Coolum Beach vs Peregian Springs

Peregian Springs is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 45 in Coolum Beach. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Peregian Springs, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Coolum Beach: a median of $1.52 million, against $1.38 million in Peregian Springs, though rent is higher in Peregian Springs. On these figures, Coolum Beach tends to suit people living alone, while Peregian Springs 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

Peregian Springs

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 54/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 56%)
  • But Coolum Beach has more parks and reserves (22 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Peregian Springs

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($980,000 vs $1,385,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,375,000 vs $1,520,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Coolum Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $530/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Coolum Beach

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (92 min vs 97 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (117.4 km vs 122.8 km)
  • But Peregian Springs is more walkable (56/100 vs 14/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Peregian Springs

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (56/100 vs 14/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 54/100)
  • But Coolum Beach has more GPs (5 vs 1)

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

Investors

Peregian Springs

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (34.9% vs 7.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
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.

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Walkability 14 / 56
Coolum Beach — Walkability: 14/100 Peregian Springs — Walkability: 56/100
Safety 46 / 73
Coolum Beach — Safety: 46/100 Peregian Springs — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 41 / 20
Coolum Beach — Low fire risk: 41/100 Peregian Springs — Low fire risk: 20/100

Demographics

Peregian Springs rents higher ($530/wk vs $450/wk); Coolum Beach skews older (45 vs 39).

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Population 9,152 9,532
+4% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.7% +34.9%
Median age 45 39
Median household income $83,200/yr $95,472/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $450/wk $530/wk
+18% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
0-4 4.8% / 6.3%
Coolum Beach — 0-4: 4.8% Peregian Springs — 0-4: 6.3%
5-14 11.6% / 18.2%
Coolum Beach — 5-14: 11.6% Peregian Springs — 5-14: 18.2%
15-19 5.4% / 6.8%
Coolum Beach — 15-19: 5.4% Peregian Springs — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 4.0% / 3.8%
Coolum Beach — 20-24: 4.0% Peregian Springs — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 9.8% / 8.3%
Coolum Beach — 25-34: 9.8% Peregian Springs — 25-34: 8.3%
35-44 13.6% / 16.1%
Coolum Beach — 35-44: 13.6% Peregian Springs — 35-44: 16.1%
45-54 14.8% / 14.2%
Coolum Beach — 45-54: 14.8% Peregian Springs — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 14.6% / 8.9%
Coolum Beach — 55-64: 14.6% Peregian Springs — 55-64: 8.9%
65-74 12.3% / 9.9%
Coolum Beach — 65-74: 12.3% Peregian Springs — 65-74: 9.9%
75-84 6.2% / 5.4%
Coolum Beach — 75-84: 6.2% Peregian Springs — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 2.9% / 1.9%
Coolum Beach — 85+: 2.9% Peregian Springs — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Coolum Beach 39.0% couple families
Coolum Beach — Couple Families: 39.0% Coolum Beach — Lone Person: 36.9% Coolum Beach — One Parent Families: 16.9% Coolum Beach — Group Household: 6.2% Coolum Beach — Other Families: 0.9%
Peregian Springs 54.2% couple families
Peregian Springs — Couple Families: 54.2% Peregian Springs — Lone Person: 22.2% Peregian Springs — One Parent Families: 19.3% Peregian Springs — Group Household: 3.5% Peregian Springs — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Coolum Beach 30.0% renting
Coolum Beach — Owned Outright: 35.0% Coolum Beach — Mortgage: 34.9% Coolum Beach — Renting: 30.0%
Peregian Springs 38.8% renting
Peregian Springs — Owned Outright: 28.3% Peregian Springs — Mortgage: 32.8% Peregian Springs — Renting: 38.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Certificate III & IV 17.6% / 14.4%
Coolum Beach — Certificate III & IV: 17.6% Peregian Springs — Certificate III & IV: 14.4%
Bachelor Degree 13.6% / 12.9%
Coolum Beach — Bachelor Degree: 13.6% Peregian Springs — Bachelor Degree: 12.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 10.3%
Coolum Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Peregian Springs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3%
Postgraduate Degree 3.6% / 3.6%
Coolum Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6% Peregian Springs — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 1.8%
Coolum Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Peregian Springs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

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.

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
England 5.1% / 9.0%
Coolum Beach — England: 5.1% Peregian Springs — England: 9.0%
New Zealand 3.8% / 4.0%
Coolum Beach — New Zealand: 3.8% Peregian Springs — New Zealand: 4.0%
South Africa 0.9% / 2.4%
Coolum Beach — South Africa: 0.9% Peregian Springs — South Africa: 2.4%
Scotland 0.7% / 1.1%
Coolum Beach — Scotland: 0.7% Peregian Springs — Scotland: 1.1%
Germany 0.7% / 0.5%
Coolum Beach — Germany: 0.7% Peregian Springs — Germany: 0.5%
Canada 0.4% / 0.7%
Coolum Beach — Canada: 0.4% Peregian Springs — Canada: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Coolum Beach 69.5% houses
Coolum Beach — Houses: 69.5% Coolum Beach — Townhouses: 13.4% Coolum Beach — Flats / Apartments: 17.1%
Peregian Springs 78.1% houses
Peregian Springs — Houses: 78.1% Peregian Springs — Townhouses: 20.4% Peregian Springs — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Median house price $1,520,000 $1,375,000
Median unit price $1,117,500 $1,017,500
Median land price $1,385,000 $980,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 84 sales
 27 days
from 113 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.

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
3 bed $1.39M / $1.1M
Coolum Beach — 3 bed: $1.39M (73 sales) Peregian Springs — 3 bed: $1.1M (59 sales)

73 vs 59 sales

4 bed $1.59M / $1.43M
Coolum Beach — 4 bed: $1.59M (71 sales) Peregian Springs — 4 bed: $1.43M (180 sales)

71 vs 180 sales

5 bed $1.73M / $1.7M
Coolum Beach — 5 bed: $1.73M (21 sales) Peregian Springs — 5 bed: $1.7M (28 sales)

21 vs 28 sales

Development activity

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
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.

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Houses 3.2%
$975/wk on $1.6M
 3.6%
$1,000/wk on $1.45M
Units 3.7%
$780/wk on $1.1M
 —

Ranking within QLD

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 54% of QLD Higher than 69% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 76% of QLD Higher than 88% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 92% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 78% of QLD Higher than 90% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 14% of QLD Higher than 29% of QLD
Rental yield (units) Higher than 19% of QLD —

Liveability

Peregian Springs is more walkable (56 vs 14); Peregian Springs scores higher overall (48 vs 38).

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Grade C
same for both
Score 38/100 48/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Coolum Beach carries more crime risk (54 vs 27); Peregian Springs carries more bushfire risk (80 vs 59).

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Bushfire Moderate
59/100
 High
80/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 Low
27/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
16/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Inside the suburb 2
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Coolum Beach

  • Coolum State High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Coolum State School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Peregian Springs

  • Peregian Springs State School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Andrew's Anglican College Independent · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Supermarkets 4 1
Cafes & restaurants 9 1
Parks & reserves 22 0
Childcare 5 6
GPs 5 1
Pharmacies 3 1
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 1
Fuel stations 4 0
Waterways 9 0

Mobility

Peregian Springs sits further from the CBD (122.8 km vs 117.4 km).

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Walkability score 14/100 56/100
Distance to Brisbane 117.4 km 122.8 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 92 min 97 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 67/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 48.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 22.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 4573
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 59
postcode 4573
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.

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Car (driver) 70.0% / 70.1%
Coolum Beach — Car (driver): 70.0% Peregian Springs — Car (driver): 70.1%
Worked from Home 20.5% / 22.8%
Coolum Beach — Worked from Home: 20.5% Peregian Springs — Worked from Home: 22.8%
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 4.6%
Coolum Beach — Car (passenger): 3.8% Peregian Springs — Car (passenger): 4.6%
Walked Only 3.1% / 1.1%
Coolum Beach — Walked Only: 3.1% Peregian Springs — Walked Only: 1.1%
Bicycle 1.4% / 0.6%
Coolum Beach — Bicycle: 1.4% Peregian Springs — Bicycle: 0.6%
Bus 1.3% / 0.7%
Coolum Beach — Bus: 1.3% Peregian Springs — Bus: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.1%).

Setting

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Elevation 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 13 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.4 km
2.3 km to a named beach
 2.6 km
4.1 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Connectivity score 69/100 78/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
5,854 premises
 59%
2,573 premises

Air quality (annual mean)

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Average residential rate $1,690/yr
same for both
Council Sunshine Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
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

Coolum Beach Peregian Springs
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Coolum Beach

Coastal Premium Regional Centre

Peregian Springs

Coastal Family Quiet Regional Centre Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Coolum Beach

Coolum Beach vs Peregian Beach Coolum Beach vs Mount Coolum Coolum Beach vs Yaroomba Coolum Beach vs Maroochy River Coolum Beach vs Yandina Creek Coolum Beach vs Verrierdale

Other comparisons with Peregian Springs

Peregian Springs vs Peregian Beach Peregian Springs vs Doonan Peregian Springs vs Verrierdale
Full data on Coolum Beach Full data on Peregian Springs
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or