Cooloola Cove

Population growth drivers in Cooloola Cove are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

The population of Cooloola Cove, as estimated by AreaSearch based on ABS data, was 2,921 people at the time of the Census in 2021. By November 2025, this figure had increased to approximately 3,031 people. This increase of 110 people represents a growth rate of about 3.8%. The latest estimated resident population (ERP) for Cooloola Cove and surrounding areas, released by the ABS in June 2024, was 2,953 people. Since the Census date, an additional 1 new address has been validated by AreaSearch, contributing to this increase.

The current population density of Cooloola Cove is around 224 persons per square kilometer, indicating ample space for further development and a high level of spatial freedom per person. The primary driver of population growth in the suburb was interstate migration, which accounted for approximately 92.0% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch employs ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years beyond 2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted. These state projections, released in 2023 based on 2021 data, do not provide age category splits. Therefore, AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections (released in 2023, based on 2022 data) for each age cohort when utilizing state projections. Looking ahead, demographic trends suggest lower quartile growth for national non-metropolitan areas like Cooloola Cove. According to aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to increase by 119 persons by the year 2041. This projected growth reflects a total gain of approximately 7.5% over the seventeen-year period from 2024 to 2041.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Cooloola Cove when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Cooloola Cove averaged approximately 10 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 54 homes. In FY26 so far, three approvals have been recorded. On average, 4.8 people moved to the area per year for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating demand outpacing supply.

New homes are being constructed at an average cost of $393,000, below the regional average, suggesting affordable housing options. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Cooloola Cove has significantly less development activity, with 60.0% fewer approvals per person, which typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. This level is also below the national average, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent building activity consists solely of standalone homes, maintaining the area's low-density character focused on family homes. As of now, there are an estimated 344 people in the area per dwelling approval.

Population forecasts indicate Cooloola Cove will gain approximately 228 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Cooloola Cove has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 42ndth percentile nationally

No infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could impact the area. Key projects include Forest Wind Farm, Borumba Pumped Hydro Transmission Connections, Queensland Supergrid South, and Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Infrastructure Program.

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AreaSearch assessment indicates Cooloola Cove faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Cooloola Cove has a balanced workforce encompassing white and blue collar jobs. The tourism and hospitality sectors are prominent.

The unemployment rate was 10.2% as of June 2025. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.6%. Residents in work numbered 865, with an unemployment rate of 6.3%, compared to Rest of Qld's 3.9%. Workforce participation lagged significantly at 29.2% compared to Rest of Qld's 59.1%.

Employment concentration is in retail trade, accommodation & food, and health care & social assistance. Retail trade employs 1.7 times the regional level, while health care & social assistance employs 11.7%, below Rest of Qld's 16.1%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by Census working population vs resident population count. During June 2025, employment levels increased by 4.6% and labour force by 7.4%, raising unemployment rate by 2.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld saw employment grow by 1.8%, labour force expand by 2.0%, and unemployment rise by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Cooloola Cove's employment mix suggests local employment should grow by 5.6% over five years and 12.0% over ten years, though this is an illustrative extrapolation not accounting for localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

Cooloola Cove had a median taxpayer income of $32,697 and an average of $44,091 in financial year 2022. This was below the national average, with Rest of Qld's median being $50,780 and average being $64,844. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $37,271 (median) and $50,259 (average), based on a 13.99% growth since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, income levels in Cooloola Cove ranked at the 0th-1st percentile nationally for households, families, and individuals. Income brackets showed that 41.6% of Cooloola Cove's population earned between $400-$799, unlike surrounding regions where 31.7% fell within the $1,500-$2,999 range. Economic conditions indicated financial pressure, with 50.3% of households having weekly budgets below $800 after housing costs. Post-housing, 86.1% of income remained, ranking at the 3rd percentile nationally.

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

Cooloola Cove's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 96.5% houses and 3.4% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Non-Metro Qld's 91.8% houses and 8.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cooloola Cove stood at 60.0%, with mortgaged properties at 25.6% and rented dwellings at 14.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,172, lower than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,326. Weekly rent in Cooloola Cove was recorded at $300, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $290. Nationally, Cooloola Cove's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Cooloola Cove features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 70.0% of all households, including 13.2% couples with children, 47.3% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 30.0%, with lone person households at 26.4% and group households comprising 3.8%. The median household size is 2.1 people, smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.4.

Educational attainment in Cooloola Cove aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 7.1%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 5.5%, followed by graduate diplomas (0.9%) and postgraduate qualifications (0.7%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 42.9% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (8.3%) and certificates (34.6%).

School attendance accounts for 18.2% of the community, broken down into primary education (6.8%), secondary education (6.7%), and tertiary education (0.9%). Educational facilities seem to be located outside the immediate catchment boundaries, requiring families to access schools in neighboring areas.

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

Cooloola Cove has nine active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. There is one route serving these stops, offering a total of ten weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport in the area is rated as moderate, with residents typically living 464 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, buses run once per day across all routes, resulting in approximately one weekly trip per individual bus stop.

Health performance in Cooloola Cove is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Cooloola Cove faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Approximately 45% (~1,354 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 16.1% of residents) and mental health issues (impacting 10.5%). Conversely, 48.4% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 60.3% in the rest of Queensland. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 43.4% (1,315 people), compared to 25.4% in the rest of Queensland. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are challenging but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

Cooloola Cove is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Cooloola Cove's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 82.7% of its population born in Australia, 89.4% being citizens, and 97.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 54.3% of people, compared to 50.4% across Rest of Qld. The top three ancestry groups were English (33.8%), Australian (28.2%), and Irish (9.1%).

Notably, German ethnicity was overrepresented at 6.0%, Maori at 0.7%, and Welsh at 0.6%.

Cooloola Cove ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Cooloola Cove's median age is 62 years, which exceeds Rest of Qld's median age of 41 and is also higher than Australia's median age of 38. The age profile shows that the 65-74 year-old group constitutes 27.3% of the population, while the 25-34 year-old group makes up only 5.4%. This concentration of 65-74 year-olds is higher than the national average of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of people aged 75 to 84 has increased from 12.6% to 14.1%, while the percentage of those aged 65 to 74 has decreased from 29.1% to 27.3%. By 2041, projections indicate that the number of people aged 65 to 74 will increase by 86 individuals (10%) from 827 to 914. The senior population aged 65 and above is expected to contribute significantly to population growth, driving 69% of it. Conversely, the number of people in the 15-24 age range is projected to decrease by 38 individuals.