Bowral

Population growth drivers in Bowral are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Bowral's population is approximately 13,483 as of November 2025. This figure reflects a decrease of 143 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 13,626. The change is inferred from an estimated resident population of 13,463 in June 2024 and an additional 173 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 242 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 79.1% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections where data is not available, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, the area is projected to grow by 1,773 persons, reflecting an increase of 12.9% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Bowral when compared nationally

Bowral averaged approximately 106 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY21-FY25531 homes were approved, with an additional 30 approved in FY26 to date. Despite population decline during this period, new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good options for buyers.

The average expected construction cost of new dwellings was $673,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. This year, $30.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting strong commercial development momentum compared to the Rest of NSW, where Bowral's construction activity is 20.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. The dwelling mix shows a shift from predominantly detached houses (currently 84.0%) towards a growing proportion of attached dwellings and apartments (38.0%), reflecting evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs, as well as potentially diminishing developable land availability. Bowral's population density is approximately 201 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market.

By 2041, projections estimate an increase of 1,745 residents (AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Given current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Bowral has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 15 projects that may affect this region. Notable projects include Bowral and District Hospital Redevelopment - Stage 2, Bowral Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade, Bowral South New Living Area (NLA), and Retford Farm Stormwater Detention Basin. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The labour market strength in Bowral positions it well ahead of most Australian regions

Bowral has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 0.8% in June 2025, below Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.8%. As of June 2025, 5,558 residents were employed with a participation rate of 47.7%, significantly lower than Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Bowral specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 2.2 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 1.6% compared to 5.3% regionally.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the 12 months prior, employment increased by 2.8%, labour force grew by 2.6%, reducing unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.1% and unemployment rose by 0.4%. State-level data to Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, lower than the national rate of 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bowral's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

Bowral SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $50,183 and an average of $95,720 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This places Bowral among the top percentile nationally, contrasting with Rest of NSW's median income of $49,459 and average income of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Bowral would be approximately $56,511 (median) and $107,790 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Bowral rank modestly, between the 44th and 54th percentiles. Income analysis shows that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 26.7% of residents (3,599 people), consistent with broader trends across the region showing 29.9% in the same category. After housing costs, 86.0% of income remains for other expenses, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Bowral is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Bowral, as assessed at the 2016 Census, consisted of 83.5% houses and 16.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Non-Metro NSW had 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings. The home ownership rate in Bowral was 55.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.5% and rented dwellings at 17.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area, as of June 2020, was $2,300, while the median weekly rent figure was $500. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had mortgage repayments of $2,167 and rents of $430. Nationally, Bowral's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, as of June 2020, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Bowral has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 68.9% of all households, including 22.7% couples with children, 38.0% couples without children, and 7.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 31.1%, with lone person households at 29.3% and group households comprising 1.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Bowral shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Bowral's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15 and above, 36.3% have university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 22.4% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 23.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 33.1% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 14.2% and certificates at 18.9%.

A significant 24.8% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, including 8.8% in primary education, 8.1% in secondary education, and 3.4% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Transport analysis indicates 234 active transport stops in Bowral, offering a mix of train and bus services. These are supported by 61 unique routes, facilitating 3035 weekly passenger trips collectively. The accessibility rating for transport is excellent, with residents on average located 183 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 433 trips daily across all routes, translating to roughly 12 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Bowral is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Bowral faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 69% of Bowral's total population (9,343 people), compared to 66.3% in Rest of NSW and the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 12.6% and 6.3% of residents respectively.

Meanwhile, 62.9% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 64.8% in Rest of NSW. Bowral has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 38.4% (5,172 people), compared to 27.7% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors in Bowral are particularly strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

In terms of cultural diversity, Bowral records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Bowral's population, as of the 2016 Census, was predominantly born in Australia, with 77.5%. The majority were citizens, at 89.4%, and spoke English only at home, at 92.7%. Christianity was the dominant religion, practiced by 61.2% of Bowral's population.

Judaism, however, was more prevalent in Bowral than the Rest of NSW, with 0.5% compared to 0.3%. The top three ancestry groups were English (33.0%), Australian (23.8%), and Irish (11.3%). Notably, Scottish ancestry was higher in Bowral at 10.3%, compared to 9.6% regionally. French and Welsh ancestries were also slightly overrepresented, at 0.8% and 0.7% respectively.

Bowral ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Bowral is 56 years, which is notably higher than Rest of NSW's average of 43 years and Australia's average of 38 years. The 75-84 age group constitutes 16.1% of the population in Bowral, compared to Rest of NSW and the national average of 6.0%. In contrast, the 25-34 cohort makes up only 5.5% of Bowral's population. According to the 2021 Census, the 75-84 age group has grown from 15.0% to 16.1%, while the 65-74 cohort has declined from 17.5% to 15.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Bowral's age structure. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 69%, adding 606 residents to reach a total of 1,487. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 15-24 and 55-64 cohorts.