Bowning vs Yass

Yass is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 45 in Bowning. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Yass: a median of $750,000, against $595,000 in Bowning. On these figures, Bowning tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Yass

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (12 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • But Bowning carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 65/100)

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

First-home buyers

Bowning

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($595,000 vs $750,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Yass

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 9%)

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

Commuting to the city

Yass

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (63/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (285.7 km vs 289.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Yass

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (63/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (12% vs 1%)
  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • But Bowning carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 65/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bowning Yass
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.

Bowning Yass
Walkability 0 / 63
Bowning — Walkability: 0/100 Yass — Walkability: 63/100
Safety 65 / 35
Bowning — Safety: 65/100 Yass — Safety: 35/100
Low fire risk 49 / 81
Bowning — Low fire risk: 49/100 Yass — Low fire risk: 81/100

Demographics

Yass has more residents (6,763 vs 619); Bowning skews older (45 vs 42).

Bowning Yass
Population 619 6,763
+993% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.0% +4.0%
Median age 45 42
Median household income $98,176/yr
+8% vs other
 $90,428/yr
Median weekly rent $330/wk $340/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bowning Yass
0-4 4.2% / 5.6%
Bowning — 0-4: 4.2% Yass — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 12.4% / 13.8%
Bowning — 5-14: 12.4% Yass — 5-14: 13.8%
15-19 6.6% / 5.6%
Bowning — 15-19: 6.6% Yass — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 4.0% / 4.9%
Bowning — 20-24: 4.0% Yass — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 10.3% / 11.0%
Bowning — 25-34: 10.3% Yass — 25-34: 11.0%
35-44 11.6% / 12.4%
Bowning — 35-44: 11.6% Yass — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 15.7% / 12.9%
Bowning — 45-54: 15.7% Yass — 45-54: 12.9%
55-64 13.4% / 12.1%
Bowning — 55-64: 13.4% Yass — 55-64: 12.1%
65-74 13.6% / 11.3%
Bowning — 65-74: 13.6% Yass — 65-74: 11.3%
75-84 6.1% / 6.7%
Bowning — 75-84: 6.1% Yass — 75-84: 6.7%
85+ 1.0% / 3.7%
Bowning — 85+: 1.0% Yass — 85+: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bowning 44.9% couple families
Bowning — Couple Families: 44.9% Bowning — Lone Person: 31.9% Bowning — One Parent Families: 18.8% Bowning — Group Household: 2.2% Bowning — Other Families: 2.2%
Yass 42.9% couple families
Yass — Couple Families: 42.9% Yass — Lone Person: 37.6% Yass — One Parent Families: 16.1% Yass — Group Household: 2.2% Yass — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bowning 8.8% renting
Bowning — Owned Outright: 40.2% Bowning — Mortgage: 51.0% Bowning — Renting: 8.8%
Yass 24.4% renting
Yass — Owned Outright: 34.3% Yass — Mortgage: 41.3% Yass — Renting: 24.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Bowning Yass
Certificate III & IV 14.1% / 16.5%
Bowning — Certificate III & IV: 14.1% Yass — Certificate III & IV: 16.5%
Bachelor Degree 12.9% / 10.6%
Bowning — Bachelor Degree: 12.9% Yass — Bachelor Degree: 10.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 7.5%
Bowning — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% Yass — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Postgraduate Degree 2.1% / 3.4%
Bowning — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1% Yass — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 2.1%
Bowning — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Yass — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

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.

Bowning Yass
England 2.6% / 2.7%
Bowning — England: 2.6% Yass — England: 2.7%
New Zealand 2.1% / 0.8%
Bowning — New Zealand: 2.1% Yass — New Zealand: 0.8%
Philippines 0.8% / 0.3%
Bowning — Philippines: 0.8% Yass — Philippines: 0.3%
Germany 0.6% / 0.4%
Bowning — Germany: 0.6% Yass — Germany: 0.4%
Canada 0.6% / —
Bowning — Canada: 0.6% Yass — Canada: not among its largest
India — / 0.5%
Bowning — India: not among its largest Yass — India: 0.5%
Ireland — / 0.4%
Bowning — Ireland: not among its largest Yass — Ireland: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bowning 98.7% houses
Bowning — Houses: 98.7% Bowning — Townhouses: 0.0% Bowning — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Yass 88.5% houses
Yass — Houses: 88.5% Yass — Townhouses: 7.6% Yass — Flats / Apartments: 3.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bowning Yass
Median house price $595,000 $750,000
Median unit price — $640,000
Median land price — $425,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 76 days
from 75 sales

Zoning mix

Bowning has more rural and farming land (98% vs 43%); Yass has more land zoned for conservation (15% vs 0%).

Bowning Yass
Rural and farming 98% 43%
Residential 0% 33%
Environmental 0% 15%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 4%
Industrial 0% 2%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
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

Bowning Yass
New dwellings approved 121
across Yass Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year +14%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Bowning Yass
Houses — 4.5%
$680/wk on $785K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Bowning Yass
House price Higher than 35% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW
Income Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 26% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 88% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 56% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 91% of NSW

Liveability

Yass is more walkable (63 vs 0).

Bowning Yass
Grade C
same for both
Score 38/100 40/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Bowning carries more bushfire risk (51 vs 19); Yass carries more crime risk (65 vs 35).

Bowning Yass
Bushfire Moderate
51/100
 Low
19/100
Crime Low
35/100
 Moderate
65/100
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 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Bowning Yass
Inside the suburb 1 4
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0 2

Schools in Bowning

  • Bowning Public School Government · Primary

Schools in Yass

  • Mt Carmel School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Yass Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Berinba Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Yass High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bowning Yass
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 12
Parks & reserves 1 12
Childcare 0 7
GPs 0 5
Pharmacies 0 2
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 2
Fuel stations 1 4
EV chargers 0 4
Waterways 65 27

Mobility

Bowning sits further from the CBD (289.2 km vs 285.7 km).

Bowning Yass
Walkability score 0/100 63/100
Distance to Sydney 289.2 km
+1% vs other
 285.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 185 min 184 min
Public transport score 27/100
Bus
 69/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 8.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 48.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.4%
postcode 2582
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 66
postcode 2582
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.

Bowning Yass
Car (driver) 68.5% / 75.5%
Bowning — Car (driver): 68.5% Yass — Car (driver): 75.5%
Worked from Home 21.0% / 13.0%
Bowning — Worked from Home: 21.0% Yass — Worked from Home: 13.0%
Car (passenger) 5.8% / 5.2%
Bowning — Car (passenger): 5.8% Yass — Car (passenger): 5.2%
Walked Only 4.7% / 4.5%
Bowning — Walked Only: 4.7% Yass — Walked Only: 4.5%
Bus — / 1.5%
Bowning — Bus: not among its largest Yass — Bus: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.5%).

Setting

Bowning Yass
Elevation 587 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 510 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Bowning Yass
Connectivity score 30/100 63/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
284 premises
 35%
3,490 premises

Climate

Bowning Yass
Annual rainfall 889 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.9°C
same for both

Council rates

Bowning Yass
Average residential rate $1,162/yr
same for both
Council Yass Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Bowning Yass
Division Riverina
same for both
Member Michael Mccormack
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bowning Yass
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bowning

Affordable Rural

Yass

Acreage

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bowning

Bowning vs Binalong Bowning vs Good Hope Bowning vs Bookham Bowning vs Bango Bowning vs Blakney Creek Bowning vs Kangiara

Other comparisons with Yass

Yass vs Manton Yass vs Marchmont Yass vs Good Hope Yass vs Bango
Full data on Bowning Full data on Yass
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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