Coolangatta (Qld), QLD
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Coolangatta is the southernmost suburb of the Gold Coast, sitting right on the Queensland–New South Wales border where it merges with the twin town of Tweed Heads. It lies in Bundjalung country, with the Yugambeh people as local custodians. The suburb is built around its beaches: Greenmount, Kirra and the famous Snapper Rocks, where the 'Superbank' sandbar produces some of the longest rideable waves in the world and draws professional surfers each year. With the Gold Coast Airport close by, it has long been an easygoing holiday town. It was named in 1883 after the schooner Coolangatta, wrecked nearby in 1846 — a name thought to be of Aboriginal origin.
Around the national middle
Coolangatta (Qld) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 53% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 992, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Coolangatta (Qld) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 6,491
- Median age
- 50
- Median weekly household income
- $1,331
- SEIFA score
- 992
- Coordinates
- -28.1694, 153.5308
Coolangatta (Qld) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Coolangatta (Qld) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 28%, 41% of homes are rented, and 23% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 538 | 8% |
| Youth (15–24) | 568 | 9% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,812 | 28% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,773 | 27% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,810 | 28% |
Share of the 6,501 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,076 | 37% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 564 | 19% |
| Rented | 1,213 | 41% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 385 | 13% |
| Townhouses & semis | 214 | 7% |
| Flats & apartments | 2,263 | 77% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,945 occupied private dwellings in Coolangatta (Qld).
- Median weekly rent
- $405
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,805
- Average household size
- 1.9 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,787
- Median weekly personal income
- $785
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,359 (23%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 559 (9%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 144 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 3,195 (54%)
- Labour-force participation
- 55.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.7%
- Employed full-time
- 1,556
- Employed part-time
- 1,226
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Coolangatta (Qld)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Coolangatta (Qld) is January (average daytime high around 27.1°C) and the coolest is July (around 19.5°C). The area receives roughly 1226 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27.1°C | 20.9°C | 117 mm |
| Feb | 26.8°C | 20.7°C | 212 mm |
| Mar | 26.3°C | 20°C | 187 mm |
| Apr | 24.1°C | 17.2°C | 81 mm |
| May | 21.8°C | 14.4°C | 98 mm |
| Jun | 19.7°C | 12.1°C | 83 mm |
| Jul | 19.5°C | 11.1°C | 59 mm |
| Aug | 20.5°C | 11.6°C | 51 mm |
| Sep | 22.1°C | 13.7°C | 49 mm |
| Oct | 23.6°C | 16.3°C | 93 mm |
| Nov | 25.2°C | 17.9°C | 75 mm |
| Dec | 26.6°C | 19.8°C | 121 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Coolangatta (Qld)
Where is Coolangatta (Qld)?
Coolangatta (Qld) is a suburb of Queensland, Australia.
What is the population of Coolangatta (Qld)?
At the 2021 Census, Coolangatta (Qld) had a population of about 6,491.
Is Coolangatta (Qld) an advantaged area?
Coolangatta (Qld) has an ABS SEIFA score of 992, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 53 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 53% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Coolangatta (Qld)?
Coolangatta (Qld) has average daytime highs of about 23.6°C and overnight lows of about 16.3°C, with roughly 1,226 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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