Sarina Beach vs Coral Sea
Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 46 in Sarina Beach. In both, most households own their home. In Sarina Beach, 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, Sarina Beach 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
- Sarina Beach has more separate houses rather than flats (95% vs 0%)
- Coral Sea has more parks and reserves (10 vs 1)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.
Renters
Coral Sea
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (43% vs 18%)
- has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $300/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 18%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Sarina Beach
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (641 min vs 780 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (940.4 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 6%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Sarina Beach
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (8.9% vs -29.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Sarina Beach 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
Sarina Beach has more residents (661 vs 78); Sarina Beach rents higher ($300/wk vs $130/wk).
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 661 +88% vs other | 78 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +8.9% | -29.7% |
| Median age | 46 | 36 |
| Median household income | $88,504/yr +19% vs other | $71,448/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $300/wk +57% 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.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $695,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $285,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 105 days from 6 sales | — |
Development activity
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 574 across Mackay | 190 across Whitsunday |
| Approvals change year on year | -6% | +70% |
Ranking within QLD
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 62% of QLD | Higher than 38% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 12% of QLD | Higher than 45% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 5% of QLD | Higher than 41% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 51% of QLD | Higher than 16% of QLD |
Liveability
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | B | — |
| Score | 49/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Coral Sea carries more bushfire risk (36 vs 0).
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 36/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 47/100 | Moderate 51/100 |
| Flood | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | Moderate 68/100 | High 98/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 2 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 10 |
| Beaches | 2 | 3 |
| Waterways | 4 | 0 |
Mobility
Coral Sea sits further from the CBD (1135.9 km vs 940.4 km).
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 940.4 km | 1135.9 km +21% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 641 min | 780 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 4737 | 0.3% postcode 4740 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 66 postcode 4737 | 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
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 5 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 499 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 463 m 2.1 km to a named beach | 1.7 km |
NBN connectivity
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 15/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 319 premises | 0% 102 premises |
Climate
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,517 mm | — |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.8°C | — |
| Winter min (Jul) | 12.4°C | — |
Council rates
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,873/yr | $1,412/yr |
| Council | Mackay | Whitsunday |
Federal electorate
| Sarina Beach | Coral Sea | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Capricornia | Dawson |
| Member | Michelle Landry | Andrew Willcox |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Sarina Beach | 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 Sarina Beach
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.