Overall score
Garden Island
28.2/100
Shoalwater
40.2/100
Garden Island vs Shoalwater, WA Suburb Comparison
Garden Island for retirees; Shoalwater for families and beach lifestyle.
See which suburb leads on livability, safety, schools, and lifestyle.
Head to head
Visual comparison
Garden IslandShoalwater
Crime rate
Garden Island
63.3 / 1k
Shoalwater
63.3 / 1k
Nearby amenities
Garden Island
10
Shoalwater
118
Population
Garden Island
772
Shoalwater
4,368
Metric leadGarden Island 1Shoalwater 52 tiedacross 8 compared metrics
Livability profile
Desirability pillars scored 0–100 vs comparable suburbs
Quick verdicts
Clearer edge on lifestyle fit (score gap ≥ 3)
- Best for retireesGarden Island
- Best for familiesShoalwater
- Best for beach lifestyleShoalwater
- Best for investmentShoalwater
- Best for best valueShoalwater
- Best for best schoolsShoalwater
Audience fit
Who each suburb suits — composite scores out of 100
All metrics
Side-by-side scores for every compared metric.
Full comparison table
Exact figures for every metric — winner highlighted in bold.
| Category | Garden Island | Shoalwater |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 28.2/100 | 40.2/100 |
| Housing (desirability) | — | 57.8/100 |
| Crime rate | 63.3 / 1k | 63.3 / 1k |
| Schools & preschools | — | 3 |
| Weather (desirability) | 23.4/100 | 23.4/100 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 4 |
| Public transport stops | — | 28 |
| Walkability | 0.0/100 | 57.0/100 |
| Nearby amenities | 10 | 118 |
| Green cover | 40.0% | 3.4% |
| Population | 772 | 4,368 |
| SEIFA (IRSAD decile) | — | 3/10 |
Comparison summary
Garden Island reads as a beachside smaller community where the coast sets the tone; Shoalwater is a coastal mid-sized suburb with an easy, sea-led rhythm. Garden Island sits among greener hillside streets, while Shoalwater keeps a flatter suburban layout.
On the data, Garden Island is stronger for rapid growth and new development, plus easy access to the coast; Shoalwater answers with parks and reserves, walkability, and nearby cafés and amenities.
On balance, retirees, families, people chasing a beach lifestyle, investors, value-focused buyers, and households prioritising schools are more likely to prefer Shoalwater, while Garden Island remains a solid alternative depending on what matters most day to day.
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.