Coral Sea vs Bowen

Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 42 in Bowen. 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 Bowen, the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Coral Sea tends to suit young adults and people living alone, while Bowen suits families with children.

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

Bowen

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (83% vs 0%)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 0)
  • But Coral Sea carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 77/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.

Renters

Coral Sea

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $270/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Coral Sea

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (1135.9 km vs 1172.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (780 min vs 801 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Coral Sea

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (100% vs 17%)
  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 77/100)
  • But Bowen has more GPs (2 vs 0)

Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Bowen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.0% vs -29.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Coral Sea Bowen
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.

Coral Sea Bowen
Walkability 0 / 0
Coral Sea — Walkability: 0/100 Bowen — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 49 / 23
Coral Sea — Safety: 49/100 Bowen — Safety: 23/100
Low fire risk 64 / 67
Coral Sea — Low fire risk: 64/100 Bowen — Low fire risk: 67/100

Demographics

Bowen has more residents (11,205 vs 78); Bowen rents higher ($270/wk vs $130/wk).

Coral Sea Bowen
Population 78 11,205
+14265% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -29.7% +8.0%
Median age 36 42
Median household income $71,448/yr
+2% vs other
 $69,836/yr
Median weekly rent $130/wk $270/wk
+108% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coral Sea Bowen
0-4 — / 5.1%
Coral Sea — 0-4: not among its largest Bowen — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 6.4% / 13.1%
Coral Sea — 5-14: 6.4% Bowen — 5-14: 13.1%
15-19 — / 5.1%
Coral Sea — 15-19: not among its largest Bowen — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 — / 5.0%
Coral Sea — 20-24: not among its largest Bowen — 20-24: 5.0%
25-34 37.2% / 12.8%
Coral Sea — 25-34: 37.2% Bowen — 25-34: 12.8%
35-44 21.8% / 11.6%
Coral Sea — 35-44: 21.8% Bowen — 35-44: 11.6%
45-54 16.7% / 12.4%
Coral Sea — 45-54: 16.7% Bowen — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 17.9% / 14.7%
Coral Sea — 55-64: 17.9% Bowen — 55-64: 14.7%
65-74 — / 11.9%
Coral Sea — 65-74: not among its largest Bowen — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 — / 6.4%
Coral Sea — 75-84: not among its largest Bowen — 75-84: 6.4%
85+ — / 2.1%
Coral Sea — 85+: not among its largest Bowen — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (37.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Coral Sea 100.0% lone person
Coral Sea — Lone Person: 100.0% Coral Sea — Couple Families: 0.0% Coral Sea — One Parent Families: 0.0% Coral Sea — Group Household: 0.0% Coral Sea — Other Families: 0.0%
Bowen 42.0% lone person
Bowen — Lone Person: 42.0% Bowen — Couple Families: 35.5% Bowen — One Parent Families: 14.6% Bowen — Group Household: 6.2% Bowen — Other Families: 1.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Coral Sea 42.9% renting
Coral Sea — Owned Outright: 57.1% Coral Sea — Mortgage: 0.0% Coral Sea — Renting: 42.9%
Bowen 39.3% renting
Bowen — Owned Outright: 34.7% Bowen — Mortgage: 26.1% Bowen — Renting: 39.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Coral Sea Bowen
Certificate III & IV 25.6% / 17.3%
Coral Sea — Certificate III & IV: 25.6% Bowen — Certificate III & IV: 17.3%
Bachelor Degree 23.1% / 5.6%
Coral Sea — Bachelor Degree: 23.1% Bowen — Bachelor Degree: 5.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 4.9%
Coral Sea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Bowen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9%
Postgraduate Degree 9.0% / 1.0%
Coral Sea — Postgraduate Degree: 9.0% Bowen — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.8%
Coral Sea — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Bowen — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).

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.

Coral Sea Bowen
New Zealand 10.3% / 2.4%
Coral Sea — New Zealand: 10.3% Bowen — New Zealand: 2.4%
China 6.4% / 0.3%
Coral Sea — China: 6.4% Bowen — China: 0.3%
England — / 2.1%
Coral Sea — England: not among its largest Bowen — England: 2.1%
Philippines — / 1.1%
Coral Sea — Philippines: not among its largest Bowen — Philippines: 1.1%
Taiwan — / 0.6%
Coral Sea — Taiwan: not among its largest Bowen — Taiwan: 0.6%
Germany — / 0.5%
Coral Sea — Germany: not among its largest Bowen — Germany: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Coral Sea 100.0% flats / apartments
Coral Sea — Flats / Apartments: 100.0% Coral Sea — Houses: 0.0% Coral Sea — Townhouses: 0.0%
Bowen 3.6% flats / apartments
Bowen — Flats / Apartments: 3.6% Bowen — Houses: 83.2% Bowen — Townhouses: 13.1%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Coral Sea Bowen
Median house price — $550,000
Median unit price — $325,000
Median land price — $205,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 46 days
from 146 sales

Development activity

Coral Sea Bowen
New dwellings approved 190
across Whitsunday
same for both
Approvals change year on year +70%
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.

Coral Sea Bowen
Houses — 4.8%
$600/wk on $648K
Units — 4.9%
$400/wk on $428K

Ranking within QLD

Coral Sea Bowen
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 38% of QLD Higher than 37% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 5% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 45% of QLD Higher than 3% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 41% of QLD Higher than 16% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 16% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 87% of QLD
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 70% of QLD

Liveability

Coral Sea Bowen
Grade — D
Score — 16/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Bowen carries more crime risk (77 vs 51).

Coral Sea Bowen
Bushfire Low
36/100
 Low
33/100
Crime Moderate
51/100
 High
77/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
98/100
 High
94/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Coral Sea Bowen
Inside the suburb 0 6
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 4
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Coral Sea

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

Schools in Bowen

  • Bowen State High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Bowen State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Merinda State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Queens Beach State School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Mary's Catholic School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Townsville Flexible School - Bowen Campus Catholic · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Coral Sea Bowen
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 2 5
Parks & reserves 10 18
Childcare 0 7
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 6
Fuel stations 0 8
EV chargers 0 1
Beaches 3 7
Waterways 0 140

Mobility

Bowen sits further from the CBD (1172.9 km vs 1135.9 km).

Coral Sea Bowen
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 1135.9 km 1172.9 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 780 min 801 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 4740
 0.2%
postcode 4805
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 4740
 63
postcode 4805

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.

Coral Sea Bowen
Walked Only 83.7% / 4.4%
Coral Sea — Walked Only: 83.7% Bowen — Walked Only: 4.4%
Car (driver) 7.0% / 76.3%
Coral Sea — Car (driver): 7.0% Bowen — Car (driver): 76.3%
Worked from Home 9.3% / 5.5%
Coral Sea — Worked from Home: 9.3% Bowen — Worked from Home: 5.5%
Car (passenger) — / 10.2%
Coral Sea — Car (passenger): not among its largest Bowen — Car (passenger): 10.2%
Bus — / 2.9%
Coral Sea — Bus: not among its largest Bowen — Bus: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.7%).

Setting

Coral Sea Bowen
Elevation 499 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 44 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.7 km 15.8 km

NBN connectivity

Coral Sea Bowen
Connectivity score 15/100 54/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
102 premises
 25%
5,688 premises

Council rates

Coral Sea Bowen
Average residential rate $1,412/yr
same for both
Council Whitsunday
same for both

Federal electorate

Coral Sea Bowen
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 Bowen
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Coral Sea

Coastal Rural

Bowen

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Coral Sea

Coral Sea vs Bargara Coral Sea vs South Mackay Coral Sea vs Bushland Beach Coral Sea vs Trinity Beach Coral Sea vs Kewarra Beach Coral Sea vs Sarina

Other comparisons with Bowen

Bowen vs Gregory River Bowen vs Bogie Bowen vs Guthalungra
Full data on Coral Sea Full data on Bowen
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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