Cootamundra vs Coolac

Coolac is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 51 in Cootamundra. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cootamundra, about half of households are people living alone. In Coolac, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Cootamundra: a median of $435,000, against $398,000 in Coolac, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Cootamundra tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Coolac suits families with children and 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

Cootamundra

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (30 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • But Coolac is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 46%)

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

First-home buyers

Coolac

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 26%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Coolac

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($125/wk vs $220/wk)
  • But Cootamundra has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 8%)

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

Commuting to the city

Coolac

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (220 min vs 246 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (353.4 km vs 378.5 km)
  • But Cootamundra is more walkable (52/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cootamundra

ahead on 4 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (52/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 18%)

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

Investors

Coolac

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.0% vs 1.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cootamundra Coolac
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.

Cootamundra Coolac
Walkability 52 / 0
Cootamundra — Walkability: 52/100 Coolac — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 36 / 24
Cootamundra — Safety: 36/100 Coolac — Safety: 24/100
Low fire risk 57 / 74
Cootamundra — Low fire risk: 57/100 Coolac — Low fire risk: 74/100

Demographics

Cootamundra has more residents (6,885 vs 244); Cootamundra rents higher ($220/wk vs $125/wk).

Cootamundra Coolac
Population 6,885
+96% vs other
 244
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.5% +13.0%
Median age 51 37
Median household income $53,924/yr $84,500/yr
+57% vs other
Median weekly rent $220/wk
+43% vs other
 $125/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cootamundra Coolac
0-4 5.0% / 9.8%
Cootamundra — 0-4: 5.0% Coolac — 0-4: 9.8%
5-14 11.8% / 12.7%
Cootamundra — 5-14: 11.8% Coolac — 5-14: 12.7%
15-19 5.2% / 9.8%
Cootamundra — 15-19: 5.2% Coolac — 15-19: 9.8%
20-24 4.1% / 2.9%
Cootamundra — 20-24: 4.1% Coolac — 20-24: 2.9%
25-34 8.2% / 7.0%
Cootamundra — 25-34: 8.2% Coolac — 25-34: 7.0%
35-44 8.9% / 15.2%
Cootamundra — 35-44: 8.9% Coolac — 35-44: 15.2%
45-54 10.9% / 14.3%
Cootamundra — 45-54: 10.9% Coolac — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 14.7% / 9.4%
Cootamundra — 55-64: 14.7% Coolac — 55-64: 9.4%
65-74 16.5% / 12.7%
Cootamundra — 65-74: 16.5% Coolac — 65-74: 12.7%
75-84 10.9% / 5.7%
Cootamundra — 75-84: 10.9% Coolac — 75-84: 5.7%
85+ 3.9% / —
Cootamundra — 85+: 3.9% Coolac — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cootamundra 50.2% lone person
Cootamundra — Lone Person: 50.2% Cootamundra — Couple Families: 30.2% Cootamundra — One Parent Families: 15.7% Cootamundra — Group Household: 2.8% Cootamundra — Other Families: 1.1%
Coolac 32.7% lone person
Coolac — Lone Person: 32.7% Coolac — Couple Families: 50.9% Coolac — One Parent Families: 16.4% Coolac — Group Household: 0.0% Coolac — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cootamundra 24.5% renting
Cootamundra — Owned Outright: 49.8% Cootamundra — Mortgage: 25.7% Cootamundra — Renting: 24.5%
Coolac 7.6% renting
Coolac — Owned Outright: 71.2% Coolac — Mortgage: 21.2% Coolac — Renting: 7.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cootamundra 91.4% houses
Cootamundra — Houses: 91.4% Cootamundra — Townhouses: 7.1% Cootamundra — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Coolac 100.0% houses
Coolac — Houses: 100.0% Coolac — Townhouses: 0.0% Coolac — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Cootamundra Coolac
Certificate III & IV 17.0% / 11.1%
Cootamundra — Certificate III & IV: 17.0% Coolac — Certificate III & IV: 11.1%
Bachelor Degree 6.4% / 12.3%
Cootamundra — Bachelor Degree: 6.4% Coolac — Bachelor Degree: 12.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.9% / 2.9%
Cootamundra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9% Coolac — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / 3.3%
Cootamundra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Coolac — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3%
Postgraduate Degree 1.2% / 2.0%
Cootamundra — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2% Coolac — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

Property market

Cootamundra Coolac
Median house price $435,000 $397,500
Median unit price $397,000 —
Median land price $190,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 76 days
from 56 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Coolac has more rural and farming land (99% vs 89%).

Cootamundra Coolac
Rural and farming 89% 99%
Environmental 9% 1%
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

Cootamundra Coolac
New dwellings approved 26
across Cootamundra-Gundagai
same for both
Approvals change year on year +167%
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.

Cootamundra Coolac
Houses 4.2%
$460/wk on $570K
 —
Units 4.2%
$300/wk on $369K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Cootamundra Coolac
House price Higher than 14% of NSW Higher than 11% of NSW
Income Higher than 14% of NSW Higher than 52% of NSW
Schools Higher than 80% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 4% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 3% of NSW —
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 82% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 32% of NSW —

Liveability

Cootamundra is more walkable (52 vs 0).

Cootamundra Coolac
Grade C —
Score 42/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Cootamundra carries more bushfire risk (43 vs 26); Coolac carries more crime risk (76 vs 64).

Cootamundra Coolac
Bushfire Moderate
43/100
 Low
26/100
Crime Moderate
64/100
 High
76/100
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

Cootamundra Coolac
Inside the suburb 5 0
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Cootamundra

  • E A Southee Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Sacred Heart Central School Catholic · Combined above peers
  • Cootamundra Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Cootamundra High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Elouera Special School Independent · Combined · Special school

Schools in Coolac

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

Amenities in the suburb

Cootamundra Coolac
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 10 0
Parks & reserves 30 1
Childcare 5 0
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 5 0
Fuel stations 5 2
EV chargers 1
same for both
Waterways 150 31

Mobility

Cootamundra sits further from the CBD (378.5 km vs 353.4 km).

Cootamundra Coolac
Walkability score 52/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 378.5 km
+7% vs other
 353.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 246 min 220 min
Public transport score 69/100
Bus
 22/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 46.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 3 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2590
 0.0%
postcode 2727
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2590
 49
postcode 2727

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.

Cootamundra Coolac
Car (driver) 77.7% / 62.2%
Cootamundra — Car (driver): 77.7% Coolac — Car (driver): 62.2%
Worked from Home 8.8% / 29.7%
Cootamundra — Worked from Home: 8.8% Coolac — Worked from Home: 29.7%
Walked Only 5.8% / 5.4%
Cootamundra — Walked Only: 5.8% Coolac — Walked Only: 5.4%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / 2.7%
Cootamundra — Car (passenger): 6.0% Coolac — Car (passenger): 2.7%
Bus 1.2% / —
Cootamundra — Bus: 1.2% Coolac — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.7%).

Setting

Cootamundra Coolac
Elevation 329 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 423 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Cootamundra Coolac
Connectivity score 78/100 26/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
3,744 premises
 0%
59 premises

Climate

Cootamundra Coolac
Annual rainfall 541 mm 889 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 30.7°C
Winter min (Jul) — 3.9°C

Council rates

Cootamundra Coolac
Average residential rate $974/yr
same for both
Council Cootamundra-Gundagai
same for both

Federal electorate

Cootamundra Coolac
Division Riverina
same for both
Member Michael Mccormack
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cootamundra Coolac
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cootamundra

Affordable Parks Retirees River Rural

Coolac

Affordable Family Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cootamundra

Cootamundra vs Stockinbingal Cootamundra vs Wallendbeen Cootamundra vs Muttama Cootamundra vs Bethungra Cootamundra vs Beggan Beggan Cootamundra vs Dirnaseer

Other comparisons with Coolac

Coolac vs Gundagai Coolac vs South Gundagai Coolac vs Jugiong Coolac vs Muttama Coolac vs Reno Coolac vs Burra Creek
Full data on Cootamundra Full data on Coolac
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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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