NSW · Lithgow Council
Bowenfels, NSW, 2790
Desirability index
#740 among Country & regional suburbs
Suburb snapshot
Bowenfels is a smaller suburban community in the Lithgow area, home to around 2,049 residents (2021 Census). Recent indicators show 1,668 offences in Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 with relatively stable year-on-year trends (-5%), roughly 814.1 offences per 1,000 residents, median weekly rent around $450 (flats $335, houses $450), strong public transport coverage with many public transport stops, and notable planning and development activity on record. Snapshot data also shows parks or public open space within the suburb and hospitals or GP clinics within the suburb.
Population
- Population
- 2,049
- Median age
- 41
- Median household income / week
- $917
- Dwelling vacancy
- 7.7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 63 of 818
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,560
- Employment rate
- 36%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 76 / 55 / 6
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $335
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $450
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $450
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 114
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 1,668
- Against the person
- 477
- Against property
- 600
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 814.1
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 4 residents
- State safety percentile
- 30.9th (lower crime is better)
- Year-on-year change
- -4.8%
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order115
- Breach Bail Conditions121
- Domestic Violence Related Assault131
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment178
- Malicious Damage To Property160
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Public transport
93 public transport stops in this suburb
- 24 Hillcrest Av
- Hillcrest Av After Robertson St
- Landa St At Tweed Rd
- Lockyer St After Stewart St
- Thornton Av At Hillcrest Av
Data sources & freshness
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
59 planning-related records
2026· 2 proposals
April 2026
- Farm buildings; Erection of a new structure; Supporting Development86 HILLCREST AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Under Assessment
March 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure55 HILLCREST AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Under Assessment
2025· 4 proposals
November 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces19 LOCKYER STREET BOWENFELS 2790Determined
July 2025
- Shed; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space19 INNER CRESCENT BOWENFELS 2790Determined
April 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Garage, carport or carparking space21B HEPBURN STREET BOWENFELS 2790Determined
January 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Supporting Development2 ADINA CRESCENT BOWENFELS 2790Determined
2024· 10 proposals
November 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure1045 GREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY BOWENFELS 2790Determined
August 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Garage, carport or carparking space3 EVANS CLOSE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
July 2024
- Subdivision43 HILLCREST AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Withdrawn
- Shed; Erection of a new structure4 SHAWCROSS CLOSE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
June 2024
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation59 HILLCREST AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Subdivision998 GREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY BOWENFELS 2790Determined
April 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Telecommunications facility35-43 COOERWULL ROAD BOWENFELS 2790Determined
January 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure998 GREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Demolition; Shed; Erection of a new structure1A CAROLINE AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses64 HILLCREST AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
2023· 14 proposals
November 2023
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure2 ADINA CRESCENT BOWENFELS 2790Determined
August 2023
- Secondary dwelling; Alterations and additions to residential development2 KIRBY AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
July 2023
- Dwelling; Shed1012 GREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Subdivision of landGREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Pools / decks / fencing; Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs; Alterations and additions to residential development; Garages, carports and car parking spaces35 STEWART STREET BOWENFELS 2790Determined
May 2023
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces64 HILLCREST AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Shed1012 GREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY BOWENFELS 2790Withdrawn
- Residential care facility2A COL DREWE DRIVE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
April 2023
- Other1D HILLCREST AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Dwelling; Secondary dwelling4 JAMES O'DONNELL DRIVE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
February 2023
- Retaining walls, protection of trees19 THORNTON AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Withdrawn
- Dwelling24 HILLCREST AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
January 2023
- Dwelling29 HILLCREST AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Dwelling; Retaining walls, protection of trees1F JAMES O'DONNELL DRIVE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
2022· 17 proposals
December 2022
- Subdivision of landGREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Subdivision of land; Stormwater management systems; Earthworks / change in levels994 GREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Dwelling; ShedGREAT WESTERN HIGHWAY BOWENFELS 2790Determined
October 2022
- Subdivision of land43 HILLCREST AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
September 2022
- Dual occupancyHILLCREST AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
August 2022
- Shed15 THORNTON AVENUE BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces18 LOCKYER STREET BOWENFELS 2790Determined
July 2022
- Other68 GEORDIE STREET BOWENFELS 2790Determined
- Alterations and additions to residential development3 BUTTRESS PLACE BOWENFELS 2790Withdrawn
June 2022
- Shed11 TWEED ROAD BOWENFELS 2790Determined
2021· 12 proposals
12 proposals lodged in 2021. Individual listings are kept for the most recent proposals.
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026; 2021; 2022… · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Parks & reserves
8 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Emora ParkPark
- Outer Crescent ParkPark
- Page Street ReservePark
- Park or reserveNature reserve
- Quota ParkPark
- Stewart Street ParkPark
- Thompson Street ReservePark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · Period: current · Updated on site
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 2
- Emergency department
- On site
- Lithgow Hospitalhospital
- Lithgow Private Hospitalhospital
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 1/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Heritage
2 state heritage places
- Bowenfels Rail ViaductsMain Western Railway BowenfelsSHR
- Bowenfels Railway Station and Stationmaster's HouseMain Western railway, BowenfelsSHR
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- Gowrie NSW Lithgow Early Education and CareLanda Streetchildcare
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 30
- Parks (OSM)
- 8
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability index
- Desirability score
- 21.5/100
- Cohort rank
- #740 among Country & regional suburbs
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- 24 Hillcrest Avtransport
- Hillcrest Av After Robertson Sttransport
- Landa St At Tweed Rdtransport
- Lockyer St After Stewart Sttransport
- Thornton Av At Hillcrest Avtransport
- Gowrie NSW Lithgow Early Education and CarechildcareLanda Streetchildcare
- Bowenfels Rail ViaductsheritageMain Western Railway BowenfelsSHR
- Bowenfels Railway Station and Stationmaster's HouseheritageMain Western railway, BowenfelsSHR
- Lithgow Hospitalhealthhospital
- Lithgow Private Hospitalhealthhospital
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Updated on site
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
- GTFS public transport stops — State transport authority open-data feeds · Updated on site · GTFS static feed
Similar suburbs
Suburbs with a comparable population profile, socio-economic decile, and location.