Coober Pedy
Its 41.0% vacancy rate is the clearest signal of Coober Pedy's unusual housing and population profile. The town has 1,566 residents, a median age of 50, and an age profile 10.0 years above the national comparison. Housing is dominated by separate homes at 88.6%, while 33.3% of residents were born overseas. Household income sits at just the 3.9th percentile, helping explain the town's SEIFA decile 1 position. For buyers comparing Coober Pedy with nearby Roxby Downs, the main distinction to investigate is how local employment, housing availability and services affect day-to-day costs.
Local council: Unincorporated SA
Population
1,566
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$764/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Home buying is difficult to benchmark because no median house price or quarterly price is available. The practical anchors are a mortgage cost of $630 per month, weekly rent of $163 and mortgage-to-income of 19.0%, with rent-to-income at 21.3%. Outright ownership at 44.2% is higher than mortgage ownership at 14.7%, reflecting a relatively settled group of owners and a smaller financed market. Separate houses account for 88.6%, while 38.2% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 17.7% have 4 or more. Compared with a conventional metro purchase, buyers should place more weight on individual property condition, utilities and resale depth than on a suburb-wide median.
For Buyers
Home buying is difficult to benchmark because no median house price or quarterly price is available. The practical anchors are a mortgage cost of $630 per month, weekly rent of $163 and mortgage-to-income of 19.0%, with rent-to-income at 21.3%. Outright ownership at 44.2% is higher than mortgage ownership at 14.7%, reflecting a relatively settled group of owners and a smaller financed market. Separate houses account for 88.6%, while 38.2% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 17.7% have 4 or more. Compared with a conventional metro purchase, buyers should place more weight on individual property condition, utilities and resale depth than on a suburb-wide median.
For Investors
The rental case has both income and vacancy risk. Weekly rent is $163 and 35.0% of occupied dwellings are rented, but the 41.0% vacancy rate is far higher than in a tightly supplied rental market, which can make tenant demand and holding periods unpredictable. Forecast rent growth is 35.8%, yet the broader annual growth trend is -1.83%, migration is labelled Balanced and the gentrification score is 0 with a Not gentrifying stage. Only 3 development applications were recorded over 12 months, so new supply is limited but demand expansion is also weak. Compared with growth suburbs, investors should prioritise employment-linked demand, maintenance costs and vacancy resilience over headline rent growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
37
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-66.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Coober Pedy
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Coober Pedy Area School
Demographics
Coober Pedy has an older and smaller-household profile than the national comparison. Median age is 50, or 10.0 years above national levels, and the average household size is 1.8, which is 0.7 below the national figure. The overseas-born share is 33.3%, 11.7 percentage points above national levels, with English ancestry recorded for 328 people, German for 93 and Greek for 92. Greek is spoken by 47 residents, followed by Sinhal at 34. University participation is 17.1%, 13.0 points below national levels. The aging pattern is reinforced by a 9.1 point rise in the senior share and a 4.2 point decline in the young share. Compared with nearby Roxby Downs, households should assess the different age, language and service needs rather than assume the two remote communities have the same social profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.6%
Houses
1.9%
Townhouse
6.1%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is strongly detached and relatively low-leverage. Separate houses represent 88.6% of dwellings, compared with 6.1% apartments and 1.9% semi-detached homes. Three-bedroom properties make up 38.2%, 2-bedroom homes 28.6%, 4 or more bedrooms 17.7% and 0 or 1-bedroom homes 15.5%. Ownership is split between 44.2% owned outright, 14.7% with a mortgage and 35.0% rented. Weekly rent is $163, while the 41.0% vacancy rate indicates that available stock can exceed active tenant demand. Mortgage-to-income of 19.0% and rent-to-income of 21.3% are below common stress thresholds, with both stress flags false. Compared with apartment-heavy markets, the detached mix provides more land-based housing, but the absence of a median sale price makes individual inspections and valuation checks especially important.
Mortgage / mo
$630
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$163
Census 2021
HH Size
1.8
Personal Income / wk
$498
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
41.0%
Unoccupied
466
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.8%
Couples with children
47.4%
Couples, no children
17.0%
Single parent
289
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest industry at 24.2% with 79 workers, followed by hospitality at 17.7% and 58 workers, retail at 12.8% and 42, education at 12.2% and 40, and public administration at 11.6% and 38. Occupations include 103 community and personal service workers, 71 professionals, 68 managers, 63 trades workers and 58 sales workers. The labour force numbers 595, participation is 43.1%, unemployment is 11.8% and the full-time rate is 60.2%. Household income is $764 weekly at the 3.9th percentile, well below the national distribution. All four SEIFA measures sit in decile 1: IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD. That lowest-decile position reflects constrained education, employment and economic resources, even though managers and professionals are present. Compared with higher-income regional centres, the economy is more exposed to a narrow set of service industries.
Unemployment
11.8%
Labour Force
595
Unemployed
70
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.2%
Part-time
29.9%
Participation
43.1%
Employed
525
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.1%
Postgraduate
4.2%
Born Overseas
33.3%
Dwellings
668
Transport to Work
Daily life is highly car dependent: 72.3% of residents travel as car drivers, compared with 1.3% using public transport, while 12.0% walk or cycle and 6.0% work from home. One local government school, Coober Pedy Area School, combines primary and secondary years, so families should confirm enrolment arrangements and travel needs for the exact address. The 785.12 square kilometre footprint and density of 2.0 mean services are spread across a very low-density setting. Recorded crime totals 618 incidents, equal to 394.6 per 1,000 residents, which warrants careful address-level assessment. IRSAD and IRSD are both in decile 1, below the national socioeconomic comparison. Compared with denser suburbs, Coober Pedy provides more space but fewer transport alternatives and a narrower local service network.
Drive
72.3%
Public Transport
1.3%
Walk / Cycle
12.0%
Work from Home
6.0%
Growth Outlook
Growth indicators point below expansion-market conditions. The annual trend is -1.83%, migration is described as Balanced and population change across the wider area is -7.7% over 10 years. The forecast trajectory is Aging, supported by a 9.1 point increase in the senior share and a 4.2 point decline in the young share. Gentrification has a score of 0 and a Not gentrifying stage, so there is little evidence of reinvestment-led demographic change. The town also recorded a 6.8% COVID dip and remains 4.9% below its earlier level, while real income growth is -5.4%. Affordability worsened from 28.0% in 2011 to 32.7% in 2021 despite forecast rent growth of 35.8%. Compared with faster-growing regional locations, aging, weak income movement and limited migration are likely to restrain demand.
Population trend: Unincorporated SA council area
Coober Pedy sits in the Unincorporated SA council area. These are the council area's residents, not Coober Pedy's.
Residents 2025
3,001
Growth, 5 yr average
-1.4%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
-1.0%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
618
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
394.6
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Coober Pedy compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Coober Pedy a good suburb to live in?
Coober Pedy suits people comfortable with remote living, limited public transport and a small service network. The population is 1,566, median age is 50 and 72.3% of residents drive to get around. Housing can be inexpensive to rent at $163 weekly, but the 41.0% vacancy rate and 394.6 crimes per 1,000 residents mean lifestyle and safety priorities should be checked carefully.
What is the median house price in Coober Pedy?
A current median house price cannot be quoted because no suburb-level median is available. Weekly rent is $163, and 44.2% of homes are owned outright compared with 14.7% financed by a mortgage. Buyers should compare individual sale listings, building condition and ongoing property costs rather than rely on a single suburb-wide price indicator.
What schools are in Coober Pedy?
Coober Pedy Area School is the local government school and combines primary and secondary education. It is the only school serving the suburb, so families should confirm year-level arrangements, enrolment requirements and travel needs for the exact address. The town has 1,566 residents and a low density of 2.0 people per square kilometre.
Is Coober Pedy safe?
Safety requires careful consideration. Recorded crime totals 618 incidents, equivalent to 394.6 per 1,000 residents, so the rate is a significant factor when comparing properties. Check the exact street, property security, lighting and proximity to services before deciding. The town's IRSAD and IRSD scores are both in decile 1, indicating substantial socioeconomic disadvantage.
Is Coober Pedy good for property investment?
Investment conditions are mixed rather than straightforward. Weekly rent is $163 and 35.0% of dwellings are rented, but vacancy is 41.0%, which can create long periods without tenants. The annual growth trend is -1.83%, migration is Balanced and only 3 development applications were recorded over 12 months. Compared with tightly supplied markets, vacancy risk should be the main assessment point.
How is Coober Pedy's population changing?
The population trend is declining and aging. Annual growth is forecast at -1.83%, while population change across the wider area is -7.7% over 10 years. The trajectory is labelled Aging, with the senior share up 9.1 points and the young share down 4.2 points. Migration is Balanced, so there is no strong migration signal offsetting the longer-term decline.
What is the rental market like in Coober Pedy?
Weekly rent is $163 and rent-to-income is 21.3%, with the rent stress flag marked false. However, 41.0% vacancy is high compared with a tightly supplied market, so tenants may have choice while landlords face inconsistent demand. Rented dwellings account for 35.0% of homes, and forecast rent growth is 35.8%, which should be weighed against the annual growth trend of -1.83%.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
Explore Coober Pedy on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map