Coral Sea vs Mackay Harbour

Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 50 in Mackay Harbour. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are flats or apartments. In Coral Sea, the large majority of households are people living alone. In Mackay Harbour, 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 5)
  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 90/100)

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

Renters

Coral Sea

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $500/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 24%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Mackay Harbour

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (971.5 km vs 1135.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (669 min vs 780 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Coral Sea carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 90/100)
  • Mackay Harbour is more walkable (13/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Mackay Harbour

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (23.6% vs -29.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Coral Sea and Mackay Harbour 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 Mackay Harbour
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 Mackay Harbour
Walkability 0 / 13
Coral Sea — Walkability: 0/100 Mackay Harbour — Walkability: 13/100
Safety 49 / 10
Coral Sea — Safety: 49/100 Mackay Harbour — Safety: 10/100
Low fire risk 64 / 100
Coral Sea — Low fire risk: 64/100 Mackay Harbour — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Mackay Harbour has more residents (686 vs 78); Mackay Harbour rents higher ($500/wk vs $130/wk).

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
Population 78 686
+779% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -29.7% +23.6%
Median age 36 50
Median household income $71,448/yr $108,108/yr
+51% vs other
Median weekly rent $130/wk $500/wk
+285% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
0-4 — / 3.2%
Coral Sea — 0-4: not among its largest Mackay Harbour — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 6.4% / 8.0%
Coral Sea — 5-14: 6.4% Mackay Harbour — 5-14: 8.0%
15-19 — / 6.1%
Coral Sea — 15-19: not among its largest Mackay Harbour — 15-19: 6.1%
20-24 — / 4.5%
Coral Sea — 20-24: not among its largest Mackay Harbour — 20-24: 4.5%
25-34 37.2% / 9.0%
Coral Sea — 25-34: 37.2% Mackay Harbour — 25-34: 9.0%
35-44 21.8% / 12.2%
Coral Sea — 35-44: 21.8% Mackay Harbour — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 16.7% / 15.7%
Coral Sea — 45-54: 16.7% Mackay Harbour — 45-54: 15.7%
55-64 17.9% / 25.2%
Coral Sea — 55-64: 17.9% Mackay Harbour — 55-64: 25.2%
65-74 — / 13.8%
Coral Sea — 65-74: not among its largest Mackay Harbour — 65-74: 13.8%
75-84 — / 4.4%
Coral Sea — 75-84: not among its largest Mackay Harbour — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ — / 0.7%
Coral Sea — 85+: not among its largest Mackay Harbour — 85+: 0.7%

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%
Mackay Harbour 52.2% lone person
Mackay Harbour — Lone Person: 52.2% Mackay Harbour — Couple Families: 34.6% Mackay Harbour — One Parent Families: 10.7% Mackay Harbour — Group Household: 2.5%
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%
Mackay Harbour 40.6% renting
Mackay Harbour — Owned Outright: 40.2% Mackay Harbour — Mortgage: 19.2% Mackay Harbour — Renting: 40.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
Certificate III & IV 25.6% / 14.7%
Coral Sea — Certificate III & IV: 25.6% Mackay Harbour — Certificate III & IV: 14.7%
Bachelor Degree 23.1% / 10.5%
Coral Sea — Bachelor Degree: 23.1% Mackay Harbour — Bachelor Degree: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 8.5%
Coral Sea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Mackay Harbour — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5%
Postgraduate Degree 9.0% / 3.8%
Coral Sea — Postgraduate Degree: 9.0% Mackay Harbour — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.6%
Coral Sea — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Mackay Harbour — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

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

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 Mackay Harbour
New Zealand 10.3% / 4.7%
Coral Sea — New Zealand: 10.3% Mackay Harbour — New Zealand: 4.7%
China 6.4% / —
Coral Sea — China: 6.4% Mackay Harbour — China: not among its largest
England — / 2.5%
Coral Sea — England: not among its largest Mackay Harbour — England: 2.5%
South Africa — / 2.3%
Coral Sea — South Africa: not among its largest Mackay Harbour — South Africa: 2.3%
Netherlands — / 1.0%
Coral Sea — Netherlands: not among its largest Mackay Harbour — Netherlands: 1.0%
India — / 0.6%
Coral Sea — India: not among its largest Mackay Harbour — India: 0.6%

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

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 — Townhouses: 0.0% Coral Sea — Houses: 0.0%
Mackay Harbour 79.3% flats / apartments
Mackay Harbour — Flats / Apartments: 79.3% Mackay Harbour — Townhouses: 12.3% Mackay Harbour — Houses: 8.3%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
Median house price — $270,000
Median unit price — $636,000
Median land price — $270,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 33 days
from 3 sales

Development activity

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
New dwellings approved 190
across Whitsunday
 574
across Mackay
Approvals change year on year +70% -6%

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
Houses — 3.4%
$850/wk on $1.3M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 38% of QLD Higher than 80% 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
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 16% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 21% of QLD

Liveability

Mackay Harbour is more walkable (13 vs 0).

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
Grade — C
Score — 39/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Coral Sea carries more bushfire risk (36 vs 0); Mackay Harbour carries more crime risk (90 vs 51).

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
Bushfire Low
36/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
51/100
 High
90/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
98/100
 High
85/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 8
within 5 km

Schools

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
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 Mackay Harbour
Cafes & restaurants 2 1
Parks & reserves 10 5
Beaches 3 1
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Coral Sea sits further from the CBD (1135.9 km vs 971.5 km).

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
Walkability score 0/100 13/100
Distance to Brisbane 1135.9 km
+14% vs other
 971.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 780 min 669 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 4740
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 4740
same for both

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 Mackay Harbour
Car (driver) 7.0% / 85.4%
Coral Sea — Car (driver): 7.0% Mackay Harbour — Car (driver): 85.4%
Walked Only 83.7% / 5.0%
Coral Sea — Walked Only: 83.7% Mackay Harbour — Walked Only: 5.0%
Worked from Home 9.3% / 4.6%
Coral Sea — Worked from Home: 9.3% Mackay Harbour — Worked from Home: 4.6%
Car (passenger) — / 5.0%
Coral Sea — Car (passenger): not among its largest Mackay Harbour — Car (passenger): 5.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.4%).

Setting

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
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 1.1 km
1.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
Connectivity score 15/100 54/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
102 premises
 18%
514 premises

Climate

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
Annual rainfall — 1,633 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 30.6°C
Winter min (Jul) — 14.5°C

Council rates

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
Average residential rate $1,412/yr $1,873/yr
Council Whitsunday Mackay

Federal electorate

Coral Sea Mackay Harbour
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 Mackay Harbour
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

Mackay Harbour

Apartments Coastal 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 Mackay Harbour

Mackay Harbour vs Andergrove Mackay Harbour vs North Mackay Mackay Harbour vs Slade Point
Full data on Coral Sea Full data on Mackay Harbour
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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