Coral Sea vs Forrest Beach
Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 57 in Forrest Beach. In both, most households own their home and most households are people living alone. In Coral Sea, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. In Forrest 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
Forrest Beach
ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more separate houses rather than flats (90% vs 0%)
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 51/100)
- But Coral Sea has more parks and reserves (10 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 26%)
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $240/wk)
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (43% vs 23%)
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 1481.9 km)
- has a shorter drive in (780 min vs 1014 min)
- But Forrest Beach is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Forrest Beach
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 51/100)
- But Coral Sea has more units and townhouses to downsize into (100% vs 10%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Forrest Beach
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (8.8% vs -29.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Coral Sea and Forrest 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
Forrest Beach has more residents (1,364 vs 78); Forrest Beach rents higher ($240/wk vs $130/wk).
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 78 | 1,364 +1649% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -29.7% | +8.8% |
| Median age | 36 | 57 |
| Median household income | $71,448/yr +32% vs other | $48,620/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $130/wk | $240/wk +85% 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 | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $449,000 |
| Median unit price | — | $532,500 |
| Median land price | — | $130,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 99 days from 17 sales |
Development activity
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 190 across Whitsunday | 23 across Hinchinbrook |
| Approvals change year on year | +70% | -86% |
Ranking within QLD
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 38% of QLD | Higher than 11% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 45% of QLD | Higher than 75% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 41% of QLD | Higher than 4% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 16% of QLD | Higher than 62% of QLD |
Liveability
Forrest Beach is more walkable (13 vs 0).
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | D |
| Score | — | 24/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Coral Sea carries more crime risk (51 vs 41).
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 36/100 | Moderate 45/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | Moderate 41/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 98/100 | High 80/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| 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 Forrest Beach
- Forrest Beach State School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 10 | 0 |
| GPs | 0 | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Beaches | 3 | 1 |
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Forrest Beach sits further from the CBD (1481.9 km vs 1135.9 km).
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 13/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1135.9 km | 1481.9 km +30% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 780 min | 1014 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.7%).
Setting
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 8 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 1.7 km | 1.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 102 premises | 0% 740 premises |
Climate
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | — | 2,433 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 32.4°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 14.8°C |
Council rates
| Coral Sea | Forrest Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,412/yr | $1,516/yr |
| Council | Whitsunday | Hinchinbrook |
Federal electorate
| Coral Sea | Forrest 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 | Forrest 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
Other comparisons with Forrest Beach
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.