South Coogee

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 November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 139 people, a 2.5% rise from 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 two 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, indicating high demand for land in the area. Over the past decade, South Coogee has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.1%, outperforming the SA3 area. The population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 92.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 the 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 to the year 2041, reflecting a gain of 9.1% in total over the 17-year period, in line with the median growth rate of statistical areas across the nation.

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 12 residential properties granted approval annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 64 homes were approved, with another 6 granted so far in FY-26.

Despite population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice. New properties are constructed at an average value of $695,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment by developers. Compared to Greater Sydney, South Coogee has 16.0% less new development per person and ranks among the 36th percentile nationally, offering limited buyer choices and supporting demand for existing dwellings. This level reflects the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. New development consists of 40.0% standalone homes and 60.0% attached dwellings, appealing to downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers.

With around 527 people per dwelling approval, South Coogee shows a developed market. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 523 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

AreaSearch has identified two projects that may impact the area's performance. Key projects are Woomera Reserve Upgrade in Little Bay, Sydney Metro Eastern Suburbs Extension, Google Pacific Connect - Tabua and Honomoana Cable Landing Infrastructure, and South Coogee to Lurline Bay Coastal Walk Connection. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

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

South Coogee has a highly educated workforce with the technology sector being particularly well-represented. As of September 2025, its unemployment rate is 11.9%. Over the past year, there's been an estimated employment growth of 5.8%.

By September 2025, 2,660 residents are in work while the unemployment rate stands at 7.7%, which is above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in South Coogee lags behind Greater Sydney's, at 64.4% compared to 70.0%. A high proportion of residents, 54.8%, work from home as per Census responses, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

South Coogee shows strong specialization in public administration & safety, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, manufacturing shows lower representation at 2.7% compared to the regional average of 5.7%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 5.8% while labour force grew by 2.9%, causing a decrease in unemployment rate by 2.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.1%, labour force growth of 2.4%, with unemployment rising slightly by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that South Coogee's employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the local employment mix.

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 latest postcode level ATO data released on 2023 financial year, South Coogee SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $77,466 with average level at $124,312. This is among top percentile nationally and compares to levels of $60,817 and $83,003 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $84,329 (median) and $135,326 (average) as of September 2025. From 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in South Coogee cluster around 73rd percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals 32.8% of population (1,885 individuals) fall within $4000+ income range, contrasting with metropolitan region where $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. Suburb exhibits notable income diversity with 31.9% earning under $800 weekly while 41.0% exceed $3,000, creating mixed socioeconomic profile. High housing costs consume 16.2% of income, though strong earnings place disposable income at 72nd percentile and area's SEIFA income ranking places it in 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

South Coogee's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 38.9% houses and 61.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This contrasts with Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% 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, exceeding Sydney metro's average of $2,427. Median weekly rent in South Coogee was $207, compared to Sydney metro's $470. 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 lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 65.3% of all households, including 35.3% couples with children, 17.9% couples without children, and 11.2% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 34.7%, with lone person households at 31.2% and group households comprising 3.4%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

South Coogee's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. Among residents aged 15+, 44.9% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% in Australia and 32.2% in NSW. This high level of attainment is led by bachelor degrees 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% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (11.3%), secondary education (10.2%), and tertiary education (7.1%).

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

South Coogee has 27 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 21 different routes, offering a total of 3,308 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents usually located 125 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the dominant mode at 83%, while buses account for 9%. On average, there is one car per dwelling, lower than the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 54.8% of residents work from home, which might be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 472 trips daily across all routes, resulting in approximately 122 weekly trips per individual 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 based on AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both younger and older age groups exhibit low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 80% of the total population (4,594 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues (7.6%) and arthritis (6.9%), while 71.8% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 74.6% in Greater Sydney. Under-65 residents demonstrate better than average health outcomes. The area has 18.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,050 people), higher than the 15.3% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, broadly aligning with national rankings for the general population.

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, comprising 55.3% of the population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented, making up 6.8%, compared to the Greater Sydney average of 0.8%.

Regarding ancestry, the top three groups are English (21.3%), Australian (17.9%), and Other (12.4%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences: Russian at 2.0% (compared to 0.4% regionally), French at 1.7% (vs 0.5%), and Hungarian at 0.6% (vs 0.3%).

South Coogee's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in South Coogee is 42 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and Australia's median age of 38 years. The 55-64 age group constitutes 12.8% of the population in South Coogee, compared to a lower prevalence of the 25-34 cohort at 11.6%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 25 to 34 age group has increased from 9.5% to 11.6%, while the 15 to 24 cohort has risen from 11.9% to 13.7%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group has decreased from 15.5% to 14.1%, and the 35 to 44 group has fallen from 12.5% to 11.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in South Coogee, with the 45 to 54 age group expected to grow by 55% (447 people), reaching 1,256 from 809. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.