Overall score
Clear Island Waters
49.4/100
Mermaid Beach
50.5/100
Clear Island Waters for investment and value; Mermaid Beach for retirees and beach lifestyle.
See which suburb leads on livability, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
Head to head
Overall score
Clear Island Waters
49.4/100
Mermaid Beach
50.5/100
Crime rate
Clear Island Waters
42.6 / 1k
Mermaid Beach
127.7 / 1k
Nearby amenities
Clear Island Waters
47
Mermaid Beach
804
Population
Clear Island Waters
4,395
Mermaid Beach
7,329
Desirability pillars scored 0–100 vs comparable suburbs
Clearer edge on lifestyle fit (score gap ≥ 3)
Who each suburb suits — composite scores out of 100
Side-by-side scores for every compared metric.
Exact figures for every metric — winner highlighted in bold.
| Category | Clear Island Waters | Mermaid Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 49.4/100 | 50.5/100 |
| Housing (desirability) | 52.1/100 | 53.8/100 |
| Crime rate | 42.6 / 1k | 127.7 / 1k |
| Schools & preschools | 2 | 3 |
| Weather (desirability) | 42.8/100 | 33.9/100 |
| Parks & reserves | 20 | 30 |
| Public transport stops | 3 | 5 |
| Walkability | 6.5/100 | 77.5/100 |
| Nearby amenities | 47 | 804 |
| Green cover | 5.3% | 2.4% |
| Population | 4,395 | 7,329 |
| SEIFA (IRSAD decile) | 9/10 | 9/10 |
Clear Island Waters reads as an energetic metro mid-sized suburb where cafés and local life overlap; Mermaid Beach is a coastal mid-sized suburb with an easy, sea-led rhythm. Where Mermaid Beach is shaped by the coast, Clear Island Waters offers a more landlocked suburban rhythm.
Clear Island Waters pulls ahead on housing affordability and a quieter safety profile, whereas Mermaid Beach is the better pick for schools and education options, parks and reserves, and public transport access.
Choose Clear Island Waters if you are weighing retirees, families, and investors; lean toward Mermaid Beach for people chasing a beach lifestyle and households prioritising schools.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.