Coolangatta
Few beachside markets pair a median age of 50, fully 10 years above national, with apartment stock at 77.3% of all dwellings, yet Coolangatta does both at once. Across just 1.9 km2 the population reached 7,204 in 2025 after growing 24.9% over the decade, and 42.5% of residents now rent against 37.7% who own outright. Household income sits in only the 33.4th percentile nationally, which is below the median despite Gold Coast property values, so the dominant two-bedroom apartment (58.1% of dwellings) defines an older, downsizer and tenant population rather than a family one. The recorded vacancy rate of 29.1% reflects that holiday and short-stay apartment base more than genuine oversupply of long-term homes.
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
0
Median House
$507K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $507,000 median house price keeps Coolangatta comparatively affordable for a beachfront suburb, well below typical Gold Coast detached values, but the catch is supply. Only 13.1% of dwellings are separate houses while apartments make up 77.3%, so a buyer chasing a true house competes for scarce stock and most purchases are two-bedroom units, which are 58.1% of all dwellings. Three-bedroom homes account for 21.0% and 4-plus bedroom homes just 7.7%. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,805 look modest, yet the mortgage-to-income ratio runs at 31.3%, above the 30% stress threshold, because household income sits in the 33.4th percentile. Outright owners at 37.7% outnumber the 19.8% carrying a mortgage, a sign that much of the stock is held by debt-free retirees rather than recent purchasers.
For Buyers
The $507,000 median house price keeps Coolangatta comparatively affordable for a beachfront suburb, well below typical Gold Coast detached values, but the catch is supply. Only 13.1% of dwellings are separate houses while apartments make up 77.3%, so a buyer chasing a true house competes for scarce stock and most purchases are two-bedroom units, which are 58.1% of all dwellings. Three-bedroom homes account for 21.0% and 4-plus bedroom homes just 7.7%. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,805 look modest, yet the mortgage-to-income ratio runs at 31.3%, above the 30% stress threshold, because household income sits in the 33.4th percentile. Outright owners at 37.7% outnumber the 19.8% carrying a mortgage, a sign that much of the stock is held by debt-free retirees rather than recent purchasers.
For Investors
A 42.5% renter share and weekly rent of $405 give landlords a large tenant pool, and rent has grown 44.6% over the period, a strong driver for income returns. Against the $507,000 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 4.2%, healthier than premium metro markets. The headline 29.1% vacancy rate looks alarming but reflects a holiday and short-stay apartment base in a 77.3% apartment suburb rather than a glut of empty long-term homes. Demand support is real: overseas migration adds 162 residents a year as the primary driver, with a further 34 from net internal migration. With no development applications recorded in the past 12 months, new supply is constrained, which protects existing landlords. The case rests on yield and rent escalation more than the thin price growth typical of an established beachside market.
Schools in Coolangatta iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
The Village School Gold Coast
Prep-6 · 88 students
Coolangatta State School
Prep-6 · 285 students
Demographics
The median age of 50 is 10.0 years above the national figure, the clearest marker of Coolangatta's older, downsizer profile, and the senior share rose 2.6 points over the decade while the young share slipped 0.7 points. Couples without children make up 52.4% of the 3,827 families, far higher than couples with children at 896, which explains an average household size of 1.9, fully 0.6 below national. Overseas-born residents reach 22.6%, just 1.0 point above national, and ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (2,743), Irish (921) and Scottish (795). Portuguese (84 speakers) is the most common non-English language, a small share reflecting limited migrant diversity. University qualifications at 33.0% run 2.9 points above national, modestly higher than the country as a whole.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
13.1%
Houses
7.3%
Townhouse
77.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward renting and outright ownership rather than mortgages: 42.5% rent, 37.7% own outright and only 19.8% carry a mortgage. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders nearly two to one points to long-held, debt-free retirement wealth instead of a churn of new buyers. The stock is overwhelmingly apartments at 77.3%, with separate houses at just 13.1% and semi-detached at 7.3%, which keeps detached-house prices elevated through scarcity even as the unit median holds at $507,000. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 58.1% and three-bedroom at 21.0%, while 4-plus bedroom family homes are only 7.7%. Both stress flags trip here: mortgage-to-income at 31.3% and rent-to-income at 30.4% sit above the 30% threshold, because household income is only in the 33.4th percentile against coastal price levels.
Mortgage / mo
$1,805
Rent / wk
$405
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
52.4%
Couples, no children
3,827
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service sectors that suit a tourism and retirement economy: Healthcare leads at 20.5% (435 workers), well above any other industry, followed by Construction and Education tied at 10.2% each and Hospitality at 9.9%, with Professional/Tech at 8.6%. By occupation, Professionals (725) and Community/Personal workers (467) top the list, the latter unusually high because aged-care and hospitality demand local labour. Unemployment runs at 6.3%, above the national average, and the full-time rate is only 55.9%, while participation reads just 49.8% because 2,169 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the median age of 50. SEIFA places the suburb mid-pack: decile 5 on both IRSD and IRSAD, decile 6 for education and occupation, but only decile 2 on economic resources, a gap driven by the 42.5% renter base depressing aggregate household wealth.
Unemployment
3.2%
Labour Force
4,032
Unemployed
131
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.9%
Part-time
37.8%
Participation
49.8%
Employed
2,782
Occupations
Top Industries
University
33.0%
Postgraduate
6.6%
Born Overseas
22.6%
Dwellings
2,928
Transport to Work
Coolangatta is a car-dependent beachside pocket: 82.5% drive to work while only 1.8% use public transport, below typical metro figures, and 12.1% walk or cycle, helped by the compact 1.9 km2 footprint and beachfront layout. The suburb scores decile 5 on IRSAD, mid-range for relative advantage nationally, and 7.2% of residents (434 people) need daily assistance, a higher share than younger suburbs because the median age of 50 skews older. Volunteering runs at 13.4%. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Bilinga, Tweed Heads and Kirra, a practical trade-off for a suburb where couples without children are 52.4% of families and detached family homes only 7.7% of dwellings.
Drive
82.5%
Public Transport
1.8%
Walk / Cycle
12.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.53%/yr
(+110 people/yr)
EstablishedCoolangatta is growing steadily rather than booming: annual population growth registers 1.53%, about 110 residents a year, and the population rose 24.9% over the decade to 7,204 in 2025. Medium forecasts continue that trend, lifting the population to roughly 7,756 by 2031. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 162 residents a year, with net internal migration adding a further 34, so external arrivals rather than local births power the increase. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying despite a 31% population rise since 2011, because incomes remain in the 33.4th percentile and the resident base keeps aging. Affordability improved from 56.3% in 2011 to 51.6% in 2021, a positive trend, yet rent growth of 44.6% over the period shows tenants absorbed much of the demand pressure.
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 suits downsizers and renters more than families: the median age is 50, fully 10 years above national, and apartments are 77.3% of dwellings. It scores decile 5 on IRSAD, mid-range nationally, with an affordable $507,000 median house price for a beachfront location, though household income sits in only the 33.4th percentile.
What is the median house price in Coolangatta?
The median house price is $507,000, comparatively affordable for a Gold Coast beachfront suburb. Weekly rent averages $405 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,805, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 31.3%, just above the 30% stress threshold given local incomes.
What schools are in Coolangatta?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.9 km2 Coolangatta boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base skews older with a median age of 50, and couples without children make up 52.4% of the 3,827 families, so family demand is comparatively low.
Is Coolangatta safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Coolangatta in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, mid-range nationally, and 7.2% of its residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a settled, older coastal community.
Is Coolangatta good for property investment?
Rent of $405 a week against a $507,000 median gives a gross yield near 4.2%, stronger than premium metro markets, and rent grew 44.6% over the period. The 42.5% renter share gives a deep tenant pool, while overseas migration of 162 residents a year supports ongoing demand.
How is Coolangatta's population changing?
Population growth runs at 1.53% annually, about 110 residents a year, and rose 24.9% over the decade to 7,204 in 2025. Overseas migration drives the increase at 162 residents a year, while the profile keeps aging, with the senior share up 2.6 points over the decade.
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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