North Coogee
A 547% population surge over 10 years signals that North Coogee is one of Perth's fastest-maturing coastal suburbs, yet it carries the demographic fingerprint of an established, high-income enclave. Household incomes sit at the 93.1st percentile nationally, SEIFA ranks the suburb in decile 10 on both IRSD and IRSAD, and the median age of 46 is 6 years above the national figure. The housing mix splits roughly half separate houses (47.3%) and half apartments (41.9%), which explains the 11% vacancy rate: new apartment supply absorbed faster demand than tenants could fill. The resident base is well-educated, with 43% holding university qualifications, and largely car-dependent, with 88.1% commuting by car.
Population
3,741
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,566/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
5
Median House
$641K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At $641,000, the median house price sits below the Perth inner-ring average but above coastal suburban medians, reflecting the suburb's emerging rather than peak status. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,817, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.4%, below the 30% stress threshold even though household incomes are already in the top decile nationally. The stock leans 47.3% separate houses and 41.9% apartments, with 34.5% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms, a higher share than typical apartment-heavy suburbs. Outright owners (33.2%) and mortgage holders (40.8%) together account for 74% of tenures, suggesting a stable, owner-occupier community. Compared to similar coastal WA suburbs, the mortgage burden here remains manageable.
For Buyers
At $641,000, the median house price sits below the Perth inner-ring average but above coastal suburban medians, reflecting the suburb's emerging rather than peak status. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,817, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.4%, below the 30% stress threshold even though household incomes are already in the top decile nationally. The stock leans 47.3% separate houses and 41.9% apartments, with 34.5% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms, a higher share than typical apartment-heavy suburbs. Outright owners (33.2%) and mortgage holders (40.8%) together account for 74% of tenures, suggesting a stable, owner-occupier community. Compared to similar coastal WA suburbs, the mortgage burden here remains manageable.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $460 against a $641,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.7%, modest but supported by strong demand drivers: 234 net internal migrants and 86 net overseas migrants arrive each year on average. The 11% vacancy rate is elevated compared to the Perth metro average, reflecting a wave of new apartment completions that outpaced absorption. Rent growth declined 38.7% over the decade as supply caught up, so investors banking on rent escalation face headwinds in the near term. Development activity is light at 2 applications in the past 12 months, signalling the construction phase is mostly complete. The medium population forecast reaches 6,683 by 2031, up from 4,965 in 2025, which points to sustained occupier demand even if rental yields stay compressed.
Development Activity
Total DAs
5
Last 12 Months
5
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
Demographics
The median age of 46 is 6.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 14.1 points over the decade while the young-adult share fell 7.6 points. Overseas-born residents reach 36.3%, which is 14.7 percentage points above the national average, led by English (1,454 residents), Scottish (445) and Italian (423) ancestries. University qualifications at 43% run 12.9 points above the national level, consistent with the professional occupation mix. Average household size is 2.3, marginally below the national 2.5, and 41% of families are couples without children, explaining the strong apartment demand despite the older age profile. Languages spoken at home beyond English include Italian (37 speakers), Croatian (21) and Portuguese (20).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
47.3%
Houses
10.8%
Townhouse
41.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits into thirds: 33.2% own outright, 40.8% carry a mortgage and 26% rent, a higher mortgage share than most established suburbs, reflecting ongoing buyer activity in a growing area. The stock is 47.3% separate houses and 41.9% apartments, with semi-detached at 10.8%. Four-plus bedroom dwellings lead at 34.5%, followed by three-bedroom at 26.5% and two-bedroom at 26.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,817 and rent runs $460 per week. Rent-to-income at 17.9% is comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, and mortgage-to-income at 25.4% remains within sustainable bounds. The 11% vacancy rate is notably higher than the WA state norm and reflects apartment oversupply rather than weak underlying demand.
Mortgage / mo
$2,817
Rent / wk
$460
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,238
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.0%
Unoccupied
184
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.0%
Couples, no children
2,859
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 17.6% of workers (275 residents), followed by Education at 13.3% (208), Professional/Tech at 11.6% (182), Construction at 10% (156) and Public Admin at 8.8% (137). By occupation, Professionals dominate at 626 workers, followed by Managers at 446, a profile consistent with the IRSAD decile 10 and IEO decile 8 SEIFA rankings. The unemployment rate is 3.5%, below the national average, and the full-time employment rate is 68.1%. Labour force participation at 64.4% is moderate, partly because 930 residents are not in the labour force, reflecting the older-than-average population. Real income growth over the decade was negative at -13.3%, a national trend rather than a local anomaly.
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
68.1%
Part-time
28.4%
Participation
64.4%
Employed
2,036
Occupations
Top Industries
University
43.0%
Postgraduate
11.7%
Born Overseas
36.3%
Dwellings
1,481
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 88.1% of residents drive to work, versus 3% using public transport and 3.6% walking or cycling, reflecting the suburb's distance from rail infrastructure and emerging road network. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on institutions in adjacent Coogee, Port Kennedy and Munster. SEIFA scores place North Coogee in the top tier nationally: decile 10 on IRSD and IRSAD, meaning very low disadvantage and high advantage relative to all Australian suburbs. Only 5.3% of residents (190 people) need daily assistance, low for a suburb with a median age of 46. Volunteering rates at 15.4% are solid. Crime data is not available for this suburb, though the decile 10 IRSD ranking is consistent with low disadvantage areas across WA.
Drive
88.1%
Public Transport
3.0%
Walk / Cycle
3.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+5.66%/yr
(+281 people/yr)
High GrowthNorth Coogee has grown 547.2% over the past decade, one of the steepest suburban population trajectories in WA, driven primarily by internal migration averaging 234 net arrivals per year, supplemented by 86 overseas migrants annually. The current population of 4,965 (2025 estimate) is forecast to reach 6,683 by 2031 under the medium-growth scenario, adding roughly 281 residents per year. The suburb did not experience a COVID-induced dip, unlike many metro areas, because greenfield coastal development was underway throughout. The aging trajectory is pronounced: senior share is up 14.1 points and the young share down 7.6 points over the decade. Affordability improved markedly from 64.6% housing-cost ratio in 2011 to 37.2% in 2021, making the suburb more accessible than its coastal positioning would suggest.
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 North Coogee compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is North Coogee a good suburb to live in?
North Coogee ranks in decile 10 on IRSD and IRSAD, the top advantage tier nationally, with household incomes at the 93.1st percentile. University qualifications reach 43%, which is 12.9 points above the national figure. The main trade-offs are high car dependency (88.1% drive to work), no schools within the suburb boundary, and an 11% vacancy rate signalling apartment oversupply.
What is the median house price in North Coogee?
The median house price in North Coogee is approximately $641,000, estimated from 2025 rental data. Weekly rent averages $460 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,817, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.4%, which is below the standard 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in North Coogee?
No schools are recorded inside the North Coogee suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Coogee and Port Kennedy. Despite the lack of local schools, 43% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 12.9 points above the national average.
Is North Coogee safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for North Coogee in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier nationally, and only 5.3% of its 3,741 residents (190 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage, low-crime profile typical of coastal WA.
Is North Coogee good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $460 against a $641,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.7%. Net migration of 320 residents per year supports long-term demand, but the 11% vacancy rate signals current apartment oversupply. Rent growth declined 38.7% over the decade, so near-term rental income growth is limited. The medium forecast of 6,683 residents by 2031 points to improving absorption over time.
How is North Coogee's population changing?
North Coogee has grown 547.2% over 10 years, one of the fastest trajectories in WA. The current population is estimated at 4,965 (2025) and is forecast to reach 6,683 by 2031, adding roughly 281 residents per year. Internal migration averaging 234 net arrivals annually is the primary driver, supplemented by 86 overseas migrants per year.
What languages are spoken in North Coogee?
About 36.3% of residents were born overseas, 14.7 points above the national figure. English is dominant, with Italian (37 speakers), Croatian (21), Portuguese (20) and Mandarin (14) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a European-influenced heritage alongside newer arrivals.
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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