Bowen
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Bowen are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Bowen's population was around 11,190 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 1,316 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,874. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,054 in June 2024 and an additional 70 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 212 persons per square kilometer. Bowen's growth of 13.3% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (7.5%) and the SA3 area, marking it as a growth leader. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 51.1%.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are used, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. These state projections do not provide age category splits, so proportional growth weightings from ABS Greater Capital Region projections are applied. Based on projected demographic shifts, a significant population increase is forecast for the top quartile of regional areas by 2041, with Bowen expected to grow by 2,895 persons, an increase of 24.7% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Bowen among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Bowen recorded approximately 31 residential properties approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25159 homes were approved, with an additional 12 approved so far in FY26. Each dwelling built attracted an average of 8.9 people per year over these five years, indicating high demand outpacing supply and potentially driving up prices and increasing buyer competition.

The average construction value for new properties was $866,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment. In FY26, commercial approvals totaled $2.9 million, reflecting Bowen's primarily residential nature. Compared to the Rest of Qld, Bowen had 72.0% more building activity per person as of recent data. This level is below the national average, implying maturity and possible planning constraints in the area. Recent construction comprised 66.0% detached houses and 34.0% attached dwellings, offering a mix of medium-density options across price brackets. This shift from the existing housing composition (currently 82.0% houses) suggests decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyle needs for more diverse housing options.

With around 232 people per approval, Bowen indicates a transitioning market. By 2041, Bowen is projected to grow by 2,759 residents. If current development rates persist, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

Bowen has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 21stth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified nine projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Bowen Pipeline Project, Bowen Courthouse Restoration, Bowen Industrial Estate Development, and Bowen Orbital Spaceport. Below is a list detailing those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis indicates Bowen maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Bowen has a balanced workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 3.4% as of June 2025.

The area experienced an estimated employment growth of 2.2% over the past year. As of June 2025, 5,256 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, which is 0.5% lower than Rest of Qld's rate. Workforce participation was at 55.9%, slightly below Rest of Qld's 59.1%. The dominant employment sectors among residents included agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and transport, postal & warehousing.

Bowen had a particularly strong specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share 3.6 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance was under-represented, with only 11.4% of Bowen's workforce compared to 16.1% in Rest of Qld. Employment opportunities locally appeared limited based on Census data comparison between working population and resident population. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 2.2%, while labour force decreased by 0.3%, resulting in a 2.4 percentage point drop in unemployment rate. Conversely, Rest of Qld saw employment growth of 1.8% and labour force growth of 2.0%, with a slight rise in unemployment rate. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project an expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bowen's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.4% over five years and 11.8% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Bowen's median taxpayer income was $47,916 and average income was $63,361 in financial year 2022, according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is slightly below the national average. In comparison, Rest of Qld had a median income of $50,780 and an average income of $64,844 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.99% since financial year 2022, estimated median and average incomes for Bowen as of September 2025 would be approximately $54,619 and $72,225 respectively. The 2021 Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in Bowen ranked modestly, between the 22nd and 30th percentiles. The earnings profile indicates that 28.2% of locals (3,155 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, similar to the metropolitan region where 31.7% occupy this range. After housing costs, 84.9% of income remains, which ranks at the 23rd percentile nationally.

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

The dwelling structure in Bowen, as evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 81.8% houses and 18.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Qld's 86.1% houses and 13.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bowen stood at 33.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.2% and rented dwellings at 41.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, higher than Non-Metro Qld's average of $1,300. The median weekly rent figure in Bowen was $270, compared to Non-Metro Qld's $200. Nationally, Bowen's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Bowen features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 65.3 percent of all households, including 23.6 percent couples with children, 30.4 percent couples without children, and 10.2 percent single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 34.7 percent, with lone person households at 30.2 percent and group households making up 4.5 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Qld average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 12.8%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both challenges and opportunities for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 9.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.4%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 40.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (8.2%) and certificates (32.3%).

Educational participation is high at 29.6%, including 12.2% in primary education, 9.9% in secondary education, and 1.8% pursuing tertiary education. Bowen's 5 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,671 students as of the latest data. The area has varied educational conditions with 3 primary and 2 secondary schools serving distinct age groups. Note: some schools may not report enrollments if they are served by their parent campus.

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

Bowen has 81 active public transport stops, all serving buses. There are four routes in total, offering 136 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility of transport is moderate, with residents on average 579 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 19 trips per day across all routes, which amounts to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

Health performance in Bowen is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Bowen faces significant health challenges with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover in Bowen is approximately 51% of the total population (~5,729 people), slightly lagging behind the average SA2 area's 60.4%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 9.6 and 8.0% of residents respectively. However, 66.4% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.7% across the rest of Queensland. Bowen has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 19.7% (2,208 people), compared to 12.6% in the rest of Queensland. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

Bowen ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Bowen's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 81.8% of its population being citizens born in Australia who speak English only at home. The majority religion in Bowen is Christianity, practiced by 54.9% of the population, slightly higher than the regional average of 53.6%. In terms of ancestry, Australians make up 28.7%, English 27.1%, and Other 8.2% of Bowen's population.

Notably, Australian Aboriginal people are overrepresented in Bowen at 7.2%, compared to 5.1% regionally. Samoan (0.3%) and Korean (0.4%) populations also exceed regional averages by 0.1%.

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

The median age in Bowen as of 2021 was 41 years, matching Rest of Qld's average and being somewhat older than Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Rest of Qld, Bowen had a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (15.0%) but fewer residents aged 45-54 (11.3%). According to the 2021 Census, the age group 25 to 34 grew from 13.2% to 15.0%, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 10.0% to 11.3%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort declined from 13.2% to 11.5%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Bowen's age structure. Notably, the 25 to 34 group is projected to grow by 33%, reaching 2,219 people from 1,674. Conversely, the 15 to 24 cohort is projected to decline by 9 people.