Coral Sea vs Fitzroy Island

Fitzroy Island is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 36 in Coral Sea. In both, most homes are flats or apartments and the large majority of households are people living alone. In Coral Sea, most households own their home. In Fitzroy Island, the large majority of households rent. On these figures, Fitzroy Island tends to suit renters.

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 77/100)
  • But Fitzroy Island has more separate houses rather than flats (44% 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 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $175/wk)
  • But Fitzroy Island has a bigger rental market to choose from (100% vs 43%)

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 1195 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1135.9 km vs 1721.3 km)
  • But Fitzroy Island is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

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 56%)
  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 77/100)
  • But Fitzroy Island is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Fitzroy Island

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (93.2% vs -29.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Coral Sea and Fitzroy Island 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 Fitzroy Island
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 Fitzroy Island
Walkability 0 / 10
Coral Sea — Walkability: 0/100 Fitzroy Island — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 49 / 23
Coral Sea — Safety: 49/100 Fitzroy Island — Safety: 23/100
Low fire risk 64 / 100
Coral Sea — Low fire risk: 64/100 Fitzroy Island — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Coral Sea has higher household incomes ($71,448 vs $50,024); Fitzroy Island rents higher ($175/wk vs $130/wk).

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
Population 78 85
+9% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -29.7% +93.2%
Median age 36 31
Median household income $71,448/yr
+30% vs other
 $50,024/yr
Median weekly rent $130/wk $175/wk
+35% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
0-4 — / —
Coral Sea — 0-4: not among its largest Fitzroy Island — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 6.4% / —
Coral Sea — 5-14: 6.4% Fitzroy Island — 5-14: not among its largest
15-19 — / 3.5%
Coral Sea — 15-19: not among its largest Fitzroy Island — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 — / 14.1%
Coral Sea — 20-24: not among its largest Fitzroy Island — 20-24: 14.1%
25-34 37.2% / 30.6%
Coral Sea — 25-34: 37.2% Fitzroy Island — 25-34: 30.6%
35-44 21.8% / 16.5%
Coral Sea — 35-44: 21.8% Fitzroy Island — 35-44: 16.5%
45-54 16.7% / 7.1%
Coral Sea — 45-54: 16.7% Fitzroy Island — 45-54: 7.1%
55-64 17.9% / 12.9%
Coral Sea — 55-64: 17.9% Fitzroy Island — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 — / 10.6%
Coral Sea — 65-74: not among its largest Fitzroy Island — 65-74: 10.6%
75-84 — / 3.5%
Coral Sea — 75-84: not among its largest Fitzroy Island — 75-84: 3.5%
85+ — / —
Coral Sea — 85+: not among its largest Fitzroy Island — 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%
Fitzroy Island 100.0% lone person
Fitzroy Island — Lone Person: 100.0%
Lone Person

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%
Fitzroy Island 100.0% renting
Fitzroy Island — Owned Outright: 0.0% Fitzroy Island — Mortgage: 0.0% Fitzroy Island — Renting: 100.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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%
Fitzroy Island 55.6% flats / apartments
Fitzroy Island — Flats / Apartments: 55.6% Fitzroy Island — Houses: 44.4%
Flats / Apartments Houses

Qualifications

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

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
Certificate III & IV 25.6% / 8.2%
Coral Sea — Certificate III & IV: 25.6% Fitzroy Island — Certificate III & IV: 8.2%
Bachelor Degree 23.1% / 5.9%
Coral Sea — Bachelor Degree: 23.1% Fitzroy Island — Bachelor Degree: 5.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 5.9%
Coral Sea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Fitzroy Island — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Postgraduate Degree 9.0% / —
Coral Sea — Postgraduate Degree: 9.0% Fitzroy Island — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

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

Development activity

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
New dwellings approved 190
across Whitsunday
 767
across Cairns
Approvals change year on year +70% -81%

Ranking within QLD

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 38% of QLD Higher than 13% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 45% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 41% of QLD Higher than 24% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 16% of QLD —

Liveability

Fitzroy Island is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Coral Sea carries more bushfire risk (36 vs 0); Fitzroy Island carries more crime risk (77 vs 51).

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
Bushfire Low
36/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
51/100
 High
77/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
98/100
 Low
22/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
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 Fitzroy Island
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 10 1
Beaches 3 1

Mobility

Fitzroy Island sits further from the CBD (1721.3 km vs 1135.9 km).

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Brisbane 1135.9 km 1721.3 km
+52% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 780 min 1195 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.

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
Walked Only 83.7% / 100.0%
Coral Sea — Walked Only: 83.7% Fitzroy Island — Walked Only: 100.0%
Worked from Home 9.3% / —
Coral Sea — Worked from Home: 9.3% Fitzroy Island — Worked from Home: not among its largest
Car (driver) 7.0% / —
Coral Sea — Car (driver): 7.0% Fitzroy Island — Car (driver): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).

Setting

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
Elevation 499 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 121 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.7 km 636 m
689 m to a named beach

Climate

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
Annual rainfall — 2,121 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 31.9°C
Winter min (Jul) — 18.1°C

Council rates

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
Average residential rate $1,412/yr $1,354/yr
Council Whitsunday Cairns

Federal electorate

Coral Sea Fitzroy Island
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 Fitzroy Island
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

Fitzroy Island

Beach Coastal Multicultural Quiet Rural
Full data on Coral Sea Full data on Fitzroy Island
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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