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Noosa Heads vs Cooloola

Statistical Area 2 (SA2) comparison ≈ 49 km apart · Noosa Heads profile · Cooloola profile

Noosa Heads Cooloola

Cooloola and Noosa Heads are nearby Queensland areas with very different profiles. Cooloola is a much older community, where the typical resident is 62 and 43.7% of people are aged 65 or over. In contrast, Noosa Heads has a much wealthier and more qualified population; typical weekly household income there is $1,843, which is far higher than the $790 seen in Cooloola. Educational gaps are also wide, with 63.7% of Noosa Heads residents completing Year 12 compared to just 29.8% in Cooloola.

Both areas have a similar share of one-parent families and very few people who speak little or no English, which sits close to the national figure. However, many other gaps have widened since 2011. The difference in typical income and the number of people with university degrees have both increased. Noosa Heads has also seen a much larger rise in recent overseas arrivals and people working from home compared to Cooloola.

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Where they differ most

Year 12: 34.0 pts higher in Noosa Heads Bachelor+: 22.8 pts higher in Noosa Heads Participation: 19.6 pts higher in Noosa Heads Recent arrivals: 15.5 pts higher in Noosa Heads Rent: $270 higher in Noosa Heads

Demographics & Identity

Population in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +1,448 larger in Cooloola gap narrowing
5,120 23rd pct 6,568 32nd pct
Median age in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +8 yrs older in Cooloola gap widening
54 yrs 96th pct 62 yrs 100th pct
First Nations in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +3.3 pts higher in Cooloola gap widening
0.6% 16th pct 4.0% 70th pct
Aged 65+ in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +11.3 pts higher in Cooloola gap widening
32.4% 98th pct 43.7% 100th pct
Under 15 in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +3.4 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap steady
12.6% 12th pct 9.2% 6th pct
De facto in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +1.4 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap steady
12.4% 55th pct 10.9% 36th pct

Age structure

32.4% Seniors (65+) +11.3 pts ▸ 43.7%
30.1% Older adults (45–64) +0.2 pts ▸ 30.3%
17.5% Young adults (25–44) ◂ +6.0 pts 11.5%
12.6% Children (0–14) ◂ +3.4 pts 9.2%
7.2% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.8 pts 5.4%

Marital status

52.3% Married ◂ +0.3 pts 52.0%
27.5% Never married ◂ +6.1 pts 21.3%
11.3% Divorced +4.4 pts ▸ 15.7%
6.1% Widowed +0.7 pts ▸ 6.8%
3.0% Separated +1.3 pts ▸ 4.3%

Age & sex structure

Noosa Heads Cooloola

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +13.9 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
28.5% 64th pct 14.6% 30th pct

Country of birth

65.6% Australia +9.8 pts ▸ 75.4%
7.6% England ◂ +2.1 pts 5.5%
4.0% New Zealand ◂ +1.2 pts 2.8%
1.8% South Africa ◂ +1.1 pts 0.7%
0.4% Philippines +0.1 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.5% Italy ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%
0.4% India ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%
0.2% China ◂ +0.2 pts 0.1%
0.1% Vietnam even 0.1%
0.1% Nepal ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Ancestry

45.2% English ◂ +0.7 pts 44.5%
25.9% Australian +10.9 pts ▸ 36.8%
15.2% Scottish ◂ +3.7 pts 11.5%
14.7% Irish ◂ +2.6 pts 12.1%
5.8% German +1.7 pts ▸ 7.5%
3.7% Italian ◂ +2.3 pts 1.4%
1.9% Dutch ◂ +0.4 pts 1.5%
1.1% Chinese ◂ +0.8 pts 0.2%
0.9% Greek ◂ +0.7 pts 0.2%
0.3% Filipino +0.5 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.4% Indian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.1%
0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Language

Other language in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +6.2 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
8.3% 38th pct 2.0% 3rd pct
Limited English in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +0.5 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap steady
0.6% 29th pct 0.0% 2nd pct

Language used at home

86.1% English only +3.4 pts ▸ 89.5%
0.6% Italian ◂ +0.3 pts 0.3%
0.3% Mandarin ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.2% Cantonese ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%
0.1% Hindi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Tagalog +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.1% Greek ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.0% Arabic even 0.0%
0.0% Punjabi even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +6.2 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap steady
47.1% 75th pct 40.8% 47th pct

Religious affiliation

42.7% Christianity +5.0 pts ▸ 47.7%
47.1% No religion ◂ +6.2 pts 40.8%
7.7% Not stated +2.5 pts ▸ 10.2%
1.2% Buddhism ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%
0.6% Judaism ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.4% Hinduism ◂ +0.4 pts 0.0%
0.4% Other religions even 0.4%
0.2% Islam ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +34.0 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
63.7% 65th pct 29.8% 1st pct
Bachelor+ in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +22.8 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
30.7% 70th pct 7.9% 3rd pct
Schools in Noosa Headsin Cooloola
— 2 14th pct
Schools/1k kids in Noosa Headsin Cooloola
— 3.32 73rd pct
Schools ≤3 km in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +3 more in Noosa Heads
6 12th pct 3 6th pct
Students in Noosa Headsin Cooloola
— 341 11th pct
Avg size in Noosa Headsin Cooloola
— 171 17th pct
ICSEA in Noosa Headsin Cooloola
— 928 13th pct

Highest year of school

63.7% Year 12 ◂ +34.0 pts 29.8%
15.5% Year 10 +20.5 pts ▸ 36.0%
4.3% Year 9 or below +11.4 pts ▸ 15.7%
8.0% Year 11 +0.3 pts ▸ 8.4%

Highest qualification level

17.3% Certificate III / IV +23.0 pts ▸ 40.4%
31.0% Bachelor degree ◂ +20.2 pts 10.9%
17.9% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +4.3 pts 13.6%
8.8% Postgraduate degree ◂ +7.0 pts 1.9%
3.8% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.8 pts 2.0%
1.3% Certificate I / II +1.8 pts ▸ 3.1%

Field of qualification

21.5% Management & commerce ◂ +9.6 pts 12.0%
9.3% Engineering & related +9.1 pts ▸ 18.3%
12.2% Health ◂ +4.3 pts 7.9%
11.1% Society & culture ◂ +3.4 pts 7.7%
6.4% Architecture & building +1.8 pts ▸ 8.2%
7.9% Education ◂ +0.1 pts 7.8%
5.8% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.6 pts ▸ 7.4%
4.9% Creative arts ◂ +3.2 pts 1.7%
2.9% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +1.6 pts 1.3%
1.5% Agriculture & environment +0.8 pts ▸ 2.3%
1.1% Information technology ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%

Income

Personal income in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +$448 higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
$909 68th pct $461 0th pct
Household income in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +$1,053 higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
$1,843 56th pct $790 0th pct
Family income in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +$1,260 higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
$2,228 60th pct $968 0th pct
High earners in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +13.9 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
17.2% 76th pct 3.3% 5th pct
High-income homes in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +23.3 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
27.5% 70th pct 4.3% 0th pct

Household income distribution

25.5% $650–$1,499 +16.0 pts ▸ 41.5%
15.0% Under $650 +16.4 pts ▸ 31.4%
24.7% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +10.4 pts 14.3%
18.0% $4,000 or more ◂ +16.0 pts 2.0%
9.5% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +7.3 pts 2.2%

Personal income distribution

33.3% Under $650 +27.8 pts ▸ 61.1%
30.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +8.7 pts 22.0%
17.5% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +11.9 pts 5.6%
9.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +8.1 pts 1.3%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +14.5 pts higher in Cooloola
28.6% 53rd pct 43.1% 100th pct
Mental health in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +5.6 pts higher in Cooloola
6.3% 20th pct 11.8% 87th pct
Needs assistance in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +5.3 pts higher in Cooloola gap widening
6.1% 63rd pct 11.4% 100th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

10.3% Arthritis +10.3 pts ▸ 20.5%
6.3% Mental health +5.6 pts ▸ 11.8%
8.2% Other condition +3.2 pts ▸ 11.4%
5.4% Heart disease +3.8 pts ▸ 9.1%
5.9% Asthma +2.6 pts ▸ 8.5%
2.5% Diabetes +5.4 pts ▸ 7.9%
5.2% Cancer +1.6 pts ▸ 6.7%
1.9% Lung condition +4.5 pts ▸ 6.4%
1.3% Stroke +0.9 pts ▸ 2.1%
1.3% Dementia ◂ +0.4 pts 0.9%

Number of long-term health conditions

63.2% None ◂ +17.2 pts 46.0%
20.6% One condition +2.9 pts ▸ 23.5%
5.5% Two conditions +6.0 pts ▸ 11.5%
2.6% Three or more +5.4 pts ▸ 8.1%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +3.5 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
17.7% 72nd pct 14.2% 47th pct
Unpaid carers in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +4.1 pts higher in Cooloola gap narrowing
10.5% 25th pct 14.6% 89th pct
Unpaid child care in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +7.5 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
19.3% 12th pct 11.8% 0th pct
Defence service in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +3.5 pts higher in Cooloola
3.2% 59th pct 6.7% 94th pct
Housework 15h+ in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +5.2 pts higher in Cooloola gap narrowing
22.9% 67th pct 28.1% 96th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +228 larger in Cooloola
32 10th pct 260 61st pct
Median age in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +2 yrs older in Cooloola
28 yrs 76th pct 30 yrs 86th pct
Year 12 in Noosa Headsin Cooloola
— 29.9% 16th pct
Unemployment in Noosa Headsin Cooloola
— 12.0% 62nd pct
Median income in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +$674 higher in Noosa Heads
$1,125 92nd pct $451 11th pct
Household income in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +$1,366 higher in Noosa Heads
$2,374 86th pct $1,008 6th pct
Indigenous language in Noosa Headsin Cooloola even
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +0.3 larger in Noosa Heads gap widening
2.3 29th pct 2.0 7th pct
One-parent in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +0.9 pts higher in Cooloola gap narrowing
11.3% 33rd pct 12.2% 41st pct
Living alone in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +8.6 pts higher in Cooloola gap widening
24.5% 47th pct 33.1% 84th pct

Family composition

46.4% Couples without children +13.1 pts ▸ 59.6%
41.9% Couples with children ◂ +14.5 pts 27.4%
11.3% One-parent families +0.9 pts ▸ 12.2%
0.5% Other families +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

Household size

47.1% 2 people +3.5 pts ▸ 50.7%
24.5% 1 person +8.6 pts ▸ 33.1%
12.3% 3 people ◂ +4.4 pts 7.9%
11.1% 4 people ◂ +6.6 pts 4.5%
4.0% 5 people ◂ +1.7 pts 2.3%
0.8% 6 or more +0.4 pts ▸ 1.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +$270 higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
$550 93rd pct $280 22nd pct
Mortgage in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +$867 higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
$2,167 73rd pct $1,300 14th pct
People / bedroom in Noosa Headsin Cooloola even gap steady
0.70 0th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +2.5 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap narrowing
24.2% 42nd pct 21.7% 34th pct
Owned outright in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +5.6 pts higher in Cooloola gap steady
49.0% 94th pct 54.6% 100th pct
Separate houses in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +11.8 pts higher in Cooloola gap widening
71.7% 29th pct 83.6% 48th pct
3+ bedrooms in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +4.8 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
77.1% 43rd pct 72.3% 31st pct

How homes are owned or rented

49.0% Owned outright +5.6 pts ▸ 54.6%
24.2% Rented ◂ +2.5 pts 21.7%
23.6% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +4.8 pts 18.9%
1.8% Not stated +0.7 pts ▸ 2.5%
1.1% Other tenure +1.2 pts ▸ 2.2%

Types of homes

71.7% Separate house +11.8 pts ▸ 83.6%
19.2% Flat or apartment ◂ +14.9 pts 4.2%
8.4% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +3.1 pts 5.3%
0.0% Other dwelling +4.9 pts ▸ 4.9%

Bedrooms per home

43.6% 3 bedrooms +4.3 pts ▸ 47.9%
29.4% 4 bedrooms ◂ +7.8 pts 21.7%
18.2% 2 bedrooms ◂ +1.1 pts 17.1%
3.0% 1 bedroom +3.3 pts ▸ 6.3%
4.1% 5 or more ◂ +1.3 pts 2.7%
0.3% Studio / none +1.6 pts ▸ 1.9%

Weekly rent distribution

8.5% $200–$349 +54.1 pts ▸ 62.5%
34.4% $350–$549 ◂ +14.9 pts 19.4%
28.2% $550–$749 ◂ +28.2 pts 0.0%
20.1% $750 or more ◂ +20.1 pts 0.0%
5.8% Under $200 +7.4 pts ▸ 13.2%

Monthly mortgage distribution

20.0% $1,000–$1,799 +20.3 pts ▸ 40.3%
17.2% Under $1,000 +15.7 pts ▸ 32.9%
28.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +24.1 pts 4.2%
28.0% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +12.3 pts 15.7%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +1.6 pts higher in Cooloola gap widening
2.8% 27th pct 4.4% 46th pct
Work from home in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +16.0 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
27.5% 78th pct 11.5% 37th pct
PT commute in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +0.1 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap steady
0.9% 31st pct 0.8% 28th pct
PT stops in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +3 more in Cooloola
21 31st pct 24 34th pct
Stops/1k in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +0.45 more in Noosa Heads
4.10 47th pct 3.65 40th pct
Departures/1k in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +2,046.5 more in Noosa Heads
2,078.5 85th pct 32.0 15th pct
PT routes in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +8 more in Noosa Heads
9 57th pct 1 7th pct
Stop walk in Noosa Headsin Cooloola
4 43rd pct —
Drive to city in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +65 longer in Cooloola
92 87th pct 157 99th pct

How people get to work

45.2% Car (driver) +10.2 pts ▸ 55.4%
27.5% Worked at home ◂ +16.0 pts 11.5%
5.4% Walked ◂ +0.1 pts 5.3%
4.5% Car (passenger) +0.1 pts ▸ 4.6%
1.1% Bicycle ◂ +0.5 pts 0.7%
0.8% Bus even 0.8%
0.1% Train ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

39.8% 1 vehicle +3.4 pts ▸ 43.2%
42.0% 2 vehicles ◂ +4.8 pts 37.2%
11.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.3 pts 11.2%
2.8% No vehicle +1.6 pts ▸ 4.4%
4.2% 4 or more ◂ +0.1 pts 4.1%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +10.2 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
51.6% 86th pct 41.4% 64th pct
Recent arrivals in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +15.5 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
18.2% 78th pct 2.7% 2nd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +2.3 pts higher in Cooloola gap narrowing
3.8% 27th pct 6.1% 76th pct
Participation in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +19.6 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap widening
50.7% 14th pct 31.1% 0th pct
Full-time in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +3.3 pts higher in Noosa Heads gap steady
47.2% 1st pct 43.9% 0th pct

Industries people work in

16.9% Accommodation & food ◂ +1.9 pts 15.0%
9.8% Retail trade +3.6 pts ▸ 13.5%
12.3% Health care & social assistance ◂ +3.0 pts 9.3%
10.7% Professional & technical ◂ +8.1 pts 2.6%
8.6% Construction even 8.6%
6.3% Education & training ◂ +0.4 pts 5.9%
3.2% Administrative & support +2.0 pts ▸ 5.2%
3.5% Manufacturing +1.6 pts ▸ 5.1%
2.9% Public administration & safety +1.9 pts ▸ 4.9%
4.9% Rental & real estate ◂ +2.5 pts 2.3%
2.3% Transport & warehousing +2.5 pts ▸ 4.8%
0.9% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +3.9 pts ▸ 4.8%

Occupations people work in

25.2% Professionals ◂ +13.5 pts 11.7%
19.9% Managers ◂ +8.0 pts 12.0%
7.1% Labourers +9.8 pts ▸ 16.8%
10.9% Technicians & trades +3.5 pts ▸ 14.3%
11.7% Community & personal service +0.9 pts ▸ 12.6%
11.2% Sales workers +0.8 pts ▸ 12.0%
10.0% Clerical & administrative ◂ +0.2 pts 9.8%
2.1% Machinery operators & drivers +5.3 pts ▸ 7.4%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +7 higher in Noosa Heads
8 71st pct 1 0th pct
IRSD decile in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +7 higher in Noosa Heads
8 71st pct 1 0th pct
IER decile in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +6 higher in Noosa Heads
8 71st pct 2 14th pct
IEO decile in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +7 higher in Noosa Heads
8 71st pct 1 0th pct
IRSAD score in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +200 higher in Noosa Heads
1,063 76th pct 863 6th pct
ERP in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +1,829 higher in Cooloola
5,319 22nd pct 7,148 33rd pct
Growth in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +5.1 pts higher in Cooloola
3.1% 37th pct 8.2% 74th pct
Businesses in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +752 higher in Noosa Heads
1,196 65th pct 444 22nd pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +278 higher in Noosa Heads
1,637 93rd pct 1,359 84th pct
Max temp in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +1.0 higher in Cooloola
25.9 74th pct 26.9 83rd pct
Min temp in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +1.1 higher in Noosa Heads
16.8 88th pct 15.7 85th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +1.5 higher in Noosa Heads
6.0 59th pct 4.6 38th pct
Types ≤15 min in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +1.0 more in Noosa Heads
5.4 53rd pct 4.4 37th pct
15-min city in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +32.1 pts higher in Noosa Heads
76.4% 59th pct 44.3% 32nd pct
Walk to shops in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +27.9 pts higher in Noosa Heads
83.0% 68th pct 55.0% 43rd pct
Walk to transit in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +5.5 pts higher in Cooloola
76.6% 37th pct 82.1% 40th pct
Walk to school in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +12.9 pts higher in Cooloola
2.6% 1st pct 15.4% 8th pct
Walk to a park in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +1.1 pts higher in Cooloola
94.0% 42nd pct 95.1% 43rd pct
Walk to health in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +38.3 pts higher in Noosa Heads
74.1% 72nd pct 35.8% 41st pct
Amenities/1k in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +15.3 more in Cooloola
26.0 83rd pct 41.3 86th pct
Intersections/km² in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +62 higher in Noosa Heads
64 44th pct 2 15th pct
Mean slope in Noosa Headsin Cooloola +4.1 pts higher in Noosa Heads
8.7% 86th pct 4.6% 37th pct

Compare Noosa Heads with nearby areas

Sunshine Beach Noosaville Peregian Beach - Marcus Beach Tewantin Peregian Springs Coolum Beach Eumundi - Yandina Noosa Hinterland

Compare Cooloola with nearby areas

Gympie - North Noosa Hinterland Gympie - South Tewantin Granville Noosa Heads Noosaville Sunshine Beach

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Noosa Heads vs Cooloola [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sa2/316051434/noosa-heads/vs/319031511/cooloola