South Coogee
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in South Coogee reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

South Coogee's population is approximately 5,750 as of August 2025. This represents an increase of 139 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,611. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,750 in June 2024 and three additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 5,088 persons per square kilometer, placing South Coogee in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, South Coogee has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.1%, outperforming the SA3 area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 92.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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 uses 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 years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, South Coogee is expected to grow by approximately 523 persons by 2041, representing a gain of about 9.1% over the 17-year period.

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

South Coogee has recorded approximately 18 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, showing 94 homes over the past five financial years from FY20 to FY25, with one recorded so far in FY26. The area's population decline has seen adequate development activity relative to its size, maintaining a balanced housing supply and demand market with good buyer choice.

New dwellings are developed at an average construction cost of $1,095,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Compared to Greater Sydney, South Coogee shows 12.0% lower construction activity per person, placing it among the 36th percentile nationally, suggesting more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes. Recent construction comprises 40.0% standalone homes and 60.0% townhouses or apartments, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. South Coogee has approximately 527 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its established nature. It is expected to grow by 523 residents through to 2041, with current development well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Looking ahead, South Coogee is expected to grow by 523 residents through to 2041. Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

South Coogee has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Two projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area significantly: Woomera Reserve Upgrade - Little Bay and Google Pacific Connect - Tabua and Honomoana Cable Landing Infrastructure. Another notable project is the South Coogee to Lurline Bay Coastal Walk Connection, while the Sydney Children's Hospital Stage 1 & Minderoo Children's Comprehensive Cancer Centre are also underway.

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

The labour market performance in South Coogee lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

South Coogee has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 11.2% as of June 2025.

Employment growth over the past year is estimated at 6.7%. As of June 2025, 2,736 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 7.0%, above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in South Coogee is 55.7%, lower than Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training sectors.

Public administration & safety has notable concentration with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, manufacturing shows lower representation at 2.7% compared to the regional average of 5.7%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over the 12 months to June 2025, employment increased by 6.7%, while labour force increased by 2.5%, reducing the unemployment rate by 3.5 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Sydney saw employment grow by 2.6%, labour force expand by 2.9%, and unemployment rise by 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, but lags behind the national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to South Coogee's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2022, South Coogee had a median income among taxpayers of $77,979. The average income stood at $130,664. This places South Coogee in the top percentile nationally. In comparison, Greater Sydney's median and average incomes were $56,994 and $80,856 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% from financial year ended June 2022 to March 2025, current estimates for South Coogee would be approximately $86,245 (median) and $144,514 (average). The 2021 Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in South Coogee cluster around the 73rd percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that 32.8% of individuals earn more than $4,000 annually, contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket is dominant at 30.9%. Income distribution demonstrates polarization: 31.9% in lower brackets (<$800/week) and 41.0% in higher brackets (>$3,000/week). High housing costs consume 16.2% of income. Despite this, strong earnings place disposable income at the 73rd percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

South Coogee features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The latest Census evaluated dwelling structures in South Coogee as 38.9% houses and 61.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 26.9% houses and 73.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Coogee stood at 25.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.0% and rented ones at 48.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $4,000, above Sydney metro's average of $3,033. Median weekly rent in South Coogee was $207, compared to Sydney metro's $550. Nationally, South Coogee's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

South Coogee features high concentrations of lone person households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 65.3 percent of all households, including couples with children at 35.3 percent, couples without children at 17.9 percent, and single parent families at 11.2 percent. Non-family households constitute the remaining 34.7 percent, with lone person households making up 31.2 percent and group households comprising 3.4 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.4.

South Coogee shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in South Coogee is higher than national and state averages. 44.9% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 32.2% in NSW. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 28.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Vocational pathways account for 23.5% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.5% and certificates at 13.0%.

Educational participation is high, with 34.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.3% in primary, 10.2% in secondary, and 7.1% in tertiary education. South Coogee Public School serves the local community, with an enrollment of 409 students as of a recent report. The school focuses exclusively on primary education, with ICSEA score of 1087, indicating above-average socio-educational conditions. Secondary options are available in surrounding areas. As of the latest data, there are 7.1 school places per 100 residents in South Coogee, lower than the regional average of 11.1, suggesting some students may attend schools outside the area.

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

The analysis shows 26 active public transport stops in South Coogee. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with 21 individual routes providing service. Together, they facilitate 2,126 weekly passenger trips.

Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, located on average 125 meters from the nearest stop. The service frequency averages 303 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 81 weekly trips per stop.

The level of general health in South Coogee is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

South Coogee shows superior health outcomes for both young and elderly populations, with low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 81% of its total population of 4,669 has private health cover, significantly higher than Greater Sydney's 70.6%, and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues affecting 7.6% and arthritis impacting 6.9% of residents.

Notably, 71.8% report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Sydney's 76.0%. As of 2021, the area has 18.3% (1,050 people) aged 65 and above, higher than Greater Sydney's 15.1%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are above average, generally aligning with the overall population's health profile.

South Coogee was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

South Coogee was found to be more culturally diverse than most local markets, with 24.1% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 34.5% born overseas. The dominant religion in South Coogee is Christianity, making up 55.3% of the population. However, Judaism is notably overrepresented at 6.8%, compared to 4.4% across Greater Sydney.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (21.3%), Australian (17.9%), and Other (12.4%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: Russian is overrepresented at 2.0% in South Coogee compared to 1.1% regionally, French at 1.7% vs 1.5%, and South African at 1.5% vs 0.9%.

South Coogee hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in South Coogee is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's average of 38 years. The age group of 55-64 shows strong representation at 12.8% compared to Greater Sydney, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 11.6%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 9.5% to 11.6%, and the 15 to 24 cohort has increased from 11.9% to 13.7%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 15.5% to 14.1%, and the 35 to 44 group has dropped from 12.5% to 11.2%. Population forecasts for the year 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in South Coogee, with the 45 to 54 age group expected to grow by 55%, reaching 1,256 people from 809. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.