Catalina vs Surf Beach.
Suburb-to-suburb comparison across price, growth, lifestyle, schools and risk. Surf Beach edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
Surf Beach scores higher on walkability (0/100 vs 12/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Surf Beach (935) sits above Catalina (902).
For buyers
We don't yet have verified suburb-level medians for one or both of these suburbs. Check the individual profiles for the data we do publish, and the methodology page for how we source it.
For investors
Rental or growth data is incomplete for one or both suburbs. Look at the full investor view on each suburb profile for a complete picture.
For families
Surf Beach edges out on average school ICSEA (935 vs 902).
Common questions
Does Catalina or Surf Beach have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Surf Beach scores 935 vs 902 in Catalina. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.
Which is more walkable, Catalina or Surf Beach?
Surf Beach scores 12/100 on walkability vs 0/100. Above 70 is considered very walkable (most errands on foot), 50-69 is walkable for some errands, below 50 typically requires a car for daily life.
The numbers behind the take
Price & Market
Rental
Lifestyle & Demographics
Risk & Hazard
Schools
Climate
Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).
Compare Catalina against another suburb