Urban Centre · Area profile
Cowra
24 km²
A growing population has seen Cowra expand by 28% since 2011, adding over 1,800 people to the community. It is a place with a strong Indigenous presence and a notable number of seniors, making it older than the national average. The area is largely residential and dominated by detached houses, where many people own their homes outright. While the community is growing, it remains a modest-income area with a high proportion of single-person households.
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The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population has risen to 10.9%, which is well above the national figure. The community is older than average, with a typical resident aged 45 and 26.9% of people aged 65 and over.
The area is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 85.9% born here and only 7.2% born overseas, a figure far below the state and national levels.
English is the main language for 88.9% of residents. While more people now use another language at home (4.6%) compared to 2011, this is still far below the national average.
Most residents identify as Christian (63.3%). Those with no religion make up 27.0% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 38.9%.
Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 9.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree and 32.3% completing Year 12, both far below the national average.
Incomes are well below the national figure, with a typical weekly household earning $1,034. Only 7.2% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Health needs are high here; 37.1% of people have a long-term health condition and 9.4% need help with daily activities, which is well above the national average.
Volunteerism is higher than the national average at 16.5%. Unpaid care is also common, with 13.9% of people providing unpaid care, a little above the state figure.
Living arrangements are distinctive, as 36.5% of people live alone and 21.2% are one-parent families, both figures much higher than most areas.
Most people live in separate houses (89.3%), and 39.8% own their home outright. Rents are far below the national average, with a typical weekly cost of $230.
The car is essential here, as 71.3% of workers drive to work and only 0.1% use public transport. Very few people work from home (5.1%).
While most residents are long-term locals, 17.8% of the population are recent arrivals from overseas, a rate well above the national average.
Health care and social assistance is the biggest employer. The unemployment rate is 6.4%, which is a little above the national figure of 5.1%.
The area is somewhat walkable, and most homes are near parks and schools. However, far fewer people can walk to groceries or health services compared to the state average.