Cooloolabin vs Bridges

Bridges is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 45 in Cooloolabin. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Cooloolabin tends to suit families with children and older residents.

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

  • Cooloolabin carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 49/100)
  • Bridges is already more of a family suburb (77% vs 69%)

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

First-home buyers

Bridges

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 36%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Cooloolabin has cheaper rent ($330/wk vs $400/wk)
  • Bridges leaves renters under less rental stress (21% vs 28%)

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

Commuting to the city

Bridges

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (90 min vs 103 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (113.8 km vs 119.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cooloolabin

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 16%)
  • carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 49/100)

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

Investors

Cooloolabin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.0% vs 6.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cooloolabin Bridges
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.

Cooloolabin Bridges
Walkability 0 / 0
Cooloolabin — Walkability: 0/100 Bridges — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 72 / 51
Cooloolabin — Safety: 72/100 Bridges — Safety: 51/100
Low fire risk 44 / 35
Cooloolabin — Low fire risk: 44/100 Bridges — Low fire risk: 35/100

Demographics

Bridges has higher household incomes ($97,500 vs $62,348); Bridges rents higher ($400/wk vs $330/wk).

Cooloolabin Bridges
Population 311
+5% vs other
 295
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +21.0% +6.9%
Median age 45 41
Median household income $62,348/yr $97,500/yr
+56% vs other
Median weekly rent $330/wk $400/wk
+21% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cooloolabin Bridges
0-4 7.1% / 4.7%
Cooloolabin — 0-4: 7.1% Bridges — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 15.1% / 13.2%
Cooloolabin — 5-14: 15.1% Bridges — 5-14: 13.2%
15-19 6.8% / 5.1%
Cooloolabin — 15-19: 6.8% Bridges — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 1.6% / 7.8%
Cooloolabin — 20-24: 1.6% Bridges — 20-24: 7.8%
25-34 8.0% / 8.8%
Cooloolabin — 25-34: 8.0% Bridges — 25-34: 8.8%
35-44 12.5% / 12.2%
Cooloolabin — 35-44: 12.5% Bridges — 35-44: 12.2%
45-54 12.2% / 13.9%
Cooloolabin — 45-54: 12.2% Bridges — 45-54: 13.9%
55-64 12.2% / 18.3%
Cooloolabin — 55-64: 12.2% Bridges — 55-64: 18.3%
65-74 19.3% / 9.8%
Cooloolabin — 65-74: 19.3% Bridges — 65-74: 9.8%
75-84 7.4% / 5.1%
Cooloolabin — 75-84: 7.4% Bridges — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 1.6% / 1.0%
Cooloolabin — 85+: 1.6% Bridges — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cooloolabin 50.7% couple families
Cooloolabin — Couple Families: 50.7% Cooloolabin — Lone Person: 26.8% Cooloolabin — One Parent Families: 18.3% Cooloolabin — Other Families: 0.0% Cooloolabin — Group Household: 4.2%
Bridges 53.2% couple families
Bridges — Couple Families: 53.2% Bridges — Lone Person: 16.1% Bridges — One Parent Families: 24.2% Bridges — Other Families: 6.5% Bridges — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cooloolabin 13.1% renting
Cooloolabin — Owned Outright: 54.8% Cooloolabin — Mortgage: 32.1% Cooloolabin — Renting: 13.1%
Bridges 20.0% renting
Bridges — Owned Outright: 37.6% Bridges — Mortgage: 42.4% Bridges — Renting: 20.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cooloolabin Bridges
Certificate III & IV 14.8% / 20.3%
Cooloolabin — Certificate III & IV: 14.8% Bridges — Certificate III & IV: 20.3%
Bachelor Degree 7.4% / 8.1%
Cooloolabin — Bachelor Degree: 7.4% Bridges — Bachelor Degree: 8.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.4% / 7.8%
Cooloolabin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4% Bridges — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8%
Postgraduate Degree 3.5% / 1.7%
Cooloolabin — Postgraduate Degree: 3.5% Bridges — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.9% / 1.4%
Cooloolabin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9% Bridges — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.3%).

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.

Cooloolabin Bridges
England 4.8% / 4.4%
Cooloolabin — England: 4.8% Bridges — England: 4.4%
New Zealand 2.9% / 1.7%
Cooloolabin — New Zealand: 2.9% Bridges — New Zealand: 1.7%
Thailand 1.0% / 1.0%
Cooloolabin — Thailand: 1.0% Bridges — Thailand: 1.0%
Germany — / 1.7%
Cooloolabin — Germany: not among its largest Bridges — Germany: 1.7%
Netherlands — / 1.7%
Cooloolabin — Netherlands: not among its largest Bridges — Netherlands: 1.7%
Scotland — / 1.4%
Cooloolabin — Scotland: not among its largest Bridges — Scotland: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cooloolabin 100.0% houses
Cooloolabin — Houses: 100.0%
Bridges 102.2% houses
Bridges — Houses: 102.2%
Houses

Property market

Cooloolabin Bridges
Median house price $1,305,000 $1,400,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 35 days
from 3 sales
 —

Development activity

Cooloolabin Bridges
New dwellings approved 2,962
across Sunshine Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year -41%
same for both

Ranking within QLD

Cooloolabin Bridges
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 28% of QLD Higher than 72% of QLD
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 23% of QLD Higher than 57% of QLD
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 78% of QLD Higher than 80% of QLD
NBN connectivity Higher than 43% of QLD Higher than 64% of QLD

Liveability

Cooloolabin Bridges
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
same for both

Risk profile

Bridges carries more crime risk (49 vs 28).

Cooloolabin Bridges
Bushfire Moderate
56/100
 Moderate
65/100
Crime Low
28/100
 Moderate
49/100
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
same for both

Schools

Cooloolabin Bridges
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

Cooloolabin Bridges
Parks & reserves 1 0
Waterways 6 5

Mobility

Cooloolabin sits further from the CBD (119.8 km vs 113.8 km).

Cooloolabin Bridges
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Brisbane 119.8 km
+5% vs other
 113.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 103 min 90 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 4560
 0.9%
postcode 4561
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 74
postcode 4560
 99
postcode 4561

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.

Cooloolabin Bridges
Car (driver) 74.7% / 74.1%
Cooloolabin — Car (driver): 74.7% Bridges — Car (driver): 74.1%
Worked from Home 21.8% / 20.5%
Cooloolabin — Worked from Home: 21.8% Bridges — Worked from Home: 20.5%
Walked Only 3.4% / 2.7%
Cooloolabin — Walked Only: 3.4% Bridges — Walked Only: 2.7%
Car (passenger) — / 2.7%
Cooloolabin — Car (passenger): not among its largest Bridges — Car (passenger): 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.7%).

Setting

Cooloolabin Bridges
Elevation 227 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 20 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 19.3 km 15.3 km

NBN connectivity

Cooloolabin Bridges
Connectivity score 29/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
126 premises
 0%
120 premises

Climate

Cooloolabin Bridges
Annual rainfall 1,045 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.7°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Cooloolabin Bridges
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 12.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Cooloolabin Bridges
Average residential rate $1,690/yr
same for both
Council Sunshine Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Cooloolabin Bridges
Division Fairfax
same for both
Member Ted O'Brien
same for both
Party Liberal National Party of Queensland
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cooloolabin Bridges
Grant amount $30,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cooloolabin

Family Retirees Rural

Bridges

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cooloolabin

Cooloolabin vs Yandina Cooloolabin vs Belli Park Cooloolabin vs Eerwah Vale Cooloolabin vs Gheerulla Cooloolabin vs Kiamba

Other comparisons with Bridges

Bridges vs Yandina Bridges vs Ninderry Bridges vs North Arm Bridges vs Eerwah Vale
Full data on Cooloolabin Full data on Bridges
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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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