Mount Coolum

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

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, the suburb of Mount Coolum's estimated population is around 4811 as of February 2026. This shows an increase of 266 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4545. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 4769 residents in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. Mount Coolum's population density is approximately 962 persons per square kilometer, similar to averages seen across other locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, ending in 2021, Mount Coolum has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.7%, outpacing the Rest of Queensland. Overseas migration contributed around 66% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including interstate migration and natural growth were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts 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 post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections released in 2023, based on 2021 data, are adopted. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort. Population projections indicate above median growth for locations outside capital cities, with Mount Coolum expected to grow by 745 persons to 2041, reflecting a 16.1% increase over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Mount Coolum when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis using ABS building approval data, Mount Coolum averaged approximately 11 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 59 homes were approved, with another 7 approved in FY-26 so far. This results in an average of about 4.8 new residents per year for every home built over the past five financial years.

Demand significantly exceeds supply, leading to price growth and increased buyer competition. New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost value of $693,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

In FY-26, around $5.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting limited commercial development activity. Building activity shows 80% standalone homes and 20% townhouses or apartments, preserving Mount Coolum's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. Notably, developers are constructing more detached housing than the existing pattern implies (63% at Census), reflecting strong demand for family homes despite densification trends. With around 320 people per dwelling approval, Mount Coolum is considered a low density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Mount Coolum is expected to grow by approximately 774 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply may lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Mount Coolum has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 31 projects likely to affect the region. Notable initiatives include the Sunshine Motorway West Coolum Road Upgrade Interchange, Sunshine Motorway Duplication (Pacific Paradise to Coolum), and two additional Sunshine Motorway Duplications between Pacific Paradise and Coolum. Below is a list of projects expected to be most relevant.

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AreaSearch assessment positions Mount Coolum ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Mount Coolum has a well-educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate as of September 2025 was 2.8%, based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. At this time, 2,635 residents were in work while the unemployment rate was 1.2% below Rest of Qld's rate of 4.1%.

Workforce participation was broadly similar to Rest of Qld's 65.7%. According to Census responses, a moderate 20.9% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors among residents included health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Mount Coolum showed particularly strong specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing had lower representation at 0.4% versus the regional average of 4.5%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data aggregated from broader statistical areas over the 12 months to September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.7% while employment declined by 2.0%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.6 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Qld experienced employment growth of 1.7% and labour force growth of 2.1%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offered further insight into potential future demand within Mount Coolum. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, were mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. National employment was forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Mount Coolum's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not take into account localised population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The suburb of Mount Coolum had a median taxpayer income of $49,192 and an average income of $71,750 in financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is higher than the national averages for Rest of Qld, which were $53,146 median and $66,593 average. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $54,067 median and $78,860 average, based on a 9.91% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023. Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Mount Coolum rank modestly, between the 46th and 51st percentiles. Income distribution shows that 35.7% of individuals (1,717 people) earn within the $1,500 - $2,999 band, which is similar to regional levels at 31.7%. Mount Coolum faces severe housing affordability pressures, with only 81.9% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 45th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Mount Coolum displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Dwelling structure in Mount Coolum, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 62.6% houses and 37.4% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Non-Metro Qld's 76.4% houses and 23.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Coolum was at 30.2%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (39.9%) or rented (30.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,863, above Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,655. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $450, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $345. Nationally, Mount Coolum's mortgage repayments are similar to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 69.1 percent of all households, including 28.5 percent couples with children, 29.4 percent couples without children, and 10.9 percent single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 30.9 percent, with lone person households at 26.0 percent and group households comprising 4.7 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

Mount Coolum demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates at 30.0%, surpassing the Rest of Qld average of 20.6% and that of SA4 region at 24.9%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 20.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Trade and technical skills are prominent with 40.6% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (13.5%) and certificates (27.1%).

Educational participation is high at 26.6%, with 9.4% in primary education, 7.4% in secondary education, and 4.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Mount Coolum has eight active public transport stops, all offering bus services. These stops are served by two different routes, together facilitating 330 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents typically living 365 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outside Mount Coolum, with cars being the primary mode of transport at 94%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 20.9% of residents work from home, a figure potentially influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 47 trips daily across all routes, translating to roughly 41 weekly trips per individual stop.

Mount Coolum's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Mount Coolum's health data shows positive outcomes, matching national benchmarks for mortality rates and health conditions across all age groups. Common health conditions are standard among both young and old residents.

Private health cover is high at approximately 56% (2,676 people), compared to Rest of Qld's 52.5%. The most common conditions are arthritis (8.6%) and mental health issues (8.5%), while 69.0% report no medical ailments, slightly higher than Rest of Qld's 67.6%. Working-age population health outcomes are typical for the area. Residents aged 65 and over comprise 19.4%, or 933 people, with national rankings in line with the general population.

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

Mount Coolum's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 80.3% of its population born in Australia and 88.8% being citizens. English was spoken as the only language at home by 94.4% of residents. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 41.4% of Mount Coolum's population.

Judaism, however, was overrepresented compared to other areas, making up 0.2% of the population, while the regional average was 0.1%. The top three ancestry groups were English at 32.6%, Australian at 26.0%, and Irish at 10.1%. Notably, Welsh, Scottish, and Dutch ethnicities showed higher representation than the regional averages: Welsh at 0.8% (regional average 0.5%), Scottish at 9.3% (7.8%), and Dutch at 1.8% (1.1%).

Mount Coolum hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Mount Coolum's median age is 43 years, which is higher than the Rest of Qld average of 41 and exceeds the national average of 38. The 45-54 age group comprises 14.5% of Mount Coolum's population, compared to the Rest of Qld, while the 5-14 cohort represents 10.6%. Post-2021 Census data indicates that the 15 to 24 age group grew from 9.7% to 11.4%, whereas the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 16.5% to 14.5% and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 14.2% to 13.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Mount Coolum's age profile. The 25 to 34 cohort is expected to grow by 30%, adding 159 residents to reach 684. Conversely, the number of residents aged 15 to 24 is projected to fall by 24%.