Median house price
$570k
+8.4% change
NSW · Clarence Valley Council
Cowper, 2460
Est. population · Jun 2025
93
Growth (1 yr)
+1.1%
Growth (5 yr)
+14.8%
Median age
48
Median income
$1,300/wk
Employment rate
64.6%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$570,000
Languages at home
3.4%non-English
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
- Excellent transport
- Education hub
Suburb profile
Cowper is a quieter smaller community in Clarence Valley Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Trips to Sydney are an outing, not a routine: neighbouring regional centres do more of the heavy lifting. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric.
Local shops are sparse, so a fuller set of amenities usually means travelling to a neighbouring town or regional hub. Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield.
Homes are relatively cheap compared with the wider market, which keeps entry costs lower. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
At a glance
Cowper snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$486/wk
Houses $530 · Units $450
Population (ERP)
93
+1.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
11.6%
Census unoccupied dwellings
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Safety
78th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
69th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
2nd
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
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $450
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $530
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $486
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 170
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $570,000
- Median price change
- +8.4%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
93(June 2025)
+1.1% annual · +14.8% over 5 years · 69th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +1.1%
- 5-year growth
- +14.8%
- Change in 1 year
- +1
- Change in 5 years
- +12
- Growth rank in NSW
- 69th 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 (~100), extrapolated at +1.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 88
- Median age
- 48
- Median household income / week
- $1,300
- Dwelling vacancy
- 11.6%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 5 of 43
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,149
- Employment rate
- 64.6%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 36 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs 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
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences are unchanged compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 10
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 4
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 107.5
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 44 residents
- State safety percentile
- 77.8th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +0.3%
Most common offence types
- Breach Apprehended Violence Order298
- Breach Bail Conditions527
- Domestic Violence Related Assault274
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment387
- Malicious Damage To Property339
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 774
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 2th
School list
- Cowper Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 774 · 2th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 17 students · Top SEA quarter 0% · 1.3 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
8 public transport stops in this suburb
- Big River Way At Sherrys Lane
- Big River Way At Sherrys Lane
- Clarence St Opp Cowper Public School
- Cowper Public School, Clarence St
- Cowper Public School, Clarence St
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
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 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
1 places of worship
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Limited walkable amenities nearby
- Reasonable bus and transport access — 8 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 12/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 0
Community(1)
- Cowper Public SchoolSchool
Cowper
Transport(1)
1 bus stops
Other(1)
- Mary Immaculate ChurchPlace of worship
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Places of worship
1 places of worship within ~1.5 km
- Mary Immaculate Church
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Maclean District Hospital (17.6 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 3
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 32.3
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
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
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
- 26° / 19°
- Rainfall
- 504 mm · ~63 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 522 mm · ~65 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 18° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 199 mm · ~25 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 13°
- Rainfall
- 270 mm · ~34 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
7 planning-related records
2024· 3 proposals
May 2024
- Shed; Erection of a new structure3491 BIG RIVER WAY COWPER 2460Determined
March 2024
- Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Agriculture3179 BIG RIVER WAY COWPER 2460Under Assessment
January 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure3491 BIG RIVER WAY COWPER 2460Determined
2023· 1 proposal
November 2023
- Dual occupancy; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)3089 BIG RIVER WAY COWPER 2460Withdrawn
2022· 1 proposal
June 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development3681 BIG RIVER WAY COWPER 2460Determined
2021· 1 proposal
September 2021
- DwellingBIG RIVER WAY COWPER 2460Determined
2020· 1 proposal
July 2020
- Subdivision of land2495 PACIFIC HIGHWAY COWPER 2460Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2020–2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Page
- Member of Parliament
- Kevin HOGAN (The Nationals)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 129,373
- Turnout (2025)
- 91.8%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +1.4 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 59.3%Labor 40.7%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 17.9 km away).
Coalition 68.3%Labor 31.8%
9.0 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +2.2 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- CowperLabor 31.8% · Coalition 68.2% TPP (2025)1.1 km away
- UlmarraLabor 26.5% · Coalition 73.5% TPP (2025)7.0 km away
- TucabiaLabor 27.1% · Coalition 72.9% TPP (2025)9.5 km away
- LawrenceLabor 39.2% · Coalition 60.8% TPP (2025)10.1 km away
- Grafton NorthLabor 29.7% · Coalition 70.3% TPP (2025)16.6 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
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 2/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
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 (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Clarence Valley Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.