Catherine Hill Bay vs Murrays Beach.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $1,312,500 and $1,194,750. Murrays Beach edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
Murrays Beach (median $1,194,750) is roughly 10% cheaper to buy into than Catherine Hill Bay ($1,312,500). Over the past year, Murrays Beach (+3.9%) ran 21.9 percentage points ahead of Catherine Hill Bay (-18%) on house-price growth.
On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Murrays Beach (988) sits above Catherine Hill Bay (982). Murrays Beach skews owner-occupied (94%), Catherine Hill Bay runs more rental-dense (84% owner).
For buyers
Murrays Beach is the lower entry point at $1,194,750 median, 10% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Murrays Beach carries both higher gross yield (3.26% vs 2.97%) and stronger 12-month growth. On the headline numbers, it's the cleaner investor case of the two.
For families
Murrays Beach edges out on average school ICSEA (988 vs 982).
Common questions
Is Catherine Hill Bay or Murrays Beach cheaper to buy in?
Murrays Beach has the lower median house price at $1,194,750, roughly 10% below Catherine Hill Bay ($1,312,500). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Catherine Hill Bay or Murrays Beach?
Over the past 12 months, Murrays Beach grew +3.9% vs -18% in Catherine Hill Bay, a gap of 21.9 percentage points. Twelve-month growth can swing year to year, so weight long-run trends from the individual suburb profiles before making a buy decision.
Does Catherine Hill Bay or Murrays Beach have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Murrays Beach scores 988 vs 982 in Catherine Hill Bay. 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 suburb has higher rental yield, Catherine Hill Bay or Murrays Beach?
Gross rental yield on houses is 3.26% in Murrays Beach vs 2.97% in Catherine Hill Bay. Gross yield equals annual rent divided by purchase price. Net yield (after strata, rates, insurance, agent fees and maintenance) typically runs 1.5-2 percentage points lower.
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).
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