Tea Gardens vs Shoal Bay.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $915,000 and $1,250,000. Tea Gardens edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
Tea Gardens (median $915,000) is roughly 27% cheaper to buy into than Shoal Bay ($1,250,000). Over the past year, Shoal Bay (+5.9%) ran 0.1 percentage points ahead of Tea Gardens (+5.8%) on house-price growth.
Tea Gardens scores higher on walkability (8/100 vs 6/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Tea Gardens (964) sits above Shoal Bay (961). Tea Gardens skews owner-occupied (68%), Shoal Bay runs more rental-dense (55% owner).
For buyers
Tea Gardens is the lower entry point at $915,000 median, 27% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Investors face a yield-versus-growth split: Tea Gardens delivers the better gross yield (3.41% vs 3.00%), but Shoal Bay has run faster on capital growth this year. The right pick depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow or capital appreciation.
For families
Tea Gardens edges out on average school ICSEA (964 vs 961). Tea Gardens also has a higher family-household share (71% vs 55%), so the catchment community skews family-heavy.
Common questions
Is Tea Gardens or Shoal Bay cheaper to buy in?
Tea Gardens has the lower median house price at $915,000, roughly 27% below Shoal Bay ($1,250,000). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Tea Gardens or Shoal Bay?
Over the past 12 months, Shoal Bay grew +5.9% vs +5.8% in Tea Gardens, a gap of 0.1 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 Tea Gardens or Shoal Bay have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Tea Gardens scores 964 vs 961 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, Tea Gardens or Shoal Bay?
Tea Gardens scores 8/100 on walkability vs 6/100. 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, Tea Gardens or Shoal Bay?
Gross rental yield on houses is 3.41% in Tea Gardens vs 3.00% in Shoal 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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