Coolbellup

Population growth drivers in Coolbellup are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Coolbellup's population was around 9,443 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 940 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,503 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,409 in June 2024 and an additional 97 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 2,089 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Coolbellup's growth rate of 11.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average of 8.9%, indicating it was a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 57.5% of overall population gains during recent periods, though all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration were positive factors.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises growth rates by age cohort provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Considering projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth is projected for statistical areas across the nation. The area is expected to grow by 1,515 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 15.7% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Coolbellup among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Coolbellup has recorded approximately 62 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25314 homes were approved, with an additional 24 approved so far in FY-26. On average, each dwelling accommodated around 2.9 new residents per year over these five years, reflecting strong demand that supports property values.

The average expected construction cost value for new homes was $207,000 during this period, which is below regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options for purchasers. This financial year has seen approximately $400,000 in commercial approvals, suggesting minimal commercial development activity compared to residential growth. In relation to Greater Perth, Coolbellup exhibits about 75% of the construction activity per person and ranks among the 76th percentile of areas assessed nationally for new dwellings.

The current development mix consists of approximately 72.0% standalone homes and 28.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's suburban character with a focus on detached housing that attracts space-seeking buyers. With around 157 people per dwelling approval, Coolbellup exhibits characteristics of a growth area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, population forecasts indicate Coolbellup will gain approximately 1,481 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Coolbellup has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 26thth percentile nationally

AreaSearch has identified three projects that could impact the area's performance: North Lake Road-Winterfold Road intersection upgrade, Kardinya District Centre Activity Centre Plan, Kardinya Park Shopping Centre redevelopment, and New Women and Babies Hospital. These projects are detailed below for relevance.

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

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Employment conditions in Coolbellup remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Coolbellup has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 5.5%, with estimated employment growth of 4.0% over the past year as of September 2025.

There are 5,451 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 6.6%, 1.6% higher than Greater Perth's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation is at par with Greater Perth's 65.2%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Notably, education & training has a strong specialization with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level, while mining shows lower representation at 5.3% compared to the regional average of 7.0%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.0%, labour force by 4.4%, leading to a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Perth saw employment growth of 2.9% with marginal unemployment increase. State-wide, WA employment contracted by 0.27% (losing 5,520 jobs) between November 2024 and November 2025, with the state unemployment rate at 4.6%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Coolbellup's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that median income in Coolbellup SA2 is $52,686 and average income is $66,275. This contrasts with Greater Perth's median income of $58,380 and average income of $78,020. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 14.2% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Coolbellup SA2 as of September 2025 would be approximately $60,167 (median) and $75,686 (average). The 2021 Census indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Coolbellup rank modestly, between the 40th and 48th percentiles. Income brackets show that 32.7% of residents (3,087 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, consistent with broader metropolitan trends at 32.0%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Coolbellup SA2, with only 83.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 40th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Coolbellup, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 79.1% houses and 20.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Perth metro had 81.2% houses and 18.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Coolbellup was at 26.7%, similar to Perth metro's level. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (41.8%) or rented (31.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,733, below the Perth metro average of $1,950. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $310, compared to Perth metro's $370. Nationally, Coolbellup's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 64.4% of all households, including 25.7% couples with children, 24.4% couples without children, and 13.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 35.6%, with lone person households making up 31.3% and group households comprising 4.4%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Perth average of 2.6.

Educational outcomes in Coolbellup fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Tertiary education reaches 29.2% of residents aged 15+ in Coolbellup. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 20.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 34.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.2%) and certificates (24.3%).

Educational participation is high, with 28.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.2% in primary education, 7.2% in tertiary education, and 6.9% pursuing secondary education.

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

The analysis indicates that there are 65 active public transport stops in Coolbellup. These stops serve a mix of bus routes totaling seven individual lines. Collectively, these routes facilitate 1,100 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of the transport system is rated as excellent, with residents typically situated 182 meters from their nearest stop. Service frequency averages 157 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 16 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Coolbellup is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Coolbellup faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is approximately 52% of the total population (~4,948 people), leading that of the average SA2 area but lower than Greater Perth's 56.4%.

Mental health issues impact 10.6% of residents, making it the most common condition, followed by arthritis at 7.9%. Conversely, 67.0% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.9% across Greater Perth. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 17.6% (1,658 people), compared to Greater Perth's 14.8%. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Coolbellup was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Coolbellup has a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 17.6% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 32.0% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Coolbellup, making up 43.5% of the population. Notably, the category 'Other' comprises 0.9% of the population, slightly higher than the 0.8% across Greater Perth.

The top three ancestry groups are English (27.8%), Australian (22.5%), and Other (10.1%). There are also significant differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Croatian is overrepresented at 1.2% compared to 2.3% regionally, Welsh at 0.8% versus 0.6%, and South African at 0.9% versus 1.1%.

Coolbellup's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Coolbellup is 39 years, which is higher than Greater Perth's average of 37 years and close to the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Perth, the 25-34 age group is over-represented in Coolbellup at 17.0%, while the 5-14 age group is under-represented at 10.0%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 25 to 34 age group has increased from 15.9% to 17.0% of Coolbellup's population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group has declined from 13.7% to 12.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Coolbellup. The 75 to 84 age group is expected to grow by 59%, adding 353 people, reaching a total of 952 from the current 598. This growth is part of an overall aging trend where residents aged 65 and older represent 59% of anticipated population growth. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 age groups are expected to experience population declines.