Copacabana

Copacabana is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, the population of the suburb of Copacabana is estimated at around 2,845 people. This reflects an increase of 36 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,809 people. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 2,811 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 4 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,422 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 64.0% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year.

For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, the suburb of Copacabana is expected to increase by 33 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 0.4% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Copacabana, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

AreaSearch analysis shows Copacabana recorded around 5 residential property approvals annually over the past 5 financial years ending FY26. This totals an estimated 27 homes. No approvals have been recorded so far in FY26. The average construction cost value of new properties is $1,064,000, indicating a focus on premium segment development.

In FY26, commercial development approvals reached $867,000. Compared to Greater Sydney, Copacabana has roughly half the building activity per person and ranks in the 49th percentile nationally for building activity. New development consists of 83% detached houses and 17% medium and high-density housing. The location has approximately 331 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market.

AreaSearch estimates Copacabana will grow by 12 residents by 2041, with current construction levels expected to meet demand adequately, favouring buyers and potentially enabling growth beyond forecasts.

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

The performance of an area is significantly influenced by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 0 projects that are likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Gosford Private Hospital redevelopment, Newcastle-Sydney Rail Line Upgrades, Wollongong-Sydney Rail Line Upgrades, Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy, and Sydney Metro. The following list details those projects most relevant to the area.

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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Copacabana performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Copacabana has an educated workforce with strong representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 1.8%, with estimated employment growth of 3.0% over the past year. As of September 2025, 1,566 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.4% lower than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%.

Workforce participation is similar to Greater Sydney's 70.0%. Census data shows 40.1% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries are health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction employment share is 1.5 times the regional level, while professional & technical services employ just 7.9% of local workers, below Greater Sydney's 11.5%.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 3.0%, labour force by 3.2%, raising unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Sydney saw employment rise by 2.1% and unemployment increase by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Copacabana's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Copacabana's median income among taxpayers is $55,915. The average income in the suburb is $82,741. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to Greater Sydney's median of $60,817 and average of $83,003. Based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, current estimates for Copacabana as of September 2025 would be approximately $60,869 (median) and $90,072 (average). Census 2021 income data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Copacabana cluster around the 70th percentile nationally. The earnings profile indicates that 31.8% of residents (904 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly earnings bracket, which is similar to the surrounding region at 30.9%. Notably, 34.7% of Copacabana's residents earn over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Despite high housing costs consuming 15.8% of income, strong earnings place disposable income at the 75th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Copacabana's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 94.5% houses and 5.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Copacabana stood at 35.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 41.7% and rented ones at 23.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,300, below Sydney metro's average of $2,427. The median weekly rent figure in Copacabana was $510, compared to Sydney metro's $470. Nationally, Copacabana's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,300 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Copacabana features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 80.2% of all households, consisting of 37.4% couples with children, 28.6% couples without children, and 13.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 19.8%, with lone person households at 16.9% and group households comprising 3.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Copacabana's residents aged 15+ exhibit higher educational attainment than broader benchmarks. Specifically, 33.1% hold university qualifications compared to 20.8% in the SA4 region and 25.7% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 22.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.3%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 37.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas comprise 13.0% and certificates make up 24.9%.

Educational participation is notably high at 30.8%, including primary education (10.3%), secondary education (9.1%), and tertiary education (5.0%).

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

Copacabana has 18 active public transport stops serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are served by 19 individual routes, offering a total of 285 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 235 meters from the nearest stop. Most commuting in this predominantly residential area is outward-bound, with cars being the dominant mode at 94%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, higher than the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 40.1% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency across all routes averages 40 trips per day, equating to approximately 15 weekly trips per stop.

Copacabana's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Copacabana's health outcomes show remarkable results based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Approximately 60% of Copacabana's total population (1,695 people) has private health cover, which is exceptionally high. Asthma and mental health issues are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 7.4 and 6.8% of residents respectively. A significant majority, 73.0%, report being completely free of medical ailments compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Working-age residents exhibit low chronic condition prevalence. Copacabana has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.0% (569 people) compared to Greater Sydney's 15.4%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Copacabana are strong and align with national rankings for the general population.

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

Copacabana, surveyed in 2016, showed low cultural diversity with 81.7% born in Australia and 92.4% citizens. English speakers at home totalled 93.9%. Christianity dominated religion at 47.5%, while Judaism was slightly overrepresented at 0.7% (regional average: 0.8%).

Ancestry-wise, Copacabana had high percentages of English (30.8%) and Australian (28.7%) ancestry, both above regional averages. Irish ancestry stood at 9.9%. Other notable ethnic groups included Welsh (0.9%), French (0.8%), and South African (0.7%), all higher than regional averages.

Copacabana hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Copacabana is 43 years, which is considerably higher than Greater Sydney's average of 37 years and substantially exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that individuals aged 55-64 years are particularly prominent, making up 16.6% of the population, while those aged 25-34 years comprise only 4.8%, which is comparatively smaller than in Greater Sydney. This concentration of individuals aged 55-64 years is well above the national average of 11.2%. Between 2021 and present, the age group of 15 to 24 years has grown from 12.3% to 14.3%, while the 75 to 84 age cohort has increased from 4.2% to 6.2%. Conversely, the 25 to 34 age group has declined from 7.0% to 4.8%, and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 14.5% to 13.4%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Copacabana's age structure. The 85+ age cohort is projected to grow exceptionally, expanding by 84 people (135%) from 62 to 147. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 95% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. On the other hand, the 25 to 34 and 15 to 24 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.