Cooks Gap vs Ulan

Ulan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 43 in Cooks Gap. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cooks Gap, the large majority of households own their home. In Ulan, most households rent and most households are people living alone. On these figures, Ulan tends to suit renters, people living alone, and families with children.

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

Cooks Gap

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 77/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (62% vs 43%)

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

First-home buyers

Ulan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 24%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Cooks Gap has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $370/wk)
  • Ulan has a bigger rental market to choose from (56% vs 14%)

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

Commuting to the city

Cooks Gap

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (305 km vs 318.2 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (251 min vs 258 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cooks Gap

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 77/100)

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

Investors

Ulan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (39.7% vs 1.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cooks Gap Ulan
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.

Cooks Gap Ulan
Walkability 8 / 0
Cooks Gap — Walkability: 8/100 Ulan — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 63 / 23
Cooks Gap — Safety: 63/100 Ulan — Safety: 23/100
Low fire risk 58 / 55
Cooks Gap — Low fire risk: 58/100 Ulan — Low fire risk: 55/100

Demographics

Cooks Gap has more residents (549 vs 81); Ulan rents higher ($370/wk vs $300/wk).

Cooks Gap Ulan
Population 549
+85% vs other
 81
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.7% +39.7%
Median age 43 38
Median household income $85,124/yr $84,448/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk $370/wk
+23% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cooks Gap Ulan
0-4 4.7% / 11.1%
Cooks Gap — 0-4: 4.7% Ulan — 0-4: 11.1%
5-14 12.2% / 9.9%
Cooks Gap — 5-14: 12.2% Ulan — 5-14: 9.9%
15-19 5.8% / 12.3%
Cooks Gap — 15-19: 5.8% Ulan — 15-19: 12.3%
20-24 4.7% / 6.2%
Cooks Gap — 20-24: 4.7% Ulan — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 12.4% / 14.8%
Cooks Gap — 25-34: 12.4% Ulan — 25-34: 14.8%
35-44 11.5% / 14.8%
Cooks Gap — 35-44: 11.5% Ulan — 35-44: 14.8%
45-54 16.2% / 18.5%
Cooks Gap — 45-54: 16.2% Ulan — 45-54: 18.5%
55-64 18.9% / 3.7%
Cooks Gap — 55-64: 18.9% Ulan — 55-64: 3.7%
65-74 9.1% / 8.6%
Cooks Gap — 65-74: 9.1% Ulan — 65-74: 8.6%
75-84 2.4% / —
Cooks Gap — 75-84: 2.4% Ulan — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 0.9% / 4.9%
Cooks Gap — 85+: 0.9% Ulan — 85+: 4.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cooks Gap 31.3% lone person
Cooks Gap — Lone Person: 31.3% Cooks Gap — Couple Families: 44.3% Cooks Gap — One Parent Families: 17.6% Cooks Gap — Group Household: 6.9%
Ulan 57.1% lone person
Ulan — Lone Person: 57.1% Ulan — Couple Families: 21.4% Ulan — One Parent Families: 21.4% Ulan — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cooks Gap 13.7% renting
Cooks Gap — Owned Outright: 36.1% Cooks Gap — Mortgage: 50.3% Cooks Gap — Renting: 13.7%
Ulan 55.6% renting
Ulan — Owned Outright: 27.8% Ulan — Mortgage: 16.7% Ulan — Renting: 55.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cooks Gap 97.4% houses
Cooks Gap — Houses: 97.4% Cooks Gap — Flats / Apartments: 2.6%
Ulan 88.2% houses
Ulan — Houses: 88.2% Ulan — Flats / Apartments: 11.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Cooks Gap Ulan
Certificate III & IV 25.5% / 12.3%
Cooks Gap — Certificate III & IV: 25.5% Ulan — Certificate III & IV: 12.3%
Bachelor Degree 5.1% / 4.9%
Cooks Gap — Bachelor Degree: 5.1% Ulan — Bachelor Degree: 4.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.8% / —
Cooks Gap — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.8% Ulan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.5%).

Property market

Cooks Gap Ulan
Median house price $722,500 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Ulan has more land zoned for conservation (47% vs 8%); Ulan has more rural and farming land (53% vs 24%).

Cooks Gap Ulan
Residential 67% 0%
Rural and farming 24% 53%
Environmental 8% 47%
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

Cooks Gap Ulan
New dwellings approved 131
across Mid-Western
same for both
Approvals change year on year -4%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Cooks Gap Ulan
House price Higher than 32% of NSW —
Income Higher than 55% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 71% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 23% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 51% of NSW Higher than 31% of NSW

Liveability

Cooks Gap is more walkable (8 vs 0).

Cooks Gap Ulan
Grade D —
Score 28/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Ulan carries more crime risk (77 vs 37).

Cooks Gap Ulan
Bushfire Moderate
42/100
 Moderate
45/100
Crime Low
37/100
 High
77/100
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
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Cooks Gap Ulan
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Cooks Gap Ulan
Waterways 13 40

Mobility

Ulan sits further from the CBD (318.2 km vs 305 km).

Cooks Gap Ulan
Walkability score 8/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 305 km 318.2 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 251 min 258 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2850
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 2850
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.

Cooks Gap Ulan
Car (driver) 83.4% / 85.7%
Cooks Gap — Car (driver): 83.4% Ulan — Car (driver): 85.7%
Worked from Home 9.3% / 14.3%
Cooks Gap — Worked from Home: 9.3% Ulan — Worked from Home: 14.3%
Car (passenger) 4.9% / —
Cooks Gap — Car (passenger): 4.9% Ulan — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 2.4% / —
Cooks Gap — Walked Only: 2.4% Ulan — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.7%).

Setting

Cooks Gap Ulan
Elevation 587 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 466 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Cooks Gap Ulan
Connectivity score 30/100 22/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
263 premises
 0%
21 premises

Climate

Cooks Gap Ulan
Annual rainfall 669 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.4°C
same for both

Council rates

Cooks Gap Ulan
Average residential rate $1,083/yr
same for both
Council Mid-Western
same for both

Federal electorate

Cooks Gap Ulan
Division Calare
same for both
Member Andrew Gee
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cooks Gap Ulan
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cooks Gap

Rural

Ulan

Multicultural Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cooks Gap

Cooks Gap vs Yarrawonga Cooks Gap vs Cope Cooks Gap vs Linburn

Other comparisons with Ulan

Ulan vs Cope Ulan vs Turill Ulan vs Bungaba Ulan vs Wollar
Full data on Cooks Gap Full data on Ulan
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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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