Side by sideSuburb comparison

Shoal Bay vs Holmes.

Suburb-to-suburb comparison across price, growth, lifestyle, schools and risk. Holmes edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.

Holmes scores higher on walkability (0/100 vs 14/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Holmes (932) sits above Shoal Bay (918).

The takeWhich suburb suits which buyer

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

Holmes edges out on average school ICSEA (932 vs 918).

Common questionsShoal Bay vs Holmes

Common questions

Does Shoal Bay or Holmes have better schools?

On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Holmes scores 932 vs 918 in Shoal 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 is more walkable, Shoal Bay or Holmes?

Holmes scores 14/100 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

Shoal Bay
Metric
Holmes

Price & Market

Median house
Median unit
+0.0%
Annual growth (house)
+0.0%
Days on market

Rental

$370/wk
Rent (house / wk)
$360/wk
$130/wk
Rent (unit / wk)
$306/wk
Owner occupied
Renter occupied

Lifestyle & Demographics

0
Walk score
14
0
Transit score
0
5
Bike score
100
18,501
Population
18,634
23
Median age
37

Risk & Hazard

Flood class
Bushfire risk

Schools

19
Schools nearby
20
918
Avg ICSEA
932

Climate

1705 mm
Annual rainfall
1705 mm
31.8°C
Mean max (Jan)
31.8°C

Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).