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Coolum Beach vs Sunshine Beach
Statistical Area 2 (SA2) comparison ≈ 15 km apart · Coolum Beach profile · Sunshine Beach profile
Coolum Beach Sunshine Beach
Coolum Beach and Sunshine Beach are nearby coastal areas with different profiles of accessibility and education. Sunshine Beach is more walkable and better connected, with 97.5% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport compared to 80.2% in Coolum Beach. Education levels and incomes are also well higher in Sunshine Beach, where 32.3% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher. In contrast, Coolum Beach has a far higher share of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services (47.7% versus 0.0%) and larger average school sizes, at 1,278 compared to 570 students.
Since 2011, the gaps between these two areas have generally widened. There are now more people born overseas and a higher share of university graduates and high earners in Sunshine Beach than there were a decade ago. Despite these growing differences, the two areas remain very similar in other ways. They have almost identical shares of people aged 65 and over, and typical weekly household incomes are close, sitting at $1,703 in Coolum Beach and $1,826 in Sunshine Beach.
Where they differ most
Demographics & Identity
- First area, 2011: 13,154
- First area, 2016: 14,589
- First area, 2021: 15,948
- Second area, 2011: 6,344
- Second area, 2016: 6,534
- Second area, 2021: 6,851
- First area, 2011: 38 yrs
- First area, 2016: 42 yrs
- First area, 2021: 44 yrs
- Second area, 2011: 42 yrs
- Second area, 2016: 44 yrs
- Second area, 2021: 46 yrs
Age structure
Marital status
Age & sex structure
Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.
- 85+ in Coolum Beach: 0.9% males, 1.4% females; 85+ in Sunshine Beach: 0.6% males, 0.6% females
- 80–84 in Coolum Beach: 1.0% males, 1.3% females; 80–84 in Sunshine Beach: 1.2% males, 1.0% females
- 75–79 in Coolum Beach: 1.6% males, 1.7% females; 75–79 in Sunshine Beach: 1.9% males, 1.7% females
- 70–74 in Coolum Beach: 2.5% males, 2.5% females; 70–74 in Sunshine Beach: 3.2% males, 2.8% females
- 65–69 in Coolum Beach: 3.2% males, 3.3% females; 65–69 in Sunshine Beach: 3.4% males, 3.6% females
- 60–64 in Coolum Beach: 3.3% males, 4.0% females; 60–64 in Sunshine Beach: 3.6% males, 3.8% females
- 55–59 in Coolum Beach: 3.4% males, 3.8% females; 55–59 in Sunshine Beach: 4.0% males, 4.4% females
- 50–54 in Coolum Beach: 3.5% males, 4.0% females; 50–54 in Sunshine Beach: 4.2% males, 4.6% females
- 45–49 in Coolum Beach: 4.1% males, 3.9% females; 45–49 in Sunshine Beach: 3.7% males, 4.3% females
- 40–44 in Coolum Beach: 3.2% males, 3.6% females; 40–44 in Sunshine Beach: 3.0% males, 3.8% females
- 35–39 in Coolum Beach: 3.5% males, 3.8% females; 35–39 in Sunshine Beach: 2.5% males, 2.9% females
- 30–34 in Coolum Beach: 2.5% males, 2.9% females; 30–34 in Sunshine Beach: 2.5% males, 2.6% females
- 25–29 in Coolum Beach: 2.1% males, 2.5% females; 25–29 in Sunshine Beach: 2.1% males, 1.8% females
- 20–24 in Coolum Beach: 2.0% males, 2.0% females; 20–24 in Sunshine Beach: 1.8% males, 2.1% females
- 15–19 in Coolum Beach: 2.9% males, 2.6% females; 15–19 in Sunshine Beach: 3.4% males, 2.8% females
- 10–14 in Coolum Beach: 3.3% males, 2.9% females; 10–14 in Sunshine Beach: 3.4% males, 2.9% females
- 5–9 in Coolum Beach: 3.1% males, 2.6% females; 5–9 in Sunshine Beach: 3.0% males, 2.5% females
- 0–4 in Coolum Beach: 2.6% males, 2.4% females; 0–4 in Sunshine Beach: 1.8% males, 2.2% females
Ancestry & Birthplace
Country of birth
Ancestry
Language
Language used at home
Religion
Religious affiliation
Education & Qualifications
Highest year of school
Highest qualification level
Field of qualification
Income
- First area, 2011: $552
- First area, 2016: $659
- First area, 2021: $794
- Second area, 2011: $593
- Second area, 2016: $700
- Second area, 2021: $868
- First area, 2011: $1,093
- First area, 2016: $1,324
- First area, 2021: $1,703
- Second area, 2011: $1,073
- Second area, 2016: $1,371
- Second area, 2021: $1,826
- First area, 2011: $1,296
- First area, 2016: $1,554
- First area, 2021: $2,071
- Second area, 2011: $1,305
- Second area, 2016: $1,663
- Second area, 2021: $2,177
Household income distribution
Personal income distribution
Health & Disability
Long-term health conditions reported
Number of long-term health conditions
Community Participation
First Nations
Family & Households
- First area, 2011: 2.5
- First area, 2016: 2.5
- First area, 2021: 2.4
- Second area, 2011: 2.4
- Second area, 2016: 2.4
- Second area, 2021: 2.4
Family composition
Household size
Housing & Dwellings
- First area, 2011: $320
- First area, 2016: $380
- First area, 2021: $450
- Second area, 2011: $350
- Second area, 2016: $400
- Second area, 2021: $500
- First area, 2011: $1,900
- First area, 2016: $1,800
- First area, 2021: $2,000
- Second area, 2011: $1,807
- Second area, 2016: $1,863
- Second area, 2021: $2,167
- First area, 2011: 1.10
- First area, 2016: 0.80
- First area, 2021: 0.80
- Second area, 2011: 1.10
- Second area, 2016: 0.80
- Second area, 2021: 0.80
How homes are owned or rented
Types of homes
Bedrooms per home
Weekly rent distribution
Monthly mortgage distribution
Transport & Vehicles
How people get to work
Motor vehicles per home
Migration & Movement
Jobs & Industry
Industries people work in
Occupations people work in
Economy & Advantage
Environment & Climate
Walkability
Compare Coolum Beach with nearby areas
Compare Sunshine Beach with nearby areas
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Coolum Beach vs Sunshine Beach [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa2/316031425/coolum-beach/vs/316051437/sunshine-beach