Coolangatta
A compact coastal suburb with 6,491 residents, Coolangatta combines a median age of 50 with a density of 3,413.4 people per sq km. Housing is unusually apartment-led: 77.3% of dwellings are apartments, while 13.1% are separate houses. The 42.1% renting share and 29.1% vacancy rate point to a mobile market, giving Coolangatta a more vertical feel than nearby Tweed Heads and Kirra. Household size averages 1.9 people, 0.6 below the national average, supporting demand from singles, couples and downsizers. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, although residents are 10 years older than the national median.
Population
6,491
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,331/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
8
Homebuyers need to approach Coolangatta as an apartment market rather than a conventional detached-house suburb. Apartments account for 77.3% of dwellings, compared with 13.1% separate houses, and 58.1% of homes have 2 bedrooms. Building quality, body corporate costs, outlook and parking therefore matter because a suburb-wide house median would not represent most available stock. A monthly mortgage repayment benchmark is $1,805, while weekly rent is $405, and mortgage stress reaches 31.3% of household income. With 37.3% owning outright and 19.6% carrying a mortgage, the suburb can suit downsizers and owner-occupiers, but buyers should test holding costs against broader affordability benchmarks.
For Buyers
Homebuyers need to approach Coolangatta as an apartment market rather than a conventional detached-house suburb. Apartments account for 77.3% of dwellings, compared with 13.1% separate houses, and 58.1% of homes have 2 bedrooms. Building quality, body corporate costs, outlook and parking therefore matter because a suburb-wide house median would not represent most available stock. A monthly mortgage repayment benchmark is $1,805, while weekly rent is $405, and mortgage stress reaches 31.3% of household income. With 37.3% owning outright and 19.6% carrying a mortgage, the suburb can suit downsizers and owner-occupiers, but buyers should test holding costs against broader affordability benchmarks.
For Investors
Coolangatta has a large tenant base, with 42.1% of households renting and weekly rent at $405. The 29.1% vacancy rate is a major risk compared with a tight-rental-market profile, so gross income can be interrupted even when advertised rents rise. Rent growth of 44.6% supports recent pricing momentum, but the high vacancy rate makes leasing performance more volatile than in a lower-supply market. Six development applications in the past 12 months indicate ongoing works, while overseas migration is the primary forecast growth driver and the annual trend is 1.53%. The case is stronger for investors who can tolerate vacancy and apartment-specific costs than for those relying on uninterrupted occupancy.
Development Activity
Total DAs
8
Last 12 Months
8
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 Coolangatta
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Coolangatta State School
Demographics
Coolangatta has an older, smaller-household profile: its median age is 50, which is 10 years above the national comparison, and average household size is 1.9, or 0.6 below the national average. Couples without children account for 61.7% of couple households, compared with 22.4% with children. University attainment is 33.0%, 2.9 percentage points above the national comparison, while 22.6% of residents were born overseas. English, Irish and Scottish are the leading reported ancestries at 2,743, 921 and 795 people. Christianity counts 2,905 people and no religion 2,807, making the two largest responses nearly even. This mix supports demand from older couples and smaller households more than large family households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
13.1%
Houses
7.3%
Townhouse
77.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Coolangatta's tenure and dwelling mix creates a different housing proposition from nearby low-rise suburbs. Apartments make up 77.3% of dwellings, compared with 13.1% separate houses, while 58.1% have 2 bedrooms and only 7.7% have 4 or more. Ownership is split between 37.3% owned outright, 19.6% with a mortgage and 42.1% renting, so rental and downsizer markets are both substantial. Housing costs are meaningful: rent equals 30.4% of income and mortgage costs 31.3%, with both flagged as stress levels. The lack of a suburb-wide house median means buyers should focus on comparable apartment sales, tenure, bedroom count and building costs rather than treating all dwellings as one market.
Mortgage / mo
$1,805
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Jun 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $405.
$800
Bond data Jun 2026 quarter · units $800
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$785
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
29.1%
Unoccupied
1,205
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.4% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.3% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.4%
Couples with children
61.7%
Couples, no children
14.0%
Single parent
1,633
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Coolangatta's largest listed industry at 20.5% of jobs, or 435 workers, followed by construction at 10.2% and 217, education at 10.2% and 216, hospitality at 9.9% and 210, and professional and technical work at 8.6% and 183. The occupation mix is led by professionals at 725, community and personal service at 467, managers and trades at 417 each, and clerical and administrative workers at 346. Unemployment is 5.6% with 55.3% participation, while the full-time rate is 50.0%, consistent with a service and care economy. Household income sits at the 33.4th percentile, below the national midpoint. SEIFA is mixed: education and occupation are in decile 6, economic resources in decile 2, and disadvantage and advantage are both in decile 5. That gap points to uneven household capacity rather than a uniformly affluent market.
Unemployment
5.6%
Labour Force
3,297
Unemployed
186
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
50.0%
Part-time
39.4%
Participation
55.3%
Employed
3,111
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
33.0%
Postgraduate
6.6%
Born Overseas
22.6%
Dwellings
2,928
Transport to Work
Daily life is shaped by compact, apartment-heavy housing and a strong car orientation. About 68.0% of commuters drive, compared with 10.0% who walk or cycle and 1.5% who use public transport, while 17.6% work from home. At 3,413.4 people per sq km across 1.9 sq km, local services are close in distance, but parking, traffic and building access matter more than in a low-density suburb. One named local school, Coolangatta State School, is a government school; families should confirm catchment boundaries and year-level availability against the exact address. The IRSAD score sits in decile 5, while 7.2% report needing assistance, so livability is mixed rather than uniformly advantaged. Review current local safety figures before deciding, as street-level conditions can differ.
Drive
68.0%
Public Transport
1.5%
Walk / Cycle
10.0%
Work from Home
17.6%
Population Forecast
+1.53%/yr
(+110 people/yr)
EstablishedCoolangatta's forecast annual trend is 1.53%, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 24.9% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is Mixed, so growth is not a one-direction story. The resident profile is ageing: the senior share has risen 2.6 percentage points and the young share has fallen 0.7 points. Rent growth of 44.6% adds pressure and opportunity for landlords, while affordability is labelled Improving, moving from 56.3 in 2011 to 51.6 in 2021. Gentrification signals are contradictory: the shift model calls the stage Active with a score of 45, while the separate gentrification indicator scores 10 and labels the suburb Not gentrifying. Compared with a newly transforming precinct, this reads as established growth with mixed social and housing signals.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+162
Net Internal / yr
+34
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +31% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Coolangatta compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Coolangatta a good suburb to live in?
Coolangatta can suit people who value coastal apartment living, local services and a mature resident base. Its median age is 50, apartment share 77.3% and walk or cycle share 10.0%, but 68.0% drive and vacancy is 29.1%. Check parking, noise, flood and catchment details at the exact address because building and street conditions vary.
What is the median house price in Coolangatta?
A single median house price is not available for Coolangatta. The market is dominated by apartments at 77.3%, with 58.1% of dwellings containing 2 bedrooms and only 13.1% being separate houses. Compare recent sales for the same building, bedroom count and tenure, then allow for mortgage costs benchmarked at $1,805 per month.
What schools are in Coolangatta?
Coolangatta State School is the named local school and is a government school. Coolangatta covers 1.9 sq km, but enrolment zones do not necessarily follow suburb boundaries. Confirm the exact catchment, year-level availability and transport arrangements before committing to an address, particularly if school access is a priority for a household with children.
Is Coolangatta safe?
No simple safety verdict should replace current Queensland Police figures and an inspection of the exact street. Coolangatta has 6,491 residents in 1.9 sq km, and a compact, high-density setting can feel different across locations and times. Review recent incident patterns, lighting, access and surrounding activity before renting or buying.
Is Coolangatta good for property investment?
Coolangatta may suit an investor seeking a strongly rented apartment market, but risk is elevated. Renting accounts for 42.1%, weekly rent is $405, rent growth is 44.6% and the annual forecast trend is 1.53%. The 29.1% vacancy rate can interrupt income, so assess building costs, insurance, letting demand and cash flow rather than relying on headline rent alone.
How is Coolangatta's population changing?
Coolangatta's annual growth trend is 1.53%, with overseas migration the primary driver, and population change across the wider area is 24.9% over 10 years. The trajectory is Mixed: the senior share rose 2.6 points while the young share fell 0.7. That combination suggests ongoing demand alongside an ageing profile rather than a purely family-led expansion.
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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