Cooma vs Dairymans Plains

Cooma is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 49 in Dairymans Plains. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cooma, about half of households are people living alone. In Dairymans Plains, most households are couple families. On these figures, Cooma tends to suit people living alone, while Dairymans Plains suits couples.

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

Cooma

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (23 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (8 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • But Dairymans Plains is already more of a family suburb (64% vs 46%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Dairymans Plains

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($225/wk vs $290/wk)
  • But Cooma has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 8%)

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

Commuting to the city

Cooma

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (399 km vs 405.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cooma

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • But Dairymans Plains carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 62/100)

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

Investors

Dairymans Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (20.4% vs 0.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cooma Dairymans Plains
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.

Cooma Dairymans Plains
Walkability 28 / 0
Cooma — Walkability: 28/100 Dairymans Plains — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 38 / 50
Cooma — Safety: 38/100 Dairymans Plains — Safety: 50/100
Low fire risk 73 / 89
Cooma — Low fire risk: 73/100 Dairymans Plains — Low fire risk: 89/100

Demographics

Cooma has more residents (6,715 vs 183); Dairymans Plains has higher household incomes ($97,500 vs $71,448).

Cooma Dairymans Plains
Population 6,715
+97% vs other
 183
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.5% +20.4%
Median age 44 49
Median household income $71,448/yr $97,500/yr
+36% vs other
Median weekly rent $290/wk
+22% vs other
 $225/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cooma Dairymans Plains
0-4 5.7% / 6.0%
Cooma — 0-4: 5.7% Dairymans Plains — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 10.6% / 9.3%
Cooma — 5-14: 10.6% Dairymans Plains — 5-14: 9.3%
15-19 4.8% / 6.6%
Cooma — 15-19: 4.8% Dairymans Plains — 15-19: 6.6%
20-24 4.8% / 4.9%
Cooma — 20-24: 4.8% Dairymans Plains — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 12.8% / 6.6%
Cooma — 25-34: 12.8% Dairymans Plains — 25-34: 6.6%
35-44 12.1% / 12.6%
Cooma — 35-44: 12.1% Dairymans Plains — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 12.2% / 20.8%
Cooma — 45-54: 12.2% Dairymans Plains — 45-54: 20.8%
55-64 14.0% / 16.9%
Cooma — 55-64: 14.0% Dairymans Plains — 55-64: 16.9%
65-74 11.2% / 10.9%
Cooma — 65-74: 11.2% Dairymans Plains — 65-74: 10.9%
75-84 8.0% / 6.0%
Cooma — 75-84: 8.0% Dairymans Plains — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 3.6% / 4.9%
Cooma — 85+: 3.6% Dairymans Plains — 85+: 4.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cooma 31.3% couple families
Cooma — Couple Families: 31.3% Cooma — Lone Person: 48.2% Cooma — One Parent Families: 15.2% Cooma — Other Families: 0.8% Cooma — Group Household: 4.5%
Dairymans Plains 63.8% couple families
Dairymans Plains — Couple Families: 63.8% Dairymans Plains — Lone Person: 29.8% Dairymans Plains — One Parent Families: 0.0% Dairymans Plains — Other Families: 6.4% Dairymans Plains — 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.

Cooma 30.2% renting
Cooma — Owned Outright: 39.7% Cooma — Mortgage: 30.1% Cooma — Renting: 30.2%
Dairymans Plains 7.9% renting
Dairymans Plains — Owned Outright: 46.0% Dairymans Plains — Mortgage: 46.0% Dairymans Plains — Renting: 7.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cooma Dairymans Plains
Certificate III & IV 17.0% / 20.8%
Cooma — Certificate III & IV: 17.0% Dairymans Plains — Certificate III & IV: 20.8%
Bachelor Degree 9.7% / 15.8%
Cooma — Bachelor Degree: 9.7% Dairymans Plains — Bachelor Degree: 15.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 3.8%
Cooma — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Dairymans Plains — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.8%
Postgraduate Degree 3.0% / 3.3%
Cooma — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0% Dairymans Plains — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 4.4%
Cooma — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Dairymans Plains — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

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.

Cooma Dairymans Plains
England 2.2% / 3.3%
Cooma — England: 2.2% Dairymans Plains — England: 3.3%
Germany 1.3% / 2.2%
Cooma — Germany: 1.3% Dairymans Plains — Germany: 2.2%
South Africa — / 3.3%
Cooma — South Africa: not among its largest Dairymans Plains — South Africa: 3.3%
Netherlands 0.6% / 1.6%
Cooma — Netherlands: 0.6% Dairymans Plains — Netherlands: 1.6%
New Zealand 1.6% / —
Cooma — New Zealand: 1.6% Dairymans Plains — New Zealand: not among its largest
India 1.1% / —
Cooma — India: 1.1% Dairymans Plains — India: not among its largest
Italy 0.9% / —
Cooma — Italy: 0.9% Dairymans Plains — Italy: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cooma 88.4% houses
Cooma — Houses: 88.4% Cooma — Flats / Apartments: 5.5% Cooma — Townhouses: 6.1%
Dairymans Plains 92.5% houses
Dairymans Plains — Houses: 92.5% Dairymans Plains — Flats / Apartments: 7.5% Dairymans Plains — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

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

Zoning mix

Cooma Dairymans Plains
Rural and farming 64% 59%
Residential 18% 32%
Environmental 11% 7%
Parks and recreation 3% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 0%
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

Cooma Dairymans Plains
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.

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

Ranking within NSW

Cooma Dairymans Plains
House price Higher than 18% of NSW —
Income Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
Schools Higher than 51% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 9% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 80% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 51% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 86% of NSW —

Liveability

Cooma is more walkable (28 vs 0).

Cooma Dairymans Plains
Grade C —
Score 40/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Cooma carries more bushfire risk (27 vs 11); Cooma carries more crime risk (62 vs 50).

Cooma Dairymans Plains
Bushfire Low
27/100
 Low
11/100
Crime Moderate
62/100
 Moderate
50/100
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 4
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

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

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

Schools in Dairymans Plains

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

Amenities in the suburb

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

Mobility

Dairymans Plains sits further from the CBD (405.3 km vs 399 km).

Cooma Dairymans Plains
Walkability score 28/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 399 km 405.3 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 268 min 271 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.

Cooma Dairymans Plains
Car (driver) 73.3% / 74.2%
Cooma — Car (driver): 73.3% Dairymans Plains — Car (driver): 74.2%
Worked from Home 10.6% / 15.7%
Cooma — Worked from Home: 10.6% Dairymans Plains — Worked from Home: 15.7%
Walked Only 7.4% / 6.7%
Cooma — Walked Only: 7.4% Dairymans Plains — Walked Only: 6.7%
Car (passenger) 7.3% / 3.4%
Cooma — Car (passenger): 7.3% Dairymans Plains — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Bus 0.8% / —
Cooma — Bus: 0.8% Dairymans Plains — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.2%).

Setting

Cooma Dairymans Plains
Elevation 894 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 880 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

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

Climate

Cooma Dairymans Plains
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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Cooma

Acreage Affordable

Dairymans Plains

Rural

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Dairymans Plains

Dairymans Plains vs Binjura Dairymans Plains vs Murrumbucca Dairymans Plains vs Coolringdon
Full data on Cooma Full data on Dairymans Plains
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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