Coolabine vs Gheerulla
Gheerulla is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 53 in Coolabine. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Coolabine, most households are people living alone. In Gheerulla, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Coolabine tends to suit people living alone, while Gheerulla suits families with children and couples.
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
Gheerulla
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
- is already more of a family suburb (62% vs 36%)
- carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 36/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Gheerulla
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 38%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Coolabine
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (42% vs 5%)
- has cheaper rent ($245/wk vs $273/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Coolabine has a shorter drive in (117 min vs 129 min)
- Gheerulla sits closer to the CBD (143.3 km vs 152.7 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Gheerulla
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 36/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Gheerulla
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (36.0% vs 7.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Coolabine and Gheerulla drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Gheerulla has more residents (291 vs 76); Gheerulla has higher household incomes ($79,248 vs $56,316).
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 76 | 291 +283% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +7.0% | +36.0% |
| Median age | 53 | 44 |
| Median household income | $56,316/yr | $79,248/yr +41% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $245/wk | $273/wk +11% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.0%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.7%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $1,232,500 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $1,430,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 74 days from 3 sales |
Development activity
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 2,962 across Sunshine Coast same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -41% same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 19% of QLD | Higher than 50% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 59% of QLD | Higher than 28% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 65% of QLD same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 35% of QLD | Higher than 39% of QLD |
Liveability
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Gheerulla carries more bushfire risk (55 vs 0); Coolabine carries more crime risk (36 vs 25).
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Moderate 55/100 |
| Crime | Low 36/100 | Low 25/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 3 |
| Waterways | 1 | 4 |
Mobility
Coolabine sits further from the CBD (152.7 km vs 143.3 km).
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 152.7 km +6% vs other | 143.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 117 min | 129 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.5% postcode 4574 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 76 postcode 4574 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.1%).
Setting
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 113 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 409 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 30.1 km | 26.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 26/100 | 28/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 55 premises | 0% 117 premises |
Climate
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,045 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.9°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 7.7°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 4.3 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 12.3 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,690/yr same for both | |
| Council | Sunshine Coast same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Fairfax same for both | |
| Member | Ted O'Brien same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Coolabine | Gheerulla | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Coolabine
Other comparisons with Gheerulla
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.