Freshwater Point vs Sarina

Sarina is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 48 in Freshwater Point. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Freshwater Point, most households are couple families. On these figures, Freshwater Point tends to suit couples.

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

Sarina

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • But Freshwater Point carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 79/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Freshwater Point

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 19%)
  • has cheaper rent ($270/wk vs $300/wk)
  • But Sarina has a bigger rental market to choose from (27% vs 10%)

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

Commuting to the city

Sarina

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (933.4 km vs 937.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sarina

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • But Freshwater Point carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 79/100)

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

Investors

Freshwater Point

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (28.9% vs 1.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Freshwater Point Sarina
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.

Freshwater Point Sarina
Walkability 0 / 15
Freshwater Point — Walkability: 0/100 Sarina — Walkability: 15/100
Safety 68 / 21
Freshwater Point — Safety: 68/100 Sarina — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 100 / 86
Freshwater Point — Low fire risk: 100/100 Sarina — Low fire risk: 86/100

Demographics

Sarina has more residents (5,619 vs 174); Freshwater Point has higher household incomes ($117,000 vs $83,460).

Freshwater Point Sarina
Population 174 5,619
+3129% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +28.9% +1.8%
Median age 48 40
Median household income $117,000/yr
+29% vs other
 $83,460/yr
Median weekly rent $270/wk $300/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Freshwater Point Sarina
0-4 4.6% / 6.2%
Freshwater Point — 0-4: 4.6% Sarina — 0-4: 6.2%
5-14 11.5% / 13.4%
Freshwater Point — 5-14: 11.5% Sarina — 5-14: 13.4%
15-19 2.9% / 6.9%
Freshwater Point — 15-19: 2.9% Sarina — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 6.9% / 5.4%
Freshwater Point — 20-24: 6.9% Sarina — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 7.5% / 10.9%
Freshwater Point — 25-34: 7.5% Sarina — 25-34: 10.9%
35-44 14.4% / 12.2%
Freshwater Point — 35-44: 14.4% Sarina — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 19.5% / 13.3%
Freshwater Point — 45-54: 19.5% Sarina — 45-54: 13.3%
55-64 23.6% / 14.0%
Freshwater Point — 55-64: 23.6% Sarina — 55-64: 14.0%
65-74 10.3% / 10.7%
Freshwater Point — 65-74: 10.3% Sarina — 65-74: 10.7%
75-84 4.6% / 5.1%
Freshwater Point — 75-84: 4.6% Sarina — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ — / 1.9%
Freshwater Point — 85+: not among its largest Sarina — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Freshwater Point 56.2% couple families
Freshwater Point — Couple Families: 56.2% Freshwater Point — Lone Person: 31.2% Freshwater Point — One Parent Families: 12.5% Freshwater Point — Group Household: 0.0% Freshwater Point — Other Families: 0.0%
Sarina 44.1% couple families
Sarina — Couple Families: 44.1% Sarina — Lone Person: 33.4% Sarina — One Parent Families: 16.9% Sarina — Group Household: 3.7% Sarina — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Freshwater Point 10.2% renting
Freshwater Point — Owned Outright: 44.1% Freshwater Point — Mortgage: 45.8% Freshwater Point — Renting: 10.2%
Sarina 26.8% renting
Sarina — Owned Outright: 35.7% Sarina — Mortgage: 37.4% Sarina — Renting: 26.8%
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.

Freshwater Point Sarina
New Zealand 3.4% / 2.0%
Freshwater Point — New Zealand: 3.4% Sarina — New Zealand: 2.0%
South Africa 3.4% / 0.5%
Freshwater Point — South Africa: 3.4% Sarina — South Africa: 0.5%
England 2.3% / 1.2%
Freshwater Point — England: 2.3% Sarina — England: 1.2%
Philippines — / 0.9%
Freshwater Point — Philippines: not among its largest Sarina — Philippines: 0.9%
Thailand — / 0.2%
Freshwater Point — Thailand: not among its largest Sarina — Thailand: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.4%).

Qualifications

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

Freshwater Point Sarina
Certificate III & IV 23.0% / 18.9%
Freshwater Point — Certificate III & IV: 23.0% Sarina — Certificate III & IV: 18.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 4.0%
Freshwater Point — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Sarina — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.0%
Bachelor Degree 4.6% / 3.7%
Freshwater Point — Bachelor Degree: 4.6% Sarina — Bachelor Degree: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 0.7%
Freshwater Point — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Sarina — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.4%
Freshwater Point — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Sarina — Postgraduate Degree: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Freshwater Point 100.0% houses
Freshwater Point — Houses: 100.0% Freshwater Point — Townhouses: 0.0% Freshwater Point — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Sarina 91.2% houses
Sarina — Houses: 91.2% Sarina — Townhouses: 6.5% Sarina — Flats / Apartments: 2.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Freshwater Point Sarina
Median house price — $543,000
Median unit price — $490,000
Median land price — $372,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 26 days
from 51 sales

Development activity

Freshwater Point Sarina
New dwellings approved 574
across Mackay
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
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.

Freshwater Point Sarina
Houses — 4.8%
$650/wk on $699K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Freshwater Point Sarina
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 87% of QLD Higher than 55% of QLD
Schools — Higher than 30% of QLD
Walkability Higher than 15% of QLD Higher than 76% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 5% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 52% of QLD Higher than 70% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 87% of QLD

Liveability

Sarina is more walkable (15 vs 0).

Freshwater Point Sarina
Grade — D
Score — 23/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Sarina carries more bushfire risk (14 vs 0); Sarina carries more crime risk (79 vs 32).

Freshwater Point Sarina
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
14/100
Crime Low
32/100
 High
79/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
81/100
 High
80/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Freshwater Point Sarina
Inside the suburb 0 4
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 3

Schools in Freshwater Point

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

Schools in Sarina

  • Sarina State High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Sarina State School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Anne's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Swayneville State School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Freshwater Point Sarina
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 0 10
Childcare 0 5
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 3
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 0 44

Mobility

Freshwater Point sits further from the CBD (937.6 km vs 933.4 km).

Freshwater Point Sarina
Walkability score 0/100 15/100
Distance to Brisbane 937.6 km 933.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 638 min 635 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 4737
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 66
postcode 4737
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.

Freshwater Point Sarina
Car (driver) 87.5% / 81.4%
Freshwater Point — Car (driver): 87.5% Sarina — Car (driver): 81.4%
Worked from Home 8.3% / 6.0%
Freshwater Point — Worked from Home: 8.3% Sarina — Worked from Home: 6.0%
Car (passenger) — / 6.4%
Freshwater Point — Car (passenger): not among its largest Sarina — Car (passenger): 6.4%
Bus 4.2% / 1.3%
Freshwater Point — Bus: 4.2% Sarina — Bus: 1.3%
Walked Only — / 4.5%
Freshwater Point — Walked Only: not among its largest Sarina — Walked Only: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (87.5%).

Setting

Freshwater Point Sarina
Elevation 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 111 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 32 m
2.6 km to a named beach
 9.7 km

NBN connectivity

Freshwater Point Sarina
Connectivity score 30/100 52/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
68 premises
 23%
2,568 premises

Climate

Freshwater Point Sarina
Annual rainfall 1,517 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 12.4°C
same for both

Council rates

Freshwater Point Sarina
Average residential rate $1,873/yr
same for both
Council Mackay
same for both

Federal electorate

Freshwater Point Sarina
Division Capricornia
same for both
Member Michelle Landry
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Freshwater Point Sarina
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Freshwater Point

Coastal Rural

Sarina

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Freshwater Point

Freshwater Point vs Armstrong Beach Freshwater Point vs Sarina Beach Freshwater Point vs Coral Sea

Other comparisons with Sarina

Sarina vs Armstrong Beach Sarina vs Alligator Creek Sarina vs Koumala Sarina vs Grasstree Beach Sarina vs Sarina Beach Sarina vs Sarina Range
Full data on Freshwater Point Full data on Sarina
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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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