Cowra
Statistical Area - sa2

Cowra is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Cowra's population is 9,204 as of August 2025, reflecting a decrease of 69 people since the 2021 Census. This decrease, representing 0.7%, is inferred from ABS estimated resident population figures and validated new addresses between June 2024 and the Census date. Population density in Cowra is 38 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, ending in August 2025, Cowra's compound annual growth rate was -0.1%, outperforming its SA3 area. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth during this period. 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 for areas not covered by the former data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

Considering these projections, Cowra is expected to increase its population by 856 persons by 2041, an 8.6% increase over 17 years, aligning with Australia's non-metropolitan areas' median growth projection.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Cowra, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Cowra has averaged approximately 27 new dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25135 dwellings were approved. As of FY-26, there have been 2 approvals so far.

Despite population decline in the area, new supply has likely kept pace with demand, providing good choice for buyers. The average expected construction cost value for new homes is $525,000. This financial year, $18.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Cowra maintains similar construction rates per person, consistent with the broader area's market balance.

Nationally, however, these rates are below average, suggesting possible planning constraints due to the area's maturity. Recent construction comprises 83.0% detached dwellings and 17.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving Cowra's traditional low density character focused on family homes. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 408 people, reflecting a quiet, low activity development environment. Population forecasts indicate Cowra will gain 790 residents by 2041. Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Cowra has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 18thth percentile nationally

"Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 14 projects potentially impacting the region. Key projects include: Cowra Drought Security Project (commencing 2023), Yarrabilly Estate (started Aug-2021), Chardonnay Hills Estate (underway since Apr-2022), and Cowra Drought Resilience Plan (initially planned for Jun-2022).".

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

AreaSearch assessment indicates Cowra faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Cowra has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, prominent essential services sectors, and an unemployment rate of 4.4% as of June 2025. The town's employment rate is 0.8% higher than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%, with workforce participation at 51.2%, compared to the region's 56.4%.

Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and education & training. Cowra has a strong specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing, which employs 1.6 times more residents than the regional average. However, professional & technical services employ only 2.6% of local workers, lower than Rest of NSW's 5.1%. Some residents commute for work, as indicated by Census data.

In the year to June 2025, Cowra's labour force decreased by 2.4%, and employment fell by 3.9%, increasing unemployment by 1.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW, where employment contracted slightly, but the labour force grew slightly, leading to a smaller increase in unemployment. Statewide, NSW saw employment contract by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs) as of Sep-25, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. Nationally, employment growth was 0.26%, and the unemployment rate was 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts suggest national employment will grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Cowra's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.9% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, though these estimates are illustrative and do not account for local population changes.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

Income in Cowra was below the national average in financial year 2022, with a median of $45,135 and an average of $52,909. In comparison, Rest of NSW had a median income of $49,459 and an average of $62,998. By March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $49,919 (median) and $58,517 (average), based on a 10.6% growth in the Wage Price Index since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Cowra all fell between the 6th and 13th percentiles nationally. The earnings profile showed that 28.6% of locals (2,632 people) earned between $400 - $799, unlike metropolitan regions where the predominant category was $1,500 - $2,999 at 29.9%. After housing costs, 86.6% of income remained, ranking at the 10th percentile nationally.

Cowra is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Cowra's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 90.0% houses and 10.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Comparatively, Non-Metro NSW had 92.0% houses and 8.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cowra stood at 42.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.4% and rented ones at 30.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,213, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,200. Median weekly rent in Cowra was $230, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $220. Nationally, Cowra's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,863 and rents substantially below the national figure of $375.

Cowra features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 63.1% of all households, including 21.4% couples with children, 28.4% couples without children, and 12.2% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 36.9%, with lone person households at 34.6% and group households making up 2.3%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the Rest of NSW average.

Cowra faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

Cowra faces educational challenges with university qualification rates at 13.1%, significantly below the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 9.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 39.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 8.9% and certificates at 30.8%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.5% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 1.6% pursuing tertiary education. Six schools operate within Cowra, educating approximately 1,655 students. The educational mix includes three primary schools, one secondary school, and two K-12 schools.

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

Cowra has 261 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 32 different routes that together offer 440 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's location to the nearest transport stop is 179 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 62 trips per day across all routes, which means each stop has approximately one trip per week.

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

Cowra faces significant health challenges, with high prevalence of common conditions across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low at approximately 47% (around 4,298 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.1%) and mental health issues (9.8%). About 60.3% of residents claim no medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW's 62.4%. Cowra has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 25.4% (around 2,341 people), compared to Rest of NSW's 23.8%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in Cowra perform better than the general population in various health metrics.

Cowra is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Cowra's cultural diversity was below average, with 91.0% citizens, 92.4% born in Australia, and 95.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 69.1%, compared to 70.4% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (32.9%), English (31.3%), and Irish (9.0%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal (7.4%) and Scottish (7.3%) groups were slightly overrepresented compared to regional averages, while Maltese (0.4%) was marginally higher than the region's 0.3%.

Cowra hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Cowra's median age is 45 years, slightly higher than Rest of NSW's 43 years and considerably older than the national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, Cowra has a notably over-represented cohort of 65-74 year-olds (13.1% locally) while 35-44 year-olds are under-represented (10.1%). Between 2021 and the present, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 10.6% to 11.7% of Cowra's population, while the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 13.8% to 13.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Cowra's age profile will evolve significantly. The 25 to 34 age cohort is projected to expand by 207 people (19%) from 1,074 to 1,282. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 15 to 24 and 65 to 74 cohorts.