Coolum Beach vs Point Arkwright

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Point Arkwright, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Point Arkwright: a median of $1.66 million, against $1.52 million in Coolum Beach, though rent is higher in Coolum Beach. On these figures, Point Arkwright tends to suit people living alone.

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

Coolum Beach

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (22 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Point Arkwright

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (40% vs 30%)
  • has cheaper rent ($393/wk vs $450/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

  • Coolum Beach has a shorter drive in (92 min vs 99 min)
  • Point Arkwright is more walkable (24/100 vs 14/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Coolum Beach has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • Point Arkwright is more walkable (24/100 vs 14/100)

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

Investors

Point Arkwright

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.2% vs 7.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Coolum Beach and Point Arkwright 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 Point Arkwright
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 Point Arkwright
Walkability 14 / 24
Coolum Beach — Walkability: 14/100 Point Arkwright — Walkability: 24/100
Safety 46 / 52
Coolum Beach — Safety: 46/100 Point Arkwright — Safety: 52/100
Low fire risk 41 / 100
Coolum Beach — Low fire risk: 41/100 Point Arkwright — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Coolum Beach has more residents (9,152 vs 309); Coolum Beach rents higher ($450/wk vs $393/wk).

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
Population 9,152
+97% vs other
 309
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.7% +13.2%
Median age 45 47
Median household income $83,200/yr
+3% vs other
 $80,444/yr
Median weekly rent $450/wk
+13% vs other
 $393/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
0-4 4.8% / 6.5%
Coolum Beach — 0-4: 4.8% Point Arkwright — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 11.6% / 7.1%
Coolum Beach — 5-14: 11.6% Point Arkwright — 5-14: 7.1%
15-19 5.4% / 3.9%
Coolum Beach — 15-19: 5.4% Point Arkwright — 15-19: 3.9%
20-24 4.0% / 1.3%
Coolum Beach — 20-24: 4.0% Point Arkwright — 20-24: 1.3%
25-34 9.8% / 11.3%
Coolum Beach — 25-34: 9.8% Point Arkwright — 25-34: 11.3%
35-44 13.6% / 12.6%
Coolum Beach — 35-44: 13.6% Point Arkwright — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 14.8% / 16.8%
Coolum Beach — 45-54: 14.8% Point Arkwright — 45-54: 16.8%
55-64 14.6% / 17.8%
Coolum Beach — 55-64: 14.6% Point Arkwright — 55-64: 17.8%
65-74 12.3% / 14.9%
Coolum Beach — 65-74: 12.3% Point Arkwright — 65-74: 14.9%
75-84 6.2% / 6.1%
Coolum Beach — 75-84: 6.2% Point Arkwright — 75-84: 6.1%
85+ 2.9% / 1.0%
Coolum Beach — 85+: 2.9% Point Arkwright — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Coolum Beach 36.9% lone person
Coolum Beach — Lone Person: 36.9% Coolum Beach — Couple Families: 39.0% Coolum Beach — One Parent Families: 16.9% Coolum Beach — Group Household: 6.2% Coolum Beach — Other Families: 0.9%
Point Arkwright 52.9% lone person
Point Arkwright — Lone Person: 52.9% Point Arkwright — Couple Families: 28.7% Point Arkwright — One Parent Families: 13.8% Point Arkwright — Group Household: 4.6% Point Arkwright — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families 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%
Point Arkwright 40.3% renting
Point Arkwright — Owned Outright: 31.9% Point Arkwright — Mortgage: 27.7% Point Arkwright — Renting: 40.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
Certificate III & IV 17.6% / 21.4%
Coolum Beach — Certificate III & IV: 17.6% Point Arkwright — Certificate III & IV: 21.4%
Bachelor Degree 13.6% / 16.5%
Coolum Beach — Bachelor Degree: 13.6% Point Arkwright — Bachelor Degree: 16.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 6.1%
Coolum Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Point Arkwright — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Postgraduate Degree 3.6% / 4.5%
Coolum Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 3.6% Point Arkwright — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 2.9%
Coolum Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Point Arkwright — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

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 Point Arkwright
England 5.1% / 7.1%
Coolum Beach — England: 5.1% Point Arkwright — England: 7.1%
New Zealand 3.8% / 2.6%
Coolum Beach — New Zealand: 3.8% Point Arkwright — New Zealand: 2.6%
Canada 0.4% / 1.3%
Coolum Beach — Canada: 0.4% Point Arkwright — Canada: 1.3%
South Africa 0.9% / —
Coolum Beach — South Africa: 0.9% Point Arkwright — South Africa: not among its largest
Scotland 0.7% / —
Coolum Beach — Scotland: 0.7% Point Arkwright — Scotland: not among its largest
Germany 0.7% / —
Coolum Beach — Germany: 0.7% Point Arkwright — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Coolum Beach 69.5% houses
Coolum Beach — Houses: 69.5% Coolum Beach — Flats / Apartments: 17.1% Coolum Beach — Townhouses: 13.4%
Point Arkwright 62.3% houses
Point Arkwright — Houses: 62.3% Point Arkwright — Flats / Apartments: 32.8% Point Arkwright — Townhouses: 4.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
Median house price $1,520,000 $1,657,500
Median unit price $1,117,500 —
Median land price $1,385,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 84 sales
 —

Development activity

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
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 Point Arkwright
Houses 3.2%
$975/wk on $1.6M
 —
Units 3.7%
$780/wk on $1.1M
 —

Ranking within QLD

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 54% of QLD Higher than 51% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 76% of QLD Higher than 81% 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 75% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 14% of QLD —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 19% of QLD —

Liveability

Point Arkwright is more walkable (24 vs 14).

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
Grade C —
Score 38/100 —
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Coolum Beach carries more bushfire risk (59 vs 0).

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
Bushfire Moderate
59/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 Moderate
48/100
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
same for both

Schools

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
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 Point Arkwright

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

Amenities in the suburb

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

Mobility

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
Walkability score 14/100 24/100
Distance to Brisbane 117.4 km 118 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 92 min 99 min
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 Point Arkwright
Car (driver) 70.0% / 70.0%
Coolum Beach — Car (driver): 70.0% Point Arkwright — Car (driver): 70.0%
Worked from Home 20.5% / 21.7%
Coolum Beach — Worked from Home: 20.5% Point Arkwright — Worked from Home: 21.7%
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 3.3%
Coolum Beach — Car (passenger): 3.8% Point Arkwright — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Bicycle 1.4% / 5.0%
Coolum Beach — Bicycle: 1.4% Point Arkwright — Bicycle: 5.0%
Walked Only 3.1% / —
Coolum Beach — Walked Only: 3.1% Point Arkwright — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.0%).

Setting

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
Elevation 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.4 km
2.3 km to a named beach
 345 m
537 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
Connectivity score 69/100 64/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 43%
5,854 premises
 34%
186 premises

Air quality (annual mean)

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³ 5.0 µg/m³
PM10 12.3 µg/m³ 14.0 µg/m³
NO₂ — 0.31 pphm

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Coolum Beach Point Arkwright
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 Point Arkwright
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

Point Arkwright

Apartments Beach Coastal Parks Quiet

More comparisons

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

Other comparisons with Point Arkwright

Point Arkwright vs Yaroomba
Full data on Coolum Beach Full data on Point Arkwright
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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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