Tweed Heads West vs Cobaki

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Tweed Heads West, about half of households are people living alone. In Cobaki, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Cobaki: a median of $2.8 million, against $1.1 million in Tweed Heads West, though rent is higher in Tweed Heads West. On these figures, Tweed Heads West tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Cobaki 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

Cobaki

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 63/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 56%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 43%)
  • But Tweed Heads West has more parks and reserves (7 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Tweed Heads West has cheaper houses ($1,100,000 vs $2,800,000)
  • Cobaki leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 37%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cobaki

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 34%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $350/wk)
  • But Tweed Heads West has a bigger rental market to choose from (31% vs 14%)

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

Commuting to the city

Tweed Heads West

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (40/100 vs 6/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (517 min vs 524 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (811.9 km vs 817.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tweed Heads West

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (40/100 vs 6/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 15%)
  • But Cobaki carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 63/100)

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

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

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
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.

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Walkability 40 / 6
Tweed Heads West — Walkability: 40/100 Cobaki — Walkability: 6/100
Safety 37 / 78
Tweed Heads West — Safety: 37/100 Cobaki — Safety: 78/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Tweed Heads West — Low fire risk: 100/100 Cobaki — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Tweed Heads West has more residents (6,176 vs 203); Cobaki has higher household incomes ($99,112 vs $53,508).

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Population 6,176
+97% vs other
 203
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.3% -1.0%
Median age 47 46
Median household income $53,508/yr $99,112/yr
+85% vs other
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+14% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
0-4 4.8% / 3.9%
Tweed Heads West — 0-4: 4.8% Cobaki — 0-4: 3.9%
5-14 9.6% / 15.8%
Tweed Heads West — 5-14: 9.6% Cobaki — 5-14: 15.8%
15-19 4.3% / 4.9%
Tweed Heads West — 15-19: 4.3% Cobaki — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 4.8% / 4.9%
Tweed Heads West — 20-24: 4.8% Cobaki — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 12.7% / 8.4%
Tweed Heads West — 25-34: 12.7% Cobaki — 25-34: 8.4%
35-44 11.0% / 12.3%
Tweed Heads West — 35-44: 11.0% Cobaki — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 11.3% / 15.3%
Tweed Heads West — 45-54: 11.3% Cobaki — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 12.6% / 21.7%
Tweed Heads West — 55-64: 12.6% Cobaki — 55-64: 21.7%
65-74 14.3% / 11.8%
Tweed Heads West — 65-74: 14.3% Cobaki — 65-74: 11.8%
75-84 10.4% / 2.0%
Tweed Heads West — 75-84: 10.4% Cobaki — 75-84: 2.0%
85+ 4.5% / 1.5%
Tweed Heads West — 85+: 4.5% Cobaki — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tweed Heads West 24.3% couple families
Tweed Heads West — Couple Families: 24.3% Tweed Heads West — Lone Person: 48.9% Tweed Heads West — One Parent Families: 19.0% Tweed Heads West — Group Household: 6.4% Tweed Heads West — Other Families: 1.3%
Cobaki 56.0% couple families
Cobaki — Couple Families: 56.0% Cobaki — Lone Person: 18.0% Cobaki — One Parent Families: 18.0% Cobaki — Group Household: 8.0% Cobaki — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Tweed Heads West 30.9% renting
Tweed Heads West — Owned Outright: 40.9% Tweed Heads West — Mortgage: 28.2% Tweed Heads West — Renting: 30.9%
Cobaki 13.6% renting
Cobaki — Owned Outright: 30.3% Cobaki — Mortgage: 56.1% Cobaki — Renting: 13.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
England 4.7% / 2.5%
Tweed Heads West — England: 4.7% Cobaki — England: 2.5%
New Zealand 3.5% / 1.5%
Tweed Heads West — New Zealand: 3.5% Cobaki — New Zealand: 1.5%
India 1.1% / —
Tweed Heads West — India: 1.1% Cobaki — India: not among its largest
Philippines 1.0% / —
Tweed Heads West — Philippines: 1.0% Cobaki — Philippines: not among its largest
Brazil 0.7% / —
Tweed Heads West — Brazil: 0.7% Cobaki — Brazil: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

Qualifications

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

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Certificate III & IV 18.0% / 16.3%
Tweed Heads West — Certificate III & IV: 18.0% Cobaki — Certificate III & IV: 16.3%
Bachelor Degree 7.4% / 13.3%
Tweed Heads West — Bachelor Degree: 7.4% Cobaki — Bachelor Degree: 13.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.2% / 5.9%
Tweed Heads West — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2% Cobaki — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 3.0%
Tweed Heads West — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Cobaki — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%
Postgraduate Degree 2.1% / 1.5%
Tweed Heads West — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1% Cobaki — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tweed Heads West 56.4% houses
Tweed Heads West — Houses: 56.4% Tweed Heads West — Townhouses: 21.9% Tweed Heads West — Flats / Apartments: 21.7%
Cobaki 100.0% houses
Cobaki — Houses: 100.0% Cobaki — Townhouses: 0.0% Cobaki — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Median house price $1,100,000 $2,800,000
Median unit price $658,750 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 68 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Cobaki has more rural and farming land (73% vs 5%); Tweed Heads West has more land zoned for conservation (21% vs 3%).

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Rural and farming 5% 73%
Other and special use 25% 11%
Infrastructure and transport 23% 0%
Environmental 21% 3%
Residential 20% 13%
Parks and recreation 4% 0%
Industrial 2% 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

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
New dwellings approved 331
across Tweed
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.

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Houses 6.2%
$985/wk on $825K
 —
Units 4.8%
$660/wk on $722K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
House price Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
Income Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 6% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 38% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 99% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 55% of NSW —

Liveability

Tweed Heads West is more walkable (40 vs 6).

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Grade C —
Score 36/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Tweed Heads West carries more crime risk (63 vs 22).

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
63/100
 Low
22/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise High
100/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
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
Universities within 10 km 1
Gold Coast Airport Development Park - Bilinga, 2.6 km
 1
Gold Coast Airport Development Park - Bilinga, 7.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.0% 1.5%

Amenities in the suburb

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Cafes & restaurants 4 0
Parks & reserves 7 0
Childcare 2 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Cobaki sits further from the CBD (817.7 km vs 811.9 km).

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Walkability score 40/100 6/100
Distance to Sydney 811.9 km 817.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 517 min 524 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2485
 0.6%
postcode 2486
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 2485
 74
postcode 2486

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.

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Car (driver) 80.7% / 70.7%
Tweed Heads West — Car (driver): 80.7% Cobaki — Car (driver): 70.7%
Worked from Home 11.0% / 29.3%
Tweed Heads West — Worked from Home: 11.0% Cobaki — Worked from Home: 29.3%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / —
Tweed Heads West — Car (passenger): 5.4% Cobaki — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 1.2% / —
Tweed Heads West — Walked Only: 1.2% Cobaki — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 0.9% / —
Tweed Heads West — Bus: 0.9% Cobaki — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.7%).

Setting

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Elevation 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 48 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.8 km
2.8 km to a named beach
 7.6 km

NBN connectivity

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Connectivity score 57/100 27/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 23%
3,103 premises
 0%
60 premises

Climate

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Annual rainfall 1,637 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Average residential rate $1,745/yr
same for both
Council Tweed
same for both

Federal electorate

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Tweed Heads West Cobaki
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Tweed Heads West

Coastal Parks Retirees Townhouses

Cobaki

Premium Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tweed Heads West

Tweed Heads West vs Tweed Heads Tweed Heads West vs Tweed Heads South Tweed Heads West vs Bilambil Heights

Other comparisons with Cobaki

Cobaki vs Bilambil Heights Cobaki vs Bilambil Cobaki vs Piggabeen Cobaki vs Carool
Full data on Tweed Heads West Full data on Cobaki
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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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