Coral Sea vs Ball Bay
Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 56 in Ball Bay. In both, most households own their home. In Coral Sea, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments and the large majority of households are people living alone. In Ball Bay, the large majority of homes are detached houses and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Coral Sea tends to suit young adults and 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
Ball Bay
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 0%)
- carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 51/100)
- But Coral Sea has more parks and reserves (10 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.
Renters
Coral Sea
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (43% vs 17%)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 22%)
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $290/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Ball Bay
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (691 min vs 780 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (1007.6 km vs 1135.9 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Coral Sea has more units and townhouses to downsize into (100% vs 2%)
- Ball Bay carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 51/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Ball Bay
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (6.7% vs -29.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Coral Sea and Ball Bay 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
Ball Bay has more residents (384 vs 78); Ball Bay rents higher ($290/wk vs $130/wk).
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 78 | 384 +392% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -29.7% | +6.7% |
| Median age | 36 | 56 |
| Median household income | $71,448/yr +2% vs other | $69,992/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $130/wk | $290/wk +123% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (37.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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 (10.3%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $645,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $370,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 78 days from 6 sales |
Development activity
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 190 across Whitsunday | 574 across Mackay |
| Approvals change year on year | +70% | -6% |
Ranking within QLD
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 38% of QLD | Higher than 37% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 45% of QLD | Higher than 43% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 41% of QLD | Higher than 9% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 16% of QLD | Higher than 60% of QLD |
Liveability
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
Coral Sea carries more crime risk (51 vs 23); Ball Bay carries more bushfire risk (49 vs 36).
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 36/100 | Moderate 49/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | Low 23/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 98/100 | High 74/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 10 | 0 |
| Beaches | 3 | 0 |
| Waterways | 0 | 3 |
Mobility
Coral Sea sits further from the CBD (1135.9 km vs 1007.6 km).
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1135.9 km +11% vs other | 1007.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 780 min | 691 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4740 | 0.1% postcode 4741 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 4740 | 70 postcode 4741 |
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 (83.7%).
Setting
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 62 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 1.7 km | 2.4 km 2.7 km to a named beach |
NBN connectivity
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 102 premises | 0% 232 premises |
Climate
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | — | 1,633 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 30.6°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 14.5°C |
Council rates
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,412/yr | $1,873/yr |
| Council | Whitsunday | Mackay |
Federal electorate
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Dawson same for both | |
| Member | Andrew Willcox same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Coral Sea | Ball Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Coral Sea
Other comparisons with Ball Bay
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.