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Cowra vs Parkes

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 122 km apart · Cowra profile · Parkes profile

Cowra Parkes

Parkes and Cowra are two regional centres in New South Wales with different community profiles. Parkes is a younger area where the typical resident is 41, compared to 47 in Cowra. It has a larger First Nations population at 13.1% and more children under 15. Parkes is also much more walkable; for example, 47.2% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of groceries, compared to 24.3% in Cowra. However, Parkes has seen a far higher increase in its crime rate over the last five years and has a much higher rate of drug offences and motor vehicle thefts than Cowra.

Everyday life in both towns is similar in many ways, with nearly identical shares of people who have no religion or who use a language other than English at home. They also have similar levels of adults with a bachelor degree and a nearly identical number of schools per child. While they share these commonalities, some gaps are widening. The proportion of homes owned outright is now well higher in Cowra, and the gap between the two areas' First Nations populations has grown since 2011.

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Where they differ most

Median age: 6 yrs older in Cowra Unpaid child care: 4.4 pts higher in Parkes Under 15: 3.4 pts higher in Parkes Family income: $343 higher in Parkes Household income: $224 higher in Parkes

Demographics & Identity

Population in Cowrain Parkes +1,637 larger in Parkes gap narrowing
12,724 51st pct 14,361 53rd pct
Median age in Cowrain Parkes +6 yrs older in Cowra gap steady
47 yrs 75th pct 41 yrs 43rd pct
First Nations in Cowrain Parkes +4.3 pts higher in Parkes gap widening
8.8% 74th pct 13.1% 83rd pct
Aged 65+ in Cowrain Parkes +5.9 pts higher in Cowra gap widening
26.6% 83rd pct 20.7% 56th pct
Under 15 in Cowrain Parkes +3.4 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
17.0% 42nd pct 20.4% 77th pct
De facto in Cowrain Parkes +0.6 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
11.7% 30th pct 12.2% 40th pct

Age structure

26.6% Seniors (65+) ◂ +5.9 pts 20.7%
26.1% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.0 pts 25.0%
19.6% Young adults (25–44) +2.6 pts ▸ 22.2%
17.0% Children (0–14) +3.4 pts ▸ 20.4%
10.7% Youth (15–24) +0.8 pts ▸ 11.6%

Marital status

45.1% Married ◂ +0.8 pts 44.3%
32.7% Never married +2.6 pts ▸ 35.3%
10.5% Divorced ◂ +1.3 pts 9.2%
7.8% Widowed ◂ +0.5 pts 7.3%
3.9% Separated +0.1 pts ▸ 3.9%

Age & sex structure

Cowra Parkes

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Cowrain Parkes +1.5 pts higher in Cowra gap steady
7.1% 19th pct 5.6% 12th pct

Country of birth

84.4% Australia +1.9 pts ▸ 86.3%
1.5% England ◂ +0.5 pts 1.0%
0.4% Philippines +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.6% New Zealand ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%
0.3% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.3% India ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%
0.2% China +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Italy even 0.0%
0.1% Vietnam even 0.0%

Ancestry

42.8% Australian +1.9 pts ▸ 44.7%
41.8% English ◂ +1.1 pts 40.7%
12.4% Irish ◂ +1.7 pts 10.7%
10.0% Scottish ◂ +1.3 pts 8.7%
3.5% German +0.2 pts ▸ 3.8%
1.2% Italian even 1.2%
1.0% Dutch +0.2 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.5% Filipino +0.3 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.6% Chinese +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.5% Greek ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%
0.4% Indian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.2%
0.1% Vietnamese even 0.1%

Language

Other language in Cowrain Parkes +0.3 pts higher in Cowra gap steady
3.8% 31st pct 3.5% 27th pct
Limited English in Cowrain Parkes +0.1 pts higher in Cowra gap steady
0.5% 46th pct 0.4% 37th pct

Language used at home

88.3% English only +0.8 pts ▸ 89.1%
0.2% Mandarin even 0.2%
0.0% Cantonese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Tagalog even 0.2%
0.2% Greek ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.1% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.0%
0.1% Italian even 0.1%
0.1% Hindi even 0.1%
0.0% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.1% Arabic even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Cowrain Parkes even gap narrowing
27.1% 13th pct 27.1% 13th pct

Religious affiliation

62.2% Christianity +0.7 pts ▸ 62.9%
27.1% No religion +0.1 pts ▸ 27.1%
9.3% Not stated ◂ +0.7 pts 8.6%
0.5% Buddhism even 0.5%
0.4% Other religions ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%
0.3% Hinduism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% Islam even 0.2%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Cowrain Parkes +3.5 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
33.4% 16th pct 36.9% 31st pct
Bachelor+ in Cowrain Parkes +0.9 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
10.6% 30th pct 11.6% 40th pct
Schools in Cowrain Parkes +3 more in Parkes
9 46th pct 12 57th pct
Schools/1k kids in Cowrain Parkes +0.07 more in Cowra
4.16 54th pct 4.09 53rd pct
Students in Cowrain Parkes +517 more in Parkes
1,675 46th pct 2,192 51st pct
Avg size in Cowrain Parkes +3 larger in Cowra
186 43rd pct 183 43rd pct
ICSEA in Cowrain Parkes +10 higher in Parkes
917 23rd pct 926 26th pct

Highest year of school

33.4% Year 12 +3.5 pts ▸ 36.9%
35.3% Year 10 ◂ +2.3 pts 32.9%
15.6% Year 9 or below ◂ +1.5 pts 14.0%
5.9% Year 11 +0.9 pts ▸ 6.7%

Highest qualification level

37.5% Certificate III / IV +1.9 pts ▸ 39.4%
14.3% Bachelor degree +1.6 pts ▸ 15.9%
13.6% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.6 pts 12.0%
2.7% Postgraduate degree +0.5 pts ▸ 3.2%
3.2% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.5 pts 2.7%
2.5% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.4 pts 2.1%

Field of qualification

14.4% Engineering & related +3.2 pts ▸ 17.6%
14.3% Management & commerce +1.3 pts ▸ 15.6%
9.7% Health even 9.7%
9.2% Society & culture +0.2 pts ▸ 9.5%
9.0% Education +0.4 pts ▸ 9.4%
6.0% Agriculture & environment ◂ +1.6 pts 4.4%
5.8% Architecture & building ◂ +1.2 pts 4.6%
5.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +0.4 pts 5.3%
1.7% Creative arts ◂ +0.3 pts 1.4%
1.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.2 pts 1.1%
0.8% Information technology +0.3 pts ▸ 1.1%

Income

Personal income in Cowrain Parkes +$94 higher in Parkes gap widening
$606 17th pct $700 39th pct
Household income in Cowrain Parkes +$224 higher in Parkes gap widening
$1,112 15th pct $1,336 44th pct
Family income in Cowrain Parkes +$343 higher in Parkes gap widening
$1,447 19th pct $1,790 50th pct
High earners in Cowrain Parkes +3.3 pts higher in Parkes gap widening
5.3% 17th pct 8.5% 50th pct
High-income homes in Cowrain Parkes +5.0 pts higher in Parkes gap widening
9.0% 17th pct 14.0% 49th pct

Household income distribution

34.6% $650–$1,499 ◂ +4.4 pts 30.1%
24.0% $1,500–$2,999 +3.3 pts ▸ 27.2%
23.6% Under $650 ◂ +2.6 pts 21.0%
5.0% $3,000–$3,999 +2.9 pts ▸ 8.0%
4.0% $4,000 or more +2.1 pts ▸ 6.1%

Personal income distribution

47.5% Under $650 ◂ +4.7 pts 42.8%
30.7% $650–$1,499 ◂ +0.7 pts 30.0%
10.1% $1,500–$2,999 +5.3 pts ▸ 15.4%
1.7% $3,000 or more +0.7 pts ▸ 2.4%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Cowrain Parkes +1.8 pts higher in Cowra
35.1% 86th pct 33.3% 76th pct
Mental health in Cowrain Parkes +0.5 pts higher in Cowra
10.8% 83rd pct 10.2% 75th pct
Needs assistance in Cowrain Parkes +0.7 pts higher in Cowra gap steady
8.0% 89th pct 7.3% 83rd pct

Long-term health conditions reported

13.3% Arthritis ◂ +1.9 pts 11.4%
9.9% Asthma +1.0 pts ▸ 10.9%
10.8% Mental health ◂ +0.5 pts 10.2%
8.4% Other condition ◂ +0.9 pts 7.4%
6.4% Diabetes ◂ +0.4 pts 6.0%
5.2% Heart disease ◂ +0.2 pts 5.0%
3.8% Cancer ◂ +0.7 pts 3.1%
3.3% Lung condition ◂ +0.8 pts 2.5%
1.2% Stroke even 1.2%
1.2% Dementia even 1.1%

Number of long-term health conditions

54.1% None +2.0 pts ▸ 56.1%
21.5% One condition ◂ +0.5 pts 21.1%
8.7% Two conditions ◂ +1.0 pts 7.7%
5.0% Three or more ◂ +0.5 pts 4.5%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Cowrain Parkes +0.1 pts higher in Parkes gap narrowing
18.0% 53rd pct 18.1% 53rd pct
Unpaid carers in Cowrain Parkes +0.5 pts higher in Cowra gap steady
13.5% 74th pct 13.0% 64th pct
Unpaid child care in Cowrain Parkes +4.4 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
22.5% 29th pct 26.9% 67th pct
Defence service in Cowrain Parkes +0.8 pts higher in Cowra
3.5% 67th pct 2.7% 40th pct
Housework 15h+ in Cowrain Parkes +1.0 pts higher in Cowra gap steady
23.1% 60th pct 22.2% 51st pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Cowrain Parkes +761 larger in Parkes
1,126 66th pct 1,887 77th pct
Median age in Cowrain Parkes even
22 yrs 21st pct 22 yrs 21st pct
Year 12 in Cowrain Parkes +6.3 pts higher in Parkes
24.1% 18th pct 30.4% 41st pct
Unemployment in Cowrain Parkes +1.8 pts higher in Cowra
15.0% 72nd pct 13.2% 61st pct
Median income in Cowrain Parkes +$69 higher in Parkes
$489 31st pct $558 51st pct
Household income in Cowrain Parkes +$106 higher in Parkes
$1,218 32nd pct $1,324 44th pct
Indigenous language in Cowrain Parkes +1.7 pts higher in Cowra
5.2% 52nd pct 3.6% 36th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Cowrain Parkes +0.1 larger in Parkes gap narrowing
2.3 29th pct 2.4 43rd pct
One-parent in Cowrain Parkes +1.6 pts higher in Parkes gap narrowing
17.1% 76th pct 18.6% 85th pct
Living alone in Cowrain Parkes +1.1 pts higher in Cowra gap steady
32.3% 75th pct 31.2% 67th pct

Family composition

47.0% Couples with children +4.7 pts ▸ 51.7%
34.5% Couples without children ◂ +5.7 pts 28.8%
17.1% One-parent families +1.6 pts ▸ 18.6%
1.4% Other families ◂ +0.5 pts 0.9%

Household size

37.6% 2 people ◂ +3.7 pts 33.9%
32.3% 1 person ◂ +1.1 pts 31.2%
12.5% 3 people +0.8 pts ▸ 13.3%
9.9% 4 people +1.7 pts ▸ 11.5%
5.3% 5 people +1.5 pts ▸ 6.8%
2.4% 6 or more +0.8 pts ▸ 3.3%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Cowrain Parkes +$20 higher in Parkes gap widening
$230 39th pct $250 46th pct
Mortgage in Cowrain Parkes +$100 higher in Parkes gap narrowing
$1,200 36th pct $1,300 43rd pct
People / bedroom in Cowrain Parkes even gap steady
0.70 0th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Cowrain Parkes +2.5 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
25.1% 48th pct 27.6% 58th pct
Owned outright in Cowrain Parkes +7.0 pts higher in Cowra gap widening
43.8% 73rd pct 36.8% 47th pct
Separate houses in Cowrain Parkes +2.4 pts higher in Cowra gap widening
92.1% 64th pct 89.7% 51st pct
3+ bedrooms in Cowrain Parkes +1.5 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
77.5% 53rd pct 79.1% 62nd pct

How homes are owned or rented

43.8% Owned outright ◂ +7.0 pts 36.8%
26.7% Owned with a mortgage +4.1 pts ▸ 30.8%
25.1% Rented +2.5 pts ▸ 27.6%
2.5% Other tenure +0.4 pts ▸ 2.9%
2.1% Not stated ◂ +0.1 pts 1.9%

Types of homes

92.1% Separate house ◂ +2.4 pts 89.7%
5.5% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +1.9 pts 3.5%
1.8% Flat or apartment +3.6 pts ▸ 5.4%
0.5% Other dwelling +0.2 pts ▸ 0.7%

Bedrooms per home

44.4% 3 bedrooms ◂ +1.7 pts 42.7%
26.3% 4 bedrooms +3.1 pts ▸ 29.4%
16.7% 2 bedrooms ◂ +1.2 pts 15.5%
6.8% 5 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 6.9%
3.4% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.5 pts 2.9%
0.6% Studio / none +0.1 pts ▸ 0.7%

Weekly rent distribution

54.7% $200–$349 ◂ +5.1 pts 49.6%
31.7% Under $200 ◂ +2.1 pts 29.6%
7.1% $350–$549 +8.3 pts ▸ 15.4%
0.2% $750 or more +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.0% $550–$749 +0.5 pts ▸ 0.5%

Monthly mortgage distribution

40.4% $1,000–$1,799 +1.7 pts ▸ 42.1%
35.2% Under $1,000 ◂ +5.4 pts 29.8%
14.0% $1,800–$2,999 +3.2 pts ▸ 17.3%
4.6% $3,000 or more +0.7 pts ▸ 5.4%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Cowrain Parkes +0.3 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
6.2% 65th pct 6.5% 68th pct
Work from home in Cowrain Parkes +0.3 pts higher in Cowra gap steady
11.0% 42nd pct 10.7% 40th pct
PT commute in Cowrain Parkes +0.2 pts higher in Parkes gap steady
0.2% 22nd pct 0.4% 32nd pct
PT stops in Cowrain Parkes +19 more in Parkes
42 52nd pct 61 57th pct
Stops/1k in Cowrain Parkes +0.95 more in Parkes
3.30 50th pct 4.25 62nd pct
Departures/1k in Cowrain Parkes +27.6 more in Parkes
69.5 50th pct 97.1 54th pct
PT routes in Cowrain Parkes +7 more in Parkes
10 57th pct 17 66th pct
Stop walk in Cowrain Parkes
49 77th pct —

How people get to work

66.0% Car (driver) +0.4 pts ▸ 66.4%
11.0% Worked at home ◂ +0.3 pts 10.7%
4.8% Car (passenger) +0.5 pts ▸ 5.3%
4.6% Walked ◂ +0.1 pts 4.5%
0.2% Bus +0.2 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.2% Bicycle even 0.3%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

36.3% 2 vehicles ◂ +0.4 pts 35.9%
35.9% 1 vehicle ◂ +0.4 pts 35.5%
13.9% 3 vehicles ◂ +0.9 pts 12.9%
7.7% 4 or more +1.5 pts ▸ 9.2%
6.2% No vehicle +0.3 pts ▸ 6.5%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Cowrain Parkes +1.6 pts higher in Parkes gap narrowing
32.4% 38th pct 34.0% 47th pct
Recent arrivals in Cowrain Parkes +1.1 pts higher in Parkes gap narrowing
13.2% 56th pct 14.3% 61st pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Cowrain Parkes even gap narrowing
5.1% 66th pct 5.1% 67th pct
Participation in Cowrain Parkes +5.6 pts higher in Parkes gap widening
51.5% 23rd pct 57.1% 45th pct
Full-time in Cowrain Parkes +4.4 pts higher in Parkes gap widening
59.3% 49th pct 63.7% 73rd pct

Industries people work in

16.3% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +6.1 pts 10.2%
14.0% Health care & social assistance ◂ +1.0 pts 13.0%
9.4% Retail trade +0.1 pts ▸ 9.6%
1.0% Mining +7.5 pts ▸ 8.5%
5.2% Public administration & safety +3.3 pts ▸ 8.5%
8.3% Education & training +0.2 pts ▸ 8.4%
7.0% Accommodation & food +0.2 pts ▸ 7.1%
6.9% Manufacturing ◂ +3.2 pts 3.7%
6.6% Construction ◂ +0.1 pts 6.5%
4.0% Transport & warehousing +2.2 pts ▸ 6.2%
4.0% Other services +0.1 pts ▸ 4.1%
3.3% Wholesale trade ◂ +1.4 pts 1.8%

Occupations people work in

18.7% Managers ◂ +2.7 pts 16.1%
13.1% Professionals +2.2 pts ▸ 15.3%
14.1% Labourers ◂ +3.4 pts 10.8%
13.2% Technicians & trades +0.8 pts ▸ 14.0%
12.6% Community & personal service ◂ +1.0 pts 11.7%
6.8% Machinery operators & drivers +4.5 pts ▸ 11.3%
10.7% Clerical & administrative +0.4 pts ▸ 11.0%
9.1% Sales workers ◂ +0.9 pts 8.2%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Cowrain Parkes +1 higher in Parkes
2 14th pct 3 29th pct
IRSD decile in Cowrain Parkes even
3 29th pct 3 29th pct
IER decile in Cowrain Parkes even
3 29th pct 3 29th pct
IEO decile in Cowrain Parkes even
3 29th pct 3 29th pct
IRSAD score in Cowrain Parkes +14 higher in Parkes
908 20th pct 922 27th pct
ERP in Cowrain Parkes +1,454 higher in Parkes
12,721 48th pct 14,175 50th pct
Growth in Cowrain Parkes +1.6 pts higher in Cowra
-0.3% 12th pct -1.9% 5th pct
Businesses in Cowrain Parkes +10 higher in Parkes
1,401 50th pct 1,411 50th pct
Approvals in Cowrain Parkes +4 higher in Parkes
33 43rd pct 37 45th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Cowrain Parkes +84 higher in Cowra
735 60th pct 651 50th pct
Max temp in Cowrain Parkes +1.4 higher in Parkes
23.3 39th pct 24.7 56th pct
Min temp in Cowrain Parkes +1.5 higher in Parkes
8.2 11th pct 9.7 27th pct

Crime & Safety

Crime rate in Cowrain Parkes +3,732 higher in Parkes
9,840 60th pct 13,571 77th pct
Assault/100k in Cowrain Parkes +660 higher in Parkes
1,171 61st pct 1,831 80th pct
Sexual/100k in Cowrain Parkes +23 higher in Parkes
346 72nd pct 369 76th pct
Robbery/100k in Cowrain Parkes
— 7 9th pct
Burglary/100k in Cowrain Parkes +66 higher in Cowra
762 74th pct 696 71st pct
Theft/100k in Cowrain Parkes +311 higher in Parkes
1,061 40th pct 1,372 56th pct
Vehicle theft/100k in Cowrain Parkes +378 higher in Parkes
534 70th pct 912 89th pct
Property damage/100k in Cowrain Parkes +32 higher in Parkes
1,187 76th pct 1,219 77th pct
Drugs/100k in Cowrain Parkes +537 higher in Parkes
605 59th pct 1,142 77th pct
5-yr change in Cowrain Parkes +26.8 pts higher in Parkes
-2.1% 31st pct 24.7% 72nd pct

Walkability

Walk score in Cowrain Parkes +1.4 higher in Parkes
3.3 38th pct 4.6 69th pct
Types ≤15 min in Cowrain Parkes +1.3 more in Parkes
3.3 31st pct 4.7 68th pct
15-min city in Cowrain Parkes +16.9 pts higher in Parkes
35.7% 28th pct 52.6% 58th pct
Walk to shops in Cowrain Parkes +22.8 pts higher in Parkes
24.3% 14th pct 47.2% 49th pct
Walk to transit in Cowrain Parkes +11.2 pts higher in Parkes
57.6% 59th pct 68.8% 68th pct
Walk to school in Cowrain Parkes +13.8 pts higher in Parkes
53.1% 47th pct 66.9% 70th pct
Walk to a park in Cowrain Parkes +12.0 pts higher in Parkes
65.2% 43rd pct 77.2% 60th pct
Walk to health in Cowrain Parkes +26.7 pts higher in Parkes
18.7% 17th pct 45.4% 63rd pct
Amenities/1k in Cowrain Parkes +3.2 more in Parkes
14.7 33rd pct 17.9 47th pct
Intersections/km² in Cowrain Parkes +0 higher in Cowra
1 47th pct 0 40th pct
Mean slope in Cowrain Parkes +2.0 pts higher in Cowra
6.2% 72nd pct 4.2% 43rd pct

Compare Cowra with nearby areas

Blayney Orange Cabonne Weddin Hilltops Upper Lachlan Shire Forbes Bathurst Regional

Compare Parkes with nearby areas

Forbes Narromine Lachlan Cabonne Weddin Dubbo Regional Cowra Orange

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Cowra vs Parkes [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA12350/cowra/vs/LGA16200/parkes