Cooma (NSW), NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Cooma is a town on the Monaro tableland of southern New South Wales, about 114 kilometres south of Canberra and close to the Murrumbidgee River. The district is the traditional country of the Ngarigo people, and the town's name is thought to come from an Aboriginal word said to mean big lake or open country, though its origin is uncertain. Europeans explored the area in 1823, and Cooma was gazetted in 1849. The town's defining era began in 1949, when it became headquarters of the vast Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme; over the next 25 years some 65,000 workers from more than 30 countries passed through, giving Cooma a lasting multicultural character. Today it is widely known as the gateway to the Snowy Mountains.
Less advantaged than the national average
Cooma (NSW) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 31% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 953, 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.
Cooma (NSW) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 6,715
- Median age
- 44
- Median weekly household income
- $1,374
- SEIFA score
- 953
- Coordinates
- -36.2509, 149.1127
Cooma (NSW) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Cooma (NSW) 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 mid-life (45–64) at 26%, 29% of homes are rented, and 17% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,098 | 16% |
| Youth (15–24) | 640 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,668 | 25% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,758 | 26% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,535 | 23% |
Share of the 6,699 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,039 | 38% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 789 | 29% |
| Rented | 792 | 29% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 2,407 | 88% |
| Townhouses & semis | 166 | 6% |
| Flats & apartments | 121 | 4% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,726 occupied private dwellings in Cooma (NSW).
- Median weekly rent
- $290
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,907
- Median weekly personal income
- $771
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,107 (17%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 605 (10%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 301 (4%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 2,428 (45%)
- Labour-force participation
- 55.9%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.8%
- Employed full-time
- 1,851
- Employed part-time
- 988
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.
Common questions about Cooma (NSW)
Where is Cooma (NSW)?
Cooma (NSW) is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Cooma (NSW)?
At the 2021 Census, Cooma (NSW) had a population of about 6,715.
Is Cooma (NSW) an advantaged area?
Cooma (NSW) has an ABS SEIFA score of 953, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 31 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 31% of Australian suburbs.
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