Surf Beach vs Sunshine Bay.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $767,000 and $807,500. Surf Beach edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
Surf Beach (median $767,000) is roughly 5% cheaper to buy into than Sunshine Bay ($807,500). Over the past year, Surf Beach (-1.5%) ran 3.0 percentage points ahead of Sunshine Bay (-4.5%) on house-price growth.
Surf Beach scores higher on walkability (12/100 vs 0/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Surf Beach (935) sits above Sunshine Bay (902).
For buyers
Surf Beach is the lower entry point at $767,000 median, 5% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Surf Beach carries both higher gross yield (4.07% vs 3.86%) and stronger 12-month growth. On the headline numbers, it's the cleaner investor case of the two.
For families
Surf Beach edges out on average school ICSEA (935 vs 902).
Common questions
Is Surf Beach or Sunshine Bay cheaper to buy in?
Surf Beach has the lower median house price at $767,000, roughly 5% below Sunshine Bay ($807,500). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Surf Beach or Sunshine Bay?
Over the past 12 months, Surf Beach grew -1.5% vs -4.5% in Sunshine Bay, a gap of 3.0 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 Surf Beach or Sunshine Bay have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Surf Beach scores 935 vs 902 in Sunshine 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, Surf Beach or Sunshine Bay?
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.
Which suburb has higher rental yield, Surf Beach or Sunshine Bay?
Gross rental yield on houses is 4.07% in Surf Beach vs 3.86% in Sunshine 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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