Coral Sea vs Coolbie

Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 57 in Coolbie. 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 Coolbie, 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

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 69/100)
  • But Coolbie has more separate houses rather than flats (84% vs 0%)

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

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Coral Sea has a bigger rental market to choose from (43% vs 6%)
  • Coolbie has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $130/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 1427.7 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (780 min vs 974 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 16%)
  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 69/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Coolbie

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.8% vs -29.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Coral Sea and Coolbie 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 Coolbie
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 Coolbie
Walkability 0 / 0
Coral Sea — Walkability: 0/100 Coolbie — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 49 / 31
Coral Sea — Safety: 49/100 Coolbie — Safety: 31/100
Low fire risk 64 / 49
Coral Sea — Low fire risk: 64/100 Coolbie — Low fire risk: 49/100

Demographics

Coolbie skews older (57 vs 36); Coolbie has more residents (110 vs 78).

Coral Sea Coolbie
Population 78 110
+41% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -29.7% +5.8%
Median age 36 57
Median household income $71,448/yr $71,500/yr
Median weekly rent $130/wk
+23% vs other
 $100/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coral Sea Coolbie
0-4 — / —
Coral Sea — 0-4: not among its largest Coolbie — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 6.4% / 10.9%
Coral Sea — 5-14: 6.4% Coolbie — 5-14: 10.9%
15-19 — / —
Coral Sea — 15-19: not among its largest Coolbie — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 — / 8.2%
Coral Sea — 20-24: not among its largest Coolbie — 20-24: 8.2%
25-34 37.2% / 5.5%
Coral Sea — 25-34: 37.2% Coolbie — 25-34: 5.5%
35-44 21.8% / 9.1%
Coral Sea — 35-44: 21.8% Coolbie — 35-44: 9.1%
45-54 16.7% / 11.8%
Coral Sea — 45-54: 16.7% Coolbie — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 17.9% / 23.6%
Coral Sea — 55-64: 17.9% Coolbie — 55-64: 23.6%
65-74 — / 13.6%
Coral Sea — 65-74: not among its largest Coolbie — 65-74: 13.6%
75-84 — / 11.8%
Coral Sea — 75-84: not among its largest Coolbie — 75-84: 11.8%
85+ — / —
Coral Sea — 85+: not among its largest Coolbie — 85+: not among its largest

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%
Coolbie 46.4% lone person
Coolbie — Lone Person: 46.4% Coolbie — Couple Families: 32.1% Coolbie — One Parent Families: 10.7% Coolbie — Group Household: 10.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

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%
Coolbie 6.4% renting
Coolbie — Owned Outright: 53.2% Coolbie — Mortgage: 40.4% Coolbie — Renting: 6.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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 Coolbie
New Zealand 10.3% / —
Coral Sea — New Zealand: 10.3% Coolbie — New Zealand: not among its largest
China 6.4% / —
Coral Sea — China: 6.4% Coolbie — China: not among its largest
England — / 5.5%
Coral Sea — England: not among its largest Coolbie — England: 5.5%
Netherlands — / 4.5%
Coral Sea — Netherlands: not among its largest Coolbie — Netherlands: 4.5%

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

Qualifications

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

Coral Sea Coolbie
Certificate III & IV 25.6% / 13.6%
Coral Sea — Certificate III & IV: 25.6% Coolbie — Certificate III & IV: 13.6%
Bachelor Degree 23.1% / 4.5%
Coral Sea — Bachelor Degree: 23.1% Coolbie — Bachelor Degree: 4.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 4.5%
Coral Sea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Coolbie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.5%
Postgraduate Degree 9.0% / —
Coral Sea — Postgraduate Degree: 9.0% Coolbie — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

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

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%
Coolbie 16.3% flats / apartments
Coolbie — Flats / Apartments: 16.3% Coolbie — Houses: 83.7%
Flats / Apartments Houses

Development activity

Coral Sea Coolbie
New dwellings approved 190
across Whitsunday
 23
across Hinchinbrook
Approvals change year on year +70% -86%

Ranking within QLD

Coral Sea Coolbie
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 38% of QLD Higher than 41% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 45% of QLD Higher than 55% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 41% of QLD Higher than 5% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 16% of QLD Higher than 23% of QLD

Liveability

Coral Sea Coolbie
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

Coolbie carries more bushfire risk (51 vs 36); Coolbie carries more crime risk (69 vs 51).

Coral Sea Coolbie
Bushfire Low
36/100
 Moderate
51/100
Crime Moderate
51/100
 Moderate
69/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
98/100
 High
95/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Coral Sea Coolbie
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 Coolbie
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 10 1
Fuel stations 0 1
EV chargers 0 1
Beaches 3 0
Waterways 0 38

Mobility

Coolbie sits further from the CBD (1427.7 km vs 1135.9 km).

Coral Sea Coolbie
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 1135.9 km 1427.7 km
+26% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 780 min 974 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 4740
 0.1%
postcode 4850
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 4740
 51
postcode 4850

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 Coolbie
Car (driver) 7.0% / 84.4%
Coral Sea — Car (driver): 7.0% Coolbie — Car (driver): 84.4%
Walked Only 83.7% / 6.7%
Coral Sea — Walked Only: 83.7% Coolbie — Walked Only: 6.7%
Worked from Home 9.3% / 8.9%
Coral Sea — Worked from Home: 9.3% Coolbie — Worked from Home: 8.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.4%).

Setting

Coral Sea Coolbie
Elevation 499 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 1 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.7 km 2.7 km
3.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Coral Sea Coolbie
Connectivity score 15/100 16/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
102 premises
 0%
14 premises

Climate

Coral Sea Coolbie
Annual rainfall — 2,433 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 32.4°C
Winter min (Jul) — 14.8°C

Council rates

Coral Sea Coolbie
Average residential rate $1,412/yr $1,516/yr
Council Whitsunday Hinchinbrook

Federal electorate

Coral Sea Coolbie
Division Dawson Kennedy
Member Andrew Willcox Bob Katter
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland Katter's Australian Party (KAP)

First Home Owner Grant

Coral Sea Coolbie
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

Coolbie

Coastal Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Coral Sea

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

Other comparisons with Coolbie

Coolbie vs Bambaroo Coolbie vs Mutarnee
Full data on Coral Sea Full data on Coolbie
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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