Coral Sea vs Calen
Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 43 in Calen. 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 Calen, the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Coral Sea tends to suit young adults and people living alone, while Calen 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
Coral Sea
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (10 vs 1)
- carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 65/100)
- But Calen has more separate houses rather than flats (94% vs 0%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.
Renters
Coral Sea
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $250/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 18%)
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (43% vs 29%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Calen
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (1020.9 km vs 1135.9 km)
- has a shorter drive in (702 min vs 780 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 6%)
- carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 65/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Calen
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (9.5% vs -29.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Coral Sea and Calen 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
Calen has more residents (427 vs 78); Calen rents higher ($250/wk vs $130/wk).
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 78 | 427 +447% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -29.7% | +9.5% |
| Median age | 36 | 43 |
| Median household income | $71,448/yr | $74,048/yr +4% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $130/wk | $250/wk +92% 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 | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $410,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Development activity
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 190 across Whitsunday | 574 across Mackay |
| Approvals change year on year | +70% | -6% |
Ranking within QLD
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 38% of QLD | Higher than 44% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 45% of QLD | Higher than 56% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 41% of QLD | Higher than 57% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 16% of QLD | Higher than 46% of QLD |
Liveability
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | high-need area decile 1/10 |
Risk profile
Coral Sea carries more bushfire risk (36 vs 0); Calen carries more crime risk (65 vs 51).
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 36/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | Moderate 65/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 98/100 | Moderate 58/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Coral Sea
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Calen
- Calen District State College Government · Combined at peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 0 | 1 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 10 | 1 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 0 | 1 |
| Police stations | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Beaches | 3 | 0 |
| Waterways | 0 | 11 |
Mobility
Coral Sea sits further from the CBD (1135.9 km vs 1020.9 km).
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1135.9 km +10% vs other | 1020.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 780 min | 702 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4740 | 0.4% postcode 4798 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 4740 | 67 postcode 4798 |
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 | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 33 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 1.7 km | 9.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 102 premises | 0% 210 premises |
Climate
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | — | 1,502 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 31.7°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 11.9°C |
Council rates
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,412/yr | $1,873/yr |
| Council | Whitsunday | Mackay |
Federal electorate
| Coral Sea | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Calen | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Calen
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Coral Sea
Other comparisons with Calen
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.