Cooloolabin is a rural locality in Queensland, 120 km from Brisbane CBD, around 1 hour 45 minutes by car. Population is 311; the median age is 45 and the median household income is $62,348 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The locality grew 21.0% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $330 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,886. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 311. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
How do you rate the liveability in Cooloolabin?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Median House Price
Public listings dataThe median house sale price in Cooloolabin sits at $1.3 million, broadly flat year-on-year. That said, only six sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.
$1,305,000
Based on only 6 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 35 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 202598 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 31% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4560.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Short-Stay Rentals
1 active Airbnb listing: 1 whole home and 0 rooms. Whole homes are about 1.0% of the locality'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.
Serious Road Crashes
2020–20241 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Walkability
Cooloolabin is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all 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.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Cooloolabin.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 126
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
Sunshine Coast: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Cooloolabin is home to 311 residents, with a median age of 45, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $62,000 a year, with unemployment at 10.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
311
Median Age
45
Median Household Income
$62,348/yr
Census Median Rent
$330/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,886/mo
Avg Household Size
2.7
Median Personal Income
$29,276/yr
Unemployment Rate
10.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
5.0%
Total Dwellings
100
Owner-Occupier Rate
86.9%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
27.5%
Mortgage Stress
36.3%
Work From Home
21.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 69.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 82.3%
- Employment Rate
- 44.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 36.7%
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.
4 residents (1.3%) 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.
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 (3 of 112).
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 $1,690 a year through Sunshine Coast based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Sunshine Coast
In the year to August 2026, 2,962 new dwellings were approved across Sunshine Coast. That mix is 1,757 houses and 1,205 units. Approvals are down 41.1% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Jinibara People.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. Native title over this area has been determined.
Air Quality
CLEANPM2.5 averaged 4.3 µg/m³ in 2025 — below the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 12.3 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0.
From the Nambour (South East Queensland) monitoring station, 12.2 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Gympie, 47.2 kmHigh rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 227 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 19.3 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 3.3% of addresses
- 5 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 1,045 mm
- 88 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 30.9°C
- 14 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.7°C
- 2 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality 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.
EV adoption
In postcode 4560, 283 of 32,426 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.6% (853 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4560, 10,763 rooftop-solar systems totalling 65.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 14,573 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 778 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$30,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
$30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, with no end date. IT DID NOT REVERT TO $15,000: the tier was due to end 30 June 2026 and the 2026-27 Queensland Budget (23 June 2026) continued it for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. This file carried a "due to revert" note until 2026-09-18 — it was never true, and a note predicting a change is not the same as a change. Cap is "less than $750,000" including land and contract variations — less than, not up to. New homes only: "There are no home owner grants for established homes."
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in this locality, 12 across postcode 4560.
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 Queensland Revenue Office
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 $30,000 — see what qualifies with Queensland Revenue Office.
At $1,305,000 this is $555,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $30,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Queensland Revenue Office.
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 Ted O'Brien Liberal National Party of Queensland
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ted O'Brien | 46.8% | 53.2% | +5.7 |
| 2022 | Ted O'Brien | 41.0% | 59.0% | -4.5 |
| 2019 | Ted O'Brien | 36.6% | 63.4% | +2.6 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Marty Hunt Liberal National Party of Queensland
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Marty Hunt LNP | 52.7% |
| 2020 | Robert Skelton ALP | 50.1% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Cooloolabin?
Every figure above is a locality 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 311 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
Compare Cooloolabin to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Cooloolabin
Is Cooloolabin a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Cooloolabin is low (28/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Cooloolabin?
Cooloolabin has a moderate recorded bushfire history (56/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Cooloolabin?
Cooloolabin, QLD had a population of 311 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Cooloolabin, QLD?
The postcode for Cooloolabin, QLD is 4560.
How far is Cooloolabin from Brisbane?
Cooloolabin is 120 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 103 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Cooloolabin?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Cooloolabin was $62,348 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 Cooloolabin?
There are too few current rental listings in Cooloolabin for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $330, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Cooloolabin?
The median age of residents in Cooloolabin was 45 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Cooloolabin at risk of bushfire?
Cooloolabin has a moderate recorded bushfire history (56/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality 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.
What is the air quality in Cooloolabin?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Cooloolabin (Nambour (South East Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 4.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 12.3 µg/m³. That puts Cooloolabin below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Cooloolabin?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Cooloolabin, Gympie (47.2 km away), summer days average 30.9°C, winter nights 7.7°C, 1,045 mm of rain a year over 88 rainy days, and 14 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Cooloolabin?
First-home buyers in QLD may be eligible for $30,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by Queensland Revenue Office; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Cooloolabin belong to?
Cooloolabin sits within the Sunshine Coast local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Cooloolabin?
The average residential rates bill through Sunshine Coast is $1,690 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Cooloolabin?
Across Sunshine Coast, 2,962 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 41.1% 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 Cooloolabin in?
Cooloolabin sits within the federal Division of Fairfax, currently held by Ted O'Brien (Liberal National Party of Queensland).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2025–26
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2020–2024
- 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 · 2024
- 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.