Coral Sea vs Wonga Beach
Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 49 in Wonga 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 Wonga Beach, the large majority of homes are detached houses and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Coral Sea tends to suit young adults and people living alone, while Wonga Beach 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
Wonga Beach
ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more separate houses rather than flats (88% 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 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 32%)
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $310/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
- has a shorter drive in (780 min vs 1259 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (1135.9 km vs 1791.4 km)
- But Wonga Beach is more walkable (33/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Wonga Beach
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (33/100 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 12%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Wonga Beach
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (6.9% vs -29.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Coral Sea and Wonga 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
Wonga Beach has more residents (1,042 vs 78); Wonga Beach rents higher ($310/wk vs $130/wk).
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 78 | 1,042 +1236% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -29.7% | +6.9% |
| Median age | 36 | 49 |
| Median household income | $71,448/yr +31% vs other | $49,608/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $130/wk | $310/wk +138% 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 | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $527,500 |
| Median unit price | — | $550,000 |
| Median land price | — | $340,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 32 days from 19 sales |
Development activity
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 190 across Whitsunday | 48 across Douglas |
| Approvals change year on year | +70% | -18% |
Gross rental yield
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | — | 4.9% $575/wk on $614K |
| Units | — same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 38% of QLD | Higher than 13% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 45% of QLD | Higher than 83% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 41% of QLD | Higher than 47% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 16% of QLD | Higher than 48% of QLD |
| Rental yield (houses) | — | Higher than 88% of QLD |
Liveability
Wonga Beach is more walkable (33 vs 0).
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | C |
| Score | — | 43/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Coral Sea carries more bushfire risk (36 vs 0); Coral Sea carries more crime risk (51 vs 41).
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 36/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | Moderate 41/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 98/100 | Low 38/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Coral Sea | Wonga 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 Wonga Beach
- Wonga Beach State School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 10 | 3 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 1 |
| Beaches | 3 | 0 |
Mobility
Wonga Beach sits further from the CBD (1791.4 km vs 1135.9 km).
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 33/100 |
| Distance to Brisbane | 1135.9 km | 1791.4 km +58% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 780 min | 1259 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 4740 | 0.3% postcode 4873 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 4740 | 63 postcode 4873 |
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 | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 4 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 1.7 km | 494 m |
NBN connectivity
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 102 premises | 0% 584 premises |
Climate
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | — | 2,186 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 32.2°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 21.3°C |
Council rates
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,412/yr | $1,417/yr |
| Council | Whitsunday | Douglas |
Federal electorate
| Coral Sea | Wonga Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Dawson | Leichhardt |
| Member | Andrew Willcox | Matt Smith |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland | Australian Labor Party |
First Home Owner Grant
| Coral Sea | Wonga 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 Wonga 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.