Coral Sea vs Cowley Beach
Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 59 in Cowley Beach. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of households are people living alone. In Coral Sea, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. In Cowley Beach, the large majority of homes are detached houses. 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 0)
- carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 78/100)
- But Cowley Beach has more separate houses rather than flats (87% vs 0%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.
Renters
Coral Sea
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 24%)
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $250/wk)
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (43% vs 26%)
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 1108 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (1135.9 km vs 1602.3 km)
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 13%)
- carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 78/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Cowley Beach
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-16.7% vs -29.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Coral Sea and Cowley Beach 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
Cowley Beach rents higher ($250/wk vs $130/wk); Cowley Beach skews older (59 vs 36).
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 78 +17% vs other | 65 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -29.7% | -16.7% |
| Median age | 36 | 59 |
| Median household income | $71,448/yr +24% vs other | $54,184/yr |
| 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%).
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 (10.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $520,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Development activity
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 190 across Whitsunday | 186 across Cassowary Coast |
| Approvals change year on year | +70% | +68% |
Ranking within QLD
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 38% of QLD | Higher than 16% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 45% of QLD | Higher than 22% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 41% of QLD | Higher than 25% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 16% of QLD | Higher than 54% of QLD |
Liveability
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| 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); Cowley Beach carries more crime risk (78 vs 51).
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 36/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | High 78/100 |
| 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 | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 10 | 0 |
| Beaches | 3 | 0 |
| Waterways | 0 | 4 |
Mobility
Cowley Beach sits further from the CBD (1602.3 km vs 1135.9 km).
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1135.9 km | 1602.3 km +41% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 780 min | 1108 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4740 | 0.2% postcode 4871 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 4740 | 51 postcode 4871 |
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 (100.0%).
Setting
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 6 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 1.7 km | 617 m |
NBN connectivity
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 102 premises | 0% 62 premises |
Climate
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | — | 3,534 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 31.4°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 16.5°C |
Council rates
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,412/yr | $1,829/yr |
| Council | Whitsunday | Cassowary Coast |
Federal electorate
| Coral Sea | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Cowley Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
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.