Sandy Beach vs Woolgoolga

Sandy Beach is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 45 in Woolgoolga. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Sandy Beach tends to suit families with children, while Woolgoolga suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Sandy Beach

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (61/100 vs 81/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 51%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 82%)
  • But Woolgoolga has more parks and reserves (9 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Sandy Beach leaves households under less mortgage stress (27% vs 34%)
  • Woolgoolga has cheaper land ($450,000 vs $980,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Woolgoolga

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($360/wk vs $420/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Sandy Beach

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 8/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (363 min vs 370 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (548.2 km vs 554.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Woolgoolga

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (18% vs 2%)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 15%)
  • But Sandy Beach is more walkable (23/100 vs 8/100)

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

Investors

Sandy Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (27.4% vs 16.3%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
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.

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Walkability 23 / 8
Sandy Beach — Walkability: 23/100 Woolgoolga — Walkability: 8/100
Safety 39 / 19
Sandy Beach — Safety: 39/100 Woolgoolga — Safety: 19/100
Low fire risk 63 / 55
Sandy Beach — Low fire risk: 63/100 Woolgoolga — Low fire risk: 55/100

Demographics

Woolgoolga has more residents (6,151 vs 2,913); Sandy Beach has higher household incomes ($81,484 vs $61,880).

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Population 2,913 6,151
+111% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +27.4% +16.3%
Median age 35 45
Median household income $81,484/yr
+24% vs other
 $61,880/yr
Median weekly rent $420/wk
+14% vs other
 $360/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
0-4 7.2% / 5.3%
Sandy Beach — 0-4: 7.2% Woolgoolga — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 15.3% / 10.5%
Sandy Beach — 5-14: 15.3% Woolgoolga — 5-14: 10.5%
15-19 5.6% / 4.6%
Sandy Beach — 15-19: 5.6% Woolgoolga — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 4.3% / 4.1%
Sandy Beach — 20-24: 4.3% Woolgoolga — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 15.8% / 13.6%
Sandy Beach — 25-34: 15.8% Woolgoolga — 25-34: 13.6%
35-44 13.9% / 11.4%
Sandy Beach — 35-44: 13.9% Woolgoolga — 35-44: 11.4%
45-54 11.0% / 10.6%
Sandy Beach — 45-54: 11.0% Woolgoolga — 45-54: 10.6%
55-64 12.0% / 13.2%
Sandy Beach — 55-64: 12.0% Woolgoolga — 55-64: 13.2%
65-74 10.4% / 15.3%
Sandy Beach — 65-74: 10.4% Woolgoolga — 65-74: 15.3%
75-84 3.1% / 7.9%
Sandy Beach — 75-84: 3.1% Woolgoolga — 75-84: 7.9%
85+ 1.1% / 3.6%
Sandy Beach — 85+: 1.1% Woolgoolga — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Sandy Beach 44.3% couple families
Sandy Beach — Couple Families: 44.3% Sandy Beach — Lone Person: 27.7% Sandy Beach — One Parent Families: 21.4% Sandy Beach — Group Household: 5.0% Sandy Beach — Other Families: 1.5%
Woolgoolga 34.6% couple families
Woolgoolga — Couple Families: 34.6% Woolgoolga — Lone Person: 41.0% Woolgoolga — One Parent Families: 16.4% Woolgoolga — Group Household: 6.8% Woolgoolga — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Sandy Beach 26.5% renting
Sandy Beach — Owned Outright: 29.5% Sandy Beach — Mortgage: 44.0% Sandy Beach — Renting: 26.5%
Woolgoolga 30.5% renting
Woolgoolga — Owned Outright: 45.8% Woolgoolga — Mortgage: 23.6% Woolgoolga — Renting: 30.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Certificate III & IV 18.6% / 14.9%
Sandy Beach — Certificate III & IV: 18.6% Woolgoolga — Certificate III & IV: 14.9%
Bachelor Degree 10.3% / 10.0%
Sandy Beach — Bachelor Degree: 10.3% Woolgoolga — Bachelor Degree: 10.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 8.6%
Sandy Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Woolgoolga — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Postgraduate Degree 2.1% / 2.4%
Sandy Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1% Woolgoolga — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.6%
Sandy Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Woolgoolga — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).

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.

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
India 3.2% / 10.7%
Sandy Beach — India: 3.2% Woolgoolga — India: 10.7%
England 2.8% / 3.5%
Sandy Beach — England: 2.8% Woolgoolga — England: 3.5%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.0%
Sandy Beach — New Zealand: 1.3% Woolgoolga — New Zealand: 1.0%
Germany 0.5% / 0.6%
Sandy Beach — Germany: 0.5% Woolgoolga — Germany: 0.6%
Scotland 0.5% / 0.5%
Sandy Beach — Scotland: 0.5% Woolgoolga — Scotland: 0.5%
Malaysia — / 1.0%
Sandy Beach — Malaysia: not among its largest Woolgoolga — Malaysia: 1.0%
South Africa 0.7% / —
Sandy Beach — South Africa: 0.7% Woolgoolga — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Sandy Beach 97.5% houses
Sandy Beach — Houses: 97.5% Sandy Beach — Townhouses: 1.7% Sandy Beach — Flats / Apartments: 0.8%
Woolgoolga 82.2% houses
Woolgoolga — Houses: 82.2% Woolgoolga — Townhouses: 13.2% Woolgoolga — Flats / Apartments: 4.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Median house price $927,500 $920,000
Median unit price — $640,000
Median land price $980,000 $450,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 20 sales
 32 days
from 56 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.

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
3 bed $885K / $855K
Sandy Beach — 3 bed: $885K (14 sales) Woolgoolga — 3 bed: $855K (31 sales)

14 vs 31 sales

4 bed $962K / $929K
Sandy Beach — 4 bed: $962K (24 sales) Woolgoolga — 4 bed: $929K (44 sales)

24 vs 44 sales

Zoning mix

Woolgoolga has more rural and farming land (77% vs 66%); Sandy Beach has more land zoned for conservation (18% vs 8%).

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Rural and farming 66% 77%
Environmental 18% 8%
Residential 11% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 4%
Parks and recreation 2% 3%
Planning zones cover 99% of Sandy Beach and 100% of Woolgoolga. 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

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
New dwellings approved 356
across Coffs Harbour
same for both
Approvals change year on year +61%
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.

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Houses 3.7%
$700/wk on $975K
 3.7%
$700/wk on $987K
Units — 3.7%
$490/wk on $688K

Ranking within NSW

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
House price Higher than 44% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
Income Higher than 49% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 11% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 40% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 53% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 15% of NSW

Liveability

Sandy Beach is more walkable (23 vs 8); Sandy Beach scores higher overall (32 vs 19).

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Grade C D
Score 32/100 19/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Woolgoolga carries more crime risk (81 vs 61).

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Bushfire Low
37/100
 Moderate
45/100
Crime Moderate
61/100
 High
81/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
41/100
 Moderate
58/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0 2

Schools in Sandy Beach

  • Sandy Beach Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Woolgoolga

  • Woolgoolga Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Francis Xavier Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • Woolgoolga High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 1 10
Parks & reserves 1 9
Childcare 3 4
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Fuel stations 0 3
Waterways 8 28

Mobility

Woolgoolga sits further from the CBD (554.9 km vs 548.2 km).

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Walkability score 23/100 8/100
Distance to Sydney 548.2 km 554.9 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 363 min 370 min
Public transport score 68/100
Bus
 71/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 39.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 65.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2456
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 59
postcode 2456
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.

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Car (driver) 82.3% / 76.6%
Sandy Beach — Car (driver): 82.3% Woolgoolga — Car (driver): 76.6%
Worked from Home 11.4% / 9.8%
Sandy Beach — Worked from Home: 11.4% Woolgoolga — Worked from Home: 9.8%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 8.4%
Sandy Beach — Car (passenger): 3.9% Woolgoolga — Car (passenger): 8.4%
Walked Only 1.5% / 4.2%
Sandy Beach — Walked Only: 1.5% Woolgoolga — Walked Only: 4.2%
Bus 1.0% / 0.5%
Sandy Beach — Bus: 1.0% Woolgoolga — Bus: 0.5%
Bicycle — / 0.6%
Sandy Beach — Bicycle: not among its largest Woolgoolga — Bicycle: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.3%).

Setting

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Elevation 36 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 62 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.0 km
2.2 km to a named beach
 3.4 km
4.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Connectivity score 49/100 59/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 11%
1,179 premises
 22%
3,566 premises

Climate

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Annual rainfall 1,827 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 10.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.22 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Average residential rate $1,437/yr
same for both
Council Coffs Harbour
same for both

Federal electorate

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Sandy Beach Woolgoolga
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Sandy Beach

Acreage Coastal Family

Woolgoolga

Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Sandy Beach

Sandy Beach vs Emerald Beach

Other comparisons with Woolgoolga

Woolgoolga vs Emerald Beach Woolgoolga vs Corindi Beach Woolgoolga vs Safety Beach Woolgoolga vs Arrawarra Headland Woolgoolga vs Bucca Woolgoolga vs Mullaway
Full data on Sandy Beach Full data on Woolgoolga
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or