Upper Coomera vs Willow Vale

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 Willow Vale: a median of $1.2 million, against $1.05 million in Upper Coomera.

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 childcare (19 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (36 vs 5)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 0)
  • But Willow Vale carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 57/100)

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

First-home buyers

Upper Coomera

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($1,110,000 vs $1,440,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,050,000 vs $1,200,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Upper Coomera is more walkable (23/100 vs 14/100)
  • Willow Vale sits closer to the CBD (53.9 km vs 58.6 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Upper Coomera

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (19% vs 9%)
  • is more walkable (23/100 vs 14/100)
  • But Willow Vale carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 57/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Upper Coomera and Willow Vale 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 Willow Vale
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 Willow Vale
Walkability 23 / 14
Upper Coomera — Walkability: 23/100 Willow Vale — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 43 / 76
Upper Coomera — Safety: 43/100 Willow Vale — Safety: 76/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Upper Coomera — Low fire risk: 100/100 Willow Vale — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Upper Coomera has more residents (27,180 vs 2,279).

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Population 27,180
+92% vs other
 2,279
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.5% +8.7%
Median age 33 32
Median household income $103,532/yr $110,968/yr
+7% vs other
Median weekly rent $450/wk
+4% vs other
 $430/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
0-4 7.1% / 8.8%
Upper Coomera — 0-4: 7.1% Willow Vale — 0-4: 8.8%
5-14 17.8% / 14.7%
Upper Coomera — 5-14: 17.8% Willow Vale — 5-14: 14.7%
15-19 7.5% / 7.2%
Upper Coomera — 15-19: 7.5% Willow Vale — 15-19: 7.2%
20-24 6.2% / 6.9%
Upper Coomera — 20-24: 6.2% Willow Vale — 20-24: 6.9%
25-34 13.5% / 15.4%
Upper Coomera — 25-34: 13.5% Willow Vale — 25-34: 15.4%
35-44 16.2% / 13.2%
Upper Coomera — 35-44: 16.2% Willow Vale — 35-44: 13.2%
45-54 13.7% / 13.5%
Upper Coomera — 45-54: 13.7% Willow Vale — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 8.4% / 11.4%
Upper Coomera — 55-64: 8.4% Willow Vale — 55-64: 11.4%
65-74 6.0% / 6.4%
Upper Coomera — 65-74: 6.0% Willow Vale — 65-74: 6.4%
75-84 2.8% / 2.3%
Upper Coomera — 75-84: 2.8% Willow Vale — 75-84: 2.3%
85+ 0.8% / —
Upper Coomera — 85+: 0.8% Willow Vale — 85+: not among its largest

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%
Willow Vale 65.0% couple families
Willow Vale — Couple Families: 65.0% Willow Vale — One Parent Families: 17.3% Willow Vale — Lone Person: 13.3% Willow Vale — Group Household: 3.4% Willow Vale — Other Families: 1.0%
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%
Willow Vale 40.4% renting
Willow Vale — Owned Outright: 16.1% Willow Vale — Mortgage: 43.5% Willow Vale — Renting: 40.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Certificate III & IV 17.0% / 17.4%
Upper Coomera — Certificate III & IV: 17.0% Willow Vale — Certificate III & IV: 17.4%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / 10.4%
Upper Coomera — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% Willow Vale — Bachelor Degree: 10.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 9.1%
Upper Coomera — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Willow Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / 3.1%
Upper Coomera — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% Willow Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 1.3%
Upper Coomera — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Willow Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.4%).

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 Willow Vale
New Zealand 11.0% / 7.2%
Upper Coomera — New Zealand: 11.0% Willow Vale — New Zealand: 7.2%
England 4.7% / 5.4%
Upper Coomera — England: 4.7% Willow Vale — England: 5.4%
South Africa 1.7% / 2.8%
Upper Coomera — South Africa: 1.7% Willow Vale — South Africa: 2.8%
India 1.2% / 0.4%
Upper Coomera — India: 1.2% Willow Vale — India: 0.4%
Philippines 0.9% / 0.7%
Upper Coomera — Philippines: 0.9% Willow Vale — Philippines: 0.7%
Canada — / 0.8%
Upper Coomera — Canada: not among its largest Willow Vale — Canada: 0.8%

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%
Willow Vale 91.1% houses
Willow Vale — Houses: 91.1% Willow Vale — Townhouses: 5.6% Willow Vale — Flats / Apartments: 3.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Median house price $1,050,000 $1,200,000
Median unit price $760,000 —
Median land price $1,110,000 $1,440,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 321 sales
 40 days
from 12 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 Willow Vale
3 bed $925K / $862K
Upper Coomera — 3 bed: $925K (124 sales) Willow Vale — 3 bed: $862K (6 sales)

124 vs 6 sales

4 bed $1.07M / $1.04M
Upper Coomera — 4 bed: $1.07M (391 sales) Willow Vale — 4 bed: $1.04M (15 sales)

391 vs 15 sales

Development activity

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
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 Willow Vale
Houses 4.5%
$880/wk on $1.02M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 76% of QLD Higher than 83% of QLD
Schools Higher than 10% of QLD —
Walkability Higher than 80% of QLD Higher than 76% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 88% of QLD
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of QLD Higher than 97% of QLD
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 76% of QLD —

Liveability

Upper Coomera is more walkable (23 vs 14); Willow Vale scores higher overall (72 vs 49).

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Grade B A
Score 49/100 72/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Upper Coomera carries more crime risk (57 vs 24).

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
57/100
 Low
24/100
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
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Inside the suburb 6 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 5 0
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 Willow Vale

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

Amenities in the suburb

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Supermarkets 7 0
Cafes & restaurants 17 0
Parks & reserves 36 5
Childcare 19 1
GPs 7 0
Pharmacies 4 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 6 0
Waterways 33 16

Mobility

Upper Coomera sits further from the CBD (58.6 km vs 53.9 km).

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Walkability score 23/100 14/100
Distance to Brisbane 58.6 km
+8% vs other
 53.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 48 min 44 min
Public transport score 75/100
Bus
 22/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 101.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 1.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 30 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 4209
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 4209
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.

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Car (driver) 79.1% / 73.4%
Upper Coomera — Car (driver): 79.1% Willow Vale — Car (driver): 73.4%
Worked from Home 13.2% / 19.6%
Upper Coomera — Worked from Home: 13.2% Willow Vale — Worked from Home: 19.6%
Car (passenger) 4.9% / 4.4%
Upper Coomera — Car (passenger): 4.9% Willow Vale — Car (passenger): 4.4%
Walked Only 0.8% / 1.9%
Upper Coomera — Walked Only: 0.8% Willow Vale — Walked Only: 1.9%
Train 1.4% / 0.3%
Upper Coomera — Train: 1.4% Willow Vale — Train: 0.3%
Bus 0.4% / 0.4%
Upper Coomera — Bus: 0.4% Willow Vale — Bus: 0.4%

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

Setting

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Elevation 47 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 55 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.7 km 11.8 km

NBN connectivity

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Connectivity score 77/100 96/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 57%
10,152 premises
 85%
676 premises

Climate

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Annual rainfall 1,682 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

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

Federal electorate

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
Division Forde
same for both
Member Rowan Holzberger
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Upper Coomera Willow Vale
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

Willow Vale

Acreage Family Outer River Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Upper Coomera

Upper Coomera vs Pimpama Upper Coomera vs Coomera Upper Coomera vs Helensvale Upper Coomera vs Oxenford Upper Coomera vs Maudsland Upper Coomera vs Wongawallan

Other comparisons with Willow Vale

Willow Vale vs Pimpama Willow Vale vs Wongawallan Willow Vale vs Kingsholme
Full data on Upper Coomera Full data on Willow Vale
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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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