Tailem Bend vs Cooke Plains

Cooke Plains is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 49 in Tailem Bend. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Tailem Bend tends to suit older residents, while Cooke 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Tailem Bend has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)
  • Cooke Plains carries lower crime risk (46/100 vs 80/100)

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

First-home buyers

Cooke Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (13% vs 22%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Cooke Plains

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 25%)
  • has cheaper rent ($120/wk vs $225/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Tailem Bend

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (56/100 vs 14/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (96.7 km vs 114.1 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (69 min vs 79 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tailem Bend

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (56/100 vs 14/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 10%)
  • But Cooke Plains carries lower crime risk (46/100 vs 80/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

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

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Tailem Bend and Cooke 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.

Tailem Bend Cooke 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.

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Walkability 56 / 14
Tailem Bend — Walkability: 56/100 Cooke Plains — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 20 / 54
Tailem Bend — Safety: 20/100 Cooke Plains — Safety: 54/100
Low fire risk 90 / 100
Tailem Bend — Low fire risk: 90/100 Cooke Plains — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Tailem Bend has more residents (1,705 vs 69); Tailem Bend rents higher ($225/wk vs $120/wk).

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Population 1,705
+96% vs other
 69
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.4% +0.0%
Median age 49 45
Median household income $47,060/yr $58,500/yr
+24% vs other
Median weekly rent $225/wk
+47% vs other
 $120/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
0-4 3.7% / —
Tailem Bend — 0-4: 3.7% Cooke Plains — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 10.5% / 13.0%
Tailem Bend — 5-14: 10.5% Cooke Plains — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 6.0% / 14.5%
Tailem Bend — 15-19: 6.0% Cooke Plains — 15-19: 14.5%
20-24 6.0% / 4.3%
Tailem Bend — 20-24: 6.0% Cooke Plains — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 9.7% / 4.3%
Tailem Bend — 25-34: 9.7% Cooke Plains — 25-34: 4.3%
35-44 9.0% / 13.0%
Tailem Bend — 35-44: 9.0% Cooke Plains — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 12.5% / 17.4%
Tailem Bend — 45-54: 12.5% Cooke Plains — 45-54: 17.4%
55-64 15.5% / 20.3%
Tailem Bend — 55-64: 15.5% Cooke Plains — 55-64: 20.3%
65-74 14.3% / 4.3%
Tailem Bend — 65-74: 14.3% Cooke Plains — 65-74: 4.3%
75-84 10.2% / 5.8%
Tailem Bend — 75-84: 10.2% Cooke Plains — 75-84: 5.8%
85+ 3.3% / —
Tailem Bend — 85+: 3.3% Cooke Plains — 85+: not among its largest

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tailem Bend 50.6% lone person
Tailem Bend — Lone Person: 50.6% Tailem Bend — Couple Families: 23.7% Tailem Bend — One Parent Families: 18.9% Tailem Bend — Group Household: 5.0% Tailem Bend — Other Families: 1.8%
Cooke Plains 50.0% lone person
Cooke Plains — Lone Person: 50.0% Cooke Plains — Couple Families: 50.0% Cooke Plains — One Parent Families: 0.0% Cooke Plains — Group Household: 0.0% Cooke Plains — 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.

Tailem Bend 23.7% renting
Tailem Bend — Owned Outright: 42.7% Tailem Bend — Mortgage: 33.6% Tailem Bend — Renting: 23.7%
Cooke Plains 28.0% renting
Cooke Plains — Owned Outright: 48.0% Cooke Plains — Mortgage: 24.0% Cooke Plains — Renting: 28.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tailem Bend 93.9% houses
Tailem Bend — Houses: 93.9% Tailem Bend — Townhouses: 4.5% Tailem Bend — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Cooke Plains 100.0% houses
Cooke Plains — Houses: 100.0% Cooke Plains — Townhouses: 0.0% Cooke Plains — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Certificate III & IV 16.8% / 18.8%
Tailem Bend — Certificate III & IV: 16.8% Cooke Plains — Certificate III & IV: 18.8%
Bachelor Degree 2.7% / 8.7%
Tailem Bend — Bachelor Degree: 2.7% Cooke Plains — Bachelor Degree: 8.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.3% / —
Tailem Bend — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.3% Cooke Plains — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.4% / —
Tailem Bend — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4% Cooke Plains — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest
Postgraduate Degree 0.3% / —
Tailem Bend — Postgraduate Degree: 0.3% Cooke Plains — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Property market

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Median house price $415,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $280,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 23 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Cooke Plains has more rural and farming land (100% vs 88%).

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Rural and farming 88% 100%
Industrial 6% 0%
Environmental 4% 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

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
New dwellings approved 28
across Coorong
same for both
Approvals change year on year -50%
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.

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Houses 3.3%
$412/wk on $640K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 13% of SA Higher than 25% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 82% of SA Higher than 68% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 47% of SA —
NBN connectivity Higher than 72% of SA Higher than 47% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 26% of SA —

Liveability

Tailem Bend is more walkable (56 vs 14).

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Grade D —
Score 27/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Tailem Bend carries more bushfire risk (10 vs 0); Tailem Bend carries more crime risk (80 vs 46).

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Bushfire Low
10/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
80/100
 Moderate
46/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Tailem Bend

  • Tailem Bend Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Cooke Plains

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

Amenities in the suburb

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 5 2
Childcare 1 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 4 0
EV chargers 1 0

Mobility

Cooke Plains sits further from the CBD (114.1 km vs 96.7 km).

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Walkability score 56/100 14/100
Distance to Adelaide 96.7 km 114.1 km
+18% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 69 min 79 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 5260
 0.0%
postcode 5261
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 67
postcode 5260
 54
postcode 5261

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.

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Car (driver) 82.5% / 54.5%
Tailem Bend — Car (driver): 82.5% Cooke Plains — Car (driver): 54.5%
Worked from Home 8.0% / 27.3%
Tailem Bend — Worked from Home: 8.0% Cooke Plains — Worked from Home: 27.3%
Walked Only 4.2% / 18.2%
Tailem Bend — Walked Only: 4.2% Cooke Plains — Walked Only: 18.2%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / —
Tailem Bend — Car (passenger): 4.6% Cooke Plains — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 0.6% / —
Tailem Bend — Bus: 0.6% Cooke Plains — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.5%).

Setting

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Elevation 22 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 7 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Connectivity score 43/100 29/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 2%
998 premises
 0%
36 premises

Climate

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Annual rainfall 345 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Average residential rate $1,465/yr
same for both
Council Coorong
same for both

Federal electorate

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Division Barker
same for both
Member Tony Pasin
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Tailem Bend Cooke Plains
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Tailem Bend

Affordable Quiet Retirees Rural

Cooke Plains

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tailem Bend

Tailem Bend vs Wellington East Tailem Bend vs Jervois Tailem Bend vs Woods Point Tailem Bend vs Monteith Tailem Bend vs Elwomple Tailem Bend vs Moorlands

Other comparisons with Cooke Plains

Cooke Plains vs Wellington East Cooke Plains vs Elwomple Cooke Plains vs Coomandook Cooke Plains vs Moorlands
Full data on Tailem Bend Full data on Cooke 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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