Council (LGA) · Area profile
Cocos Islands
14 km²
High rental rates and large family households define the Cocos Islands, where most residents live in detached houses. This small community of 593 people is notably diverse, with a very high proportion of residents speaking a language other than English at home. It is a place where family ties are strong and homes are crowded, and where the typical household income is well above the national figure. The community is predominantly Muslim and feels stable, with very few people moving in or out recently.
Household incomes here are high, yet Cocos Islands's schools draw a notably less advantaged community.
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The area is quite young, with children under 15 making up 21.1% of the population, which is well above the national figure. People aged 65 and over are less common here than in most other similar areas.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the proportion of people born overseas is far below both the state and national figures. Australian, English, and Scottish are the most common ancestries reported.
Language diversity is very high, with 64.2% of people using another language at home, far above the national average. Consequently, 21.6% of the population speak little or no English, which is far above the national figure.
Islam is the dominant religion, practiced by 65.6% of the community. Those with no religion make up 14.5% of the population, which is far below the national figure.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most areas, with only 9.4% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Only 38.5% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the national figure.
Household income is quite high, with typical weekly earnings of $2,519 and 36.1% of homes earning $3,000 or more per week, far above the national figure. However, the typical family income of $1,678 is a little below the state figure.
Residents report very few long-term health conditions (12.8%) and mental health conditions (2.2%), both of which are far below the national figures. About 5.2% of people need help with daily activities.
Unpaid housework and care are less common here than in most areas, with only 8.8% of people doing 15 or more hours of housework weekly. Volunteering is also lower than in most similar areas.
There are no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people recorded in this area.
Homes are large and crowded, with an average of 3.8 people per home, well above the national figure. This is consistent with the fact that 64.2% of families are couples with children and very few people live alone.
Rental properties are very common at 67.2%, far above the national figure, while only 9.0% of homes are owned outright. All dwellings are separate houses, and typical monthly mortgage payments are much higher than in most areas.
Every single home has at least one motor vehicle, and many have four or more. Despite this, 11.3% of people use public transport to get to work, which is well above the national figure.
The population is very stable, with only 19.9% of people moving in the last five years, far below the national average. Recent overseas arrivals are also much less common than in most other areas.
Full-time employment is high at 65.7%, well above the national figure, and the unemployment rate is very low at 2.0%. Public administration, transport, and education are the main industries for workers.
The area is considered to have low overall advantage, ranking in the bottom 20% of all areas. This is linked to very low scores for education and job skills.
Most residents can walk to groceries within 15 minutes, far above the state average. However, no homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport, and the area remains mostly car-dependent.