Victoria · Suburb Profile

Cowes VIC — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Cowes, Victoria. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Cowes VIC is 6,593 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Cowes is $586 per week ($30,472 per year). Median rent in Cowes is $331 per week ($1,434 per month). Cowes has a median age of 55 years, older than the national median of 38. Cowes has a population density of 316.0 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Cowes is England. The most common religion is No Religion (49% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cowes is $1,550.

There were 639 recorded offences in Cowes in 2025-25, a rate of 97 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (148 offences).

Cowes Map

📍

Loading map…

Cowes Population

residents (Census 2021)

Cowes Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$586/wk

$30,472 per year

#7279 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$331/wk

$1,434 per month

#3795 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

55years

17 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,550/mo

Avg household size: 2.1 · 0.7 per bedroom

Cowes Demographics

Gender Split

Male 47.0% (3,100) Female 53.0% (3,495)

Population Density

316.0

people per km²

6,593 people · 20.9 km²

Households

2.1

Avg household size

0.7

Persons per bedroom

$1,339

Family income/wk

Cowes 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)

Cowes Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

67.7% 1,272 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

32.3% 606 dwellings

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

Cowes Country of Birth

Australia

88.0%

England

7.7%

India

1.7%

Germany

0.7%

Greece

0.6%

Hong Kong

0.4%

China

0.3%

Canada

0.2%

Indonesia

0.2%

Chile

0.2%

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

Cowes Religion

No Religion

49.5%

Catholic

17.2%

Anglican

14.2%

Not stated

8.4%

Uniting Church

4.2%

Christian (other)

2.2%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

2.2%

Baptist

2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Cowes Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

51.5%

Year 10 or equivalent

22.4%

Year 11 or equivalent

17.9%

Year 9 or equivalent

8.2%

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

Cowes Languages Spoken at Home

Other

19.2%

Italian

18.6%

IAL Punjabi

18.6%

Greek

11.4%

Mandarin

10.8%

Vietnamese

7.8%

Cantonese

7.2%

Spanish

6.6%

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

Cowes Employment

💼

Employed full-time

22.0% 1,086 people

⏰

Employed part-time

20.4% 1,007 people

🔍

Unemployed

2.2% 110 people

🏠

Not in labour force

55.4% 2,740 people

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

Cowes Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

39.9%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

23.9%

Bachelor Degree

22.4%

Postgraduate Degree

5.7%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

4.8%

Certificate I/II

3.3%

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

Cowes Occupation

Professionals

22.9%

Technicians & Trade Workers

18.7%

Community & Personal Service

14.6%

Managers

14.5%

Clerical & Administrative

9.7%

Labourers

9.2%

Sales Workers

8.2%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

2.3%

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

Cowes Field of Study

Management & Commerce

19.2%

Society & Culture

14.2%

Health

12.9%

Engineering

12.1%

Architecture & Building

10.3%

Education

10.1%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

9.7%

Creative Arts

3.9%

Agriculture & Environment

3.4%

Natural & Physical Sciences

2.2%

Information Technology

1.8%

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

Cowes Dwelling Types

Separate house

87.7%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

9.5%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

2.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Cowes Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

2.3%

$1-$149/wk

1.5%

$150-$299/wk

1.7%

$300-$399/wk

3.9%

$400-$499/wk

10.2%

$500-$649/wk

8.4%

$650-$799/wk

11.3%

$800-$999/wk

9.7%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

9.4%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

9.1%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.4%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

6.1%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

6.8%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

4.2%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

3.2%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

1.9%

$4,000+/wk

4.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Cowes Marital Status

💍

Married

49.5% 2,806

↔️

Separated

4.9% 275

📋

Divorced

12.4% 702

🕊️

Widowed

8.8% 496

👤

Never married

24.5% 1,385

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Cowes Ancestry

English

35.1%

Australian

28.7%

Scottish

9.7%

Irish

9.6%

Other

5.1%

Italian

3.4%

German

2.9%

Dutch

1.9%

Chinese

1.0%

Greek

0.8%

Indian

0.8%

Maltese

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Cowes School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

33.0%

Secondary — Government

18.8%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

12.7%

Pre-school

10.8%

Vocational Education

10.3%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

8.0%

Primary — Catholic

5.3%

Secondary — Catholic

1.2%

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

Cowes Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

9.0% 1,114

✅

No need for assistance

91.0% 11,291

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

Cowes Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

19.0% 986

—

Not a volunteer

81.0% 4,207

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Cowes Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

6.8%

$300-$449/mo

3.0%

$450-$599/mo

3.0%

$600-$799/mo

4.1%

$800-$999/mo

8.3%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

19.0%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

24.0%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

18.1%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

7.4%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

6.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Cowes How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

67.0%

Did not go to work

17.7%

Walked only

5.9%

Car (passenger)

5.6%

Bicycle

1.6%

Truck

1.0%

Other

0.7%

Bus

0.3%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.2%

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

Cowes Car Ownership

0 vehicles

5.8%

1 vehicle

44.9%

2 vehicles

36.5%

3 vehicles

9.0%

4+ vehicles

3.8%

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

Cowes Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

3.7%

2 bedrooms

16.9%

3 bedrooms

44.5%

4 bedrooms

29.9%

5 bedrooms

4.2%

6+ bedrooms

0.8%

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

Cowes Population Mobility

19.3%

moved in the last year

55.3%

moved in the last 5 years

4.4%

unemployment rate (Census)

43.8%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Cowes Indigenous Population

1.1%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

135

Indigenous residents

12,275

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Cowes Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

755

Arthritis

346

Heart disease

253

Asthma

249

Diabetes

249

Lung condition

209

Cancer

162

Stroke

123

Kidney disease

Dementia

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

Cowes Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

9.4%

$1-$149/wk

5.3%

$150-$299/wk

7.5%

$300-$399/wk

7.7%

$400-$499/wk

6.2%

$500-$649/wk

6.4%

$650-$799/wk

12.3%

$800-$999/wk

11.5%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

10.3%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

6.8%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

5.0%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

2.9%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

5.0%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

1.3%

$3,500+/wk

2.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Cowes Family Structure

Couple — no children

43.2%

Couple — children under 15

32.6%

Couple — no children under 15

8.8%

One parent — children under 15

8.8%

One parent — no children under 15

6.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Cowes Military Service

🏅

Previously served

4.5% 234

👤

Never served

95.5% 5,006

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Cowes Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

15.0% 777

—

Did not provide

85.0% 4,386

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Cowes Children Ever Born

No children

22.5%

1 child

11.8%

2 children

35.3%

3 children

21.7%

4 children

7.9%

5+ children

0.8%

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

Cowes When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

169

1961–1970

251

1971–1980

166

1981–1990

147

1991–2000

2001–2010

149

2011–2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

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

Cowes Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

18.2%

5–14 hours

29.7%

15–29 hours

15.7%

30+ hours

12.3%

Did not do domestic work

24.1%

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

Cowes Household Size

1 person

34.9%

2 persons

40.9%

3 persons

10.2%

4 persons

8.3%

5 persons

4.3%

6+ persons

1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Cowes Where Residents Moved From

Same address

4,863

Moved from VIC

572

Moved — same area (SA2)

513

Moved from overseas

Moved from NSW

Moved from WA

Moved from QLD

Moved from SA

Moved from NT

Moved from TAS

Moved from ACT

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

Cowes Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

84.6%

Step family — no other children

7.5%

Blended family — no other children

5.5%

Intact family — other children present

1.4%

Other couple — children only

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Cowes Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-25 — 639 total

Theft

148

Justice Procedures

134

Assault

132

Property Damage

Break & Enter

Fraud

Public Order

Drug Offences

Weapons

Robbery

Other

Traffic

Offence trend by year:

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria — crimestatistics.vic.gov.au

Cowes Schools

schools nearby

government

1007

avg ICSEA score

633

total students

Cowes Primary School Government

Primary · Prep-6 · 523 students

1019

ICSEA

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School Catholic

Primary · Prep-6 · 110 students

995

ICSEA

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Cowes with map →

Cowes Rent Prices & Affordability

32%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $1,026/wk

Median Rent $331/wk

Rent-to-Income 32.3%

Rent is between 25–35% of household income — moderate housing costs.

If you earn X in Cowes

Your weekly income

≈ $4,446/month

Median rent $331/wk

Left after rent $695/wk

Rent share 32.3%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Cohuna

Income: $594/wk Rent: $185/wk Save: $146/wk

Lakes Entrance

Income: $514/wk Rent: $252/wk Save: $79/wk

Wonthaggi

Income: $515/wk Rent: $270/wk Save: $61/wk

Cape Paterson

Income: $656/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $31/wk

Coleraine

Income: $502/wk Rent: $140/wk Save: $191/wk

Rushworth

Income: $486/wk Rent: $190/wk Save: $141/wk

Charlton (Vic.)

Income: $545/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $131/wk

Koondrook

Income: $538/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $131/wk

Cowes vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in VIC

Attwood

Pop: 3,309 Income: $824/wk Rent: $358/wk

McCrae

Pop: 3,311 Income: $737/wk Rent: $392/wk

Crib Point

Pop: 3,343 Income: $730/wk Rent: $340/wk

Camperdown (Vic.)

Pop: 3,354 Income: $628/wk Rent: $240/wk

Ballan

Pop: 3,392 Income: $733/wk Rent: $330/wk

Upper Ferntree Gully

Pop: 3,417 Income: $847/wk Rent: $369/wk

Compare Cowes

Cowes vs Attwood →Cowes vs McCrae →Cowes vs Crib Point →Cowes vs Camperdown (Vic.) →

Frequently Asked Questions About Cowes

What is the population of Cowes VIC?

The population of Cowes VIC is 6,593 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 316.0 people per km².Cowes is ranked #1,156 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Cowes?

The median personal income in Cowes VIC is $586 per week, or $30,472 per year.The median household income is $1,026 per week.Family income is $1,339 per week.Cowes is ranked #7,279 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Cowes?

Median rent in Cowes VIC is $331 per week ($1,434 per month).Rent represents 32.3% of household income, which is considered moderate.Cowes ranks #3,795 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Cowes?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Cowes VIC is $1,550. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Cowes?

The median age in Cowes VIC is 55 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Cowes a good suburb to live in?

Cowes is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 6,593.The median income is $586/wk, which is below the VIC average of $779/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (32.3% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

📊 Australian Average Salary 🏘️ Australian House Prices 🌆 Melbourne Cost of Living

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: 20657. All dollar figures in AUD.