Bowenfels vs Marrangaroo

Marrangaroo is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 41 in Bowenfels. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bowenfels, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In Marrangaroo, the large majority of households own their home and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Marrangaroo: a median of $1.11 million, against $540,000 in Bowenfels, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Bowenfels tends to suit renters, people living alone, and families with children, while Marrangaroo suits young adults and couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Marrangaroo

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 93/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (75% vs 49%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (101% vs 91%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Bowenfels has cheaper houses ($540,000 vs $1,115,000)
  • Marrangaroo leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 39%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Bowenfels

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (47% vs 8%)
  • has cheaper rent ($185/wk vs $353/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Bowenfels

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (148 min vs 161 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (152.8 km vs 160.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Bowenfels has more residents already 65 and over (21% vs 14%)
  • Marrangaroo carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 93/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Bowenfels

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (0.0% vs -13.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Bowenfels and Marrangaroo drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Walkability 0 / 0
Bowenfels — Walkability: 0/100 Marrangaroo — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 7 / 79
Bowenfels — Safety: 7/100 Marrangaroo — Safety: 79/100
Low fire risk 6 / 7
Bowenfels — Low fire risk: 6/100 Marrangaroo — Low fire risk: 7/100

Demographics

Bowenfels has more residents (2,049 vs 783); Marrangaroo has higher household incomes ($118,716 vs $47,684).

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Population 2,049
+62% vs other
 783
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.0% -13.9%
Median age 41 38
Median household income $47,684/yr $118,716/yr
+149% vs other
Median weekly rent $185/wk $353/wk
+91% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
0-4 5.7% / 3.3%
Bowenfels — 0-4: 5.7% Marrangaroo — 0-4: 3.3%
5-14 15.3% / 5.7%
Bowenfels — 5-14: 15.3% Marrangaroo — 5-14: 5.7%
15-19 6.7% / 5.9%
Bowenfels — 15-19: 6.7% Marrangaroo — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 4.9% / 8.8%
Bowenfels — 20-24: 4.9% Marrangaroo — 20-24: 8.8%
25-34 10.1% / 21.1%
Bowenfels — 25-34: 10.1% Marrangaroo — 25-34: 21.1%
35-44 10.6% / 14.9%
Bowenfels — 35-44: 10.6% Marrangaroo — 35-44: 14.9%
45-54 13.4% / 12.5%
Bowenfels — 45-54: 13.4% Marrangaroo — 45-54: 12.5%
55-64 12.3% / 14.9%
Bowenfels — 55-64: 12.3% Marrangaroo — 55-64: 14.9%
65-74 10.2% / 9.8%
Bowenfels — 65-74: 10.2% Marrangaroo — 65-74: 9.8%
75-84 7.4% / 4.0%
Bowenfels — 75-84: 7.4% Marrangaroo — 75-84: 4.0%
85+ 3.5% / 0.5%
Bowenfels — 85+: 3.5% Marrangaroo — 85+: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bowenfels 26.2% couple families
Bowenfels — Couple Families: 26.2% Bowenfels — Lone Person: 45.2% Bowenfels — One Parent Families: 22.8% Bowenfels — Group Household: 4.3% Bowenfels — Other Families: 1.5%
Marrangaroo 68.3% couple families
Marrangaroo — Couple Families: 68.3% Marrangaroo — Lone Person: 24.8% Marrangaroo — One Parent Families: 6.9% Marrangaroo — Group Household: 0.0% Marrangaroo — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bowenfels 46.7% renting
Bowenfels — Owned Outright: 29.3% Bowenfels — Mortgage: 24.0% Bowenfels — Renting: 46.7%
Marrangaroo 7.8% renting
Marrangaroo — Owned Outright: 44.6% Marrangaroo — Mortgage: 47.6% Marrangaroo — Renting: 7.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Certificate III & IV 14.4% / 16.1%
Bowenfels — Certificate III & IV: 14.4% Marrangaroo — Certificate III & IV: 16.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.3% / 4.9%
Bowenfels — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.3% Marrangaroo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.9%
Bachelor Degree 3.5% / 3.7%
Bowenfels — Bachelor Degree: 3.5% Marrangaroo — Bachelor Degree: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / 0.9%
Bowenfels — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Marrangaroo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%
Postgraduate Degree 0.8% / 0.5%
Bowenfels — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8% Marrangaroo — Postgraduate Degree: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.1%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
England 1.8% / 0.5%
Bowenfels — England: 1.8% Marrangaroo — England: 0.5%
New Zealand 0.8% / 1.4%
Bowenfels — New Zealand: 0.8% Marrangaroo — New Zealand: 1.4%
Philippines 0.7% / 0.6%
Bowenfels — Philippines: 0.7% Marrangaroo — Philippines: 0.6%
Italy 0.4% / 0.8%
Bowenfels — Italy: 0.4% Marrangaroo — Italy: 0.8%
China 0.4% / 0.6%
Bowenfels — China: 0.4% Marrangaroo — China: 0.6%
Greece — / 0.6%
Bowenfels — Greece: not among its largest Marrangaroo — Greece: 0.6%
India 0.5% / —
Bowenfels — India: 0.5% Marrangaroo — India: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bowenfels 90.6% houses
Bowenfels — Houses: 90.6% Bowenfels — Townhouses: 7.3% Bowenfels — Flats / Apartments: 2.1%
Marrangaroo 100.6% houses
Marrangaroo — Houses: 100.6% Marrangaroo — Townhouses: 0.0% Marrangaroo — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Median house price $540,000 $1,115,000
Median unit price $425,000 —
Median land price $327,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 42 days
from 10 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Marrangaroo has more rural and farming land (50% vs 1%); Bowenfels has more land zoned for conservation (68% vs 23%).

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Environmental 68% 23%
Rural and farming 1% 50%
Infrastructure and transport 22% 20%
Residential 9% 6%
Industrial 0% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
New dwellings approved 55
across Lithgow
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
House price Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Income Higher than 9% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 47% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW

Liveability

Marrangaroo scores higher overall (33 vs 7).

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Grade D C
Score 7/100 33/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Bowenfels carries more crime risk (93 vs 21).

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Bushfire High
94/100
 High
93/100
Crime High
93/100
 Low
21/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Cafes & restaurants 1 2
Parks & reserves 6 4
Childcare 1 0
Fuel stations 1
same for both
Waterways 6
same for both

Mobility

Marrangaroo sits further from the CBD (160.6 km vs 152.8 km).

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 152.8 km 160.6 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 148 min 161 min
Public transport score 69/100
Bus
 35/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 41.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 12.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 2790
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 2790
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Car (driver) 79.0% / 83.3%
Bowenfels — Car (driver): 79.0% Marrangaroo — Car (driver): 83.3%
Worked from Home 9.2% / 11.8%
Bowenfels — Worked from Home: 9.2% Marrangaroo — Worked from Home: 11.8%
Car (passenger) 8.2% / 5.0%
Bowenfels — Car (passenger): 8.2% Marrangaroo — Car (passenger): 5.0%
Train 2.1% / —
Bowenfels — Train: 2.1% Marrangaroo — Train: not among its largest
Walked Only 1.5% / —
Bowenfels — Walked Only: 1.5% Marrangaroo — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.3%).

Setting

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Elevation 972 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 998 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Connectivity score 75/100 66/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 48%
961 premises
 36%
159 premises

Climate

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Annual rainfall 1,147 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 23.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.2°C
same for both

Council rates

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Average residential rate $1,150/yr
same for both
Council Lithgow
same for both

Federal electorate

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Division Calare
same for both
Member Andrew Gee
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bowenfels Marrangaroo
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bowenfels

Acreage Affordable

Marrangaroo

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bowenfels

Bowenfels vs Lithgow Bowenfels vs Wallerawang Bowenfels vs South Bowenfels Bowenfels vs Littleton Bowenfels vs Hermitage Flat Bowenfels vs South Littleton

Other comparisons with Marrangaroo

Marrangaroo vs Lithgow Marrangaroo vs Wallerawang Marrangaroo vs Morts Estate Marrangaroo vs Lidsdale Marrangaroo vs McKellars Park
Full data on Bowenfels Full data on Marrangaroo
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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