Bowmans Forest vs Gapsted

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bowmans Forest, most households are couple families. In Gapsted, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Bowmans Forest tends to suit 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

Bowmans Forest

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 45/100)

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

First-home buyers

Bowmans Forest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (12% vs 26%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Bowmans Forest

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($160/wk vs $256/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Bowmans Forest

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (183 min vs 192 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (279.2 km vs 287.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bowmans Forest

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (10/100 vs 45/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 19%)

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

Investors

Bowmans Forest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (10.4% vs -9.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
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.

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Walkability 0 / 0
Bowmans Forest — Walkability: 0/100 Gapsted — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 90 / 55
Bowmans Forest — Safety: 90/100 Gapsted — Safety: 55/100
Low fire risk 31 / 22
Bowmans Forest — Low fire risk: 31/100 Gapsted — Low fire risk: 22/100
Low flood risk 50 / 89
Bowmans Forest — Low flood risk: 50/100 Gapsted — Low flood risk: 89/100

Demographics

Gapsted rents higher ($256/wk vs $160/wk); Bowmans Forest has higher household incomes ($107,692 vs $68,224).

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Population 106 156
+47% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +10.4% -9.8%
Median age 53 51
Median household income $107,692/yr
+37% vs other
 $68,224/yr
Median weekly rent $160/wk $256/wk
+60% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
0-4 9.4% / —
Bowmans Forest — 0-4: 9.4% Gapsted — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 8.5% / 10.3%
Bowmans Forest — 5-14: 8.5% Gapsted — 5-14: 10.3%
15-19 7.5% / 5.8%
Bowmans Forest — 15-19: 7.5% Gapsted — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 4.7% / 9.0%
Bowmans Forest — 20-24: 4.7% Gapsted — 20-24: 9.0%
25-34 11.3% / 10.9%
Bowmans Forest — 25-34: 11.3% Gapsted — 25-34: 10.9%
35-44 5.7% / 8.3%
Bowmans Forest — 35-44: 5.7% Gapsted — 35-44: 8.3%
45-54 12.3% / 11.5%
Bowmans Forest — 45-54: 12.3% Gapsted — 45-54: 11.5%
55-64 22.6% / 19.2%
Bowmans Forest — 55-64: 22.6% Gapsted — 55-64: 19.2%
65-74 20.8% / 10.3%
Bowmans Forest — 65-74: 20.8% Gapsted — 65-74: 10.3%
75-84 5.7% / 5.1%
Bowmans Forest — 75-84: 5.7% Gapsted — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ — / 3.8%
Bowmans Forest — 85+: not among its largest Gapsted — 85+: 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bowmans Forest 57.1% couple families
Bowmans Forest — Couple Families: 57.1% Bowmans Forest — Lone Person: 42.9% Bowmans Forest — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Gapsted 43.3% couple families
Gapsted — Couple Families: 43.3% Gapsted — Lone Person: 46.7% Gapsted — One Parent Families: 10.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bowmans Forest 0.0% renting
Bowmans Forest — Owned Outright: 80.0% Bowmans Forest — Mortgage: 20.0% Bowmans Forest — Renting: 0.0%
Gapsted 21.7% renting
Gapsted — Owned Outright: 58.3% Gapsted — Mortgage: 20.0% Gapsted — Renting: 21.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bowmans Forest 100.0% houses
Bowmans Forest — Houses: 100.0%
Gapsted 100.0% houses
Gapsted — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Certificate III & IV 17.9% / 16.0%
Bowmans Forest — Certificate III & IV: 17.9% Gapsted — Certificate III & IV: 16.0%
Bachelor Degree 12.3% / 10.3%
Bowmans Forest — Bachelor Degree: 12.3% Gapsted — Bachelor Degree: 10.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 11.3% / 9.6%
Bowmans Forest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.3% Gapsted — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 5.1%
Bowmans Forest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Gapsted — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.1%
Postgraduate Degree — / 3.8%
Bowmans Forest — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Gapsted — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

Zoning mix

Bowmans Forest has more rural and farming land (99% vs 41%).

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Rural and farming 99% 41%
Parks and recreation 0% 58%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
same for both
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

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
New dwellings approved 238
across Wangaratta
 32
across Alpine
Approvals change year on year +329% -42%

Ranking within VIC

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 30% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 50% of VIC Higher than 29% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption — Higher than 24% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 66% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC

Liveability

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Bowmans Forest carries more flood risk (50 vs 11); Gapsted carries more crime risk (45 vs 10).

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Bushfire Moderate
69/100
 High
78/100
Crime Low
10/100
 Moderate
45/100
Flood Moderate
50/100
 Low
11/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
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

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 4 0
Waterways 13 4

Mobility

Gapsted sits further from the CBD (287.9 km vs 279.2 km).

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 279.2 km 287.9 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 183 min 192 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3735
 0.3%
postcode 3737
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 3735
 50
postcode 3737

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.

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Car (driver) 71.4% / 66.7%
Bowmans Forest — Car (driver): 71.4% Gapsted — Car (driver): 66.7%
Worked from Home 28.6% / 12.8%
Bowmans Forest — Worked from Home: 28.6% Gapsted — Worked from Home: 12.8%
Walked Only — / 16.7%
Bowmans Forest — Walked Only: not among its largest Gapsted — Walked Only: 16.7%
Car (passenger) — / 3.8%
Bowmans Forest — Car (passenger): not among its largest Gapsted — Car (passenger): 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.4%).

Setting

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Elevation 209 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 326 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Connectivity score 30/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
43 premises
 0%
76 premises

Climate

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Annual rainfall 984 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Average residential rate $1,962/yr $1,945/yr
Council Wangaratta Alpine

Federal electorate

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Division Indi
same for both
Member Helen Haines
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bowmans Forest Gapsted
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bowmans Forest

Retirees River Rural Young Families

Gapsted

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bowmans Forest

Bowmans Forest vs Whorouly Bowmans Forest vs Everton Bowmans Forest vs Everton Upper Bowmans Forest vs Murmungee

Other comparisons with Gapsted

Gapsted vs Myrtleford Gapsted vs Whorouly Gapsted vs Stanley Gapsted vs Mudgegonga Gapsted vs Merriang Gapsted vs Barwidgee
Full data on Bowmans Forest Full data on Gapsted
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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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