Spalding vs Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 40 in Spalding. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Sunset Beach: a median of $650,000, against $456,000 in Spalding, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Spalding tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

  • Spalding has more parks and reserves (8 vs 1)
  • Sunset Beach carries lower crime risk (86/100 vs 96/100)

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

First-home buyers

Spalding

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($87,000 vs $210,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($456,000 vs $650,000)
  • But Sunset Beach leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 26%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Spalding

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $310/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Sunset Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (56/100 vs 47/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sunset Beach

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (56/100 vs 47/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (86/100 vs 96/100)

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

Investors

Sunset Beach

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.3% vs -4.0%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Spalding Sunset Beach
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.

Spalding Sunset Beach
Walkability 47 / 56
Spalding — Walkability: 47/100 Sunset Beach — Walkability: 56/100
Safety 4 / 14
Spalding — Safety: 4/100 Sunset Beach — Safety: 14/100
Low fire risk 52 / 44
Spalding — Low fire risk: 52/100 Sunset Beach — Low fire risk: 44/100
Low flood risk 37 / 57
Spalding — Low flood risk: 37/100 Sunset Beach — Low flood risk: 57/100

Demographics

Sunset Beach has higher household incomes ($90,480 vs $55,172); Sunset Beach rents higher ($310/wk vs $220/wk).

Spalding Sunset Beach
Population 1,992
+22% vs other
 1,558
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.0% +6.3%
Median age 40 37
Median household income $55,172/yr $90,480/yr
+64% vs other
Median weekly rent $220/wk $310/wk
+41% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Spalding Sunset Beach
0-4 6.4% / 8.1%
Spalding — 0-4: 6.4% Sunset Beach — 0-4: 8.1%
5-14 14.6% / 13.4%
Spalding — 5-14: 14.6% Sunset Beach — 5-14: 13.4%
15-19 6.5% / 5.1%
Spalding — 15-19: 6.5% Sunset Beach — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 6.5% / 5.8%
Spalding — 20-24: 6.5% Sunset Beach — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 11.0% / 14.8%
Spalding — 25-34: 11.0% Sunset Beach — 25-34: 14.8%
35-44 11.8% / 12.1%
Spalding — 35-44: 11.8% Sunset Beach — 35-44: 12.1%
45-54 13.1% / 13.6%
Spalding — 45-54: 13.1% Sunset Beach — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 13.2% / 12.3%
Spalding — 55-64: 13.2% Sunset Beach — 55-64: 12.3%
65-74 11.4% / 9.0%
Spalding — 65-74: 11.4% Sunset Beach — 65-74: 9.0%
75-84 4.5% / 5.2%
Spalding — 75-84: 4.5% Sunset Beach — 75-84: 5.2%
85+ 1.5% / 1.7%
Spalding — 85+: 1.5% Sunset Beach — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Spalding 43.2% lone person
Spalding — Lone Person: 43.2% Spalding — Couple Families: 27.0% Spalding — One Parent Families: 23.2% Spalding — Group Household: 4.3% Spalding — Other Families: 2.3%
Sunset Beach 35.8% lone person
Sunset Beach — Lone Person: 35.8% Sunset Beach — Couple Families: 37.5% Sunset Beach — One Parent Families: 20.2% Sunset Beach — Group Household: 4.4% Sunset Beach — Other Families: 2.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Spalding 33.1% renting
Spalding — Owned Outright: 34.7% Spalding — Mortgage: 32.2% Spalding — Renting: 33.1%
Sunset Beach 34.2% renting
Sunset Beach — Owned Outright: 32.2% Sunset Beach — Mortgage: 33.6% Sunset Beach — Renting: 34.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Spalding Sunset Beach
Certificate III & IV 15.9% / 17.5%
Spalding — Certificate III & IV: 15.9% Sunset Beach — Certificate III & IV: 17.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.8% / 6.9%
Spalding — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.8% Sunset Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9%
Bachelor Degree 2.3% / 8.2%
Spalding — Bachelor Degree: 2.3% Sunset Beach — Bachelor Degree: 8.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / 1.7%
Spalding — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Sunset Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%
Postgraduate Degree 0.2% / 2.0%
Spalding — Postgraduate Degree: 0.2% Sunset Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

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.

Spalding Sunset Beach
England 2.4% / 3.5%
Spalding — England: 2.4% Sunset Beach — England: 3.5%
New Zealand 1.7% / 2.7%
Spalding — New Zealand: 1.7% Sunset Beach — New Zealand: 2.7%
South Africa 0.5% / 1.9%
Spalding — South Africa: 0.5% Sunset Beach — South Africa: 1.9%
Philippines 0.8% / 1.5%
Spalding — Philippines: 0.8% Sunset Beach — Philippines: 1.5%
Vietnam 0.5% / 0.4%
Spalding — Vietnam: 0.5% Sunset Beach — Vietnam: 0.4%
Thailand 0.6% / —
Spalding — Thailand: 0.6% Sunset Beach — Thailand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Spalding 86.2% houses
Spalding — Houses: 86.2% Spalding — Townhouses: 10.4% Spalding — Flats / Apartments: 3.4%
Sunset Beach 92.6% houses
Sunset Beach — Houses: 92.6% Sunset Beach — Townhouses: 2.7% Sunset Beach — Flats / Apartments: 4.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Spalding Sunset Beach
Median house price $456,000 $650,000
Median unit price $425,000 —
Median land price $87,000 $210,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 33 days
from 9 sales
 31 days
from 14 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.

Spalding Sunset Beach
3 bed $452K / $586K
Spalding — 3 bed: $452K (62 sales) Sunset Beach — 3 bed: $586K (22 sales)

62 vs 22 sales

4 bed $495K / $684K
Spalding — 4 bed: $495K (19 sales) Sunset Beach — 4 bed: $684K (36 sales)

19 vs 36 sales

Development activity

Spalding Sunset Beach
New dwellings approved 183
across Greater Geraldton
same for both
Approvals change year on year -30%
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.

Spalding Sunset Beach
Houses 5.2%
$550/wk on $550K
 4.8%
$695/wk on $750K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within WA

Spalding Sunset Beach
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 12% of WA —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 82% of WA Higher than 85% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 9% of WA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 99% of WA
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 87% of WA Higher than 75% of WA

Liveability

Sunset Beach scores higher overall (27 vs 13); Sunset Beach is more walkable (56 vs 47).

Spalding Sunset Beach
Grade D
same for both
Score 13/100 27/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Spalding carries more flood risk (63 vs 43); Spalding carries more crime risk (96 vs 86).

Spalding Sunset Beach
Bushfire Moderate
48/100
 Moderate
56/100
Crime High
96/100
 High
86/100
Flood Moderate
63/100
 Moderate
43/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
76/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 5
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Spalding Sunset Beach
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

Spalding Sunset Beach
Parks & reserves 8 1
GPs 0 1
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Spalding Sunset Beach
Walkability score 47/100 56/100
Distance to Perth 421.1 km 422.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 282 min 284 min
Public transport score 41/100
Bus
 35/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 7.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 6.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 6530
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 6530
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.

Spalding Sunset Beach
Car (driver) 82.7% / 89.3%
Spalding — Car (driver): 82.7% Sunset Beach — Car (driver): 89.3%
Car (passenger) 9.1% / 4.6%
Spalding — Car (passenger): 9.1% Sunset Beach — Car (passenger): 4.6%
Worked from Home 2.3% / 3.8%
Spalding — Worked from Home: 2.3% Sunset Beach — Worked from Home: 3.8%
Bus 3.6% / —
Spalding — Bus: 3.6% Sunset Beach — Bus: not among its largest
Bicycle 2.3% / 0.6%
Spalding — Bicycle: 2.3% Sunset Beach — Bicycle: 0.6%
Walked Only — / 1.7%
Spalding — Walked Only: not among its largest Sunset Beach — Walked Only: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (89.3%).

Setting

Spalding Sunset Beach
Elevation 14 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.7 km 369 m

NBN connectivity

Spalding Sunset Beach
Connectivity score 100/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
1,017 premises
 100%
791 premises

Climate

Spalding Sunset Beach
Annual rainfall 353 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Spalding Sunset Beach
Average residential rate $3,162/yr
same for both
Council Greater Geraldton
same for both

Federal electorate

Spalding Sunset Beach
Division Durack
same for both
Member Melissa Price
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Spalding Sunset Beach
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Spalding

Acreage Affordable Coastal Parks

Sunset Beach

Affordable Coastal Large Blocks Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Spalding

Spalding vs Waggrakine Spalding vs Bluff Point Spalding vs Strathalbyn Spalding vs Glenfield Spalding vs Moresby Spalding vs Webberton

Other comparisons with Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach vs Waggrakine Sunset Beach vs Bluff Point Sunset Beach vs Glenfield
Full data on Spalding Full data on Sunset Beach
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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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