Coral Sea vs South Mission Beach
Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 51 in South Mission Beach. In both, most households own their home. In Coral Sea, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments and the large majority of households are people living alone. In South Mission 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
South Mission Beach
ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more separate houses rather than flats (81% vs 0%)
- has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 51/100)
- But Coral Sea has more parks and reserves (10 vs 3)
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 25%)
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $320/wk)
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (43% vs 29%)
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 1584.6 km)
- has a shorter drive in (780 min vs 1085 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 has more units and townhouses to downsize into (100% vs 19%)
- South Mission Beach carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 51/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
South Mission Beach
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (3.9% vs -29.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Coral Sea and South Mission 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
South Mission Beach has more residents (968 vs 78); South Mission Beach rents higher ($320/wk vs $130/wk).
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 78 | 968 +1141% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -29.7% | +3.9% |
| Median age | 36 | 51 |
| Median household income | $71,448/yr +6% vs other | $66,872/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $130/wk | $320/wk +146% 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.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $675,000 |
| Median unit price | — | $400,000 |
| Median land price | — | $230,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 76 days from 16 sales |
Development activity
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 190 across Whitsunday | 186 across Cassowary Coast |
| Approvals change year on year | +70% | +68% |
Gross rental yield
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | — | 5.1% $862/wk on $874K |
| Units | — same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 38% of QLD | Higher than 33% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 45% of QLD | Higher than 33% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 41% of QLD | Higher than 69% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 16% of QLD | Higher than 92% of QLD |
| Rental yield (houses) | — | Higher than 93% of QLD |
Liveability
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | C |
| Score | — | 44/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Coral Sea carries more crime risk (51 vs 26); Coral Sea carries more bushfire risk (36 vs 25).
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 36/100 | Low 25/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | Low 26/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 98/100 | Moderate 42/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 2 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| 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 South Mission Beach
- The Rainforest School Independent · Primary
- The Rainforest School - South Mission Beach Campus Independent · Primary
Amenities in the suburb
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 same for both | |
| Parks & reserves | 10 | 3 |
| Beaches | 3 | 1 |
| Waterways | 0 | 3 |
Mobility
South Mission Beach sits further from the CBD (1584.6 km vs 1135.9 km).
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1135.9 km | 1584.6 km +40% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 780 min | 1085 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4740 | 0.6% postcode 4852 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 4740 | 64 postcode 4852 |
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 | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 16 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 1.7 km | 609 m 703 m to a named beach |
NBN connectivity
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 81/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fibre to the premises |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 102 premises | 66% 628 premises |
Climate
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | — | 2,150 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 31.0°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 16.0°C |
Council rates
| Coral Sea | South Mission Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,412/yr | $1,829/yr |
| Council | Whitsunday | Cassowary Coast |
Federal electorate
| Coral Sea | South Mission 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 | South Mission 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 South Mission 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.