Coral Sea vs Cape Tribulation
Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 46 in Cape Tribulation. 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 Cape Tribulation, 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 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
Coral Sea
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (10 vs 3)
- carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 85/100)
- But Cape Tribulation has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 0%)
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 16%)
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $150/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
- has a shorter drive in (780 min vs 1345 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (1135.9 km vs 1844.9 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Coral Sea
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 85/100)
Weighs GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Cape Tribulation
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (4.2% vs -29.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Coral Sea and Cape Tribulation 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
Cape Tribulation has more residents (123 vs 78); Coral Sea has higher household incomes ($71,448 vs $49,348).
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 78 | 123 +58% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -29.7% | +4.2% |
| Median age | 36 | 46 |
| Median household income | $71,448/yr +31% vs other | $49,348/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $130/wk | $150/wk +15% 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.
Development activity
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 190 across Whitsunday | 48 across Douglas |
| Approvals change year on year | +70% | -18% |
Ranking within QLD
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 38% of QLD | Higher than 12% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 45% of QLD | Higher than 28% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 41% of QLD | Higher than 47% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 16% of QLD | Higher than 10% of QLD |
Liveability
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 bushfire risk (36 vs 0); Cape Tribulation carries more crime risk (85 vs 51).
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 36/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | High 85/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 98/100 | High 78/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 0 | 1 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 5 |
| Parks & reserves | 10 | 3 |
| Beaches | 3 | 2 |
| Waterways | 0 | 23 |
Mobility
Cape Tribulation sits further from the CBD (1844.9 km vs 1135.9 km).
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1135.9 km | 1844.9 km +62% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 780 min | 1345 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4740 | 0.3% postcode 4873 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 4740 | 63 postcode 4873 |
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 | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 585 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 1.7 km | 3.6 km 4.1 km to a named beach |
NBN connectivity
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 102 premises | 0% 94 premises |
Climate
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | — | 2,186 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 32.2°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 21.3°C |
Council rates
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,412/yr | $1,417/yr |
| Council | Whitsunday | Douglas |
Federal electorate
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Dawson | Leichhardt |
| Member | Andrew Willcox | Matt Smith |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland | Australian Labor Party |
First Home Owner Grant
| Coral Sea | Cape Tribulation | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Cape Tribulation
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.