SuburbCheck

Catalina vs Sunshine Bay

The verdict

Catalina is more affordable, with a median house price of $672K versus $868K in Sunshine Bay. Catalina rates higher for liveability (59 vs 50). On the separate residential safety score, Sunshine Bay rates higher (85 vs 31/100 in Catalina).

Scores

CatalinaSunshine Bay
CatalinaSunshine Bay
Overall2826
Transport00
Education2629
Liveability5950

Overall is based on transport, liveability & education — the metrics available at consistent quality nationwide. Residential safety is compared separately below.

Demographics

CatalinaSunshine Bay
Population2,5221,439
Median age5356
Median household income (wk)$1,130$1,138
Bachelor degree or higher18.5%22.8%
Born in Australia78.4%76.2%
Avg household size2.32.1

Growth: Catalina Moderate Growth · Sunshine Bay Moderate Growth

Property

CatalinaSunshine Bay
Median house price$672K$868K
Median unit price$678K$659K
House price YoY-1.8%Data not available
Median rent — house (wk)$580$580
Rental yield (house)4.5%3.5%
Days on market (house)1630

Median price history

Safety

CatalinaSunshine Bay
Residential safety score3185
Break & enter dwelling /100k47669
Motor vehicle theft /100k238139
Domestic assault /100k753347
Total incidents /100k (all)5,7492,502

Total incidents over time

Schools

CatalinaSunshine Bay
Total schools01
Government01
Independent00
Average ICSEAData not available919

See the full school list on each profile: Catalina · Sunshine Bay

Transport

CatalinaSunshine Bay
Transport score00
Train stations00
Bus stops00
Light rail stops00
Ferry wharves00
CBD commute (min)Data not availableData not available
Nearest train station (km)85.2 km87.8 km

Liveability

CatalinaSunshine Bay
Summer max temp26.5°C26.5°C
Winter max temp17.0°C17.0°C
Annual rainfall (mm)1,1001,100
Supermarkets00
Cafes & restaurants11
Parks10
PlaygroundsData not available3
Swimming pools21
Medical GPs00
Distance to coast (km)1.3 km550 m
Distance to CBD (km)226.6 km227.3 km
Nearest beach (km)1.3 km620 m
Nearest hospital (km)1.8 km4.2 km

Population & growth

CatalinaSunshine Bay
Population (2021)2,5221,439
Estimated 20252,5481,482
Projected 20412,8651,595
Annual growth rate0.26%0.74%

Common questions

Which is safer, Catalina or Sunshine Bay?

Sunshine Bay has the higher residential safety score (Catalina 31/100 vs Sunshine Bay 85/100).

Which is more affordable, Catalina or Sunshine Bay?

Catalina is more affordable, with a median house price of $672K versus $868K.

Which has better public transport, Catalina or Sunshine Bay?

Catalina and Sunshine Bay have similar transport scores.

Try another comparison

Compare two suburbs

Catalina

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SuburbCheck

A free, data-driven tool to compare Australian suburbs on safety, schools, transport, property and liveability — built from public government data.

Data sources

ABS Census & ERP · Valuers-General · BOCSAR & state crime agencies · GTFS · ACARA · Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap.

Data is from public sources and may not reflect current conditions. Figures are indicative and should not be the sole basis for property or relocation decisions.

© 2026 SuburbCheck · Data refreshed quarterly.