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 was around 5,743 as of May 2026, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This showed an increase of 132 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,611. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,741 in June 2025 and three additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 5,082 persons per square kilometer, placing South Coogee in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 96.0% of overall population gains during 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, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from these aggregations for the years 2032 to 2041. Based on projected demographic shifts, South Coogee is expected to grow by 448 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of approximately 7.8% in total over the 16-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 granted approximately 12 residential properties approval annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, 64 homes were approved, with another 6 approved in FY-26 so far.

The area has experienced population decline, yet housing supply remains 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. Compared to Greater Sydney, South Coogee has 15.0% less new development per person and ranks among the 36th percentile nationally, offering limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing dwellings. 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 South Coogee will gain 446 residents by 2041. Development is keeping pace with projected growth, but increasing competition among buyers is expected as the population expands.

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

The performance of an area is significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. Two projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Notable projects include Woomera Reserve Upgrade - Little Bay (Sydney), 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 likely to be 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 notably represented. As of December 2025, its unemployment rate was 11.6%. Over the past year, there was an estimated employment growth of 4.6%.

By December 2025, 2,682 residents were employed while the unemployment rate stood at 7.4%, above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%. Workforce participation in South Coogee was 63.9%, below Greater Sydney's 68.8%. According to Census responses, 54.8% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdown impacts. Dominant employment sectors included health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training.

The area showed strong specialization in public administration & safety with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level, but lower representation in manufacturing at 2.7% compared to the regional average of 5.7%. Limited local employment opportunities were indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 4.6%, labour force grew by 3.3%, leading to a 1.1 percentage point decrease in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Sydney recorded employment growth of 2.2% and labour force growth of 2.3%, with unemployment rising marginally. 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%. Over ten years, this expansion is forecast at 13.7%. Applying these projections to South Coogee's employment mix indicates a potential local employment increase of 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years.

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 2023, South Coogee SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $77,466 with an average level standing at $124,312. This places it in the top percentile nationally and compares to levels of $60,817 and $83,003 across Greater Sydney respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.32% since financial year ended June 2023, current estimates would be approximately $85,460 (median) and $137,141 (average) as of March 2026. From the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family and personal incomes in South Coogee cluster around the 73rd percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that 32.8% of the population (1,883 individuals) fall within the $4000+ income range, contrasting with the metropolitan region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 30.9%. This suburb exhibits notable income diversity with 31.9% earning under $800 weekly while 41.0% exceed $3,000, creating a mixed socioeconomic profile. High housing costs consume 16.2% of income, though strong earnings still place disposable income at the 72nd percentile and 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

Dwelling structure in South Coogee, as evaluated at the Census conducted in 2016, comprised 38.9% houses and 61.1% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Sydney metropolitan area's dwelling structure of 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Coogee was at 25.8%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (26.0%) or rented (48.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in South Coogee was $4,000 as of June 2017, which is higher than the Sydney metro average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure for South Coogee was recorded at $207 in June 2017, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, South Coogee's mortgage repayments are significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863 as of June 2017, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375 for the same period.

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

Family households constitute 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 comprise the remaining 34.7%, with lone person households at 31.2% and group households making up 3.4%. The median household size is 2.6 people, smaller than Greater Sydney's 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 has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above. As of the latest data, 44.9% of this age group in South Coogee hold university qualifications, surpassing both national (30.4%) and state (NSW) averages (32.2%). This educational advantage is evident across various qualification levels: Bachelor degrees are held by 28.7%, postgraduate qualifications by 13.3%, and graduate diplomas by 2.9%. Vocational pathways also contribute significantly to the area's educational attainment, with advanced diplomas accounting for 10.5% and certificates for 13.0%.

Educational participation is notably high in South Coogee, with 34.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.3% in primary education, 10.2% in secondary education, and 7.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows 27 active transport stops operating within South Coogee. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totalling 21 individual routes. Collectively, they facilitate 3,308 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 125 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most commuting is outward-bound. The car remains the dominant mode of transport at 83%, while bus usage stands at 9%.

Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 54.8% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 472 trips per day across all routes, equating to 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 according to AreaSearch's assessment 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 (4,588 people), compared to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions, affecting 7.6 and 6.9% of residents respectively, while 71.8% report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. The under-65 population in South Coogee demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 18.8% of residents aged 65 and over (1,077 people), higher than the 15.5% in Greater Sydney. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with 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 the vast majority of local markets, with 24.1% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 34.5% born overseas. The main religion in South Coogee was Christianity, making up 55.3% of people in South Coogee. However, Judaism was notably overrepresented, comprising 6.8% of the population compared to the Greater Sydney average of 0.8%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups were English at 21.3%, Australian at 17.9%, and Other at 12.4%. There were also notable divergences in certain ethnic groups: Russian was overrepresented at 2.0% compared to the regional average of 0.4%, French at 1.7% versus 0.5%, and Hungarian at 0.6% against 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 national average of 38 years. The age group of 55-64 years shows strong representation at 13.4%, compared to the overall percentage for Greater Sydney. Conversely, the 35-44 age group is less prevalent in South Coogee at 10.5%. According to post-2021 Census data, the population of the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 9.5% to 12.3%, while the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 11.9% to 14.3%. However, the 45 to 54 age group has declined from 15.5% to 13.4%, and the 35 to 44 age group has decreased from 12.5% to 10.5%. Population forecasts for South Coogee indicate substantial demographic changes by 2041. The 45-54 age group is expected to grow by 57%, reaching a population of 1,215 from the current 772. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age groups are forecasted to experience population declines.