Alderley vs Maroochy River

The median house price is $1.7M in Alderley and $1.6M in Maroochy River, so Maroochy River is the cheaper entry point, with Alderley houses about 2% dearer.

For units, Alderley sits at a median of $855K against $920K in Maroochy River, which makes Alderley the more affordable unit market and Maroochy River the pricier one.

Over the past year house prices moved +12.7% in Alderley and +20.2% in Maroochy River, so recent momentum favours Maroochy River, although both suburbs recorded growth.

Looking back three years, Alderley houses are +35.9% and Maroochy River houses +27.0%, so Alderley has compounded faster than Maroochy River over the longer window.

Rental vacancy is 1.3% in Maroochy River and 1.8% in Alderley, so landlords in Maroochy River face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.

Alderley is the bigger suburb, with a population of 6,748 against 1,667, roughly 4.0 times the size of Maroochy River; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.

In short: Maroochy River for a lower purchase price, Maroochy River for recent price momentum, Maroochy River for the tighter rental market. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.