Sarina vs Coral Sea

Coral Sea is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 40 in Sarina. In both, most households own their home. In Sarina, the large majority of homes are detached houses. 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 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

Sarina

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (91% vs 0%)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • But Coral Sea carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 79/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, and childcare.

Renters

Coral Sea

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($130/wk vs $300/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 19%)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (43% vs 27%)

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

Commuting to the city

Sarina

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (635 min vs 780 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (933.4 km vs 1135.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Sarina is more walkable (15/100 vs 0/100)
  • Coral Sea has more units and townhouses to downsize into (100% vs 9%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Sarina

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (1.8% vs -29.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Sarina 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.

Sarina Coral Sea
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.

Sarina Coral Sea
Walkability 15 / 0
Sarina — Walkability: 15/100 Coral Sea — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 21 / 49
Sarina — Safety: 21/100 Coral Sea — Safety: 49/100
Low fire risk 86 / 64
Sarina — Low fire risk: 86/100 Coral Sea — Low fire risk: 64/100

Demographics

Sarina has more residents (5,619 vs 78); Sarina rents higher ($300/wk vs $130/wk).

Sarina Coral Sea
Population 5,619
+99% vs other
 78
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.8% -29.7%
Median age 40 36
Median household income $83,460/yr
+14% 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.

Sarina Coral Sea
0-4 6.2% / —
Sarina — 0-4: 6.2% Coral Sea — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 13.4% / 6.4%
Sarina — 5-14: 13.4% Coral Sea — 5-14: 6.4%
15-19 6.9% / —
Sarina — 15-19: 6.9% Coral Sea — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 5.4% / —
Sarina — 20-24: 5.4% Coral Sea — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 10.9% / 37.2%
Sarina — 25-34: 10.9% Coral Sea — 25-34: 37.2%
35-44 12.2% / 21.8%
Sarina — 35-44: 12.2% Coral Sea — 35-44: 21.8%
45-54 13.3% / 16.7%
Sarina — 45-54: 13.3% Coral Sea — 45-54: 16.7%
55-64 14.0% / 17.9%
Sarina — 55-64: 14.0% Coral Sea — 55-64: 17.9%
65-74 10.7% / —
Sarina — 65-74: 10.7% Coral Sea — 65-74: not among its largest
75-84 5.1% / —
Sarina — 75-84: 5.1% Coral Sea — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 1.9% / —
Sarina — 85+: 1.9% Coral Sea — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (37.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Sarina 33.4% lone person
Sarina — Lone Person: 33.4% Sarina — Couple Families: 44.1% Sarina — One Parent Families: 16.9% Sarina — Group Household: 3.7% Sarina — Other Families: 1.9%
Coral Sea 100.0% lone person
Coral Sea — Lone Person: 100.0% Coral Sea — Couple Families: 0.0% Coral Sea — One Parent Families: 0.0% Coral Sea — Group Household: 0.0% Coral Sea — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Sarina 26.8% renting
Sarina — Owned Outright: 35.7% Sarina — Mortgage: 37.4% Sarina — Renting: 26.8%
Coral Sea 42.9% renting
Coral Sea — Owned Outright: 57.1% Coral Sea — Mortgage: 0.0% Coral Sea — Renting: 42.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Sarina Coral Sea
Certificate III & IV 18.9% / 25.6%
Sarina — Certificate III & IV: 18.9% Coral Sea — Certificate III & IV: 25.6%
Bachelor Degree 3.7% / 23.1%
Sarina — Bachelor Degree: 3.7% Coral Sea — Bachelor Degree: 23.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.0% / 10.3%
Sarina — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.0% Coral Sea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3%
Postgraduate Degree 0.4% / 9.0%
Sarina — Postgraduate Degree: 0.4% Coral Sea — Postgraduate Degree: 9.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / —
Sarina — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Coral Sea — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

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.

Sarina Coral Sea
New Zealand 2.0% / 10.3%
Sarina — New Zealand: 2.0% Coral Sea — New Zealand: 10.3%
China — / 6.4%
Sarina — China: not among its largest Coral Sea — China: 6.4%
England 1.2% / —
Sarina — England: 1.2% Coral Sea — England: not among its largest
Philippines 0.9% / —
Sarina — Philippines: 0.9% Coral Sea — Philippines: not among its largest
South Africa 0.5% / —
Sarina — South Africa: 0.5% Coral Sea — South Africa: not among its largest
Thailand 0.2% / —
Sarina — Thailand: 0.2% Coral Sea — Thailand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Sarina 2.3% flats / apartments
Sarina — Flats / Apartments: 2.3% Sarina — Houses: 91.2% Sarina — Townhouses: 6.5%
Coral Sea 100.0% flats / apartments
Coral Sea — Flats / Apartments: 100.0% Coral Sea — Houses: 0.0% Coral Sea — Townhouses: 0.0%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Sarina Coral Sea
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

Sarina Coral Sea
New dwellings approved 574
across Mackay
 190
across Whitsunday
Approvals change year on year -6% +70%

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.

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

Ranking within QLD

Sarina Coral Sea
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 55% of QLD Higher than 38% of QLD
Schools Higher than 30% of QLD —
Walkability Higher than 76% 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 70% of QLD Higher than 16% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 87% of QLD —

Liveability

Sarina is more walkable (15 vs 0).

Sarina Coral Sea
Grade D —
Score 23/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Coral Sea carries more bushfire risk (36 vs 14); Sarina carries more crime risk (79 vs 51).

Sarina Coral Sea
Bushfire Low
14/100
 Low
36/100
Crime High
79/100
 Moderate
51/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
80/100
 High
98/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

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

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

Schools in Coral Sea

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

Amenities in the suburb

Sarina Coral Sea
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 2
Parks & reserves 10
same for both
Childcare 5 0
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Beaches 0 3
Waterways 44 0

Mobility

Coral Sea sits further from the CBD (1135.9 km vs 933.4 km).

Sarina Coral Sea
Walkability score 15/100 0/100
Distance to Brisbane 933.4 km 1135.9 km
+22% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 635 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.

Sarina Coral Sea
Car (driver) 81.4% / 7.0%
Sarina — Car (driver): 81.4% Coral Sea — Car (driver): 7.0%
Walked Only 4.5% / 83.7%
Sarina — Walked Only: 4.5% Coral Sea — Walked Only: 83.7%
Worked from Home 6.0% / 9.3%
Sarina — Worked from Home: 6.0% Coral Sea — Worked from Home: 9.3%
Car (passenger) 6.4% / —
Sarina — Car (passenger): 6.4% Coral Sea — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 1.3% / —
Sarina — Bus: 1.3% Coral Sea — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.7%).

Setting

Sarina Coral Sea
Elevation 111 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 499 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.7 km 1.7 km

NBN connectivity

Sarina Coral Sea
Connectivity score 52/100 15/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 23%
2,568 premises
 0%
102 premises

Climate

Sarina Coral Sea
Annual rainfall 1,517 mm —
Summer max (Jan) 30.8°C —
Winter min (Jul) 12.4°C —

Council rates

Sarina Coral Sea
Average residential rate $1,873/yr $1,412/yr
Council Mackay Whitsunday

Federal electorate

Sarina Coral Sea
Division Capricornia Dawson
Member Michelle Landry Andrew Willcox
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Sarina

Acreage Affordable

Coral Sea

Coastal Rural

More comparisons

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

Other comparisons with Coral Sea

Coral Sea vs Bowen Coral Sea vs Bargara Coral Sea vs South Mackay Coral Sea vs Bushland Beach Coral Sea vs Trinity Beach Coral Sea vs Kewarra Beach
Full data on Sarina Full data on Coral Sea
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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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