Cape Woolamai
A 52.3% vacancy rate tells the real story of Cape Woolamai: more than half of all dwellings sit empty on any given census night, confirming this is predominantly a holiday and lifestyle destination rather than a permanent residential suburb. With 2,301 residents spread across 6.12 square kilometres at a density of 376 people per km2, it sits well below metropolitan averages. Median age of 43 is 3 years above the national figure, income sits at the 45.5th percentile nationally, and the suburb leans heavily Anglo-Celtic in ancestry. Separate houses make up 88.2% of stock, far higher than the state average, which shapes both the character and the price of every property transaction here.
Population
2,301
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,471/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
No recorded median sale price is available for Cape Woolamai, reflecting thin transaction volumes typical of small coastal markets where most dwellings change hands infrequently. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500, which is notably modest compared to Melbourne metro benchmarks, and mortgage-to-income sits at 23.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 88.2%, with 3-bedroom homes the dominant type at 54.7% and 4-plus bedroom homes accounting for 31.3%, higher than the national average. That large-bedroom profile suits buyers seeking space and holiday use. Outright owners make up 37.8%, suggesting a portion of residents have held properties for many years and carry no debt.
For Buyers
No recorded median sale price is available for Cape Woolamai, reflecting thin transaction volumes typical of small coastal markets where most dwellings change hands infrequently. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500, which is notably modest compared to Melbourne metro benchmarks, and mortgage-to-income sits at 23.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 88.2%, with 3-bedroom homes the dominant type at 54.7% and 4-plus bedroom homes accounting for 31.3%, higher than the national average. That large-bedroom profile suits buyers seeking space and holiday use. Outright owners make up 37.8%, suggesting a portion of residents have held properties for many years and carry no debt.
For Investors
The 52.3% vacancy rate is the single most important number for any investor evaluating Cape Woolamai. In a typical residential suburb, vacancy above 3% signals oversupply risk; here the vacancy is structural, driven by holiday homes and investment properties held for personal use rather than continuous tenancy. Of permanent renters, 21.9% of occupied dwellings are rented at $340 per week. Development activity is minimal, with only 1 planning application lodged in the past 12 months, so new supply pressure is essentially zero. Income levels at the 45.5th percentile nationally suggest the local rental market is price-sensitive, and yield estimates from a low transaction volume base carry significant uncertainty.
Development Activity
Total DAs
2
Last 12 Months
1
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Cape Woolamai's median age of 43 sits 3 years above the national figure, consistent with coastal-retirement and sea-change migration patterns. University qualification rates reach 27.6%, which is 2.5 percentage points below the national average, and overseas-born residents make up just 15.0%, compared to 21.6% nationally, a gap of 6.6 percentage points. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (910 residents), Irish (267) and Scottish (266) lead, with Italian the only non-English language with a notable speaker count at 12 people. Average household size is 2.4, slightly below the national figure. Couples with children make up 715 of 1,636 total families, and couples without children number 499, reflecting an older profile consistent with the elevated median age.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.2%
Houses
10.6%
Townhouse
1.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses account for 88.2% of all dwellings, one of the highest concentrations in regional Victoria, with semi-detached homes at 10.6% and apartments at just 1.1%. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 54.7% and 4-plus bedrooms are at 31.3%, well above national norms for a suburb of this size. Tenure is split with 37.8% owning outright, 40.3% carrying a mortgage and 21.9% renting. Rent-to-income at 23.1% and mortgage-to-income at 23.5% both sit comfortably below stress thresholds. No recorded median sale price is available due to thin transaction volumes, which is common in coastal suburbs where permanent occupancy runs alongside a large holiday-home cohort at a 52.3% vacancy rate.
Mortgage / mo
$1,500
Rent / wk
$340
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$732
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
52.3%
Unoccupied
898
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.5%
Couples, no children
1,636
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction leads local employment at 18.4% (141 workers), reflecting ongoing activity on the Phillip Island corridor. Education is second at 15.9% (122 workers) and Healthcare third at 13.5% (104 workers), suggesting many residents commute to Phillip Island or Bass Coast hubs for these roles. By occupation, Professionals lead at 227 workers, followed by Community and Personal service workers at 148 and Managers at 143. The unemployment rate is 3.0% and the full-time employment rate among those employed is 54.8%. Participation at 53.1% is lower than national averages because 558 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with a retiree and semi-retired population at a median age of 43. Household income sits at the 45.5th percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.8%
Part-time
42.2%
Participation
53.1%
Employed
963
Occupations
Top Industries
University
27.6%
Postgraduate
5.9%
Born Overseas
15.0%
Dwellings
817
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total in Cape Woolamai: 91.4% of residents drive to work, compared to the national average of around 67%, and just 3.9% walk or cycle. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on institutions in Cowes or Newhaven on Phillip Island. The crime rate of 35.2 incidents per 1,000 residents covers 81 total offences, with property and deception offences accounting for the largest share at 45 incidents, which is typical for coastal areas with holiday-home stock. Volunteering participation sits at 16.7%, which is moderate. Only 4.1% of residents (84 people) need daily assistance, a low figure consistent with a relatively active older demographic. SEIFA data is not available for this suburb.
Drive
91.4%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
3.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
81
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
35.2
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cape Woolamai compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cape Woolamai a good suburb to live in?
Cape Woolamai suits buyers seeking a coastal lifestyle with minimal urban density. At 376 people per km2 it is sparsely settled, 88.2% of dwellings are separate houses, and mortgage-to-income sits at 23.5%, below the stress threshold. The trade-off is limited local services, no schools in the suburb boundary, and near-total car dependence at 91.4%.
What is the median house price in Cape Woolamai?
No recorded median sale price is available for Cape Woolamai due to thin transaction volumes, common in small coastal markets. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500 and weekly rent averages $340. Mortgage-to-income at 23.5% suggests purchase prices are moderate compared to Melbourne metro benchmarks.
What schools are in Cape Woolamai?
No schools are recorded within the Cape Woolamai boundary. Families with school-age children rely on schools in nearby Cowes or San Remo on Phillip Island. The suburb has 2,301 residents across 6.12 km2, and limited local infrastructure is typical of low-density coastal areas with a 52.3% vacancy rate.
Is Cape Woolamai safe?
Cape Woolamai recorded 81 total offences at a rate of 35.2 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences account for 45 incidents, the largest category, which is typical for coastal suburbs with a significant holiday-home stock. Crimes against the person totalled 23 incidents. These figures cover the permanent population of 2,301.
Is Cape Woolamai good for property investment?
The 52.3% vacancy rate is the key risk factor. It signals a holiday-home dominated market where permanent tenancy is limited. Weekly rent is $340 and only 21.9% of occupied dwellings are rented. No median sale price is available, making yield calculation uncertain. Development pressure is negligible with only 1 planning application in the past 12 months.
How is Cape Woolamai's population changing?
Cape Woolamai has a small permanent population of 2,301 with a residential turnover rate of 24.7%, meaning about 1 in 4 residents moved in the five years before the census. The suburb's high 52.3% vacancy rate reflects a large holiday-home base that inflates the dwelling count relative to the permanent population.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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