked Only: 9.9% Moffat Beach — Walked Only: 2.8%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 4.8%
Caloundra — Car (passenger): 4.5% Moffat Beach — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Bicycle 2.0% / 1.6%
Caloundra — Bicycle: 2.0% Moffat Beach — Bicycle: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.2%).

Setting

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Elevation 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 16 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 794 m
1.5 km to a named beach
 599 m
1.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Connectivity score 75/100 77/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 18%
4,232 premises
 49%
1,761 premises

Climate

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Annual rainfall 1,052 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 14.7°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Caloundra Moffat Beach
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.31 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Average residential rate $1,690/yr
same for both
Council Sunshine Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Caloundra Moffat Beach
Division Fisher
same for both
Member Andrew Wallace
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Caloundra

Apartments Cafe Culture Coastal Parks Retirees Townhouses

Moffat Beach

Beach Coastal Parks Premium River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Caloundra

Caloundra vs Caloundra West Caloundra vs Golden Beach Caloundra vs Aroona Caloundra vs Kings Beach Caloundra vs Battery Hill Caloundra vs Dicky Beach

Other comparisons with Moffat Beach

Moffat Beach vs Kings Beach Moffat Beach vs Dicky Beach Moffat Beach vs Shelly Beach
Full data on Caloundra Full data on Moffat Beach
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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