Moving to Koo Wee Rup VIC 3981
What the official numbers say about living in Koo Wee Rup — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $666,500 for a median house or $485,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 99% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $320 a week, against a median household income of $1,782 a week.
About 81% of homes are owner-occupied and 19% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Koo Wee Rup grew 31% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (3,079 → 4,047 people).
Around 76% of households are families, averaging 2.7 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, New Zealand, Italy; most spoken languages besides English: Italian, Khmer, Indonesian.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Koo Wee Rup scores below the national average (decile 3 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (84% of workers), while 14% work from home.
Nearest bus interchange: Koo Wee Rup Bus Interchange, 500 m south.
Nearest airport: Moorabbin Airport, 42 km north-west.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 63 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 3 schools · 1 supermarket · 1 park — see them all on the Koo Wee Rup profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Koo Wee Rup Primary School 100 m · Koo Wee Rup Secondary College 300 m · St John the Baptist Primary School 600 m
Groceries: Woolworths 500 m
Parks and reserves: Lions Park 550 m
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Koo Wee Rup, most often seen first: Common Starling · Eurasian Blackbird · Common Myna · South-eastern Brown Thornbill · Northern Superb Fairy-wren · Pacific Black Duck.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Koo Wee Rup, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koo Wee Rup here | 4,047 | $666,500 | 3/10 | 3% |
| Lang Lang | 2,556 | $715,000 | 4/10 | 17% |
| Tooradin | 1,722 | $830,000 | 5/10 | 7% |
| Officer South | 1,159 | $772,500 | 9/10 | 3% |
| Pakenham | 54,118 | $655,000 | 4/10 | 15% |
| Nar Nar Goon | 1,023 | — | 4/10 | 2% |
| Nar Nar Goon North | 819 | $324,000 | 8/10 | 25% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Cardinia — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of La Trobe — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3981 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Koo Wee Rup profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Koo Wee Rup has a median sale price of $666,500 (2024 sales), and a unit $485,000. Renters pay a median $320 a week, and about 19% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 31% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 3,079 people to 4,047. It sits about 63 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line. Local government is Cardinia council, and the federal seat is La Trobe.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Koo Wee Rup vs Lang Lang · Koo Wee Rup vs Tooradin.
Nearby guides: Lang Lang · Tooradin · Officer South · Pakenham · Nar Nar Goon · Nar Nar Goon North.
Keep an eye on Koo Wee Rup
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