Fingal Bay vs Shoal Bay

Shoal Bay is the younger of the two, with a median age of 59 against 63 in Fingal Bay. In both, most households own their home. In Fingal Bay, about half of households are people living alone. In Shoal Bay, most households are 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

Fingal Bay

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 84/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (43% vs 34%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Shoal Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper units ($735,000 vs $830,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Shoal Bay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (37% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($338/wk vs $390/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Shoal Bay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (56/100 vs 25/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (212.1 km vs 215.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Fingal Bay

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 84/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (47% vs 41%)
  • But Shoal Bay is more walkable (56/100 vs 25/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Fingal Bay and Shoal Bay drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
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.

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Walkability 25 / 56
Fingal Bay — Walkability: 25/100 Shoal Bay — Walkability: 56/100
Safety 47 / 16
Fingal Bay — Safety: 47/100 Shoal Bay — Safety: 16/100
Low fire risk 23 / 18
Fingal Bay — Low fire risk: 23/100 Shoal Bay — Low fire risk: 18/100

Demographics

Fingal Bay rents higher ($390/wk vs $338/wk); Fingal Bay has higher household incomes ($57,928 vs $52,364).

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Population 1,635 1,815
+11% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.3% -2.6%
Median age 63 59
Median household income $57,928/yr
+10% vs other
 $52,364/yr
Median weekly rent $390/wk
+13% vs other
 $338/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
0-4 2.4% / 2.8%
Fingal Bay — 0-4: 2.4% Shoal Bay — 0-4: 2.8%
5-14 8.0% / 8.8%
Fingal Bay — 5-14: 8.0% Shoal Bay — 5-14: 8.8%
15-19 3.2% / 4.0%
Fingal Bay — 15-19: 3.2% Shoal Bay — 15-19: 4.0%
20-24 2.6% / 4.0%
Fingal Bay — 20-24: 2.6% Shoal Bay — 20-24: 4.0%
25-34 5.4% / 7.2%
Fingal Bay — 25-34: 5.4% Shoal Bay — 25-34: 7.2%
35-44 6.4% / 7.9%
Fingal Bay — 35-44: 6.4% Shoal Bay — 35-44: 7.9%
45-54 8.4% / 10.2%
Fingal Bay — 45-54: 8.4% Shoal Bay — 45-54: 10.2%
55-64 17.0% / 14.8%
Fingal Bay — 55-64: 17.0% Shoal Bay — 55-64: 14.8%
65-74 23.1% / 16.7%
Fingal Bay — 65-74: 23.1% Shoal Bay — 65-74: 16.7%
75-84 17.1% / 14.5%
Fingal Bay — 75-84: 17.1% Shoal Bay — 75-84: 14.5%
85+ 6.7% / 10.0%
Fingal Bay — 85+: 6.7% Shoal Bay — 85+: 10.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Fingal Bay 54.3% lone person
Fingal Bay — Lone Person: 54.3% Fingal Bay — Couple Families: 27.6% Fingal Bay — One Parent Families: 15.0% Fingal Bay — Group Household: 3.1% Fingal Bay — Other Families: 0.0%
Shoal Bay 60.5% lone person
Shoal Bay — Lone Person: 60.5% Shoal Bay — Couple Families: 19.3% Shoal Bay — One Parent Families: 14.8% Shoal Bay — Group Household: 4.0% Shoal Bay — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Fingal Bay 26.4% renting
Fingal Bay — Owned Outright: 56.6% Fingal Bay — Mortgage: 17.0% Fingal Bay — Renting: 26.4%
Shoal Bay 37.3% renting
Shoal Bay — Owned Outright: 44.0% Shoal Bay — Mortgage: 18.7% Shoal Bay — Renting: 37.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Certificate III & IV 18.2% / 16.7%
Fingal Bay — Certificate III & IV: 18.2% Shoal Bay — Certificate III & IV: 16.7%
Bachelor Degree 9.0% / 9.5%
Fingal Bay — Bachelor Degree: 9.0% Shoal Bay — Bachelor Degree: 9.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 8.2%
Fingal Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Shoal Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.4% / 2.7%
Fingal Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4% Shoal Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 0.6%
Fingal Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Shoal Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

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.

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
England 4.8% / 5.3%
Fingal Bay — England: 4.8% Shoal Bay — England: 5.3%
New Zealand 1.0% / 1.9%
Fingal Bay — New Zealand: 1.0% Shoal Bay — New Zealand: 1.9%
Germany 1.0% / 1.0%
Fingal Bay — Germany: 1.0% Shoal Bay — Germany: 1.0%
Scotland 0.8% / 1.1%
Fingal Bay — Scotland: 0.8% Shoal Bay — Scotland: 1.1%
Nepal 0.3% / 1.4%
Fingal Bay — Nepal: 0.3% Shoal Bay — Nepal: 1.4%
South Africa 0.6% / —
Fingal Bay — South Africa: 0.6% Shoal Bay — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Fingal Bay 51.5% houses
Fingal Bay — Houses: 51.5% Fingal Bay — Townhouses: 45.5% Fingal Bay — Flats / Apartments: 3.0%
Shoal Bay 52.5% houses
Shoal Bay — Houses: 52.5% Shoal Bay — Townhouses: 33.0% Shoal Bay — Flats / Apartments: 14.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Median house price $1,250,000 $1,190,000
Median unit price $830,000 $735,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 22 sales
 38 days
from 42 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
3 bed $1.03M / $1.05M
Fingal Bay — 3 bed: $1.03M (29 sales) Shoal Bay — 3 bed: $1.05M (27 sales)

29 vs 27 sales

4 bed $1.67M / $1.36M
Fingal Bay — 4 bed: $1.67M (13 sales) Shoal Bay — 4 bed: $1.36M (18 sales)

13 vs 18 sales

Zoning mix

Fingal Bay has more land zoned for conservation (85% vs 71%).

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Environmental 85% 71%
Residential 8% 20%
Parks and recreation 5% 7%
Planning zones cover 99% of Fingal Bay and 100% of Shoal Bay. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
New dwellings approved 495
across Port Stephens
same for both
Approvals change year on year -72%
same for both

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.

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Houses 3.4%
$600/wk on $914K
 3.6%
$710/wk on $1.03M
Units — 4.2%
$620/wk on $769K

Ranking within NSW

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
House price Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
Income Higher than 18% of NSW Higher than 13% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 12% of NSW Higher than 10% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 77% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 71% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 30% of NSW

Liveability

Shoal Bay is more walkable (56 vs 25).

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Grade D
same for both
Score 25/100 24/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
same for both

Risk profile

Shoal Bay carries more crime risk (84 vs 53).

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Bushfire High
77/100
 High
82/100
Crime Moderate
53/100
 High
84/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
45/100
 Low
37/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Fingal Bay

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Shoal Bay

  • Shoal Bay Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 2 3
GPs 0 1
Fuel stations 1 0
Beaches 2 3

Mobility

Fingal Bay sits further from the CBD (215.4 km vs 212.1 km).

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Walkability score 25/100 56/100
Distance to Sydney 215.4 km
+2% vs other
 212.1 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 171 min 167 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 73/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 37.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 24.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2315
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 2315
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.

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Car (driver) 68.5% / 65.1%
Fingal Bay — Car (driver): 68.5% Shoal Bay — Car (driver): 65.1%
Worked from Home 22.1% / 22.7%
Fingal Bay — Worked from Home: 22.1% Shoal Bay — Worked from Home: 22.7%
Walked Only 3.2% / 7.2%
Fingal Bay — Walked Only: 3.2% Shoal Bay — Walked Only: 7.2%
Car (passenger) 5.5% / 3.1%
Fingal Bay — Car (passenger): 5.5% Shoal Bay — Car (passenger): 3.1%
Bus — / 2.0%
Fingal Bay — Bus: not among its largest Shoal Bay — Bus: 2.0%
Bicycle 0.7% / —
Fingal Bay — Bicycle: 0.7% Shoal Bay — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.5%).

Setting

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 13 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 769 m
1.3 km to a named beach
 636 m
736 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Connectivity score 67/100 62/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 40%
1,261 premises
 31%
1,694 premises

Climate

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Annual rainfall 1,181 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Average residential rate $1,359/yr
same for both
Council Port Stephens
same for both

Federal electorate

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Division Paterson
same for both
Member Meryl Swanson
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Fingal Bay Shoal Bay
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Fingal Bay

Beach Coastal Retirees Townhouses

Shoal Bay

Beach Coastal Retirees Townhouses

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Shoal Bay

Shoal Bay vs Nelson Bay
Full data on Fingal Bay Full data on Shoal Bay
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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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