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Bombala vs Cooma

Statistical Area 2 (SA2) comparison ≈ 70 km apart · Bombala profile · Cooma profile

Bombala Cooma

Cooma and Bombala are two regional areas in New South Wales that differ significantly in their layout and demographics. Cooma is more walkable and urban, with 90.7% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and 50.1% near groceries. It also has a much higher share of recent overseas arrivals at 19.9%. Bombala is more car-dependent and rural, with a far higher proportion of people working in agriculture, forestry and fishing (28.7%) and a higher share of homes owned outright at 49.6%.

Since 2011, the two areas have drifted apart across several measures. The gap in typical age has widened, with residents now noticeably older in Bombala, and the difference in overseas births has also grown. Despite these shifts, they remain very similar in other ways: both have about the same proportion of children under 15 and an almost identical number of people per home. Both areas also see about 35% of their residents living alone.

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Where they differ most

Population: 4,307 larger in Cooma Recent arrivals: 11.8 pts higher in Cooma Owned outright: 11.5 pts higher in Bombala Rent: $90 higher in Cooma Renting: 11.0 pts higher in Cooma

Demographics & Identity

Population in Bombalain Cooma +4,307 larger in Cooma gap steady
2,454 9th pct 6,761 33rd pct
Median age in Bombalain Cooma +5 yrs older in Bombala gap widening
49 yrs 88th pct 44 yrs 75th pct
First Nations in Bombalain Cooma +1.2 pts higher in Cooma gap steady
3.3% 64th pct 4.5% 73rd pct
Aged 65+ in Bombalain Cooma +3.7 pts higher in Bombala gap widening
26.7% 89th pct 23.0% 79th pct
Under 15 in Bombalain Cooma +0.4 pts higher in Bombala gap steady
16.8% 37th pct 16.4% 32nd pct
De facto in Bombalain Cooma +3.2 pts higher in Bombala gap widening
16.1% 86th pct 12.9% 61st pct

Age structure

27.8% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.6 pts 26.2%
26.7% Seniors (65+) ◂ +3.7 pts 23.0%
19.9% Young adults (25–44) +5.0 pts ▸ 24.9%
16.8% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.4 pts 16.4%
8.9% Youth (15–24) +0.7 pts ▸ 9.6%

Marital status

45.1% Married ◂ +1.9 pts 43.2%
32.0% Never married +3.4 pts ▸ 35.4%
11.4% Divorced ◂ +1.0 pts 10.4%
7.1% Widowed +0.1 pts ▸ 7.2%
4.2% Separated ◂ +0.2 pts 4.0%

Age & sex structure

Bombala Cooma

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Bombalain Cooma +8.3 pts higher in Cooma gap widening
8.1% 9th pct 16.3% 35th pct

Country of birth

81.7% Australia ◂ +3.8 pts 77.9%
2.0% England +0.2 pts ▸ 2.2%
1.0% New Zealand +0.6 pts ▸ 1.6%
0.2% India +0.9 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.0% Italy +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.2% Philippines +0.4 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.1% South Africa +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.1% China +0.3 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% Nepal +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%

Ancestry

43.7% Australian ◂ +4.5 pts 39.2%
39.3% English ◂ +4.2 pts 35.1%
12.3% Scottish ◂ +1.3 pts 11.0%
11.7% Irish +0.2 pts ▸ 11.9%
5.2% German +0.7 pts ▸ 5.8%
1.7% Italian +1.8 pts ▸ 3.4%
0.8% Dutch +1.1 pts ▸ 1.8%
0.5% Chinese +0.8 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.2% Indian +1.0 pts ▸ 1.1%
0.2% Filipino +0.5 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.4% Greek +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.1% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%

Language

Other language in Bombalain Cooma +6.2 pts higher in Cooma gap widening
2.8% 8th pct 9.0% 41st pct
Limited English in Bombalain Cooma +0.7 pts higher in Cooma gap steady
0.4% 18th pct 1.0% 43rd pct

Language used at home

88.1% English only ◂ +5.5 pts 82.7%
0.0% Italian +0.8 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.0% Greek +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.0% Arabic +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.0% Tagalog +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.0% Cantonese +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.0% Hindi +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Mandarin +0.3 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.0% Punjabi +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Religion

No religion in Bombalain Cooma +7.3 pts higher in Cooma gap widening
29.5% 17th pct 36.8% 33rd pct

Religious affiliation

58.6% Christianity ◂ +9.4 pts 49.2%
29.5% No religion +7.3 pts ▸ 36.8%
10.7% Not stated ◂ +0.7 pts 10.1%
0.4% Buddhism +0.8 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.2% Islam +1.0 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.3% Hinduism +0.7 pts ▸ 1.0%
0.4% Other religions +0.2 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Bombalain Cooma +7.3 pts higher in Cooma gap widening
37.2% 12th pct 44.5% 28th pct
Bachelor+ in Bombalain Cooma +3.9 pts higher in Cooma gap widening
13.1% 24th pct 17.1% 38th pct
Schools in Bombalain Cooma +2 more in Cooma
4 57th pct 6 71st pct
Schools/1k kids in Bombalain Cooma +4.29 more in Bombala
9.71 98th pct 5.42 87th pct
Schools ≤3 km in Bombalain Cooma +2 more in Cooma
4 8th pct 6 12th pct
Students in Bombalain Cooma +1,096 more in Cooma
345 11th pct 1,441 49th pct
Avg size in Bombalain Cooma +154 larger in Cooma
86 6th pct 240 25th pct
ICSEA in Bombalain Cooma +53 higher in Cooma
943 17th pct 996 41st pct

Highest year of school

37.2% Year 12 +7.3 pts ▸ 44.5%
28.6% Year 10 ◂ +1.3 pts 27.3%
16.1% Year 9 or below ◂ +4.6 pts 11.5%
7.1% Year 11 ◂ +0.9 pts 6.3%

Highest qualification level

34.9% Certificate III / IV ◂ +1.8 pts 33.1%
18.1% Bachelor degree +0.4 pts ▸ 18.5%
12.3% Advanced diploma / diploma +1.4 pts ▸ 13.7%
3.2% Postgraduate degree +2.7 pts ▸ 5.8%
3.0% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.2 pts ▸ 3.2%
2.4% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.1 pts 2.4%

Field of qualification

15.0% Engineering & related +1.0 pts ▸ 16.0%
11.1% Management & commerce +4.4 pts ▸ 15.5%
10.9% Agriculture & environment ◂ +8.1 pts 2.8%
10.1% Society & culture +0.3 pts ▸ 10.4%
9.7% Health ◂ +0.6 pts 9.1%
8.0% Education ◂ +0.7 pts 7.3%
4.8% Architecture & building +1.7 pts ▸ 6.5%
4.2% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.0 pts ▸ 5.1%
2.0% Creative arts +1.2 pts ▸ 3.2%
0.9% Information technology +1.4 pts ▸ 2.3%
1.7% Natural & physical sciences +0.2 pts ▸ 1.9%

Income

Personal income in Bombalain Cooma +$67 higher in Cooma gap widening
$704 29th pct $771 43rd pct
Household income in Bombalain Cooma +$124 higher in Cooma gap widening
$1,253 17th pct $1,377 27th pct
Family income in Bombalain Cooma +$152 higher in Cooma gap narrowing
$1,759 29th pct $1,911 39th pct
High earners in Bombalain Cooma +3.4 pts higher in Cooma gap widening
6.3% 23rd pct 9.7% 45th pct
High-income homes in Bombalain Cooma +2.6 pts higher in Cooma gap steady
12.7% 24th pct 15.3% 33rd pct

Household income distribution

31.8% $650–$1,499 ◂ +1.5 pts 30.3%
25.6% $1,500–$2,999 +1.9 pts ▸ 27.5%
23.5% Under $650 ◂ +4.1 pts 19.4%
7.4% $3,000–$3,999 +1.1 pts ▸ 8.6%
5.3% $4,000 or more +1.4 pts ▸ 6.7%

Personal income distribution

41.2% Under $650 ◂ +3.2 pts 38.0%
31.9% $650–$1,499 +0.1 pts ▸ 32.0%
14.4% $1,500–$2,999 +1.4 pts ▸ 15.7%
1.9% $3,000 or more +1.1 pts ▸ 3.0%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Bombalain Cooma +2.8 pts higher in Cooma
31.1% 68th pct 33.9% 82nd pct
Mental health in Bombalain Cooma +3.7 pts higher in Cooma
7.5% 33rd pct 11.2% 81st pct
Needs assistance in Bombalain Cooma +1.6 pts higher in Cooma gap widening
5.9% 60th pct 7.6% 81st pct

Long-term health conditions reported

13.3% Arthritis ◂ +0.3 pts 12.9%
7.5% Mental health +3.7 pts ▸ 11.2%
6.6% Other condition +2.2 pts ▸ 8.8%
6.4% Asthma +2.0 pts ▸ 8.4%
5.0% Diabetes +0.9 pts ▸ 5.9%
5.4% Heart disease ◂ +0.5 pts 5.0%
3.7% Cancer ◂ +0.1 pts 3.5%
2.7% Lung condition +0.1 pts ▸ 2.8%
1.7% Stroke ◂ +0.6 pts 1.1%
1.0% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 1.2%

Number of long-term health conditions

57.7% None ◂ +2.0 pts 55.7%
19.7% One condition +1.8 pts ▸ 21.5%
7.6% Two conditions +0.1 pts ▸ 7.7%
3.7% Three or more +1.0 pts ▸ 4.7%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Bombalain Cooma +6.7 pts higher in Bombala gap narrowing
24.2% 92nd pct 17.5% 71st pct
Unpaid carers in Bombalain Cooma +1.4 pts higher in Cooma gap steady
11.5% 37th pct 12.9% 61st pct
Unpaid child care in Bombalain Cooma +0.7 pts higher in Cooma gap steady
22.1% 23rd pct 22.8% 26th pct
Defence service in Bombalain Cooma +0.4 pts higher in Cooma
3.4% 65th pct 3.8% 73rd pct
Housework 15h+ in Bombalain Cooma +4.5 pts higher in Bombala gap steady
24.9% 81st pct 20.4% 43rd pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Bombalain Cooma +222 larger in Cooma
81 26th pct 303 66th pct
Median age in Bombalain Cooma +9 yrs older in Cooma
18 yrs 5th pct 27 yrs 71st pct
Year 12 in Bombalain Cooma +6.4 pts higher in Cooma
22.9% 6th pct 29.3% 14th pct
Unemployment in Bombalain Cooma +5.6 pts higher in Bombala
12.1% 63rd pct 6.5% 28th pct
Median income in Bombalain Cooma +$141 higher in Cooma
$593 41st pct $734 67th pct
Household income in Bombalain Cooma +$208 higher in Bombala
$1,812 57th pct $1,604 44th pct
Indigenous language in Bombalain Cooma +1.7 pts higher in Cooma
0.0% 0th pct 1.7% 18th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Bombalain Cooma even gap narrowing
2.2 14th pct 2.2 14th pct
One-parent in Bombalain Cooma +3.3 pts higher in Cooma gap steady
13.0% 49th pct 16.3% 73rd pct
Living alone in Bombalain Cooma +0.5 pts higher in Bombala gap steady
35.0% 88th pct 34.5% 87th pct

Family composition

47.1% Couples with children +2.7 pts ▸ 49.8%
39.5% Couples without children ◂ +6.3 pts 33.2%
13.0% One-parent families +3.3 pts ▸ 16.3%
0.5% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 0.8%

Household size

40.4% 2 people ◂ +4.5 pts 35.8%
35.0% 1 person ◂ +0.5 pts 34.5%
9.3% 3 people +3.7 pts ▸ 12.9%
9.4% 4 people +0.6 pts ▸ 10.0%
5.5% 5 people ◂ +0.9 pts 4.6%
1.7% 6 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 2.1%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Bombalain Cooma +$90 higher in Cooma gap widening
$200 7th pct $290 24th pct
Mortgage in Bombalain Cooma +$217 higher in Cooma gap narrowing
$1,083 7th pct $1,300 14th pct
People / bedroom in Bombalain Cooma even gap steady
0.70 0th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Bombalain Cooma +11.0 pts higher in Cooma gap widening
18.2% 23rd pct 29.2% 57th pct
Owned outright in Bombalain Cooma +11.5 pts higher in Bombala gap narrowing
49.6% 95th pct 38.1% 69th pct
Separate houses in Bombalain Cooma +7.5 pts higher in Bombala gap steady
95.7% 85th pct 88.2% 59th pct
3+ bedrooms in Bombalain Cooma +0.2 pts higher in Bombala gap steady
77.2% 43rd pct 76.9% 43rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

49.6% Owned outright ◂ +11.5 pts 38.1%
18.2% Rented +11.0 pts ▸ 29.2%
25.1% Owned with a mortgage +3.8 pts ▸ 28.9%
5.1% Other tenure ◂ +2.8 pts 2.3%
2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.7 pts 1.5%

Types of homes

95.7% Separate house ◂ +7.5 pts 88.2%
1.5% Townhouse / semi-detached +4.5 pts ▸ 6.1%
1.0% Flat or apartment +3.4 pts ▸ 4.4%
1.0% Other dwelling ◂ +0.1 pts 0.9%

Bedrooms per home

47.5% 3 bedrooms +0.1 pts ▸ 47.6%
24.0% 4 bedrooms ◂ +0.6 pts 23.3%
17.4% 2 bedrooms ◂ +0.7 pts 16.8%
5.7% 5 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 6.0%
3.1% 1 bedroom +1.4 pts ▸ 4.4%
0.8% Studio / none ◂ +0.6 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

44.1% $200–$349 +3.4 pts ▸ 47.5%
43.0% Under $200 ◂ +25.1 pts 17.9%
5.0% $350–$549 +18.1 pts ▸ 23.1%
0.0% $550–$749 +2.4 pts ▸ 2.4%
0.0% $750 or more +1.0 pts ▸ 1.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

40.7% $1,000–$1,799 +6.0 pts ▸ 46.6%
39.4% Under $1,000 ◂ +13.0 pts 26.4%
8.5% $1,800–$2,999 +8.8 pts ▸ 17.3%
5.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.7 pts 3.5%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Bombalain Cooma +3.3 pts higher in Cooma gap steady
3.9% 41st pct 7.2% 68th pct
Work from home in Bombalain Cooma +4.3 pts higher in Bombala gap narrowing
13.3% 45th pct 9.0% 26th pct
PT commute in Bombalain Cooma +0.6 pts higher in Cooma gap steady
0.0% 0th pct 0.6% 20th pct
PT stops in Bombalain Cooma +64 more in Cooma
4 10th pct 68 73rd pct
Stops/1k in Bombalain Cooma +8.43 more in Cooma
1.63 18th pct 10.06 87th pct
Departures/1k in Bombalain Cooma +86.5 more in Cooma
6.5 5th pct 93.0 19th pct
PT routes in Bombalain Cooma +3 more in Cooma
3 21st pct 6 43rd pct
Stop walk in Bombalain Cooma
— 7 61st pct

How people get to work

64.6% Car (driver) ◂ +1.3 pts 63.3%
13.3% Worked at home ◂ +4.3 pts 9.0%
2.8% Car (passenger) +3.5 pts ▸ 6.4%
5.8% Walked +0.6 pts ▸ 6.4%
0.0% Bus +0.6 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.5% Bicycle ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

32.6% 1 vehicle +7.8 pts ▸ 40.3%
37.7% 2 vehicles ◂ +2.7 pts 35.0%
17.2% 3 vehicles ◂ +5.9 pts 11.3%
8.3% 4 or more ◂ +2.1 pts 6.2%
3.9% No vehicle +3.3 pts ▸ 7.2%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Bombalain Cooma +5.4 pts higher in Cooma gap steady
30.6% 19th pct 36.0% 42nd pct
Recent arrivals in Bombalain Cooma +11.8 pts higher in Cooma gap widening
8.1% 35th pct 19.9% 82nd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Bombalain Cooma +0.3 pts higher in Bombala gap narrowing
4.1% 36th pct 3.8% 27th pct
Participation in Bombalain Cooma +0.3 pts higher in Bombala gap steady
56.2% 28th pct 55.8% 27th pct
Full-time in Bombalain Cooma +1.1 pts higher in Bombala gap steady
62.3% 76th pct 61.2% 69th pct

Industries people work in

28.7% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +26.3 pts 2.4%
8.9% Retail trade +4.0 pts ▸ 12.9%
5.8% Construction +6.0 pts ▸ 11.8%
9.2% Health care & social assistance +1.7 pts ▸ 10.9%
5.7% Public administration & safety +4.3 pts ▸ 10.0%
9.2% Manufacturing ◂ +7.0 pts 2.2%
5.0% Accommodation & food +3.9 pts ▸ 8.9%
8.2% Education & training +0.6 pts ▸ 8.8%
0.9% Electricity, gas & water +5.4 pts ▸ 6.4%
2.0% Professional & technical +2.3 pts ▸ 4.3%
3.4% Transport & warehousing +0.7 pts ▸ 4.2%
1.8% Other services +1.5 pts ▸ 3.3%

Occupations people work in

23.1% Managers ◂ +10.9 pts 12.2%
10.5% Professionals +7.5 pts ▸ 18.0%
15.7% Labourers ◂ +5.4 pts 10.3%
10.2% Technicians & trades +3.6 pts ▸ 13.8%
9.9% Community & personal service +3.3 pts ▸ 13.2%
13.1% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +5.6 pts 7.5%
8.6% Clerical & administrative +4.4 pts ▸ 13.0%
6.4% Sales workers +3.9 pts ▸ 10.3%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Bombalain Cooma +1 higher in Cooma
3 29th pct 4 36th pct
IRSD decile in Bombalain Cooma +1 higher in Cooma
3 29th pct 4 36th pct
IER decile in Bombalain Cooma +1 higher in Bombala
4 36th pct 3 29th pct
IEO decile in Bombalain Cooma +1 higher in Cooma
3 29th pct 4 36th pct
IRSAD score in Bombalain Cooma +18 higher in Cooma
935 24th pct 953 31st pct
ERP in Bombalain Cooma +4,124 higher in Cooma
2,474 9th pct 6,598 30th pct
Growth in Bombalain Cooma +3.4 pts higher in Bombala
1.0% 19th pct -2.4% 1st pct
Businesses in Bombalain Cooma +233 higher in Cooma
416 20th pct 649 34th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Bombalain Cooma +107 higher in Bombala
700 33rd pct 593 18th pct
Max temp in Bombalain Cooma +0.5 higher in Bombala
19.3 11th pct 18.8 9th pct
Min temp in Bombalain Cooma +1.0 higher in Bombala
5.2 0th pct 4.2 0th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Bombalain Cooma +2.2 higher in Cooma
3.2 21st pct 5.4 50th pct
Types ≤15 min in Bombalain Cooma +1.8 more in Cooma
3.6 26th pct 5.3 51st pct
15-min city in Bombalain Cooma +9.6 pts higher in Cooma
42.0% 30th pct 51.6% 39th pct
Walk to shops in Bombalain Cooma +10.2 pts higher in Cooma
39.9% 29th pct 50.1% 39th pct
Walk to transit in Bombalain Cooma +66.1 pts higher in Cooma
24.5% 16th pct 90.7% 49th pct
Walk to school in Bombalain Cooma +26.8 pts higher in Cooma
47.7% 28th pct 74.5% 51st pct
Walk to a park in Bombalain Cooma +33.8 pts higher in Cooma
55.4% 16th pct 89.2% 37th pct
Walk to health in Bombalain Cooma +22.1 pts higher in Cooma
30.8% 35th pct 52.9% 56th pct
Amenities/1k in Bombalain Cooma +7.5 more in Cooma
20.0 73rd pct 27.5 86th pct
Intersections/km² in Bombalain Cooma +8 higher in Cooma
0 4th pct 9 23rd pct
Mean slope in Bombalain Cooma +1.4 pts higher in Bombala
8.7% 86th pct 7.4% 76th pct

Compare Bombala with nearby areas

Bega-Eden Hinterland Cooma Merimbula - Tura Beach Orbost Bega - Tathra Eden Jindabyne - Berridale Cooma Surrounds

Compare Cooma with nearby areas

Cooma Surrounds Jindabyne - Berridale Deua - Wadbilliga Namadgi Bombala Queanbeyan Surrounds Tuggeranong Banks

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Bombala vs Cooma [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa2/101031013/bombala/vs/101031014/cooma