Bowen QLD — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Bowen, Queensland. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Bowen QLD is 11,205 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Bowen is $710 per week ($36,920 per year). Median rent in Bowen is $270 per week ($1,170 per month). Bowen has a median age of 42 years, older than the national median of 38. Bowen has a population density of 6.2 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Bowen is England. The most common religion is No Religion (40% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Bowen is $1,500.

There were 1,816 recorded offences in Bowen in 2025-26, a rate of 162 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (471 offences).

Bowen Map

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Bowen Population

0
residents (Census 2021)

Bowen Median Income & Rent

💰
Median Income
$710/wk
$36,920 per year
#5302 of 14,663
🏠
Median Rent
$270/wk
$1,170 per month
#5664 of 14,663
👤
Median Age
42years
4 years older than national median
🏡
Mortgage
$1,500/mo
Avg household size: 2.4 · 0.8 per bedroom

Bowen Demographics

Gender Split

Male 50.9% (5,699) Female 49.1% (5,507)

Population Density

6.2
people per km²
11,205 people · 1796.3 km²

Households

2.4
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$1,780
Family income/wk

Bowen Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Bowen Housing Tenure

🏠
Owned outright
57.1% 1,341 dwellings
🏦
Owned with mortgage
42.9% 1,008 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Bowen Country of Birth

Australia
95.1%
England
2.8%
Germany
0.5%
China
0.4%
France
0.4%
India
0.4%
Canada
0.2%
Indonesia
0.2%
Cambodia
0.1%
Chile
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Bowen Religion

No Religion
39.8%
Catholic
19.6%
Anglican
14.6%
Not stated
12.9%
Uniting Church
6.5%
Christian (other)
2.7%
Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd
2.0%
Pentecostal
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Bowen Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
46.5%
Year 10 or equivalent
35.8%
Year 11 or equivalent
10.0%
Year 9 or equivalent
7.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Bowen Languages Spoken at Home

Other
46.5%
Mandarin
12.2%
SAL Tot
8.9%
Vietnamese
8.3%
Korean
6.1%
Australian Indigenous
5.0%
Spanish
4.7%
Arabic
4.2%
French
4.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Bowen Employment

💼
Employed full-time
39.7% 3,105 people
Employed part-time
18.5% 1,449 people
🔍
Unemployed
3.2% 249 people
🏠
Not in labour force
38.6% 3,022 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Bowen Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
56.5%
Bachelor Degree
18.2%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
15.9%
Certificate I/II
3.6%
Postgraduate Degree
3.3%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Bowen Occupation

Technicians & Trade Workers
18.9%
Professionals
16.6%
Community & Personal Service
14.2%
Labourers
13.5%
Managers
11.4%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
11.2%
Clerical & Administrative
9.9%
Sales Workers
4.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Bowen Field of Study

Engineering
26.9%
Management & Commerce
15.9%
Society & Culture
12.1%
Health
11.0%
Education
9.8%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
8.5%
Architecture & Building
7.5%
Agriculture & Environment
4.2%
Natural & Physical Sciences
1.8%
Creative Arts
1.5%
Information Technology
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Bowen Dwelling Types

Separate house
86.4%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
9.8%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
3.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Bowen Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.4%
$1-$149/wk
1.0%
$150-$299/wk
1.9%
$300-$399/wk
3.2%
$400-$499/wk
8.1%
$500-$649/wk
6.9%
$650-$799/wk
8.4%
$800-$999/wk
7.7%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.9%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.0%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.5%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.0%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.1%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
5.7%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
3.4%
$4,000+/wk
7.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Bowen Marital Status

💍
Married
43.6% 3,998
↔️
Separated
3.6% 331
📋
Divorced
10.6% 968
🕊️
Widowed
5.9% 543
👤
Never married
36.3% 3,323

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Bowen Ancestry

Australian
30.6%
English
28.4%
Other
8.1%
Irish
7.8%
Scottish
7.8%
Aboriginal Australianralian
7.4%
German
4.2%
Italian
1.9%
Filipino
1.3%
Chinese
1.0%
Dutch
0.8%
New Zealander
0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Bowen School & University Attendance

Primary — Government
37.8%
Secondary — Government
32.3%
Vocational Education
8.9%
Primary — Catholic
7.5%
Pre-school
7.5%
Secondary — Catholic
2.9%
Secondary — Other Non-Govt
2.0%
Primary — Other Non-Govt
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Bowen Need for Assistance

Needs assistance
7.7% 1,545
No need for assistance
92.3% 18,523

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Bowen Volunteering

🤝
Volunteer
14.0% 1,138
Not a volunteer
86.0% 6,996

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Bowen Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
4.5%
$300-$449/mo
2.8%
$450-$599/mo
1.9%
$600-$799/mo
5.4%
$800-$999/mo
8.8%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
22.0%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
20.8%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
20.8%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
8.0%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
5.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Bowen How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
71.0%
Did not go to work
10.3%
Car (passenger)
9.5%
Walked only
4.1%
Bus
2.4%
Truck
0.9%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.7%
Other
0.5%
Bicycle
0.5%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Bowen Car Ownership

0 vehicles
6.0%
1 vehicle
35.2%
2 vehicles
38.6%
3 vehicles
13.5%
4+ vehicles
6.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Bowen Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
6.4%
2 bedrooms
20.1%
3 bedrooms
41.5%
4 bedrooms
27.7%
5 bedrooms
3.5%
6+ bedrooms
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Bowen Population Mobility

19.8%
moved in the last year
44.5%
moved in the last 5 years
4.8%
unemployment rate (Census)
56.1%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Bowen Indigenous Population

11.8%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
2,380
Indigenous residents
17,759
Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Bowen Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
931
Arthritis
445
Asthma
390
Diabetes
317
Heart disease
306
Lung condition
279
Cancer
182
Kidney disease
138
Stroke
135
Dementia
40

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Bowen Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
9.9%
$1-$149/wk
4.3%
$150-$299/wk
6.7%
$300-$399/wk
5.5%
$400-$499/wk
4.4%
$500-$649/wk
4.2%
$650-$799/wk
11.7%
$800-$999/wk
12.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
11.4%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.2%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
4.5%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
7.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
2.5%
$3,500+/wk
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Bowen Family Structure

Couple — children under 15
40.8%
Couple — no children
34.0%
Couple — no children under 15
10.5%
One parent — children under 15
10.0%
One parent — no children under 15
4.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Bowen Military Service

🎖️
Current ADF — Regular
0.0% 3
🛡️
Current ADF — Reserves
0.1% 5
🏅
Previously served
4.0% 327
👤
Never served
95.9% 7,850

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Bowen Unpaid Carers

🤲
Provided unpaid assistance
11.7% 949
Did not provide
88.3% 7,171

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Bowen Children Ever Born

No children
29.2%
1 child
11.3%
2 children
27.3%
3 children
20.4%
4 children
8.8%
5+ children
2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Bowen When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
28
1951–1960
67
1961–1970
147
1971–1980
158
1981–1990
157
1991–2000
150
2001–2010
206
2011–2015
160
2016
28
2017
59
2018
74
2019
186
2020
62
2021
85

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Bowen Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
18.9%
5–14 hours
26.4%
15–29 hours
11.5%
30+ hours
9.8%
Did not do domestic work
33.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Bowen Household Size

1 person
29.3%
2 persons
37.0%
3 persons
12.7%
4 persons
11.4%
5 persons
6.3%
6+ persons
3.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Bowen Where Residents Moved From

Same address
7,950
Moved — same area (SA2)
819
Moved from QLD
771
Moved from overseas
127
Moved from NSW
86
Moved from VIC
67
Moved from SA
24
Moved from WA
16
Moved from TAS
10
Moved from NT
9
Moved from ACT
3

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Bowen Family Blending

Intact family — no other children
78.2%
Step family — no other children
11.9%
Blended family — no other children
6.4%
Other couple — children only
1.7%
Intact family — other children present
1.5%
Step family — other children present
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Bowen Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 1,816 total

Theft
471
Assault
310
Drug Offences
212
Traffic
197
Break & Enter
183
Domestic Violence
141
Property Damage
114
Sexual Offences
92
Weapons
46
Fraud
42
Robbery
8

Offence trend by year:

2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: QLD Police Service — data.qld.gov.au

Bowen Rent Prices & Affordability

20%
of income
Affordable
Household Income $1,343/wk
Median Rent $270/wk
Rent-to-Income 20.1%

Rent is under 25% of household income — generally considered affordable.

If you earn X in Bowen

≈ $5,820/month
Median rent $270/wk
Left after rent $1,073/wk
Rent share 20.1%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Bowen vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in QLD

Frequently Asked Questions About Bowen

What is the population of Bowen QLD?

The population of Bowen QLD is 11,205 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 6.2 people per km².Bowen is ranked #514 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Bowen?

The median personal income in Bowen QLD is $710 per week, or $36,920 per year.The median household income is $1,343 per week.Family income is $1,780 per week.Bowen is ranked #5,302 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Bowen?

Median rent in Bowen QLD is $270 per week ($1,170 per month).Rent represents 20.1% of household income, which is considered affordable.Bowen ranks #5,664 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Bowen?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Bowen QLD is $1,500. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Bowen?

The median age in Bowen QLD is 42 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Bowen a good suburb to live in?

Bowen is a suburb in Queensland with a population of 11,205.The median income is $710/wk, which is below the QLD average of $759/wk.Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.1% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Looking for schools, childcare centres, and playgrounds in this area? See kid.com.au for family facilities data.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 30342. All dollar figures in AUD.