Koumala vs Coral Sea
Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 45 in Koumala. In both, most households own their home. In Koumala, the large majority of homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. In Coral Sea, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments and the large majority of households are people living alone. On these figures, Koumala tends to suit families with children, while Coral Sea suits 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
They split
one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here
- Koumala has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 0%)
- Coral Sea has more parks and reserves (10 vs 4)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.
Renters
Coral Sea
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (43% vs 14%)
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $250/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Koumala
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (622 min vs 780 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (909.5 km vs 1135.9 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Coral Sea
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more units and townhouses to downsize into (100% vs 3%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Koumala
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-7.1% vs -29.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Koumala and Coral Sea 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
Koumala has more residents (772 vs 78); Koumala rents higher ($250/wk vs $130/wk).
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 772 +90% vs other | 78 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -7.1% | -29.7% |
| Median age | 45 | 36 |
| Median household income | $95,316/yr +25% vs other | $71,448/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $250/wk +48% vs other | $130/wk |
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.
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%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $530,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 24 days from 4 sales | — |
Development activity
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 574 across Mackay | 190 across Whitsunday |
| Approvals change year on year | -6% | +70% |
Ranking within QLD
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 69% of QLD | Higher than 38% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 39% of QLD | Higher than 45% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — | Higher than 41% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 44% of QLD | Higher than 16% of QLD |
Liveability
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D | — |
| Score | 22/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 40/100 | Low 36/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 55/100 | Moderate 51/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | High 96/100 | High 98/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Koumala
- Koumala State School Government · Primary at peers
Schools in Coral Sea
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 2 |
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 10 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
| Beaches | 1 | 3 |
| Waterways | 66 | 0 |
Mobility
Coral Sea sits further from the CBD (1135.9 km vs 909.5 km).
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 909.5 km | 1135.9 km +25% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 622 min | 780 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 4738 | 0.3% postcode 4740 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 69 postcode 4738 | 56 postcode 4740 |
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
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 49 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 15.1 km | 1.7 km |
NBN connectivity
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 15/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 322 premises | 0% 102 premises |
Council rates
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,873/yr | $1,412/yr |
| Council | Mackay | Whitsunday |
Federal electorate
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Capricornia | Dawson |
| Member | Michelle Landry | Andrew Willcox |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Koumala | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Koumala
Other comparisons with Coral Sea
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.