Cootamundra

Cootamundra is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Cootamundra's population is 7,727 as of May 2026. This is an increase from the 2021 Census figure of 7,705 people, reflecting a growth of 22 individuals (0.3%). The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 7,727 in June 2025 and the addition of 44 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 4.7 persons per square kilometer. Cootamundra's growth rate of 0.3% since the census is within 1.9 percentage points of the SA4 region's growth rate of 2.2%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth in recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Future demographic trends suggest lower quartile growth for regional areas nationwide, with Cootamundra expected to expand by 259 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 3.4% over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Cootamundra, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Cootamundra has seen approximately 21 new homes approved annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25109 homes were approved, with an additional 11 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, 0.2 people per year have moved to the area for each dwelling built over these five financial years.

This suggests that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings in Cootamundra is $293,000. In FY-26, $7.0 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating the area's primarily residential nature. Compared to Rest of NSW, Cootamundra shows approximately 57% of the construction activity per person.

Nationally, it places among the 18th percentile of areas assessed, suggesting more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing dwellings. This is below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and possibly indicating planning constraints. New development in Cootamundra consists of 93.0% detached dwellings and 7.0% attached dwellings, maintaining its traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The estimated count of 815 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment. Looking ahead, Cootamundra is expected to grow by 259 residents through to 2041, according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Cootamundra has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

AreaSearch has identified three projects that could impact the area: The Wired Lab - The Church (Muttama Cultural Tourism Project), Inland Rail from Illabo to Stockinbingal, and the Smart Water Meter Replacement Program. Additionally, the Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council Single Local Environmental Plan Development is underway.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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The employment landscape in Cootamundra presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 3.3%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing

Cootamundra has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs, prominent essential services sectors, and an unemployment rate of 3.3% as of December 2025. The area had 2,926 residents employed, with an unemployment rate 0.6% lower than Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation was at 46.5%, significantly below Regional NSW's 60.5%.

Census responses showed that only 10.3% of residents worked from home. Leading employment industries were health care & social assistance, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and retail trade. Agriculture, forestry & fishing had particularly high concentration with employment levels at 2.5 times the regional average. Accommodation & food services had limited presence with 5.1% employment compared to 7.8% regionally.

The area may offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparison of working population and resident population. In the 12-month period ending Dec-25, labour force decreased by 3.1% and employment declined by 3.0%, keeping unemployment relatively stable. This contrasted with Regional NSW where employment fell by 1.2%, labour force contracted by 0.8%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that over five years, national employment is projected to expand by 6.6% and by 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Cootamundra's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.7% over ten years, although this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Cootamundra SA2 has lower income compared to the national average. The median income is $48,048 and the average income stands at $58,797. This contrasts with Regional NSW's figures of a median income of $52,390 and an average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $53,007 (median) and $64,865 (average) as of March 2026. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes in Cootamundra all fall between the 5th and 10th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows that the largest segment comprises 29.6% earning $400 - $799 weekly (2,287 residents), differing from the region where the $1,500 - $2,999 category predominates at 29.9%. While housing costs are modest with 88.8% of income retained, the total disposable income ranks at just the 10th percentile nationally.

Cootamundra is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Cootamundra, as per the latest Census evaluation, 92.4% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 7.6% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Regional NSW's figures of 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cootamundra stood at 50.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.9% and rented ones at 23.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,111, lower than Regional NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in Cootamundra was recorded as $219, compared to Regional NSW's $330. Nationally, Cootamundra's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,111 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Cootamundra features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 65.9% of all households, including 20.4% couples with children, 34.7% couples without children, and 10.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 34.1%, with lone person households at 32.3% and group households comprising 1.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

Cootamundra faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 13.4%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 10.4% and certificates at 30.5%. Educational participation is high, with 25.0% currently enrolled in formal education: 10.0% in primary, 8.1% in secondary, and 1.5% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 8.1% in secondary education, and 1.5% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Cootamundra has 274 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are covered by 39 routes that facilitate 925 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 187 meters, indicating excellent accessibility. In this predominantly residential area, most commutes are outward-bound. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 91%, with walking accounting for 6%. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, only 10.3% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Daily service frequency averages 132 trips across all routes, translating to roughly three weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Health performance in Cootamundra is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data indicates significant health challenges in Cootamundra. AreaSearch's assessment found notable prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover was found to be low at approximately 48% of the total population (around 3,739 people), compared to 51.9% in Regional NSW and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions were arthritis (affecting 12.9% of residents) and mental health issues (9.4%). Conversely, 56.5% of residents reported being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% in Regional NSW. The working-age population faces significant health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. The area has a higher proportion of seniors, with 33.8% of residents aged 65 and over (2,608 people), compared to 23.4% in Regional NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The latest Census data sees Cootamundra placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Cootamundra's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 91.5% of its population being citizens, 92.6% born in Australia, and 97.4% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Cootamundra is Christianity, accounting for 69.0% of the population, compared to 55.9% across Regional NSW. Regarding ancestry, the top three groups are English (33.5%), Australian (32.9%), and Irish (10.7%).

Notably, certain ethnic groups have different representations: Australian Aboriginal is higher at 4.9% in Cootamundra compared to 4.6% regionally, Scottish is slightly lower at 7.6% versus 8.0%, and German is almost identical at 3.2%.

Cootamundra ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Cootamundra's median age at 51 years is significantly higher than the Regional NSW average of 43 and considerably older than the Australian median of 38. The 65-74 cohort is notably over-represented in Cootamundra, making up 16.9% of the local population compared to the Regional NSW average. Meanwhile, the 35-44 age group is under-represented at 7.6%. This concentration of the 65-74 cohort is well above the national average of 9.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group grew from 10.5% to 12.2%, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 9.2% to 10.4%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort declined from 14.9% to 13.6%, and the 35 to 44 group dropped from 8.9% to 7.6%. By 2041, Cootamundra is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 85+ group is projected to grow by 45%, reaching 522 people from the current 360. This growth will be led by the demographic shift of the aging population, with those aged 65 and above comprising 54% of the projected growth. Conversely, both the 0 to 4 and 65 to 74 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.