Coral Sea vs Laguna Quays
Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 53 in Laguna Quays. In both, most households are people living alone. In Coral Sea, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. In Laguna Quays, about half of households rent. On these figures, Coral Sea tends to suit young adults and people living alone, while Laguna Quays suits families with children.
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 93/100)
- But Laguna Quays has more separate houses rather than flats (23% 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 36%)
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $210/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Laguna Quays
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (731 min vs 780 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (1073.6 km vs 1135.9 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Coral Sea
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 93/100)
- has more units and townhouses to downsize into (100% vs 88%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Laguna Quays
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (30.9% vs -29.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Coral Sea and Laguna Quays 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
Coral Sea has higher household incomes ($71,448 vs $30,576); Laguna Quays rents higher ($210/wk vs $130/wk).
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 78 | 89 +14% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -29.7% | +30.9% |
| Median age | 36 | 53 |
| Median household income | $71,448/yr +57% vs other | $30,576/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $130/wk | $210/wk +62% 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 | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $228,000 |
| Median unit price | — | $240,000 |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Development activity
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 190 across Whitsunday | 574 across Mackay |
| Approvals change year on year | +70% | -6% |
Ranking within QLD
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 38% of QLD | Higher than 1% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 45% of QLD | Higher than 34% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 41% of QLD | Higher than 31% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 16% of QLD | Higher than 57% of QLD |
Liveability
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | high-need area decile 1/10 |
Risk profile
Coral Sea carries more bushfire risk (36 vs 0); Laguna Quays carries more crime risk (93 vs 51).
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 36/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | High 93/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 98/100 | High 71/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 10 | 0 |
| Beaches | 3 | 0 |
Mobility
Coral Sea sits further from the CBD (1135.9 km vs 1073.6 km).
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1135.9 km +5% vs other | 1073.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 780 min | 731 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4740 | 0.2% postcode 4800 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 4740 | 85 postcode 4800 |
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 | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 51 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 1.7 km | 2.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 102 premises | 0% 76 premises |
Climate
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | — | 1,502 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 31.7°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 11.9°C |
Council rates
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,412/yr | $1,873/yr |
| Council | Whitsunday | Mackay |
Federal electorate
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Dawson same for both | |
| Member | Andrew Willcox same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Coral Sea | Laguna Quays | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Laguna Quays
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.