QLD · Sunshine Coast Council

Mount Coolum, 4573

Est. population · Jun 2025

7,238

Growth (1 yr)

+0.9%

Growth (5 yr)

+6.7%

Median age

44

Median income

$1,690/wk

Employment rate

60.2%

Languages at home

5.6%non-English

Most common: German, Spanish, French

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

53.4/100
Average

Top 27% of Queensland's suburbs

Verified 65% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Coastal
  • National parks
  • Green suburb
  • High desirability
  • Excellent transport
What Mount Coolum is known for: Coastal, National parks, Green suburb, High desirability, Excellent transport

Suburb profile

Mount Coolum is a coastal mid-sized suburb a long way from Brisbane, where beach life and a quieter rhythm set the tone. Neighbouring centres cover more of the weekly rhythm than the distant capital does. Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with family life visible on every street.

Parks and open space are a real strength relative to many coastal suburbs, easy for walks, sport and weekend downtime. Reasonable buses access helps with commuting and getting around locally. Homes cost more here than in most comparable suburbs.

Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.

The overall desirability read is around average, pulled by softer compared with similar coastal suburbs, though safety, plus community and employment remain brighter spots.

At a glance

Mount Coolum snapshot

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

$790/wk

Population (ERP)

7,238

+0.9% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

9.6%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#7

among Coastal & beach · Emerging

Safety

3rd

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

38th

percentile in QLD

Advantage (IRSAD)

7/10

national SEIFA decile

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
53.4/100 — Average
State standing
Top 27% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
1747th in Australia
State rank
400th in QLD
Peer rank
#7 among Coastal & beach · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#54 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence
65%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$790

Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

7,238(June 2025)

+0.9% annual · +6.7% over 5 years · 38th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.9%
5-year growth
+6.7%
Change in 1 year
+62
Change in 5 years
+457
Growth rank in QLD
38th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~7,850), extrapolated at +1.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
4,545
Median age
44
Median household income / week
$1,690
Dwelling vacancy
9.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
189 of 1,966
Median monthly mortgage
$1,863
Employment rate
60.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,112 / 503 / 162

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Community & culture

No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Aug 2026)
83
Against the person
13
Against property
45
Rate per 1,000 residents
11.5
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 350 residents
State safety percentile
3.1th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-12%

Most common offence types

  • Good Order Offences38
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)110
  • Traffic And Related Offences76
  • Drug Offences39
  • Other Property Damage58

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime MapQueensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Aug 2026; Jan 2026 to Aug 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Public transport

8 public transport stops in this suburb

  • David Low Way at Mount Coolum
  • David Low Way at Mount Coolum
  • David Low Way at Tanah Street
  • Jarnahill Dr near Quinn Ct
  • Jarnahill Dr near Quinn Ct

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

45 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 cafes · 1 supermarkets · 1 fast food · 1 places of worship · 2 playgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • A car helps for daily errands
  • Great for outdoor family life8 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
  • Reasonable bus and transport access8 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
41/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.22
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.44
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.76
Food & drink(2)
  • Daily DoseCafe
  • Presto Pasta & PizzaFast food
Shopping(1)
  • Whites IGA Mt CoolumSupermarket
Sport & outdoors(13)
  • Mount Coolum Golf ClubGolf course

    17 Lumeah Drive

  • Binnacle ParkPark
  • Fairway Close ParkPark

    10-12 Fairway Close, Mount Coolum

  • Jarnahill Drive ParkPark
  • Lumeah Drive ParkPark

    9 Lumeah Drive, Mount Coolum

  • Park (2)
  • Waalum ParkPark
  • Warrack ParkPark
  • Playground (2)
  • Basketball CourtSports field
  • Sports field
Entertainment(2)
  • Viewpoint (2)
Transport(6)

6 bus stops

Other(16)
  • BWSAlcohol
  • WestpacATM
  • Bench
  • Bicycle Parking
  • Sunshine Coast Regional COuncilBicycle Parking
  • Drinking water (3)
  • Information (2)
  • Lumeah Drive Bushland Conservation ReserveNature Reserve
  • Mount Coolum Environment ReserveNature Reserve
  • Mount Coolum Golf ClubParking
  • Parking (2)
  • Parking Space (2)
  • Mount Coolum Kingdom HallPlace of worship

    82 Mountain View Drive, Mount Coolum

  • Shower
  • Mt Coolum Aged Care CentreSocial Facility
  • Waste Basket

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

8 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Binnacle ParkPark
  • Fairway Close ParkPark
  • Jarnahill Drive ParkPark
  • Lumeah Drive Bushland Conservation ReserveNature reserve
  • Lumeah Drive ParkPark
  • Mount Coolum Environment ReserveNature reserve
  • Waalum ParkPark
  • Warrack ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
10
Parks (OSM)
8

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

Places of worship

1 places of worship within ~1.5 km

  • Mount Coolum Kingdom Hall

    82 Mountain View Drive, Mount Coolum

From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Nearest hospital
Integrative Clinical Psychology (11.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
150
Participants per 1,000 residents
20.7

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
29° / 21°
Rainfall
508 mm · ~64 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
25° / 17°
Rainfall
453 mm · ~57 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
21° / 11°
Rainfall
235 mm · ~29 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 16°
Rainfall
250 mm · ~31 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Fairfax
Member of Parliament
Ted O'BRIEN (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
130,658
Turnout (2025)
89.7%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+5.7 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 53.2%Labor 46.8%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 10.2 km away).

Coalition 46.9%Labor 53.1%

6.3 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +4.8 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • Coolum BeachLabor 56.1% · Coalition 43.9% TPP (2025)3.4 km away
  • Coolum Beach NorthLabor 56.0% · Coalition 44.0% TPP (2025)3.9 km away
  • MudjimbaLabor 50.4% · Coalition 49.6% TPP (2025)5.4 km away
  • Pacific ParadiseLabor 49.2% · Coalition 50.8% TPP (2025)5.6 km away
  • Peregian SpringsLabor 51.2% · Coalition 48.8% TPP (2025)7.2 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
7/10
IRSD decile (2021)
7/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Sunshine Coast Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.