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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
Sales Activity
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Population
Coober Pedy has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch
As of May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Coober Pedy is around 1,526 people. This reflects a decrease from the 2021 Census figure of 1,566 people, indicating a drop of 40 individuals (approximately 2.6%). AreaSearch's estimation, following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025 and address validation since the Census date, suggests this resident population level equates to a density ratio of 1.9 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration was primarily responsible for population growth in recent periods. AreaSearch employs projections from ABS/Geoscience Australia for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022.
For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods. Projections indicate no overall population growth until 2041, with an expected increase of 64 people in the 85 and over age group specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential dwelling approval activity has been practically non-existent in Coober Pedy
Coober Pedy had less than 1 dwelling approval annually over the past five years, with a total of 2 dwellings approved during this period. This low development activity reflects its rural nature, where housing needs drive development rather than broad market demand. The small number of approvals can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics.
Coober Pedy's development levels are substantially lower than those of the Rest of SA and below national averages. Population projections indicate stability or decline in Coober Pedy, suggesting reduced housing demand pressures which may benefit potential buyers.
With population projections showing stability or decline, Coober Pedy should see reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Coober Pedy
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
Coober Pedy has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 8thth percentile nationally
No infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified zero relevant projects in total. Notable initiatives include Gawler Craton Rail Access, Bulk Water Supply Security, Northern Water Supply Project, and Enabling Infrastructure for Hydrogen Production.
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INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Enabling Digital Health Services for Regional and Remote Australia
A national digital infrastructure program under the Digital Health Blueprint 2023-2033 designed to provide equitable healthcare access for regional and remote Australians. The initiative is currently rolling out the 'Share by Default' legislative framework, which mandates the uploading of pathology and diagnostic imaging reports to My Health Record starting July 2026. Current 2026 milestones include the launch of the Digital Health Implementer Hub to accelerate software conformance and the implementation of the National Allied Health Digital Uplift Plan to integrate allied health practitioners into the national digital ecosystem.
Enabling Infrastructure for Hydrogen Production
A national program to coordinate and deploy the enabling infrastructure required to support large-scale renewable hydrogen production across Australia. Building on the 2024 National Hydrogen Strategy and the National Hydrogen Infrastructure Assessment (NHIA), the program aligns electricity transmission, water supply, transport corridors, port and storage infrastructure with Renewable Energy Zones and prospective hydrogen hubs (Bell Bay, Darwin, Eyre Peninsula, Gladstone, Latrobe Valley, Hunter Valley, Pilbara). Two key federal mechanisms underpin delivery. The Hydrogen Headstart program provides up to 4 billion AUD in long-term revenue support via production credits, with Round 2 (2 billion AUD administered by ARENA) opening for Expressions of Interest in October 2025 with EOIs closing 8 December 2025. The Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive (HPTI), legislated through the Future Made in Australia (Production Tax Credits and Other Measures) Act 2025 which received Royal Assent on 14 February 2025, provides an uncapped refundable tax offset of 2 AUD per kilogram of eligible renewable hydrogen for up to 10 years between 1 July 2027 and 30 June 2040 for projects reaching final investment decision by 2030. The HPTI is jointly administered by the ATO and Clean Energy Regulator and requires certification under the Guarantee of Origin scheme. Round 1 of Hydrogen Headstart shortlisted six projects representing more than 3.5 GW of electrolyser capacity, with 814 million AUD ultimately awarded.
SA Water Capital Work Delivery Contracts 2024-28
SA Water's record $3.3 billion capital delivery program for the 2024-28 regulatory period, covering water and wastewater infrastructure across South Australia. The program targets water main replacements, sewerage network upgrades, dam upgrades, water tank refurbishments, and treatment process upgrades across metropolitan and regional areas. A central $1.5 billion component supports the South Australian Premier's Housing Roadmap, expanding network capacity to unlock up to 40,000 new allotments, with major focus on Adelaide's northern growth corridors including Angle Vale, Riverlea, and Roseworthy. Six major framework partners (Fulton Hogan Utilities, John Holland and Guidera O'Connor JV, McConnell Dowell and Diona JV, BMD, Diona, and Leed Engineering and Construction) are delivering works across approximately 120 projects. In Year 1 (to June 2025), $681.6 million in capital was invested. The program runs to June 2028.
Bulk Water Supply Security
Nationwide program led by the National Water Grid Authority to improve bulk water security and reliability for non-potable and productive uses. Activities include strategic planning, science and business cases, and funding of state and territory projects such as storages, pipelines, dam upgrades, recycled water and efficiency upgrades to build drought resilience and support regional communities, industry and the environment.
National EV Charging Network (Highway Fast Charging)
Partnership between the Australian Government and NRMA to deliver a backbone EV fast charging network on national highways. Program funds and co-funds 117 DC fast charging sites at roughly 150 km intervals to connect all capital cities and regional routes, reducing range anxiety and supporting EV uptake.
SA Housing Trust Maintenance Contracts Review and Service Program
Statewide maintenance and service contracts for SA Housing Trust public housing properties, covering reactive maintenance, vacancy restoration and minor works across metropolitan and regional South Australia. The program is delivered by Spotless Facility Services, RTC Facilities Maintenance and Torrens Facility Management. A 2024 SA Government review examined payment, timeliness, dispute resolution and contract performance issues, and the government provided additional funding to accelerate maintenance and upgrades on vacant public housing homes.
Network Optimisation Program - Roads
A national program concept focused on improving congestion and reliability on urban road networks by using low-cost operational measures and technology (e.g., signal timing, intersection treatments, incident management) to optimise existing capacity across major city corridors.
Gawler Craton Rail Access
The proposal is for a third party to build, own, and operate a 350 km railway in the Gawler Craton province, linking to the existing interstate rail network. It aims to provide significant transport connections to mines such as Prominent Hill, Olympic Dam, and Carrapateena, and open up other potential reserves including Wirrda Well, Acropolis, Vulcan, Titan, and Millers Creek. The project could facilitate exploration and development in the remote mineral region, which contains extensive copper, gold, silver, and iron ore deposits.
Employment
Employment conditions in Coober Pedy face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally
Coober Pedy has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate is 21.8%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, there are 579 residents in work while the unemployment rate stands at 16.0% above Regional SA's rate of 5.7%.
Workforce participation is lower than standard, at 54.6% compared to Regional SA's 58.3%. According to Census responses, only 5.7% of residents work from home. Key industries of employment among residents are accommodation & food, health care & social assistance, and retail trade. Coober Pedy shows strong specialization in accommodation & food with an employment share 2.8 times the regional level.
However, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented at 0.0% compared to Regional SA's 14.5%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as seen by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force increased by 1.5%, while employment decreased by 10.8%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 10.8 percentage points. In comparison, Regional SA saw employment grow by 0.7% and unemployment rise by 2.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that while national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Coober Pedy's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis
According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2023, Coober Pedy had a median income among taxpayers of $45,028 with an average level of $53,629. This is below the national averages of $51,759 (median) and $65,452 (average). In Regional SA, these figures stood at $48,920 (median) and $58,933 (average) respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.17% from financial year ended June 2023 to March 2026, estimated incomes for Coober Pedy would be approximately $49,607 (median) and $59,083 (average). Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Coober Pedy all fall between the 0th and 3rd percentiles nationally. Income distribution data indicates that 34.9% of residents (532 people) earn within the $400 - $799 weekly bracket, differing from metropolitan regions where 27.5% earn within the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket. The concentration of 52.7% in sub-$800 weekly brackets highlights economic challenges faced by a significant portion of Coober Pedy's community. Despite modest housing costs allowing for 89.1% income retention, total disposable income ranks at just the 3rd percentile nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
Coober Pedy is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
In Coober Pedy, as per the latest Census evaluation, dwelling structures comprised 88.6% houses and 11.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Regional SA's 88.5% houses and 11.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Coober Pedy was at 47.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 15.6% and rented ones at 37.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $630, below Regional SA's average of $1,153. Median weekly rent was recorded at $163, compared to Regional SA's $220. Nationally, Coober Pedy's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
Coober Pedy features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size
Family households constitute 42.3% of all households, including 12.7% couples with children, 20.4% couples without children, and 7.7% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 57.7%, with lone person households at 53.3% and group households making up 3.7%. The median household size is 1.8 people, which is smaller than the Regional SA average of 2.3.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Coober Pedy faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally
The area's university qualification rate is 19.2%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 13.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 10.7% and certificates at 30.3%. Educational participation is high, with 32.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.
This includes 10.5% in primary education, 9.6% in secondary education, and 3.3% pursuing tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
No public transport data available for this catchment area.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in Coober Pedy is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts
Coober Pedy faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.
The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 48% of the total population (736 people), compared to the national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and diabetes, impacting 9.5% and 6.9% of residents respectively. However, 64.5% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 62.5% across Regional SA. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. As of the latest data (2021), Coober Pedy has 30.9% of residents aged 65 and over (471 people), which is higher than the 27.1% in Regional SA. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
Coober Pedy 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
Coober Pedy's population shows high cultural diversity, with 33.3% born overseas and 27.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 51.2%. Buddhism is notably higher than the regional average, comprising 6.4% of Coober Pedy's population compared to Regional SA's 0.6%.
Ancestry-wise, Australian (20.3%), English (19.4%), and Australian Aboriginal (12.0%) are the top groups. Notably, Croatian (3.2%), Serbian (2.0%), and Hungarian (0.9%) ethnicities are overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.3%, 0.1%, and 0.1% respectively.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
Coober Pedy ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide
The median age in Coober Pedy is 50 years, which is slightly higher than Regional SA's average of 47 and significantly older than the national norm of 38. The age group of 25-34 is notably overrepresented at 13.0% locally compared to Regional SA's average, while the 5-14 year-olds are underrepresented at 5.8%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 15-24 age group has increased from 7.7% to 9.3%, and the 85+ cohort has grown from 1.9% to 3.2%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group has decreased from 7.8% to 5.8%, and the 45-54 age group has dropped from 12.4% to 11.0%. By 2041, Coober Pedy's age composition is expected to shift notably. The 85+ age cohort is projected to increase substantially by 54 people, rising from 48 to 103, which is an 111% expansion. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 72% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, both the 5-14 and 0-4 age groups are expected to decrease in number.