Cowan vs Bar Point

Cowan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 52 in Bar Point. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cowan, most households are couple families. In Bar Point, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Cowan: a median of $1.23 million, against $670,000 in Bar Point, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Cowan tends to suit families with children and couples, while Bar Point suits people living alone, older residents, and 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

Cowan

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 29%)
  • carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 76/100)

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

  • Cowan leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 31%)
  • Bar Point has cheaper houses ($670,000 vs $1,230,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Bar Point

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $515/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Cowan

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (46.1 km vs 62 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (57 min vs 68 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cowan

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 76/100)
  • But Bar Point has more residents already 65 and over (29% vs 18%)

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

Investors

Bar Point

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (90.6% vs -2.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cowan Bar Point
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.

Cowan Bar Point
Walkability 10 / 0
Cowan — Walkability: 10/100 Bar Point — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 43 / 24
Cowan — Safety: 43/100 Bar Point — Safety: 24/100
Low fire risk 24 / 9
Cowan — Low fire risk: 24/100 Bar Point — Low fire risk: 9/100

Demographics

Cowan has more residents (631 vs 122); Cowan has higher household incomes ($117,000 vs $58,500).

Cowan Bar Point
Population 631
+81% vs other
 122
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -2.8% +90.6%
Median age 41 52
Median household income $117,000/yr
+50% vs other
 $58,500/yr
Median weekly rent $515/wk
+42% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cowan Bar Point
0-4 5.2% / 5.7%
Cowan — 0-4: 5.2% Bar Point — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 14.7% / 2.5%
Cowan — 5-14: 14.7% Bar Point — 5-14: 2.5%
15-19 9.4% / —
Cowan — 15-19: 9.4% Bar Point — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 6.5% / —
Cowan — 20-24: 6.5% Bar Point — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 7.6% / 6.6%
Cowan — 25-34: 7.6% Bar Point — 25-34: 6.6%
35-44 11.9% / 17.2%
Cowan — 35-44: 11.9% Bar Point — 35-44: 17.2%
45-54 15.5% / 14.8%
Cowan — 45-54: 15.5% Bar Point — 45-54: 14.8%
55-64 14.7% / 22.1%
Cowan — 55-64: 14.7% Bar Point — 55-64: 22.1%
65-74 10.8% / 18.0%
Cowan — 65-74: 10.8% Bar Point — 65-74: 18.0%
75-84 5.7% / 7.4%
Cowan — 75-84: 5.7% Bar Point — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ 1.0% / 3.3%
Cowan — 85+: 1.0% Bar Point — 85+: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cowan 19.9% lone person
Cowan — Lone Person: 19.9% Cowan — Couple Families: 62.8% Cowan — One Parent Families: 17.3%
Bar Point 70.7% lone person
Bar Point — Lone Person: 70.7% Bar Point — Couple Families: 22.0% Bar Point — One Parent Families: 7.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cowan 10.3% renting
Cowan — Owned Outright: 39.0% Cowan — Mortgage: 50.7% Cowan — Renting: 10.3%
Bar Point 17.3% renting
Bar Point — Owned Outright: 48.1% Bar Point — Mortgage: 34.6% Bar Point — Renting: 17.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Cowan Bar Point
England 3.5% / 4.9%
Cowan — England: 3.5% Bar Point — England: 4.9%
South Africa 1.6% / 4.1%
Cowan — South Africa: 1.6% Bar Point — South Africa: 4.1%
New Zealand 1.4% / —
Cowan — New Zealand: 1.4% Bar Point — New Zealand: not among its largest
Philippines 1.3% / —
Cowan — Philippines: 1.3% Bar Point — Philippines: not among its largest
Iran 1.0% / —
Cowan — Iran: 1.0% Bar Point — Iran: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.9%).

Qualifications

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

Cowan Bar Point
Certificate III & IV 17.7% / 12.3%
Cowan — Certificate III & IV: 17.7% Bar Point — Certificate III & IV: 12.3%
Bachelor Degree 16.8% / 12.3%
Cowan — Bachelor Degree: 16.8% Bar Point — Bachelor Degree: 12.3%
Postgraduate Degree 5.1% / 10.7%
Cowan — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1% Bar Point — Postgraduate Degree: 10.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 6.6%
Cowan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Bar Point — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 2.5%
Cowan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Bar Point — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cowan 98.1% houses
Cowan — Houses: 98.1% Cowan — Flats / Apartments: 0.5% Cowan — Townhouses: 1.4%
Bar Point 94.5% houses
Bar Point — Houses: 94.5% Bar Point — Flats / Apartments: 5.5% Bar Point — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Cowan Bar Point
Median house price $1,230,000 $670,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Cowan Bar Point
Environmental 88% 91%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 9%
Parks and recreation 4% 0%
Residential 1% 0%
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

Cowan Bar Point
New dwellings approved 260
across Hornsby
 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
Approvals change year on year -79% +67%

Ranking within NSW

Cowan Bar Point
House price Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
Income Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 20% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 53% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 29% of NSW

Liveability

Cowan is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Cowan Bar Point
Grade C —
Score 40/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Bar Point carries more crime risk (76 vs 57); Bar Point carries more bushfire risk (91 vs 76).

Cowan Bar Point
Bushfire High
76/100
 High
91/100
Crime Moderate
57/100
 High
76/100
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

Cowan Bar Point
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Cowan

  • Cowan Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Bar Point

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Cowan Bar Point
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 3 1
Waterways 6 2

Mobility

Bar Point sits further from the CBD (62 km vs 46.1 km).

Cowan Bar Point
Walkability score 10/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 46.1 km 62 km
+34% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 57 min 68 min
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 2081
 1.1%
postcode 2083
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 2081
 36
postcode 2083

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.

Cowan Bar Point
Worked from Home 42.2% / 100.0%
Cowan — Worked from Home: 42.2% Bar Point — Worked from Home: 100.0%
Car (driver) 47.0% / —
Cowan — Car (driver): 47.0% Bar Point — Car (driver): not among its largest
Train 5.2% / —
Cowan — Train: 5.2% Bar Point — Train: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 4.1% / —
Cowan — Car (passenger): 4.1% Bar Point — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 1.5% / —
Cowan — Walked Only: 1.5% Bar Point — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).

Setting

Cowan Bar Point
Elevation 59 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 138 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.6 km 8.2 km

NBN connectivity

Cowan Bar Point
Connectivity score 78/100 19/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 60%
239 premises
 0%
46 premises

Climate

Cowan Bar Point
Annual rainfall 1,176 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Cowan Bar Point
Average residential rate $1,488/yr $1,409/yr
Council Hornsby Central Coast (NSW)

Federal electorate

Cowan Bar Point
Division Berowra Robertson
Member Julian Leeser Gordon Reid
Party Liberal Australian Labor Party

First Home Owner Grant

Cowan Bar Point
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cowan

Outer Trains

Bar Point

Outer Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cowan

Cowan vs Berowra Heights Cowan vs Berowra Cowan vs Brooklyn Cowan vs Mooney Mooney Cowan vs Canoelands Cowan vs Berowra Waters

Other comparisons with Bar Point

Bar Point vs Mooney Mooney Bar Point vs Canoelands Bar Point vs Mount White Bar Point vs Cheero Point
Full data on Cowan Full data on Bar Point
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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