Upper Coomera vs Helensvale

Upper Coomera is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 41 in Helensvale. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Helensvale: a median of $1.36 million, against $1.05 million in Upper Coomera, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Upper Coomera tends to suit families with children and 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

Upper Coomera

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (19 vs 9)
  • carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 75/100)
  • But Helensvale has more parks and reserves (66 vs 36)

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

First-home buyers

Upper Coomera

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($1,110,000 vs $1,600,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,050,000 vs $1,359,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Upper Coomera

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (35% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $495/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Upper Coomera

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (58.6 km vs 65.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (48 min vs 53 min)
  • But Helensvale is more walkable (47/100 vs 23/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Helensvale

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (47/100 vs 23/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (17% vs 10%)
  • But Upper Coomera carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 75/100)

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

Investors

Helensvale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (5.0% vs 4.5%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Upper Coomera Helensvale
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.

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Walkability 23 / 47
Upper Coomera — Walkability: 23/100 Helensvale — Walkability: 47/100
Safety 43 / 25
Upper Coomera — Safety: 43/100 Helensvale — Safety: 25/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Upper Coomera — Low fire risk: 100/100 Helensvale — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Upper Coomera has more residents (27,180 vs 18,949); Helensvale skews older (41 vs 33).

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Population 27,180
+30% vs other
 18,949
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.5% +12.4%
Median age 33 41
Median household income $103,532/yr $104,728/yr
+1% vs other
Median weekly rent $450/wk $495/wk
+10% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Upper Coomera Helensvale
0-4 7.1% / 5.2%
Upper Coomera — 0-4: 7.1% Helensvale — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 17.8% / 13.0%
Upper Coomera — 5-14: 17.8% Helensvale — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 7.5% / 7.3%
Upper Coomera — 15-19: 7.5% Helensvale — 15-19: 7.3%
20-24 6.2% / 5.9%
Upper Coomera — 20-24: 6.2% Helensvale — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 13.5% / 10.6%
Upper Coomera — 25-34: 13.5% Helensvale — 25-34: 10.6%
35-44 16.2% / 13.0%
Upper Coomera — 35-44: 16.2% Helensvale — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 13.7% / 15.4%
Upper Coomera — 45-54: 13.7% Helensvale — 45-54: 15.4%
55-64 8.4% / 12.4%
Upper Coomera — 55-64: 8.4% Helensvale — 55-64: 12.4%
65-74 6.0% / 9.4%
Upper Coomera — 65-74: 6.0% Helensvale — 65-74: 9.4%
75-84 2.8% / 5.5%
Upper Coomera — 75-84: 2.8% Helensvale — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 0.8% / 2.3%
Upper Coomera — 85+: 0.8% Helensvale — 85+: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Upper Coomera 57.8% couple families
Upper Coomera — Couple Families: 57.8% Upper Coomera — One Parent Families: 21.6% Upper Coomera — Lone Person: 15.0% Upper Coomera — Group Household: 4.1% Upper Coomera — Other Families: 1.4%
Helensvale 55.4% couple families
Helensvale — Couple Families: 55.4% Helensvale — One Parent Families: 16.5% Helensvale — Lone Person: 23.0% Helensvale — Group Household: 3.7% Helensvale — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Upper Coomera 34.9% renting
Upper Coomera — Owned Outright: 16.5% Upper Coomera — Mortgage: 48.6% Upper Coomera — Renting: 34.9%
Helensvale 19.8% renting
Helensvale — Owned Outright: 32.3% Helensvale — Mortgage: 48.0% Helensvale — Renting: 19.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Certificate III & IV 17.0% / 16.0%
Upper Coomera — Certificate III & IV: 17.0% Helensvale — Certificate III & IV: 16.0%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / 11.9%
Upper Coomera — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% Helensvale — Bachelor Degree: 11.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 9.6%
Upper Coomera — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Helensvale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.6%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / 3.8%
Upper Coomera — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% Helensvale — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.5%
Upper Coomera — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Helensvale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

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.

Upper Coomera Helensvale
New Zealand 11.0% / 7.7%
Upper Coomera — New Zealand: 11.0% Helensvale — New Zealand: 7.7%
England 4.7% / 7.7%
Upper Coomera — England: 4.7% Helensvale — England: 7.7%
South Africa 1.7% / 1.7%
Upper Coomera — South Africa: 1.7% Helensvale — South Africa: 1.7%
China 0.8% / 2.3%
Upper Coomera — China: 0.8% Helensvale — China: 2.3%
India 1.2% / 0.9%
Upper Coomera — India: 1.2% Helensvale — India: 0.9%
Philippines 0.9% / 0.7%
Upper Coomera — Philippines: 0.9% Helensvale — Philippines: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Upper Coomera 80.8% houses
Upper Coomera — Houses: 80.8% Upper Coomera — Townhouses: 18.3% Upper Coomera — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Helensvale 81.3% houses
Helensvale — Houses: 81.3% Helensvale — Townhouses: 14.4% Helensvale — Flats / Apartments: 4.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Median house price $1,050,000 $1,359,000
Median unit price $760,000 $759,500
Median land price $1,110,000 $1,600,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 321 sales
 32 days
from 212 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.

Upper Coomera Helensvale
3 bed $925K / $1.03M
Upper Coomera — 3 bed: $925K (124 sales) Helensvale — 3 bed: $1.03M (67 sales)

124 vs 67 sales

4 bed $1.07M / $1.4M
Upper Coomera — 4 bed: $1.07M (391 sales) Helensvale — 4 bed: $1.4M (169 sales)

391 vs 169 sales

5 bed $1.29M / $1.95M
Upper Coomera — 5 bed: $1.29M (29 sales) Helensvale — 5 bed: $1.95M (65 sales)

29 vs 65 sales

6 bed $1.69M / $2.48M
Upper Coomera — 6 bed: $1.69M (5 sales) Helensvale — 6 bed: $2.48M (10 sales)

5 vs 10 sales

Development activity

Upper Coomera Helensvale
New dwellings approved 7,196
across Gold Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year -35%
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.

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Houses 4.5%
$880/wk on $1.02M
 5.0%
$1,200/wk on $1.25M
Units — 5.5%
$850/wk on $797K

Ranking within QLD

Upper Coomera Helensvale
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 76% of QLD Higher than 77% of QLD
Schools Higher than 10% of QLD —
Walkability Higher than 80% of QLD Higher than 86% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 88% of QLD Higher than 97% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of QLD Higher than 82% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 76% of QLD Higher than 91% of QLD
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 81% of QLD

Liveability

Helensvale is more walkable (47 vs 23); Helensvale scores higher overall (60 vs 49).

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Grade B
same for both
Score 49/100 60/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Helensvale carries more crime risk (75 vs 57).

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
57/100
 High
75/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Inside the suburb 6 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 5 2
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Upper Coomera

  • Assisi Catholic College Catholic · Combined at peers
  • Coomera Anglican College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Coomera Springs State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Highland Reserve State School Government · Primary at peers
  • Saint Stephen's College Independent · Combined at peers
  • Upper Coomera State College Government · Combined below peers

Schools in Helensvale

  • Helensvale State High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Helensvale State School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Supermarkets 7 6
Cafes & restaurants 17 8
Parks & reserves 36 66
Childcare 19 9
GPs 7 8
Pharmacies 4
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 2 12
Fuel stations 6 4
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 33 2

Mobility

Helensvale sits further from the CBD (65.9 km vs 58.6 km).

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Walkability score 23/100 47/100
Distance to Brisbane 58.6 km 65.9 km
+12% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 48 min 53 min
Public transport score 75/100
Bus
 79/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 101.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 148.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 4209
 2.6%
postcode 4212
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 4209
 73
postcode 4212

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.

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Car (driver) 79.1% / 73.8%
Upper Coomera — Car (driver): 79.1% Helensvale — Car (driver): 73.8%
Worked from Home 13.2% / 17.5%
Upper Coomera — Worked from Home: 13.2% Helensvale — Worked from Home: 17.5%
Car (passenger) 4.9% / 4.6%
Upper Coomera — Car (passenger): 4.9% Helensvale — Car (passenger): 4.6%
Train 1.4% / 1.5%
Upper Coomera — Train: 1.4% Helensvale — Train: 1.5%
Walked Only 0.8% / 1.0%
Upper Coomera — Walked Only: 0.8% Helensvale — Walked Only: 1.0%
Tram / Light Rail 0.1% / 1.0%
Upper Coomera — Tram / Light Rail: 0.1% Helensvale — Tram / Light Rail: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.1%).

Setting

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Elevation 47 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 13 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.7 km 5.9 km

NBN connectivity

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Connectivity score 77/100 73/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 57%
10,152 premises
 22%
8,208 premises

Climate

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Annual rainfall 1,682 mm 1,351 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 28.9°C
Winter min (Jul) — 12.5°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Upper Coomera Helensvale
PM2.5 5.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.42 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Average residential rate $1,298/yr
same for both
Council Gold Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Division Forde Fadden
Member Rowan Holzberger Cameron Caldwell
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal National Party of Queensland

First Home Owner Grant

Upper Coomera Helensvale
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Upper Coomera

Family Regional Centre River

Helensvale

Parks Regional Centre Trams

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Upper Coomera

Upper Coomera vs Pimpama Upper Coomera vs Coomera Upper Coomera vs Oxenford Upper Coomera vs Maudsland Upper Coomera vs Willow Vale Upper Coomera vs Wongawallan

Other comparisons with Helensvale

Helensvale vs Coomera Helensvale vs Hope Island Helensvale vs Oxenford Helensvale vs Arundel Helensvale vs Coombabah Helensvale vs Paradise Point
Full data on Upper Coomera Full data on Helensvale
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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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