suburb.guide

NSW · Hornsby Council

Cowan, 2081

Est. population · Jun 2025

631

Growth (1 yr)

+0.2%

Growth (5 yr)

-1.9%

Median age

41

Median income

$2,250/wk

Employment rate

64.6%

University qualified

30%

Work from home

35%

Median house price · October to December 2025

$1,713,000

Languages at home

7.1%non-English

Most common: Korean, Mandarin

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

48.8/100
Average

Top 36% of New South Wales' suburbs

Verified 94% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Rural living
What Cowan is known for: Green suburb, Rural living

Using this data? Cite or embed. Publishers

Suburb snapshot infographic

Download PNG
Cowan, NSW suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Embed this snapshot

The image links to the canonical suburb page. Copy the HTML as-is.

Cowan, NSW suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Cowan, NSW Suburb Guide”, updated 30 September 2026, https://suburb.guide/nsw/cowan

No registration is required. Please keep the link to the suburb page.

Suburb profile

Cowan is a rural locality in New South Wales, in Hornsby Council.

Local amenities is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for rural localities. Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group, and open-space access is better than in most comparable places. University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, with university qualifications 119% above the peer median. The clearer weaknesses are higher housing costs and weaker population growth.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising school quality and university qualifications over lower housing costs.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in New South Wales (2685)

Strengths

  • Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group
  • University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group
  • Open-space access is better than in most comparable places
  • Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Housing is among the most expensive in its peer group
  • Population growth is a relative weakness

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Cowan compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

$1.71M

+5.4% change

Median rent (Census)

$515/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

631

+0.2% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

4.1%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#27

among Country & regional · Established

Crime rate

13th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

41st

percentile in NSW

Rented dwellings

10%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

9/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

73rd

percentile among schools with ICSEA

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
48.8/100 — Average
State standing
Top 36% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
2232nd in Australia
State rank
756th in NSW
Peer rank
#27 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#206 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
94%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

Median house price (October to December 2025)
$1,713,000
Median price change
+5.4%

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

631(June 2025)

+0.2% annual · -1.9% over 5 years · 41th percentile in NSW

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.2%
5-year growth
-1.9%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
-12
Growth rank in NSW
41th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~650), extrapolated at -0.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
631
Median age
41
Median household income / week
$2,250
Dwelling vacancy
4.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
9 of 218
Median monthly mortgage
$2,290
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$515
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
39% / 50.7% / 10.3%
Employment rate
64.6%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
35% / 1.5% / 43.3%
Walked or cycled to work
1.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
204 / 3 / 3

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

30% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 22.1% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified30% · 27.8% NSW
  • Diploma qualified8.7% · 9.3% NSW
  • Trade / vocational22.1% · 15% NSW
  • Year 12 or below39.1% · 47.9% NSW

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce17.8%
  • Engineering and related technologies15.6%
  • Education11%
  • Society and culture10.7%
  • Health10.1%
  • Architecture and building8.6%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$66,847

81st percentile in NSW · +14% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$75,579

83rd percentile in NSW · +16% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
19.0%

79th percentile in NSW · +38% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$135,921

95th percentile in NSW · +115% vs Australia

Residents with business income
9.0%

31st percentile in NSW · -13% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2081 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
3,578
Taxpayers reporting net rent
670
Median net rent
-$2,218
Taxpayers reporting business income
309
Taxable income vs state median
+19%
Salary / wages vs state median
+20%
Rental investment vs state median
+36%
Super vs state median
+93%
Business income vs state median
-10%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

7.1% speak a language other than English at home; 16.6% born overseas

Language at home
576 English only · 44 other
Non-English at home
7.1%
Born overseas
103 (16.6%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
11 (1.7%)
Australian citizens
593
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
2

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Korean3 · 50%
  • Mandarin3 · 50%

Religion

47.7%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 47.7%, while 46% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion46%32.8%
Christianity47.7%47.6%
Other / not stated6.3%19.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican15.8%11.9%
Catholic13.5%22.4%
Christian (not further defined)6%2.4%
Uniting Church3%2.1%
Baptist2.5%1.2%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2081, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
22
Against the person
3
Against property
9
Rate per 1,000 residents
34.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 210 residents
State crime-rate percentile
13.2th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+10.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
206
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
326.47

Most common offence types

  • Domestic Violence Related Assault1
  • Fraud3
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment1
  • Malicious Damage To Property2
  • Transport Regulatory Offences6

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
1,063
Median ICSEA percentile
73th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
4
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
  • Cowan Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1063 · 73th percentile · LBOTE 26% · 24 students · Top SEA quarter 17%View on My School →
School catchments
  • Asquith HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Berowra PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Brooklyn PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Cowan PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Wideview PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

16 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Acc To P2
  • CCP Pacific Hwy
  • Cowan Station
  • ENT Pacific Hwy N
  • ENT Pacific Hwy S

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

  • Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed

Amenities

3 mapped amenities

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Reasonable bus and transport access — 16 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
24/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.58
Sport & outdoors(3)
  • Kangaroo Point BoardwalkCycling route
  • Muogamarra Nature ReserveNature reserve
  • Vize ReserveNature reserve

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

3 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Cowan ParkPark
  • Muogamarra Nature ReserveNature reserve
  • Vize ReserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0.7%
Woodland / forest cover
0.7%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
10
Parks (OSM)
1
Typical summer maximum
25°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Lady Davidson Private Hospital (13.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
13
Participants per 1,000 residents
20.6

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
25° / 17°
Rainfall
321 mm · ~40 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
22° / 14°
Rainfall
359 mm · ~45 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
17° / 8°
Rainfall
263 mm · ~33 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
21° / 12°
Rainfall
242 mm · ~30 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from NSW Planning Portal.

2026· 1 proposal

  • April 2026

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah
    1105 PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWAN 2081Determined
2025· 5 proposals

  • October 2025

  • Shed; Erection of a new structure; Emergency services facility
    1049 PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWAN 2081Determined

  • July 2025

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    20 Chandler Avenue Cowan 2081Determined
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    4 Cowan Street BrooklynDeferred Commencement
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation
    25B FRASER ROAD COWAN 2081Determined

  • January 2025

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    4 cowan street, brooklynWithdrawn
2024· 9 proposals

  • September 2024

  • Demolition; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    10 PARK ROAD COWAN 2081Determined
  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    20 Chandler Avenue Cowan 2081Operational consent issued

  • August 2024

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    1115 PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWAN 2081Determined

  • June 2024

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    1165 PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWAN 2081Determined

  • May 2024

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    24 CHANDLER AVENUE COWAN 2081Determined

  • March 2024

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    33 FRASER ROAD COWAN 2081Determined
  • Erection of a new structure; Emergency services facility
    1049 PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWAN 2081Determined
  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
    4 Cowan Street BrooklynWithdrawn
  • Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Carport
    1155 PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWAN 2081Determined
2023· 4 proposals

  • December 2023

  • Subdivision
    1179 PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWAN 2081Determined

  • November 2023

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    2 GRESHAM STREET COWAN 2081Determined

  • September 2023

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    1103 PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWAN 2081Determined

  • June 2023

  • Dwelling
    24 CHANDLER AVENUE COWAN 2081Determined
2021· 7 proposals

  • December 2021

  • Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs; Garages, carports and car parking spaces
    1155 PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWAN 2081Determined
  • Other
    9 FRASER ROAD COWAN 2081Withdrawn

  • June 2021

  • Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs; Alterations and additions to residential development; Garages, carports and car parking spaces
    1127A PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWAN 2081Determined

  • April 2021

  • Alterations and additions to residential development
    3 Fraser Road CowanDetermined

  • March 2021

  • Secondary dwelling
    1 PARK ROAD COWAN 2081Determined

  • February 2021

  • Alterations and additions to residential development; Garages, carports and car parking spaces
    5 VIEW STREET COWAN 2081Determined

  • January 2021

  • Shed
    1127A PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWAN 2081Determined
2020· 2 proposals

  • December 2020

  • Alterations and additions to residential development; Garages, carports and car parking spaces
    7 View Street, CowanDetermined

  • October 2020

  • Dwelling; Pools / decks / fencing; Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs; Demolition; Earthworks / change in levels; Retaining walls, protection of trees; Garages, carports and car parking spaces
    9 VIEW STREET COWAN 2081Determined

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Berowra
Member of Parliament
Julian LEESER (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
130,869
Turnout (2025)
94.3%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+5.9 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 51.6%Labor 48.4%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 13.2 km away).

Coalition 44.3%Labor 55.7%

7.3 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +5.8 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • CowanLabor 54.0% · Coalition 46.0% TPP (2025)2.2 km away
  • BrooklynLabor 67.0% · Coalition 33.0% TPP (2025)4.5 km away
  • Berowra HeightsLabor 56.3% · Coalition 43.7% TPP (2025)5.3 km away
  • BerowraLabor 52.5% · Coalition 47.5% TPP (2025)5.9 km away
  • Mount Kuring-GaiLabor 54.5% · Coalition 45.5% TPP (2025)10.4 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
9/10
IRSD decile (2021)
9/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Hornsby Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.