Coogee
A $584,000 median house price sits well below most coastal Perth markets, yet 86.2% of dwellings here are separate houses and only 0.4% are apartments, the clearest sign of a low-density detached pocket south of Fremantle. The median age of 47 runs 7.0 years above the national figure, and the senior share has climbed 4.1 points over the decade, marking a clearly aging resident base. Household income reaches the 83rd percentile nationally on $2,182 a week, while 49.9% of homes are owned outright, more than the 38.6% still carrying a mortgage. Population has grown 30.5% since 2011, a fast pace for an established suburb, with the SEIFA IER index in decile 9 for economic resources.
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
14
Median House
$584K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $584,000 median is affordable relative to Perth's coastal belt, and buying is well within reach for local incomes: the mortgage-to-income ratio is 26.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, and rent-to-income sits lower again at 19.7%. The stock heavily favours larger families because 66.1% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and a further 22.5% have three, leaving only 11.4% with two bedrooms or fewer. With 86.2% separate houses and apartments at just 0.4%, buyers seeking a low-maintenance unit will find almost nothing, so the market is built around detached family homes on land. Outright ownership at 49.9% exceeds the mortgaged 38.6%, which reflects the older median age of 47 and points to limited resale turnover, since the mobility rate is only 17.8% with 82.2% of residents staying put.
For Buyers
The $584,000 median is affordable relative to Perth's coastal belt, and buying is well within reach for local incomes: the mortgage-to-income ratio is 26.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, and rent-to-income sits lower again at 19.7%. The stock heavily favours larger families because 66.1% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and a further 22.5% have three, leaving only 11.4% with two bedrooms or fewer. With 86.2% separate houses and apartments at just 0.4%, buyers seeking a low-maintenance unit will find almost nothing, so the market is built around detached family homes on land. Outright ownership at 49.9% exceeds the mortgaged 38.6%, which reflects the older median age of 47 and points to limited resale turnover, since the mobility rate is only 17.8% with 82.2% of residents staying put.
For Investors
Renters make up only 11.6% of households, a thin tenant pool compared with the national average, so this is a low-churn owner-occupier market rather than a rental hub. Weekly rent of $430 against the $584,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.8%, healthier than most premium Perth coastal suburbs, though absolute rent levels are modest. The vacancy rate of 4.5% is higher than a tight market would show, signalling that demand for rentals is limited where 88.4% of homes are owner-occupied. Demand fundamentals favour capital growth: net overseas migration adds 104 residents a year and internal migration a further 68, and forecasts project the wider area rising from 11,074 to 12,062 by 2031. Development is quiet at just 9 applications in 12 months, so new rental supply is unlikely to pressure yields.
Development Activity
Total DAs
14
Last 12 Months
14
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 iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Coogee Primary School
K-6 · 605 students
Demographics
The median age of 47 is 7.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging because the senior share rose 4.1 points while the working-age share fell 1.0 point over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 31.4%, which is 9.8 points above national, with ancestry led by English (1,852), Italian (901) and Scottish (471) and a notable Italian and Croatian community in the language data. University qualifications sit at 29.6%, marginally below the national figure by 0.5 points, an unusual profile for an 83rd-percentile income area and a sign that earnings here lean on trades, healthcare and mining rather than degree-heavy professions. Average household size is 2.6, just 0.1 above national, and couples with children (1,682 families) outnumber couples without children (1,362), consistent with the large four-bedroom housing stock.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
86.2%
Houses
2.9%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure leans firmly toward established ownership: 49.9% own outright, 38.6% carry a mortgage and only 11.6% rent, so outright owners outnumber mortgage holders, a pattern tied to the older median age of 47. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 86.2% separate houses, with apartments at just 0.4% and semi-detached at 2.9%, leaving the suburb almost entirely a house market. Bedroom counts confirm the family orientation, with 66.1% of dwellings at four or more bedrooms and 22.5% at three. Against household income in the 83rd percentile, the $584,000 median is affordable, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5% and rent-to-income of 19.7%, both below stress thresholds. Affordability has improved over the decade, easing from 57.7% in 2011 to 44.6% in 2021 as real incomes grew 12.8%.
Mortgage / mo
$2,500
Rent / wk
$430
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
30.7%
Couples, no children
4,437
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored in essential services rather than corporate sectors: Healthcare leads at 15.6% (282 workers), Education follows at 13.7% (248) and Construction at 12.1% (219), with Professional/Tech at 8.1% and Mining at 7.1% reflecting WA's resource economy. By occupation, Professionals (607) and Managers (440) top the list, ahead of Clerical and Admin (359). Unemployment is low at 4.0% and the full-time employment rate is 61.1%, while participation reads 59.8%, held down because the aging profile leaves 1,415 residents not in the labour force. The SEIFA picture is mixed: IER (economic resources) scores decile 9 on the strength of high outright ownership, but IEO (education and occupation) sits lower at decile 6, an anomaly explained by university qualifications running 0.5 points below national despite incomes in the 83rd percentile.
Unemployment
2.3%
Labour Force
6,496
Unemployed
151
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.1%
Part-time
34.9%
Participation
59.8%
Employed
2,583
Occupations
Top Industries
University
29.6%
Postgraduate
6.7%
Born Overseas
31.4%
Dwellings
1,922
Transport to Work
This is a car-dependent suburb: 90.4% of residents drive to work while only 3.2% use public transport and 0.9% walk or cycle, well below the national reliance on active and public transport, a function of the low density of 1,005 residents per km2 across 5.32 km2. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off in a detached, family-heavy area where 66.1% of homes have four or more bedrooms. On the SEIFA indexes the suburb scores decile 8 on IRSD for relative disadvantage and decile 7 on IRSAD, both above the midpoint, meaning few residents face deprivation. Volunteering runs at 16.1% and only 4.2% of residents (211 people) need daily assistance despite the older median age of 47.
Drive
90.4%
Public Transport
3.2%
Walk / Cycle
0.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.71%/yr
(+189 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation has expanded 30.5% since 2011, well above the pace of a typical established suburb, and the trend continues at 1.71% a year, or about 189 residents annually. The wider forecast area rises from 11,074 in 2025 to a projected 12,062 by 2031 under the medium scenario. Growth is balanced across sources, with net overseas migration of 104 a year higher than net internal migration at 68. The gentrification reading is early signs at a score of 36, supported by accelerating internal migration, though the suburb remains an aging market with the senior share up 4.1 points. Affordability improving from 57.7% to 44.6% over the decade suggests incomes have outpaced housing costs, a tailwind for continued in-migration.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+104
Net Internal / yr
+68
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +38% since 2011, Net internal migration +68/yr, Accelerating: 14% → 21%
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 families seeking detached homes, with 86.2% separate houses and 66.1% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms. Household income is in the 83rd percentile nationally, the suburb scores decile 8 on the IRSD disadvantage index, and the $584,000 median house price is affordable, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5%.
What is the median house price in Coogee?
The median house price is $584,000, affordable relative to most coastal Perth markets. Weekly rent averages $430 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,500, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5% and rent-to-income of 19.7%, both below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Coogee?
No schools are recorded inside the Coogee boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The area is family-oriented, with 66.1% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and an average household size of 2.6, just 0.1 above the national figure.
Is Coogee safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Coogee in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 8 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, above the midpoint, and only 4.2% of its residents (211 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Coogee good for property investment?
Rent of $430 a week against the $584,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.8%, stronger than most premium Perth coastal suburbs. However renters are only 11.6% of households and the vacancy rate is 4.5%, so this is an owner-occupier market where returns depend more on capital growth than rental demand.
How is Coogee's population changing?
Population has grown 30.5% since 2011 and continues at 1.71% a year, about 189 residents annually. The wider area is forecast to rise from 11,074 in 2025 to 12,062 by 2031. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 4.1 points and the working-age share down 1.0 point over the decade.
What languages are spoken in Coogee?
About 31.4% of residents were born overseas, 9.8 points above the national figure. English is dominant, while Italian (118 speakers), Croatian (88), Portuguese (48) and Serbian (24) are the most common non-English languages, reflecting a strong southern European heritage led by Italian ancestry (901 residents).
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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