Coral Sea vs Rita Island

Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 50 in Rita Island. 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 Rita Island, 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 73/100)
  • But Rita Island has more separate houses rather than flats (96% vs 0%)

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

Renters

Coral Sea

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (43% vs 5%)
  • has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $250/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 18%)

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 1276.2 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (780 min vs 874 min)

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 4%)
  • carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 73/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Rita Island

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.2% vs -29.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Coral Sea and Rita 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 Rita 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 Rita Island
Walkability 0 / 0
Coral Sea — Walkability: 0/100 Rita Island — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 49 / 27
Coral Sea — Safety: 49/100 Rita Island — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 64 / 100
Coral Sea — Low fire risk: 64/100 Rita Island — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Rita Island has more residents (172 vs 78); Rita Island rents higher ($250/wk vs $130/wk).

Coral Sea Rita Island
Population 78 172
+121% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -29.7% +13.2%
Median age 36 50
Median household income $71,448/yr $72,540/yr
+2% vs other
Median weekly rent $130/wk $250/wk
+92% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Coral Sea Rita Island
0-4 — / —
Coral Sea — 0-4: not among its largest Rita Island — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 6.4% / 9.9%
Coral Sea — 5-14: 6.4% Rita Island — 5-14: 9.9%
15-19 — / 5.8%
Coral Sea — 15-19: not among its largest Rita Island — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 — / 1.7%
Coral Sea — 20-24: not among its largest Rita Island — 20-24: 1.7%
25-34 37.2% / 11.6%
Coral Sea — 25-34: 37.2% Rita Island — 25-34: 11.6%
35-44 21.8% / 9.3%
Coral Sea — 35-44: 21.8% Rita Island — 35-44: 9.3%
45-54 16.7% / 12.8%
Coral Sea — 45-54: 16.7% Rita Island — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 17.9% / 20.9%
Coral Sea — 55-64: 17.9% Rita Island — 55-64: 20.9%
65-74 — / 16.9%
Coral Sea — 65-74: not among its largest Rita Island — 65-74: 16.9%
75-84 — / 4.7%
Coral Sea — 75-84: not among its largest Rita Island — 75-84: 4.7%
85+ — / 2.9%
Coral Sea — 85+: not among its largest Rita Island — 85+: 2.9%

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%
Rita Island 58.3% lone person
Rita Island — Lone Person: 58.3% Rita Island — Couple Families: 41.7%
Lone Person Couple Families

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%
Rita Island 4.8% renting
Rita Island — Owned Outright: 62.9% Rita Island — Mortgage: 32.3% Rita Island — Renting: 4.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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 Rita Island
New Zealand 10.3% / —
Coral Sea — New Zealand: 10.3% Rita Island — New Zealand: not among its largest
China 6.4% / —
Coral Sea — China: 6.4% Rita Island — China: not among its largest
England — / 2.3%
Coral Sea — England: not among its largest Rita Island — England: 2.3%

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

Qualifications

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

Coral Sea Rita Island
Certificate III & IV 25.6% / 18.6%
Coral Sea — Certificate III & IV: 25.6% Rita Island — Certificate III & IV: 18.6%
Bachelor Degree 23.1% / 4.1%
Coral Sea — Bachelor Degree: 23.1% Rita Island — Bachelor Degree: 4.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 6.4%
Coral Sea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Rita Island — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Postgraduate Degree 9.0% / —
Coral Sea — Postgraduate Degree: 9.0% Rita Island — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

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

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%
Rita Island 4.4% flats / apartments
Rita Island — Flats / Apartments: 4.4% Rita Island — Houses: 95.6%
Flats / Apartments Houses

Development activity

Coral Sea Rita Island
New dwellings approved 190
across Whitsunday
 22
across Burdekin
Approvals change year on year +70% -9%

Ranking within QLD

Coral Sea Rita Island
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 38% of QLD Higher than 42% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 45% of QLD Higher than 1% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 41% of QLD Higher than 13% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 16% of QLD Higher than 47% of QLD

Liveability

Coral Sea Rita Island
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Coral Sea carries more bushfire risk (36 vs 0); Rita Island carries more crime risk (73 vs 51).

Coral Sea Rita Island
Bushfire Low
36/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
51/100
 High
73/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
98/100
 High
99/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

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

Mobility

Rita Island sits further from the CBD (1276.2 km vs 1135.9 km).

Coral Sea Rita Island
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 1135.9 km 1276.2 km
+12% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 780 min 874 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 4740
 0.1%
postcode 4807
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 4740
 68
postcode 4807

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 Rita Island
Walked Only 83.7% / 4.8%
Coral Sea — Walked Only: 83.7% Rita Island — Walked Only: 4.8%
Car (driver) 7.0% / 79.8%
Coral Sea — Car (driver): 7.0% Rita Island — Car (driver): 79.8%
Worked from Home 9.3% / 11.9%
Coral Sea — Worked from Home: 9.3% Rita Island — Worked from Home: 11.9%
Car (passenger) — / 3.6%
Coral Sea — Car (passenger): not among its largest Rita Island — Car (passenger): 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.7%).

Setting

Coral Sea Rita Island
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 2.0 km

NBN connectivity

Coral Sea Rita Island
Connectivity score 15/100 30/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
102 premises
 0%
85 premises

Climate

Coral Sea Rita Island
Annual rainfall — 992 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Coral Sea Rita Island
Average residential rate $1,412/yr $1,502/yr
Council Whitsunday Burdekin

Federal electorate

Coral Sea Rita Island
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 Rita 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

Rita Island

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 Rita Island

Rita Island vs Jarvisfield Rita Island vs Inkerman Rita Island vs Carstairs Rita Island vs Groper Creek
Full data on Coral Sea Full data on Rita Island
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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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