Cowan vs Berowra Heights

In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Berowra Heights: a median of $1.64 million, against $1.23 million in Cowan, and rent is higher there too. Berowra Heights is closer to the city centre: 40.4 km, against 46.1 km. On these figures, Cowan 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

Berowra Heights

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (5 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 57/100)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Cowan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,230,000 vs $1,640,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cowan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($515/wk vs $580/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Berowra Heights

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (42/100 vs 10/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (46 min vs 57 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (40.4 km vs 46.1 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Berowra Heights

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (42/100 vs 10/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 57/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)

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

Cowan and Berowra Heights 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 Berowra Heights
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 Berowra Heights
Walkability 10 / 42
Cowan — Walkability: 10/100 Berowra Heights — Walkability: 42/100
Safety 43 / 82
Cowan — Safety: 43/100 Berowra Heights — Safety: 82/100
Low fire risk 24 / 56
Cowan — Low fire risk: 24/100 Berowra Heights — Low fire risk: 56/100

Demographics

Berowra Heights has more residents (5,286 vs 631); Berowra Heights rents higher ($580/wk vs $515/wk).

Cowan Berowra Heights
Population 631 5,286
+738% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -2.8% +0.4%
Median age 41 42
Median household income $117,000/yr $128,336/yr
+10% vs other
Median weekly rent $515/wk $580/wk
+13% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cowan Berowra Heights
0-4 5.2% / 5.4%
Cowan — 0-4: 5.2% Berowra Heights — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 14.7% / 16.1%
Cowan — 5-14: 14.7% Berowra Heights — 5-14: 16.1%
15-19 9.4% / 7.5%
Cowan — 15-19: 9.4% Berowra Heights — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 6.5% / 5.1%
Cowan — 20-24: 6.5% Berowra Heights — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 7.6% / 6.1%
Cowan — 25-34: 7.6% Berowra Heights — 25-34: 6.1%
35-44 11.9% / 14.3%
Cowan — 35-44: 11.9% Berowra Heights — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 15.5% / 17.0%
Cowan — 45-54: 15.5% Berowra Heights — 45-54: 17.0%
55-64 14.7% / 11.4%
Cowan — 55-64: 14.7% Berowra Heights — 55-64: 11.4%
65-74 10.8% / 10.7%
Cowan — 65-74: 10.8% Berowra Heights — 65-74: 10.7%
75-84 5.7% / 5.1%
Cowan — 75-84: 5.7% Berowra Heights — 75-84: 5.1%
85+ 1.0% / 1.4%
Cowan — 85+: 1.0% Berowra Heights — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cowan 62.8% couple families
Cowan — Couple Families: 62.8% Cowan — Lone Person: 19.9% Cowan — One Parent Families: 17.3% Cowan — Group Household: 0.0% Cowan — Other Families: 0.0%
Berowra Heights 65.3% couple families
Berowra Heights — Couple Families: 65.3% Berowra Heights — Lone Person: 19.9% Berowra Heights — One Parent Families: 12.7% Berowra Heights — Group Household: 1.2% Berowra Heights — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other 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%
Berowra Heights 10.8% renting
Berowra Heights — Owned Outright: 41.0% Berowra Heights — Mortgage: 48.2% Berowra Heights — Renting: 10.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cowan Berowra Heights
Bachelor Degree 16.8% / 17.9%
Cowan — Bachelor Degree: 16.8% Berowra Heights — Bachelor Degree: 17.9%
Certificate III & IV 17.7% / 13.5%
Cowan — Certificate III & IV: 17.7% Berowra Heights — Certificate III & IV: 13.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 9.0%
Cowan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Berowra Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Postgraduate Degree 5.1% / 6.1%
Cowan — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1% Berowra Heights — Postgraduate Degree: 6.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 2.4%
Cowan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Berowra Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

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

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 Berowra Heights
England 3.5% / 6.7%
Cowan — England: 3.5% Berowra Heights — England: 6.7%
New Zealand 1.4% / 1.3%
Cowan — New Zealand: 1.4% Berowra Heights — New Zealand: 1.3%
South Africa 1.6% / 1.0%
Cowan — South Africa: 1.6% Berowra Heights — South Africa: 1.0%
Philippines 1.3% / 0.7%
Cowan — Philippines: 1.3% Berowra Heights — Philippines: 0.7%
China — / 1.1%
Cowan — China: not among its largest Berowra Heights — China: 1.1%
Iran 1.0% / —
Cowan — Iran: 1.0% Berowra Heights — Iran: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cowan 98.1% houses
Cowan — Houses: 98.1% Cowan — Townhouses: 1.4% Cowan — Flats / Apartments: 0.5%
Berowra Heights 93.8% houses
Berowra Heights — Houses: 93.8% Berowra Heights — Townhouses: 4.7% Berowra Heights — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cowan Berowra Heights
Median house price $1,230,000 $1,640,000
Median unit price — $1,180,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 26 days
from 29 sales

Zoning mix

Cowan has more land zoned for conservation (88% vs 30%).

Cowan Berowra Heights
Environmental 88% 30%
Parks and recreation 4% 40%
Residential 1% 29%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 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

Cowan Berowra Heights
New dwellings approved 260
across Hornsby
same for both
Approvals change year on year -79%
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.

Cowan Berowra Heights
Houses — 3.3%
$945/wk on $1.5M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Cowan Berowra Heights
House price Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 77% of NSW
Income Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 48% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 78% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 33% of NSW

Liveability

Berowra Heights is more walkable (42 vs 10); Berowra Heights scores higher overall (69 vs 40).

Cowan Berowra Heights
Grade C A
Score 40/100 69/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Cowan carries more crime risk (57 vs 18); Cowan carries more bushfire risk (76 vs 44).

Cowan Berowra Heights
Bushfire High
76/100
 Moderate
44/100
Crime Moderate
57/100
 Low
18/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Cowan Berowra Heights
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Cowan

  • Cowan Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Berowra Heights

  • Wideview Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Bernard's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cowan Berowra Heights
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 2
same for both
Parks & reserves 3
same for both
Childcare 0 5
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 6 8

Mobility

Cowan sits further from the CBD (46.1 km vs 40.4 km).

Cowan Berowra Heights
Walkability score 10/100 42/100
Distance to Sydney 46.1 km
+12% vs other
 40.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 57 min 46 min
Public transport score 48/100
Rail · Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 7.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 70.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 7.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 2081
 1.4%
postcode 2082
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 2081
 49
postcode 2082

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 Berowra Heights
Car (driver) 47.0% / 44.5%
Cowan — Car (driver): 47.0% Berowra Heights — Car (driver): 44.5%
Worked from Home 42.2% / 48.8%
Cowan — Worked from Home: 42.2% Berowra Heights — Worked from Home: 48.8%
Train 5.2% / 2.7%
Cowan — Train: 5.2% Berowra Heights — Train: 2.7%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / 1.8%
Cowan — Car (passenger): 4.1% Berowra Heights — Car (passenger): 1.8%
Walked Only 1.5% / 2.2%
Cowan — Walked Only: 1.5% Berowra Heights — Walked Only: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (48.8%).

Setting

Cowan Berowra Heights
Elevation 59 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 183 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.6 km 8.8 km

NBN connectivity

Cowan Berowra Heights
Connectivity score 78/100 72/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 60%
239 premises
 50%
1,985 premises

Climate

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

Air quality (annual mean)

Cowan Berowra Heights
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.23 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Cowan Berowra Heights
Average residential rate $1,488/yr
same for both
Council Hornsby
same for both

Federal electorate

Cowan Berowra Heights
Division Berowra
same for both
Member Julian Leeser
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Cowan

Outer Trains

Berowra Heights

Large Blocks Outer River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cowan

Cowan vs Berowra Cowan vs Brooklyn Cowan vs Mooney Mooney Cowan vs Canoelands Cowan vs Berowra Waters Cowan vs Bar Point

Other comparisons with Berowra Heights

Berowra Heights vs Berowra Berowra Heights vs Mount Kuring-Gai Berowra Heights vs Berrilee Berowra Heights vs Berowra Waters
Full data on Cowan Full data on Berowra Heights
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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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