Cowra

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

As of November 2025, the estimated population of Cowra is around 10,261, reflecting an increase of 116 people since the 2021 Census. The resident population estimate by AreaSearch following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 was 10,183, with an additional 78 validated new addresses since the Census date contributing to this figure. This results in a density ratio of 11.6 persons per square kilometer. The suburb's population growth of 1.1% since the 2021 Census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 0.4%. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch is adopting 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 this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021.

Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb is expected to expand by 928 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 6.7% over the 17-year period.

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 seen approximately 32 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 161 homes. In the current financial year FY-26, six approvals have been recorded to date. The population decline in recent years has resulted in an adequate housing supply relative to demand, maintaining a balanced market with good buyer choice. New dwellings are developed at an average expected construction cost of $483,000.

There have been $19.3 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to the rest of NSW, Cowra has shown moderately higher construction activity, with 12.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This level is also below the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. Recent construction comprises 88.0% standalone homes and 12.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving Cowra's traditional low-density character focused on family homes.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 358 people, reflecting its quiet development environment. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 686 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Cowra has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 12 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Chardonnay Hills Estate, Yarrabilly Estate, Bonsai Gardens Estate, and Willow Acres Estate. 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.

While Cowra retains a healthy unemployment rate of 4.0%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Cowra's workforce is balanced across white and blue collar jobs, with prominent essential services sectors. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate was 4.0%, slightly higher than Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Key industries include health care & social assistance, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and retail trade. Notably, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs 2.2 times the regional average. However, professional & technical services employ only 2.6% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.1%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work.

In the year ending June 2025, Cowra's labour force decreased by 2.4%, with employment declining by 3.7%, leading to a 1.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. This contrasts with Rest of NSW, where employment contracted by 0.1% and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Cowra's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Cowra has lower income compared to national averages. The median income is $45,742 and the average income stands at $53,951. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures where the median income is $49,459 and the average income is $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Cowra would be approximately $51,510 (median) and $60,754 (average) as of September 2025. The 2021 Census reveals that household, family and personal incomes in Cowra all fall between the 7th and 13th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that the $400 - 799 bracket dominates with 28.0% of residents (2,873 people), unlike metropolitan regions where 29.9% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Housing costs are modest with 86.9% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at just the 11th percentile nationally.

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

Cowra's housing, as per the latest Census, consisted of 90.8% houses and 9.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro NSW's 92.0% houses and 8.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cowra was at 43.4%, similar to Non-Metro NSW, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.2% and rented ones at 29.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cowra was $1,235, 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 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were 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 64.3% of all households, including 22.0% couples with children, 29.4% couples without children, and 11.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 35.7%, with lone person households at 33.5% 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 has lower university qualification rates at 13.3% compared to NSW's average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 9.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Vocational credentials are held by 40.1% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.1% and certificates at 31.0%. Educational participation is high, with 27.0% currently enrolled in formal education: primary (10.4%), secondary (8.4%), and tertiary (1.7%).

Cowra has seven schools educating approximately 1,681 students, with varied educational conditions (ICSEA: 913). These include four primary, one secondary, 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 387 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These are serviced by 32 routes that together provide 440 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 179 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 62 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

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 common conditions prevalent among both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low at approximately 48% (~4,958 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (11.1%) and mental health issues (9.6%). Around 60.7% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW figure at 62.4%. Cowra has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 25.3% (~2,596 people), compared to the Rest of NSW average of 23.8%.

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

Cowra has low cultural diversity, with 90.9% residents being citizens, 92.6% born in Australia, and 95.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the dominant religion, practiced by 69.4%. This is similar to Rest of NSW's 70.4%.

The top three ancestry groups are Australian (33.1%), English (31.6%), and Irish (8.9%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal people are overrepresented at 7.0% compared to the regional average of 7.9%, Maltese at 0.5% versus 0.3%, and Hungarian at 0.2% versus 0.1%.

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

Cowra's median age is 46, which is older than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 and significantly higher than Australia's national norm of 38. The 75-84 age group comprises 8.8% of Cowra's population compared to Rest of NSW, while the 35-44 cohort makes up 10.0%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 15 to 24 age group grew from 11.1% to 12.1% of Cowra's population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 11.9% to 11.3%. By 2041, Cowra is expected to experience notable shifts in its age composition. The 25 to 34 group is projected to grow by 17%, reaching 1,380 people from the current 1,180. Meanwhile, the 55 to 64 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to see population declines.