Coogee
A median age of 47, 66.1% of homes with four or more bedrooms, and household income at the 83rd percentile give Coogee a mature, family-oriented profile. Its 5,345 residents live at a density of 1,005.2 people per square kilometre, while 82.1% travel as car drivers, reflecting a car-led suburban pattern. The age measure sits 7 years above the national comparison, and overseas-born residents account for 31.4%, or 9.8 percentage points above national. Compared with nearby North Coogee and Cockburn Central, Coogee is better read as a mature detached-household market. High growth signals sit alongside an aging trajectory, so demand is strong but not driven by a young renter wave.
Population
5,345
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,182/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
30
Coogee suits buyers seeking space rather than compact entry-level stock: 86.2% of dwellings are separate houses, 66.1% have four or more bedrooms, and only 0.4% are apartments. An indicative mortgage cost of $2,500 a month compares with weekly rent of $430, while mortgage repayments equal 26.5% of household income and are not flagged as stressed. Outright ownership is 49.5%, higher than the 38.2% mortgage-held share, pointing to a settled owner base. Because a dependable median price is not available, compare recent sales by land size, condition and bedroom count. Nearby North Coogee may suit buyers wanting newer stock, while Coogee favours established detached homes.
For Buyers
Coogee suits buyers seeking space rather than compact entry-level stock: 86.2% of dwellings are separate houses, 66.1% have four or more bedrooms, and only 0.4% are apartments. An indicative mortgage cost of $2,500 a month compares with weekly rent of $430, while mortgage repayments equal 26.5% of household income and are not flagged as stressed. Outright ownership is 49.5%, higher than the 38.2% mortgage-held share, pointing to a settled owner base. Because a dependable median price is not available, compare recent sales by land size, condition and bedroom count. Nearby North Coogee may suit buyers wanting newer stock, while Coogee favours established detached homes.
For Investors
Coogee presents an owner-occupier-led investment profile. Only 11.5% of households rent, below the 49.5% outright ownership share and 38.2% mortgage-held share, so rental demand is narrower than in a high-turnover market. Weekly rent is $430 and vacancy is 4.5%, calling for careful property selection rather than assuming immediate leasing pressure. Twenty-seven development applications in 12 months indicate ongoing residential upgrades. The 5.66% annual trend and internal migration driver support demand, while the aging trajectory may favour low-maintenance family homes. Compare yield with the $2,500 monthly mortgage figure and allow for vacancy, maintenance and insurance.
Development Activity
Total DAs
30
Last 12 Months
30
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Coogee
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
COOGEE PRIMARY SCHOOL
Demographics
Coogee is older than the national profile, with a median age of 47, or 7 years above the national comparison. Overseas-born residents make up 31.4%, 9.8 percentage points above national, while university attainment is 29.6%, only 0.5 points below the national comparison. English ancestry is the largest recorded group at 1,852 people, followed by Italian at 901, Scottish at 471 and Irish at 466. Christianity records 3,123 people and no religion 1,736. Household size is 2.6, just 0.1 above national, with couples with children at 46.4% and couples without children at 44.2%. An 82.2% same-address stay rate points to lower turnover than a highly transient suburb, helping explain the settled feel compared with Cockburn Central.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
86.2%
Houses
2.9%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Coogee's housing is overwhelmingly detached: separate houses account for 86.2% of dwellings, compared with 0.4% apartments and 2.9% semi-detached homes. The bedroom profile is similarly spacious, with 66.1% of dwellings containing four or more bedrooms, 22.5% containing three and 8.4% containing two. Tenure is stable, with 49.5% owned outright, 38.2% owned with a mortgage and only 11.5% rented. That mix helps explain why the suburb feels less rental-driven than growth corridors with larger apartment shares. Mortgage repayments represent 26.5% of household income and are not flagged as stressed, while rent is $430 a week. Compared with nearby North Coogee, Coogee's profile is more established and detached, making land, upkeep and downsizing needs more important than apartment supply.
Mortgage / mo
$2,500
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$430
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$870
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.5%
Unoccupied
90
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.4%
Couples with children
44.2%
Couples, no children
8.0%
Single parent
1,565
Total families
Economy & Employment
Coogee combines above-average household resources with a mixed employment base. Household income is $2,182 a week, at the 83rd percentile, while unemployment is 3.8% and participation is 63.1%. Healthcare leads at 15.6% or 282 people, followed by education at 13.7% or 248, construction at 12.1% or 219, professional and technical work at 8.1% or 147, and mining at 7.1% or 128. Professionals number 607 and managers 440, but trades add 432, making the profile broader than a purely office-based suburb. SEIFA is mixed: IEO decile 6 is middling, IER decile 9 is high, IRSD decile 8 signals lower disadvantage, and IRSAD decile 7 indicates above-median advantage. Income ranks higher than the national norm, while trades keep the economy practical.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
2,838
Unemployed
107
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.8%
Part-time
36.8%
Participation
63.1%
Employed
2,731
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
29.6%
Postgraduate
6.7%
Born Overseas
31.4%
Dwellings
1,922
Transport to Work
Daily life in Coogee is strongly car dependent: 82.1% travel as car drivers, compared with 2.9% using public transport and 0.8% walking or cycling. A further 9.2% work from home, which can reduce commuting needs but does not change the limited non-car share. School access includes one local government primary school, Coogee Primary School, so families should check enrolment zones and secondary options against the exact address. Social conditions are relatively advantaged, with IRSAD in decile 7 and IRSD in decile 8, while 4.2% of residents need assistance. Compared with a transit-oriented suburb, Coogee is better suited to households with reliable vehicle access. For safety, check current WA Police incidents by street because a suburb-wide crime rate is not stated.
Drive
82.1%
Public Transport
2.9%
Walk / Cycle
0.8%
Work from Home
9.2%
Population Forecast
+5.66%/yr
(+281 people/yr)
High GrowthCoogee carries a high-growth label despite an aging trajectory. The annual trend is 5.66%, with internal migration identified as the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 547.2% over 10 years. The shift profile records a 14.1-point increase in the senior share and a 7.6-point fall in the young share, so the aging movement is stronger than the youth decline in absolute terms. Affordability is labelled Improving, with measures of 64.6 in 2011 and 37.2 in 2021, while real income growth was -13.3%. Gentrification is scored 0 and labelled Not gentrifying, separating growth from a reinvention story. Compared with a stable suburb, 5.66% annual growth is materially faster, but demand is likely to favour established households, larger homes and internal movers rather than a rapidly expanding young renter base.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+86
Net Internal / yr
+234
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Coogee compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Coogee a good suburb to live in?
Coogee suits households wanting larger detached homes and a settled environment. It has a median age of 47, 86.2% separate houses and household income at the 83rd percentile. The trade-off is car dependence: 82.1% drive, compared with 2.9% using public transport, so it is less convenient for households seeking a transit-led lifestyle.
What is the median house price in Coogee?
A dependable current median house price is not stated for Coogee. Buyers should compare recent sales and listings by land size, condition and bedroom count, especially because 66.1% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 86.2% are separate houses. Weekly rent is $430, which provides a secondary affordability reference.
What schools are in Coogee?
Coogee Primary School is the local government primary school identified for the suburb. Families should confirm the intake boundary and investigate secondary options at the exact address, because enrolment zones can change the practical choice set. The household profile is family-oriented, with 46.4% couples with children and an average household size of 2.6.
Is Coogee safe?
Use current WA Police incident information for a street-level safety check, since no suburb-wide crime rate is stated here. Coogee has 5,345 residents and 4.2% need assistance, but the latter is a support-needs measure rather than a crime indicator. Visit at different times and check lighting, traffic and activity around the address.
Is Coogee good for property investment?
Coogee can suit a long-term investor targeting family houses, but it is not a deep rental market. Only 11.5% of households rent, vacancy is 4.5% and weekly rent is $430. The 5.66% annual growth trend and 27 development applications add momentum, while internal migration is the primary driver. Compare returns with the $2,500 monthly mortgage figure and ongoing ownership costs.
How is Coogee's population changing?
Coogee's wider-area growth outlook is strong but its resident profile is aging. The annual trend is 5.66%, driven primarily by internal migration, while population change across the wider area is 547.2% over 10 years. The senior share rose 14.1 points and the young share fell 7.6 points, so future demand may lean toward established households rather than a young renter surge.
What languages are spoken in Coogee?
English ancestry is the largest recorded background at 1,852 people, while Italian ancestry counts 901. Italian is the most common listed non-English language at 118 speakers, followed by Croatian at 88 and Portuguese at 48. Overseas-born residents account for 31.4%, which is 9.8 percentage points above the national comparison.
What development is occurring in Coogee?
Development activity includes 27 applications over 12 months, with recent examples involving a single-storey dwelling, a fibreglass pool and a pool shade sail. This points to continued house-by-house investment rather than a clearly stated apartment pipeline. With 86.2% separate houses and 66.1% four-bedroom-plus homes, buyers should check whether nearby works affect access, noise or resale appeal.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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