Federal vs Cooran
Federal is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 46 in Cooran. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Federal, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Federal: a median of $1.31 million, against $945,000 in Cooran, though rent is higher in Cooran. On these figures, Federal tends to suit couples, while Cooran 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
Cooran
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 68/100)
- But Federal is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 60%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Cooran
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($945,000 vs $1,315,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Federal
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 30%)
- has cheaper rent ($343/wk vs $385/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Federal
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (105 min vs 113 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (140.4 km vs 144.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Cooran
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 68/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Federal
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (20.5% vs 8.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Federal and Cooran drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Cooran has more residents (1,756 vs 365); Federal has higher household incomes ($80,600 vs $67,288).
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 365 | 1,756 +381% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +20.5% | +8.1% |
| Median age | 43 | 46 |
| Median household income | $80,600/yr +17% vs other | $67,288/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $343/wk | $385/wk +12% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.2%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,315,000 | $945,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $1,180,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 22 days from 11 sales |
Development activity
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 239 across Noosa same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -9% same for both | |
Gross rental yield
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | — | 2.2% $665/wk on $1.57M |
| Units | — same for both | |
Ranking within QLD
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 51% of QLD | Higher than 33% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 75% of QLD | Higher than 74% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 63% of QLD | Higher than 78% of QLD |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 63% of QLD | Higher than 69% of QLD |
| Rental yield (houses) | — | Higher than 2% of QLD |
Liveability
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | B |
| Score | — | 57/100 |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Federal carries more bushfire risk (13 vs 0); Federal carries more crime risk (68 vs 28).
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 13/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 68/100 | Low 28/100 |
| 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
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 1 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Federal
- Federal State School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Cooran
- Cooran State School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 3 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 5 | 9 |
Mobility
Cooran sits further from the CBD (144.6 km vs 140.4 km).
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 13/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 140.4 km | 144.6 km +3% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 105 min | 113 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 4568 | 0.8% postcode 4569 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 89 postcode 4568 | 80 postcode 4569 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.4%).
Setting
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 99 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 135 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 25.9 km | 24.9 km |
NBN connectivity
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 48/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 150 premises | 19% 798 premises |
Climate
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
Council rates
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,614/yr same for both | |
| Council | Noosa same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wide Bay same for both | |
| Member | Llew O'Brien same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Federal | Cooran | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Federal
Other comparisons with Cooran
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.