Bowral · Statistical Area 2 (SA2)
How well-off the area is, how fast its population is growing, and the businesses and new homes here.
A score of 8 for overall advantage places Bowral among the most prosperous areas of its size. Residents here enjoy high levels of wealth and education, with a typical advantage score of 1,073 that is larger than about 80% of similar places.
All statistical area 2 (sa2) areas, 2021. The marker is Bowral — higher than 71% of areas.
| Bowral | 8 |
|---|---|
| 2576, NSW | 9 |
SEIFA indexes ranking relative advantage and disadvantage.
The area is highly advantaged, scoring 9 for access to money and resources and 8 for job skills. This puts it in a stronger position than about 80% to 90% of similar areas across the country.
8
Higher than 71% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% most disadvantaged areas in Australia, 10 = among the 10% most advantaged. IRSAD summarises both advantage and disadvantage, so a high score reflects relatively many high-income, well-educated households and few low-income, low-skill ones.
9
Higher than 86% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% most disadvantaged areas in Australia, 10 = among the least disadvantaged. IRSD focuses on disadvantage alone (low income, low education, unemployment, unskilled occupations), so a higher decile means relatively less disadvantage.
9
Higher than 86% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Economic Resources, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% lowest areas for economic resources in Australia, 10 = among the highest. IER reflects the income, housing costs, dwelling size and assets of households, so a higher decile means relatively greater economic resources.
8
Higher than 71% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Education and Occupation, 2021, as a national decile: 1 = among the 10% lowest areas for education and occupation in Australia, 10 = among the highest. IEO reflects residents' qualifications and the skill level of their jobs, so a higher decile means a more highly educated and skilled workforce.
1,073
Higher than 79% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
ABS Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, 2021, as a raw index score (standardised so the Australian average is about 1000). Higher scores indicate relatively greater advantage; lower scores greater disadvantage.
Annual population estimates and change since the census.
Population growth has been slow, falling by 1.1% since 2021. This is among the lowest for this area type and sits well below the New South Wales growth rate of 6.1%.
13,404
Higher than 64% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Estimated resident population (ABS), 2025.
-1.1%
Lower than 93% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Population growth since the 2021 Census, from ABS annual estimates.
Operating businesses and dwellings approved.
There are 1,884 businesses operating in the area, which is more than about 86% of similar places.
1,884
Higher than 86% of statistical area 2 (sa2) areas.
Operating businesses (ABS Counts of Australian Businesses), June 2025.
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Economy & Advantage in Bowral [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/region/sa2/114021284/bowral/topic/economy-advantage
