Cooma (NSW)

Cooma has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of the suburb of Cooma (NSW) is around 6,673, a decrease of 42 people since the 2021 Census which reported 6,715 residents. This decline is inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 6,669 following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and additional 48 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density stands at 68 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 97.0% of overall population gains recently. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

For years 2032 to 2041, these projections indicate an overall population decline of 237 persons by 2041, but growth is anticipated in specific age cohorts, notably the 85 and over age group which is projected to increase by 103 people.

The level of residential development activity in Cooma is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, indicates Cooma has seen approximately 13 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 68 homes were approved, with an additional three approved so far in FY26. Despite population decline in recent years, development activity has been adequate relative to other areas, potentially benefiting buyers.

The average expected construction cost value for new dwellings is $859,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This financial year has seen $105.2 million in commercial approvals, indicating robust local business investment. Compared to the rest of NSW, Cooma shows substantially reduced construction levels, at 61.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. The area's development level is also below national average, reflecting its maturity and possible planning constraints.

Recent development has been entirely comprised of detached houses, preserving Cooma's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With an estimated 1490 people per dwelling approval, the area maintains a quiet, low activity development environment. Given expected population stability or decline, Cooma should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Cooma has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Eleven infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the region. Notable ones are Alpine Rise, Cooma Crown Land Housing Development, 3 Thurrung Street Residential Subdivision, and Cooma Festival Swimming Pool Upgrades. The following details these projects in order of likely significance.

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

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.2%, Cooma has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Cooma's workforce is skilled with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate as of June 2025 was 3.2%.

This rate is 0.4% lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%, with similar workforce participation at 56.4%. Key employment areas include retail trade, construction, and health care & social assistance. Notably, electricity, gas, water & waste services have high employment levels, at 4.9 times the regional average. However, health care & social assistance has limited presence, at 11.4% compared to the regional average of 16.9%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. Over the year ending June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 3.6%, and employment declined by 4.6%, leading to a rise in unemployment by 1.0 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw a 0.1% employment contraction, a 0.3% labour force growth, and a 0.4 percentage point increase in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 12.8% over ten years. Applying these projections to Cooma's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 indicates Cooma's median income among taxpayers is $51,670. The average income in Cooma during this period was $63,060. This places Cooma's incomes slightly below the national average. Comparing to Rest of NSW, Cooma's median income is higher at $49,459 with an average of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $58,186 (median) and $71,012 (average). According to Census 2021 income data, personal income ranks at the 43rd percentile ($771 weekly), while household income sits at the 26th percentile. The largest segment comprises 29.8% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (1,988 residents). Housing costs are modest with 87.1% of income retained, however total disposable income ranks at just the 30th percentile nationally.

Cooma is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Cooma's dwelling structure, as assessed in the most recent Census, consisted of 88.6% houses and 11.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 87.0% houses and 13.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cooma was at 39.7%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (29.8%) or rented (30.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cooma was $1,300, below Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,408. Median weekly rent in Cooma was recorded at $290, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $300. Nationally, Cooma's median monthly mortgage repayment is lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 62.4% of all households, including 22.3% couples with children, 28.4% couples without children, and 10.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 37.6%, with lone person households at 34.5% and group households comprising 3.2%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.3.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 21.6%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.5%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 40.5% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 10.5% and certificates at 30.0%. Educational participation is high, with 28.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 10.2% in primary, 6.9% in secondary, and 3.2% in tertiary education.

Cooma has a robust network of 8 schools educating approximately 1,411 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 994) offering balanced educational opportunities. The schools include 3 primary, 2 secondary, and 3 K-12 institutions. As an education hub, Cooma has 21.1 school places per 100 residents, higher than the regional average of 13.3, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Cooma has 152 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 28 routes providing 307 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents have excellent accessibility to transport, with an average distance of 157 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 43 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 2 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Cooma is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Cooma faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover stands at approximately 52%, slightly lower than the average SA2 area's rate (~3,462 people). The most frequent medical issues are arthritis (11.4%) and mental health problems (9.7%), while 62.3% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 67.2% in Rest of NSW. Cooma has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 23.2% (1,548 people), compared to the 20.6% in Rest of NSW. Senior health outcomes present challenges but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

Cooma ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Cooma's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 84.9% of its population being citizens, 82.5% born in Australia, and 90.2% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Cooma is Christianity, comprising 55.0% of the population, compared to 51.3% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups based on country of birth of parents are Australian (29.9%), English (26.9%), and Irish (9.1%).

Notably, Hungarian representation is higher in Cooma at 0.5%, compared to the regional average of 0.3%. Similarly, Lebanese representation is higher at 0.7% versus 0.4%, and German representation is slightly higher at 4.4% compared to the regional average of 4.0%.

Cooma hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Cooma's median age is 44 years, similar to Rest of NSW's 43 years and higher than the national average of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Cooma has a higher proportion of residents aged 35-44 (13.8%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (9.5%). Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 increased from 12.1% to 13.8%, while the proportion of those aged 45 to 54 decreased from 12.3% to 10.5%. By 2041, Cooma's age composition is expected to change significantly. The number of residents aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 48%, reaching 315 from 213. Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 74% of the population growth. Conversely, both the 0-4 and 25-34 age groups are expected to decrease in number.