NSW · Central Coast (NSW) Council
Copacabana, 2251
Current weather
16.1°CClear sky
58% humidity · 14.3 km/h wind · 21.8° / 13.6° today · 4.3 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Coastal
- Green suburb
- Excellent transport
- Cycling
- High desirability
Suburb profile
Life in Copacabana revolves around the coast, with the feel of a mid-sized suburb that never strays far from the water. Coastal character runs through daily life, with the wider region offering extra trips and outings when you want them. Sea breezes and coastal air are part of everyday life, especially on warmer evenings.
Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with family life visible on every street. Pocket parks and green corners give residents room to get outside without leaving the neighbourhood. Strong public transport connections keep the wider area accessible.
Housing carries a premium, but residents tend to feel the lifestyle justifies the commitment. Construction and infill projects are noticeably reshaping parts of the area.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because local dining and lifestyle amenities and housing affordability lag similar coastal suburbs, despite relative strength in growth momentum and community and employment. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 2,809
- Median age
- 43
- Median household income / week
- $2,143
- Dwelling vacancy
- 28.4%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 392 of 1,379
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,300
- Employment rate
- 63.2%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 86 / 24 / 26
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $550
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $850
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $778
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 142
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. 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
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 79
- Against the person
- 25
- Against property
- 36
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 28.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 112 residents
- State safety percentile
- 6.1th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -2.2%
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order76
- Domestic Violence Related Assault79
- Fraud74
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment114
- Malicious Damage To Property110
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 1,064
- Copacabana Public SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
30 public transport stops in this suburb
- 73 Del Mar Dr
- Copabacana Public School, Pueblo St
- Copacabana Dr Opp Cullens Rd
- Del Mar Dr At Birdland Cl
- Oceano St Walkway, Del Mar Dr
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
257 planning-related records
2026· 22 proposals
June 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation8 WARWILLA AVENUE COPACABANA 2251Additional Information Requested
May 2026
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool166 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure1 BIRDLAND CLOSE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure1 FIESTA CRESCENT COPACABANA 2251Additional Information Requested
April 2026
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation15 CIRCULO DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure29 HELEN DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Portable swimming pools and spas and child-resistant barriers; Residential Accommodation324 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure260 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Determined
March 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure17 HELEN DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation19 CIRCULO DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure58 BRANGA AVENUE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah191 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure5 LADERA DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure128 COPACABANA DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Additional Information Requested
- Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Swimming pool24 WARWILLA AVENUE COPACABANA 2251Determined
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation146 DEL MAR DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Additional Information Requested
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation24 DEL MAR DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Demolition126 COPACABANA DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure29 SEGURA STREET COPACABANA 2251Determined
January 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure164 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development128 OCEANO STREET COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure6 LAGUNA AVENUE COPACABANA 2251Determined
2025· 18 proposals
December 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure213 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation21 OCEANO STREET COPACABANA 2251Determined
November 2025
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure196 CAPE THREE POINTS ROAD COPACABANA 2251Additional Information Requested
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure82 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah314 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Determined
October 2025
- Subdivision34 OCEANO STREET COPACABANA 2251Under Assessment
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure30 CHICO STREET COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure86 DEL RIO DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Food and drink premise2 220 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Determined
September 2025
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure184 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure190 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure7 MUNYANA STREET COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure131 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure61 DEL RIO DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Determined
July 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Carport8 LADERA DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure7 CARMEN CLOSE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Landscaping structures; Swimming pool23 CIRCULO DRIVE COPACABANA 2251Determined
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Swimming pool60 DEL MONTE PLACE COPACABANA 2251Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
46 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Bbq (2)
- Bench (4)
- Pocock family giftBench
- Bicycle Parking
- 73 Del Mar DrBus stop
- Cape Three Points opp Cullens RdBus stop
- Chico St after Lucia AvBus stop
- Copabacana Public School, Pueblo StBus stop
- Copacabana Dr after Helen DrBus stop
- Copacabana Dr opp Cullens RdBus stop
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
2 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Shaun Brinklow ParkPark
- Susan Fahey ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 10/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 9/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 8
- Parks (OSM)
- 5
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
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 42.6/100 — Average
- State standing
- Top 45% of New South Wales' suburbs
- National rank
- 3017th in Australia
- State rank
- 961st in NSW
- Peer rank
- #51 among Coastal & beach · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #101 among Coastal & beach suburbs
- Data confidence
- 78%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- 73 Del Mar Dramenitiesbus_stop
- Bbqamenitiesbbq
- Bbqamenitiesbbq
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Benchamenitiesbench
- Bicycle Parkingamenitiesbicycle_parking
- Cape Three Points opp Cullens Rdamenitiesbus_stop
- Chico St after Lucia Avamenitiesbus_stop
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Central Coast (NSW) Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.