Mandalay vs Whitsundays

Whitsundays is the younger of the two, with a median age of 29 against 41 in Mandalay. In Mandalay, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Whitsundays, most households rent, most homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. On these figures, Mandalay tends to suit families with children, while Whitsundays suits renters, 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 6 things we measure here

  • Mandalay has more separate houses rather than flats (89% vs 21%)
  • Whitsundays has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)

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

Whitsundays

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (66% vs 28%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Mandalay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (773 min vs 830 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (1118.4 km vs 1144.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Whitsundays

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (79% vs 11%)
  • carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 54/100)
  • But Mandalay has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 6%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mandalay Whitsundays
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.

Mandalay Whitsundays
Walkability 5 / 0
Mandalay — Walkability: 5/100 Whitsundays — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 46 / 65
Mandalay — Safety: 46/100 Whitsundays — Safety: 65/100
Low fire risk 100 / 59
Mandalay — Low fire risk: 100/100 Whitsundays — Low fire risk: 59/100

Demographics

Whitsundays has more residents (2,281 vs 338); Mandalay skews older (41 vs 29).

Mandalay Whitsundays
Population 338 2,281
+575% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.3% +0.5%
Median age 41 29
Median household income $81,900/yr $98,904/yr
+21% vs other
Median weekly rent $380/wk
+6% vs other
 $356/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mandalay Whitsundays
0-4 10.1% / 1.1%
Mandalay — 0-4: 10.1% Whitsundays — 0-4: 1.1%
5-14 9.8% / 2.9%
Mandalay — 5-14: 9.8% Whitsundays — 5-14: 2.9%
15-19 4.7% / 5.3%
Mandalay — 15-19: 4.7% Whitsundays — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 3.8% / 18.6%
Mandalay — 20-24: 3.8% Whitsundays — 20-24: 18.6%
25-34 12.4% / 35.8%
Mandalay — 25-34: 12.4% Whitsundays — 25-34: 35.8%
35-44 13.6% / 12.0%
Mandalay — 35-44: 13.6% Whitsundays — 35-44: 12.0%
45-54 14.8% / 9.5%
Mandalay — 45-54: 14.8% Whitsundays — 45-54: 9.5%
55-64 13.0% / 8.3%
Mandalay — 55-64: 13.0% Whitsundays — 55-64: 8.3%
65-74 14.2% / 4.7%
Mandalay — 65-74: 14.2% Whitsundays — 65-74: 4.7%
75-84 3.8% / 1.3%
Mandalay — 75-84: 3.8% Whitsundays — 75-84: 1.3%
85+ 0.9% / —
Mandalay — 85+: 0.9% Whitsundays — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (35.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mandalay 36.8% lone person
Mandalay — Lone Person: 36.8% Mandalay — Couple Families: 43.4% Mandalay — Group Household: 11.8% Mandalay — One Parent Families: 7.9%
Whitsundays 57.6% lone person
Whitsundays — Lone Person: 57.6% Whitsundays — Couple Families: 23.5% Whitsundays — Group Household: 14.1% Whitsundays — One Parent Families: 4.7%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mandalay 28.3% renting
Mandalay — Owned Outright: 36.8% Mandalay — Mortgage: 34.9% Mandalay — Renting: 28.3%
Whitsundays 66.4% renting
Whitsundays — Owned Outright: 25.2% Whitsundays — Mortgage: 8.4% Whitsundays — Renting: 66.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mandalay Whitsundays
Certificate III & IV 18.0% / 16.2%
Mandalay — Certificate III & IV: 18.0% Whitsundays — Certificate III & IV: 16.2%
Bachelor Degree 5.3% / 16.4%
Mandalay — Bachelor Degree: 5.3% Whitsundays — Bachelor Degree: 16.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 10.8%
Mandalay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Whitsundays — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.8%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / 3.1%
Mandalay — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Whitsundays — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.8%
Mandalay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Whitsundays — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

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.

Mandalay Whitsundays
New Zealand 3.3% / 4.0%
Mandalay — New Zealand: 3.3% Whitsundays — New Zealand: 4.0%
England 1.5% / 3.2%
Mandalay — England: 1.5% Whitsundays — England: 3.2%
France 0.9% / 0.7%
Mandalay — France: 0.9% Whitsundays — France: 0.7%
South Africa 0.9% / 0.6%
Mandalay — South Africa: 0.9% Whitsundays — South Africa: 0.6%
Philippines — / 1.3%
Mandalay — Philippines: not among its largest Whitsundays — Philippines: 1.3%
Italy 0.9% / —
Mandalay — Italy: 0.9% Whitsundays — Italy: not among its largest
China — / 0.9%
Mandalay — China: not among its largest Whitsundays — China: 0.9%
Indonesia — / 0.7%
Mandalay — Indonesia: not among its largest Whitsundays — Indonesia: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mandalay 88.7% houses
Mandalay — Houses: 88.7% Mandalay — Flats / Apartments: 11.3% Mandalay — Townhouses: 0.0%
Whitsundays 21.4% houses
Whitsundays — Houses: 21.4% Whitsundays — Flats / Apartments: 74.0% Whitsundays — Townhouses: 4.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Mandalay Whitsundays
Median house price $720,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 56 days
from 5 sales
 —

Development activity

Mandalay Whitsundays
New dwellings approved 190
across Whitsunday
same for both
Approvals change year on year +70%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Mandalay Whitsundays
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 53% of QLD Higher than 73% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 69% of QLD Higher than 18% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 50% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of QLD Higher than 7% of QLD

Liveability

Mandalay Whitsundays
Grade — B
Score — 50/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Whitsundays carries more bushfire risk (41 vs 0); Mandalay carries more crime risk (54 vs 35).

Mandalay Whitsundays
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
41/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 Low
35/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
17/100
 High
87/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Mandalay Whitsundays
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Mandalay

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

Schools in Whitsundays

  • Hamilton Island State School Government · Primary below peers
  • Hayman Island State School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Mandalay Whitsundays
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 14
Parks & reserves 1 3
Childcare 1 0
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Beaches 0 9
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Whitsundays sits further from the CBD (1144.5 km vs 1118.4 km).

Mandalay Whitsundays
Walkability score 5/100 0/100
Distance to Brisbane 1118.4 km 1144.5 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 773 min 830 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 4802
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 4802
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.

Mandalay Whitsundays
Car (driver) 71.2% / 11.1%
Mandalay — Car (driver): 71.2% Whitsundays — Car (driver): 11.1%
Walked Only 2.5% / 69.5%
Mandalay — Walked Only: 2.5% Whitsundays — Walked Only: 69.5%
Worked from Home 14.4% / 3.0%
Mandalay — Worked from Home: 14.4% Whitsundays — Worked from Home: 3.0%
Bus 3.4% / 12.0%
Mandalay — Bus: 3.4% Whitsundays — Bus: 12.0%
Car (passenger) 8.5% / 3.6%
Mandalay — Car (passenger): 8.5% Whitsundays — Car (passenger): 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.2%).

Setting

Mandalay Whitsundays
Elevation 81 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 105 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 438 m
1.3 km to a named beach
 1.5 km
4.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Mandalay Whitsundays
Connectivity score 62/100 15/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 41%
164 premises
 0%
26 premises

Climate

Mandalay Whitsundays
Annual rainfall 1,708 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Mandalay Whitsundays
Average residential rate $1,412/yr
same for both
Council Whitsunday
same for both

Federal electorate

Mandalay Whitsundays
Division Dawson
same for both
Member Andrew Willcox
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mandalay Whitsundays
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mandalay

Acreage Beach Coastal Young Families

Whitsundays

Coastal Multicultural Rural Students

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mandalay

Mandalay vs Jubilee Pocket Mandalay vs Airlie Beach Mandalay vs Flametree

Other comparisons with Whitsundays

Whitsundays vs Cannonvale Whitsundays vs Jubilee Pocket Whitsundays vs Airlie Beach Whitsundays vs Woodwark Whitsundays vs Bloomsbury Whitsundays vs Flametree
Full data on Mandalay Full data on Whitsundays
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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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