Bunyan vs Cooma

Cooma is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 48 in Bunyan. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bunyan, about half of households are couple families. In Cooma, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Bunyan: a median of $900,000, against $564,000 in Cooma, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Bunyan tends to suit couples, while Cooma suits people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Bunyan carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 62/100)
  • Cooma has more parks and reserves (23 vs 0)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Bunyan has cheaper land ($205,000 vs $744,400)
  • Cooma has cheaper houses ($564,000 vs $900,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cooma

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 5%)
  • has cheaper rent ($290/wk vs $400/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Bunyan

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (258 min vs 268 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (392.2 km vs 399 km)
  • But Cooma is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cooma

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • But Bunyan carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 62/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Bunyan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (26.3% vs 0.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Bunyan and Cooma drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Bunyan Cooma
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Bunyan Cooma
Walkability 0 / 28
Bunyan — Walkability: 0/100 Cooma — Walkability: 28/100
Safety 90 / 38
Bunyan — Safety: 90/100 Cooma — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 67 / 73
Bunyan — Low fire risk: 67/100 Cooma — Low fire risk: 73/100

Demographics

Cooma has more residents (6,715 vs 192); Bunyan has higher household incomes ($106,600 vs $71,448).

Bunyan Cooma
Population 192 6,715
+3397% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +26.3% +0.5%
Median age 48 44
Median household income $106,600/yr
+33% vs other
 $71,448/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+28% vs other
 $290/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bunyan Cooma
0-4 4.2% / 5.7%
Bunyan — 0-4: 4.2% Cooma — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 14.1% / 10.6%
Bunyan — 5-14: 14.1% Cooma — 5-14: 10.6%
15-19 3.6% / 4.8%
Bunyan — 15-19: 3.6% Cooma — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 6.8% / 4.8%
Bunyan — 20-24: 6.8% Cooma — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 7.8% / 12.8%
Bunyan — 25-34: 7.8% Cooma — 25-34: 12.8%
35-44 10.9% / 12.1%
Bunyan — 35-44: 10.9% Cooma — 35-44: 12.1%
45-54 15.1% / 12.2%
Bunyan — 45-54: 15.1% Cooma — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 21.4% / 14.0%
Bunyan — 55-64: 21.4% Cooma — 55-64: 14.0%
65-74 13.0% / 11.2%
Bunyan — 65-74: 13.0% Cooma — 65-74: 11.2%
75-84 5.7% / 8.0%
Bunyan — 75-84: 5.7% Cooma — 75-84: 8.0%
85+ — / 3.6%
Bunyan — 85+: not among its largest Cooma — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bunyan 51.1% couple families
Bunyan — Couple Families: 51.1% Bunyan — Lone Person: 31.1% Bunyan — One Parent Families: 17.8% Bunyan — Group Household: 0.0% Bunyan — Other Families: 0.0%
Cooma 31.3% couple families
Cooma — Couple Families: 31.3% Cooma — Lone Person: 48.2% Cooma — One Parent Families: 15.2% Cooma — Group Household: 4.5% Cooma — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bunyan 4.8% renting
Bunyan — Owned Outright: 51.6% Bunyan — Mortgage: 43.5% Bunyan — Renting: 4.8%
Cooma 30.2% renting
Cooma — Owned Outright: 39.7% Cooma — Mortgage: 30.1% Cooma — Renting: 30.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Bunyan Cooma
England 4.7% / 2.2%
Bunyan — England: 4.7% Cooma — England: 2.2%
New Zealand 1.6% / 1.6%
Bunyan — New Zealand: 1.6% Cooma — New Zealand: 1.6%
Germany 1.6% / 1.3%
Bunyan — Germany: 1.6% Cooma — Germany: 1.3%
India — / 1.1%
Bunyan — India: not among its largest Cooma — India: 1.1%
Italy — / 0.9%
Bunyan — Italy: not among its largest Cooma — Italy: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Bunyan Cooma
Certificate III & IV 22.4% / 17.0%
Bunyan — Certificate III & IV: 22.4% Cooma — Certificate III & IV: 17.0%
Bachelor Degree 14.6% / 9.7%
Bunyan — Bachelor Degree: 14.6% Cooma — Bachelor Degree: 9.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.8% / 7.0%
Bunyan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8% Cooma — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Postgraduate Degree 4.2% / 3.0%
Bunyan — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2% Cooma — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 1.7%
Bunyan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Cooma — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bunyan 100.0% houses
Bunyan — Houses: 100.0% Bunyan — Townhouses: 0.0% Bunyan — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Cooma 88.4% houses
Cooma — Houses: 88.4% Cooma — Townhouses: 6.1% Cooma — Flats / Apartments: 5.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bunyan Cooma
Median house price $900,000 $564,000
Median unit price — $470,000
Median land price $205,000 $744,400
Typical days to sell (houses) — 48 days
from 95 sales

Zoning mix

Bunyan has more rural and farming land (79% vs 64%).

Bunyan Cooma
Rural and farming 79% 64%
Residential 11% 18%
Environmental 9% 11%
Parks and recreation 0% 3%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 3%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Bunyan Cooma
New dwellings approved 72
across Snowy Monaro
same for both
Approvals change year on year +29%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Bunyan Cooma
Houses — 4.3%
$545/wk on $658K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Bunyan Cooma
House price Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 18% of NSW
Income Higher than 73% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 51% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 27% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 80% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 86% of NSW

Liveability

Cooma is more walkable (28 vs 0).

Bunyan Cooma
Grade — C
Score — 40/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Cooma carries more crime risk (62 vs 10).

Bunyan Cooma
Bushfire Low
33/100
 Low
27/100
Crime Low
10/100
 Moderate
62/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Bunyan Cooma
Inside the suburb 0 8
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 3

Schools in Bunyan

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Cooma

  • Snowy Mountains Christian School Independent · Combined above peers
  • The Alpine School Independent · Primary above peers
  • Monaro High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Cooma North Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Cooma Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • St Patrick's Parish School Catholic · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bunyan Cooma
Supermarkets 0 5
Cafes & restaurants 0 17
Parks & reserves 0 23
Childcare 0 6
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 0 3
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 4
Fuel stations 0 6
EV chargers 0 2
Waterways 5 10

Mobility

Cooma sits further from the CBD (399 km vs 392.2 km).

Bunyan Cooma
Walkability score 0/100 28/100
Distance to Sydney 392.2 km 399 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 258 min 268 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2630
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 39
postcode 2630
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Bunyan Cooma
Car (driver) 74.4% / 73.3%
Bunyan — Car (driver): 74.4% Cooma — Car (driver): 73.3%
Worked from Home 20.9% / 10.6%
Bunyan — Worked from Home: 20.9% Cooma — Worked from Home: 10.6%
Car (passenger) 4.7% / 7.3%
Bunyan — Car (passenger): 4.7% Cooma — Car (passenger): 7.3%
Walked Only — / 7.4%
Bunyan — Walked Only: not among its largest Cooma — Walked Only: 7.4%
Bus — / 0.8%
Bunyan — Bus: not among its largest Cooma — Bus: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.4%).

Setting

Bunyan Cooma
Elevation 792 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 894 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Bunyan Cooma
Connectivity score 30/100 57/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
80 premises
 25%
3,792 premises

Climate

Bunyan Cooma
Annual rainfall 536 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) -1.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Bunyan Cooma
Average residential rate $1,253/yr
same for both
Council Snowy Monaro
same for both

Federal electorate

Bunyan Cooma
Division Eden-monaro
same for both
Member Kristy Mcbain
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bunyan Cooma
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bunyan

Rural

Cooma

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bunyan

Bunyan vs Binjura Bunyan vs Chakola Bunyan vs Murrumbucca

Other comparisons with Cooma

Cooma vs Binjura Cooma vs Dairymans Plains Cooma vs Rock Flat Cooma vs Coolringdon
Full data on Bunyan Full data on Cooma
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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