Cockatoo sits 61 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 1 hour 5 minutes by car. Census data records 4,408 residents with a median age of 36 and a median household income of $103,532 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. Population grew 3.6% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $370 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,742. The area shows high bushfire risk and no recorded flood exposure. 2 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Cockatoo a good suburb?
Cockatoo scores a C (43/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on prices, weaker on transit and safety.
Mixed results
2 schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 27/100 · 61.2 km · 66 min drive to Melbourne
More affordable than most
Median $850K · More affordable than 76% of VIC
High bushfire risk
Fire 99/100 · Crime 46/100 · Flood 0/100
Mid-range socio-economic
SEIFA decile 6/10 · median age 36 · 4,408 residents
Liveability Rating
43 / 100 · Ranked #528 in VICEach bar is Cockatoo's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in Cockatoo?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
43 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataCockatoo's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $850,000, about 8% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$850,000
9% below its 4 neighbours (median $930,000)
Based on 111 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 14 days — median across 44 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 7 sales $612K
- 3 bed 57 sales $789K
- 4 bed 36 sales $968K
- 5 bed 7 sales $1.14M
Land
$342,500
Based on 12 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 58 days — median across 6 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Cockatoo are currently listed at around $825,000 on average. Based on 17 houses listed in the past six months.
$825K
17 houses listed in the last 6 months.
17 of the suburb's 1,431 dwellings (1.2%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Short-Stay Rentals
15 active Airbnb listings: 14 whole homes and 1 room. Whole homes are about 0.9% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Cockatoo safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Cockatoo sits in the moderate band, with 140 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 31% on the prior year.
140 offences
30.7% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202514 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Two schools serve Cockatoo, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 384 students across 2 schools (avg 192)
- • Sectors: 1 Government, 1 Independent
- • ICSEA 1009-1049, median 1029 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Cockatoo Primary School (306 students)
Primary
Combined
Walkability
Cockatoo is car-dependent on foot — at 27/100, most errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Cockatoo.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 20.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 19.4 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 18.1 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 15.9 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Cockatoo.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 43%
- Premises covered
- 1,679
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Cardinia: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 13 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Cockatoo is home to about 4,400 residents, with a median age of 36, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $104,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
4,408
Median Age
36
Median Household Income
$103,532/yr
Census Median Rent
$370/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,742/mo
Avg Household Size
2.8
Median Personal Income
$44,356/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
5.9%
Total Dwellings
1,431
Owner-Occupier Rate
92.2%
Houses
99.7%
Rental Stress
18.6%
Mortgage Stress
20.2%
Work From Home
22.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
10 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 0 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 108 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 79.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.1%
- Employment Rate
- 64.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 37.3%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
18 residents (0.4%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 4,069 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
3% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (67 of 2,213).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,880 a year through Cardinia based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 42%
- Environmental 34%
- Residential 15%
- Parks and recreation 7%
- Infrastructure and transport 2%
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Cardinia
In the year to August 2026, 1,323 new dwellings were approved across Cardinia. That mix is 1,196 houses and 127 units. Approvals are up 12.8% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2008).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Air Quality
This station does not measure fine particles (PM2.5).
PM10 averaged 15.5 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 2.
From the Mooroolbark monitoring station, 23.0 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Powelltown Dnre, 21.9 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 223 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 32.9 km
- Annual rainfall
- 1,350 mm
- 96 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 3.1 km
EV adoption
In postcode 3781, 21 of 3,746 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.2% (46 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.8%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3781, 525 rooftop-solar systems totalling 3.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,598 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 27 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3781 in 2025-26. The most was 68, in 2000-01.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
2 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $850,000 this is $100,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Jason Wood Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jason Wood | 47.9% | 52.1% | +6.4 |
| 2022 | Jason Wood | 41.3% | 58.7% | +3.6 |
| 2019 | Jason Wood | 45.5% | 54.5% | +1.3 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Daniela De Martino Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Daniela De Martino ALP | 57.5% | 57.5% | 42.5% |
| 2018 | James Merlino ALP | 58.6% | 58.6% | 41.4% |
| 2014 | James Merlino ALP | 55.0% | 55.0% | 45.0% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Cockatoo?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 4,408 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Emerald VIC 3782
Gembrook VIC 3783
Macclesfield VIC 3782
Avonsleigh VIC 3782
Mount Burnett VIC 3781
Nangana VIC 3781
Compare Cockatoo to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Cockatoo
Is Cockatoo a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Cockatoo is moderate (46/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Cockatoo?
Cockatoo has a high recorded bushfire history (99/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). No mapped flood overlay applies. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Cockatoo a good place to live?
Cockatoo has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (43/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Cockatoo?
Cockatoo, VIC had a population of 4,408 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Cockatoo, VIC?
The postcode for Cockatoo, VIC is 3781.
How far is Cockatoo from Melbourne?
Cockatoo is 61 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 66 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Cockatoo?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Cockatoo was $103,532 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Cockatoo?
There are too few current rental listings in Cockatoo for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $370, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Cockatoo?
The median age of residents in Cockatoo was 36 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Cockatoo at risk of bushfire?
Cockatoo has a high recorded bushfire history (99/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Cockatoo?
There are 2 schools inside the Cockatoo boundary: 2 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Cockatoo walkable?
Cockatoo scores 27/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Cockatoo?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Cockatoo, Powelltown Dnre (21.9 km away), 1,350 mm of rain a year over 96 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Cockatoo?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Cockatoo belong to?
Cockatoo sits within the Cardinia local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Cockatoo?
The average residential rates bill through Cardinia is $1,880 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Cockatoo?
Across Cardinia, 1,323 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 12.8% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Cockatoo in?
Cockatoo sits within the federal Division of La Trobe, currently held by Jason Wood (Liberal).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.