Bowral vs Berrima

Berrima is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 55 in Bowral. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bowral, about half of households are people living alone. In Berrima, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Berrima: a median of $2.38 million, against $1.43 million in Bowral. On these figures, Bowral tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Berrima suits 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

Bowral

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (11 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (19 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 1)
  • But Berrima is already more of a family suburb (64% vs 47%)

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

First-home buyers

Bowral

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,425,000 vs $2,375,000)
  • has cheaper land ($1,035,000 vs $1,450,000)
  • But Berrima leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 33%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Berrima

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (23% vs 33%)

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

Commuting to the city

Bowral

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (92/100 vs 10/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (118.8 km vs 131 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bowral

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (19% vs 0%)
  • has more GPs (9 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (92/100 vs 10/100)

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

Investors

Berrima

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.1% vs 4.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bowral Berrima
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.

Bowral Berrima
Walkability 92 / 10
Bowral — Walkability: 92/100 Berrima — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 63 / 70
Bowral — Safety: 63/100 Berrima — Safety: 70/100
Low fire risk 100 / 72
Bowral — Low fire risk: 100/100 Berrima — Low fire risk: 72/100

Demographics

Bowral has more residents (10,764 vs 813); Berrima has higher household incomes ($109,200 vs $79,820).

Bowral Berrima
Population 10,764
+92% vs other
 813
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.2% +22.1%
Median age 55 52
Median household income $79,820/yr $109,200/yr
+37% vs other
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+2% vs other
 $490/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bowral Berrima
0-4 3.4% / 3.3%
Bowral — 0-4: 3.4% Berrima — 0-4: 3.3%
5-14 10.8% / 12.1%
Bowral — 5-14: 10.8% Berrima — 5-14: 12.1%
15-19 4.8% / 4.6%
Bowral — 15-19: 4.8% Berrima — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 3.4% / 4.4%
Bowral — 20-24: 3.4% Berrima — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 6.0% / 5.5%
Bowral — 25-34: 6.0% Berrima — 25-34: 5.5%
35-44 8.8% / 8.9%
Bowral — 35-44: 8.8% Berrima — 35-44: 8.9%
45-54 12.0% / 15.5%
Bowral — 45-54: 12.0% Berrima — 45-54: 15.5%
55-64 12.8% / 17.1%
Bowral — 55-64: 12.8% Berrima — 55-64: 17.1%
65-74 16.9% / 17.5%
Bowral — 65-74: 16.9% Berrima — 65-74: 17.5%
75-84 15.0% / 10.2%
Bowral — 75-84: 15.0% Berrima — 75-84: 10.2%
85+ 6.2% / 2.2%
Bowral — 85+: 6.2% Berrima — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bowral 34.3% couple families
Bowral — Couple Families: 34.3% Bowral — Lone Person: 48.9% Bowral — One Parent Families: 12.9% Bowral — Group Household: 3.0% Bowral — Other Families: 0.9%
Berrima 49.7% couple families
Berrima — Couple Families: 49.7% Berrima — Lone Person: 34.2% Berrima — One Parent Families: 14.2% Berrima — Group Household: 1.9% Berrima — 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.

Bowral 19.9% renting
Bowral — Owned Outright: 53.8% Bowral — Mortgage: 26.3% Bowral — Renting: 19.9%
Berrima 13.7% renting
Berrima — Owned Outright: 52.2% Berrima — Mortgage: 34.2% Berrima — Renting: 13.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Bowral Berrima
Bachelor Degree 16.8% / 15.9%
Bowral — Bachelor Degree: 16.8% Berrima — Bachelor Degree: 15.9%
Certificate III & IV 11.3% / 12.3%
Bowral — Certificate III & IV: 11.3% Berrima — Certificate III & IV: 12.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.8% / 9.7%
Bowral — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.8% Berrima — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7%
Postgraduate Degree 7.1% / 7.6%
Bowral — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1% Berrima — Postgraduate Degree: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 3.0%
Bowral — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Berrima — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

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.

Bowral Berrima
England 7.2% / 6.9%
Bowral — England: 7.2% Berrima — England: 6.9%
New Zealand 1.7% / 2.5%
Bowral — New Zealand: 1.7% Berrima — New Zealand: 2.5%
Scotland 0.8% / 1.5%
Bowral — Scotland: 0.8% Berrima — Scotland: 1.5%
South Africa 1.0% / 0.7%
Bowral — South Africa: 1.0% Berrima — South Africa: 0.7%
India 0.9% / 0.5%
Bowral — India: 0.9% Berrima — India: 0.5%
Taiwan — / 1.1%
Bowral — Taiwan: not among its largest Berrima — Taiwan: 1.1%
Nepal 1.0% / —
Bowral — Nepal: 1.0% Berrima — Nepal: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bowral 80.6% houses
Bowral — Houses: 80.6% Bowral — Townhouses: 16.1% Bowral — Flats / Apartments: 3.3%
Berrima 99.6% houses
Berrima — Houses: 99.6% Berrima — Townhouses: 0.0% Berrima — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Bowral Berrima
Median house price $1,425,000 $2,375,000
Median unit price $830,000 —
Median land price $1,035,000 $1,450,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 48 days
from 127 sales
 106 days
from 4 sales

Zoning mix

Berrima has more rural and farming land (41% vs 6%).

Bowral Berrima
Environmental 56% 53%
Rural and farming 6% 41%
Residential 27% 1%
Parks and recreation 8% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 4%
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

Bowral Berrima
New dwellings approved 335
across Wingecarribee
same for both
Approvals change year on year +6%
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.

Bowral Berrima
Houses 3.3%
$915/wk on $1.43M
 —
Units 4.0%
$650/wk on $840K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Bowral Berrima
House price Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Income Higher than 47% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Schools Higher than 44% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 97% of NSW Higher than 56% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 18% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 36% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 24% of NSW —

Liveability

Bowral is more walkable (92 vs 10); Bowral scores higher overall (69 vs 60).

Bowral Berrima
Grade B
same for both
Score 69/100 60/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Berrima carries more bushfire risk (28 vs 0).

Bowral Berrima
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
28/100
Crime Low
37/100
 Low
30/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Bowral Berrima
Inside the suburb 5 1
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Bowral

  • Aurora Southern Highlands Steiner School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Bowral High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Bowral Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Southern Highlands Christian School Independent · Combined below peers

Schools in Berrima

  • Berrima Public School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Bowral Berrima
Supermarkets 5 0
Cafes & restaurants 35 6
Parks & reserves 19 2
Childcare 11 0
GPs 9 0
Pharmacies 5 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 7 1
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 26 17

Mobility

Berrima sits further from the CBD (131 km vs 118.8 km).

Bowral Berrima
Walkability score 92/100 10/100
Distance to Sydney 118.8 km 131 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 91 min 95 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 23/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 127.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 2 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.7%
postcode 2576
 0.9%
postcode 2577
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 2576
 56
postcode 2577

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.

Bowral Berrima
Car (driver) 55.0% / 53.7%
Bowral — Car (driver): 55.0% Berrima — Car (driver): 53.7%
Worked from Home 34.0% / 37.3%
Bowral — Worked from Home: 34.0% Berrima — Worked from Home: 37.3%
Walked Only 4.8% / 4.2%
Bowral — Walked Only: 4.8% Berrima — Walked Only: 4.2%
Car (passenger) 5.0% / 3.9%
Bowral — Car (passenger): 5.0% Berrima — Car (passenger): 3.9%
Train 0.5% / 1.0%
Bowral — Train: 0.5% Berrima — Train: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (55.0%).

Setting

Bowral Berrima
Elevation 679 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 687 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 41.0 km 49.5 km

NBN connectivity

Bowral Berrima
Connectivity score 66/100 50/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 39%
6,483 premises
 23%
428 premises

Climate

Bowral Berrima
Annual rainfall 974 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Bowral Berrima
Average residential rate $2,072/yr
same for both
Council Wingecarribee
same for both

Federal electorate

Bowral Berrima
Division Whitlam
same for both
Member Carol Berry
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bowral Berrima
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bowral

Cafe Culture Parks Regional Centre Retirees River

Berrima

Premium Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bowral

Bowral vs Moss Vale Bowral vs Mittagong Bowral vs Burradoo Bowral vs Woodlands Bowral vs Glenquarry

Other comparisons with Berrima

Berrima vs Moss Vale Berrima vs New Berrima Berrima vs Sutton Forest Berrima vs High Range Berrima vs Woodlands Berrima vs Medway
Full data on Bowral Full data on Berrima
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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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