Cootamundra
A median age of 51, fully 11.0 years above the national figure, sets the tone for this Riverina town, and almost everything else follows from it. Household income sits in the 14.3rd percentile nationally, well below average, and the suburb scores decile 2 on both IRSAD and IEO, the lower advantage tiers. Housing is overwhelmingly detached at 91.6% of dwellings, with apartments a rounding error at 0.6%, spread across an unusually large 888.4 km2 at just 7.7 residents per km2. The median house price of $430,000 is a fraction of metropolitan Sydney, and a 10.5% rental vacancy rate points to softer demand than the coast. University qualifications reach only 17.0%, which is 13.1 points below national.
Population
6,885
Median Age
51.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,037/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
59
Median House
$430K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
At a $430,000 median house price, Cootamundra is far below metropolitan markets, and that affordability is reinforced by the income data: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,149, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold even though household income sits in the 14.3rd percentile. Buyers get space rather than scarcity, because 91.6% of dwellings are separate houses and three-bedroom homes make up 47.0% of stock with four-plus bedrooms at 32.5%. Prices have firmed, rising from $389,000 in 2024 to $460,000 in 2025, an 18.3% lift over the year. Outright owners dominate at 49.8% of households against 25.7% with a mortgage, a sign the market is held by long-settled, debt-free owners rather than recent leveraged entrants.
For Buyers
At a $430,000 median house price, Cootamundra is far below metropolitan markets, and that affordability is reinforced by the income data: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,149, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6%, comfortably under the 30% stress threshold even though household income sits in the 14.3rd percentile. Buyers get space rather than scarcity, because 91.6% of dwellings are separate houses and three-bedroom homes make up 47.0% of stock with four-plus bedrooms at 32.5%. Prices have firmed, rising from $389,000 in 2024 to $460,000 in 2025, an 18.3% lift over the year. Outright owners dominate at 49.8% of households against 25.7% with a mortgage, a sign the market is held by long-settled, debt-free owners rather than recent leveraged entrants.
For Investors
A 24.5% renter share and weekly rent of $220 give landlords a modest tenant base, and the affordability cuts both ways. Against the $430,000 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 2.7%, higher than premium city suburbs because purchase prices are so low. The headline risk is a 10.5% vacancy rate, which is elevated and signals that supply outpaces tenant demand in a thin market. Demand drivers are flat: forecast net overseas migration adds about 35 residents a year while internal migration removes around 5, leaving balanced but minimal growth. Development is steady at 59 applications in 12 months, mostly single dwellings and alterations rather than rental supply. Rent has grown 37.7% over the period, so the investment case leans on yield and rent escalation more than capital growth, which has been slow.
Development Activity
Total DAs
485
Last 12 Months
59
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-19.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Cootamundra iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Sacred Heart Central School
K-10 · 376 students
Cootamundra Public School
K-6 · 214 students
Cootamundra High School
7-12 · 203 students
E A Southee Public School
K-6 · 74 students
Demographics
The median age of 51 runs 11.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is firmly aging: the senior share rose 8.0 points while the working-age share fell 4.9 points and the young share slipped 2.2 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents are just 7.5%, which is 14.1 points below national, making this a strongly Anglo-leaning population. Ancestry confirms it, led by English (3,062), Irish (966) and Scottish (673), with German (290) a smaller fifth. University qualifications at 17.0% sit 13.1 points below national, consistent with a town economy built on trades, care and farming rather than professional services. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, and couples without children account for 38.9% of families, more than couples with children at 1,735, a profile typical of an older settled community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.6%
Houses
7.1%
Townhouse
0.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward ownership: 49.8% own outright, 25.7% carry a mortgage and 24.5% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders by nearly two to one points to long-held, debt-free housing rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is almost entirely detached at 91.6%, with semi-detached at 7.1% and apartments at 0.6%, so buyers choose between family houses rather than unit types. Three-bedroom homes lead at 47.0% and four-plus bedrooms at 32.5%, while two-bedroom dwellings are 17.6%. The median house price rose from $389,000 in 2024 to $460,000 in 2025, an 18.3% one-year move off a low base. Both stress measures stay comfortable, with mortgage-to-income at 25.6% and rent-to-income at 21.2%, a direct result of housing prices that remain affordable relative even to below-average local incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,149
Rent / wk
$220
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$587
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.5%
Unoccupied
335
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
38.9%
Couples, no children
5,061
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in essential services rather than knowledge sectors: Healthcare leads at 19.8% (312 workers), Education follows at 11.7% (184) and Agriculture at 9.0% (141), with Construction at 8.5% and Retail at 8.0%. By occupation, Professionals (383), Community and Personal Service workers (369) and Labourers (342) form the core, which fits the care and farming base. Unemployment is low at 4.9% and the full-time employment rate is 63.5%. Participation reads just 42.8%, far below what a working town would suggest, because the aging profile leaves 2,749 residents not in the labour force. The SEIFA pattern is consistently low, with IEO at decile 2, IRSAD at decile 2, IRSD at decile 3 and IER at decile 3, indicating relative disadvantage across education, occupation and economic resources alike.
Unemployment
3.3%
Labour Force
3,027
Unemployed
101
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.5%
Part-time
31.6%
Participation
42.8%
Employed
2,338
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.0%
Postgraduate
2.7%
Born Overseas
7.5%
Dwellings
2,847
Transport to Work
Daily life here is car-centred: 85.3% of residents drive to work while only 1.3% use public transport and 6.8% walk or cycle, well above the car reliance of denser metro suburbs and a function of the spread-out 888.4 km2 footprint. Volunteering is strong at 22.2%, a hallmark of small regional towns where community institutions lean on residents. The flip side of the aging profile shows in support needs: 9.9% of residents, some 639 people, require daily assistance, higher than younger areas. The SEIFA disadvantage scores, IRSAD at decile 2 and IRSD at decile 3, indicate fewer resources than the national average, though affordability cushions this, with rent at $220 a week and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6% keeping housing costs manageable for most households.
Drive
85.3%
Public Transport
1.3%
Walk / Cycle
6.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.04%/yr
(+3 people/yr)
EstablishedCootamundra is effectively static: annual population growth registers just 0.04%, about 3 people a year, and the 10-year change is only 3.4%, classifying it as an established, slow-growth town. Medium forecasts hold the population near 7,741 by 2031, barely above the 7,727 recorded in 2025, so no meaningful expansion is expected. The only positive driver is net overseas migration of about 35 a year, partly offset by net internal outflow of around 5, leaving a balanced but flat trajectory. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying with a score of 18, and affordability has stayed stable, easing only marginally from 37.3% in 2011 to 37.0% in 2021. Real incomes grew 13.0% over the decade, modest growth that mirrors the town's steady, aging character rather than any boom.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+35
Net Internal / yr
-5
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cootamundra compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cootamundra a good suburb to live in?
Cootamundra suits buyers wanting affordability and space, with a $430,000 median house price and 91.6% detached homes. The trade-offs are below-average incomes, with household income in the 14.3rd percentile, and SEIFA scores of decile 2 on IRSAD, indicating relative disadvantage. Volunteering is strong at 22.2%.
What is the median house price in Cootamundra?
The median house price is $430,000, well below metropolitan markets. Prices rose 18.3% from $389,000 in 2024 to $460,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $220 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,149, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.6%, below the stress threshold.
What schools are in Cootamundra?
No schools are recorded inside the 888.4 km2 Cootamundra boundary in this dataset, so families may rely on local institutions captured elsewhere. The resident base skews older, with a median age of 51 and university qualifications at 17.0%, which is 13.1 points below the national figure.
Is Cootamundra safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Cootamundra in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 3 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and has a strong volunteering rate of 22.2%, both consistent with a settled regional town rather than a high-turnover area.
Is Cootamundra good for property investment?
Rent of $220 a week against a $430,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.7%, higher than premium city suburbs. The risk is a 10.5% vacancy rate and flat demand, with population growth of just 0.04% a year, so returns depend on yield and 37.7% rent growth rather than capital gains.
How is Cootamundra's population changing?
Population growth is just 0.04% annually, about 3 people a year, with a 3.4% rise over 10 years. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 8.0 points and the working-age share down 4.9 points over the decade, and forecasts hold the population near 7,741 by 2031.
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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