Cowan vs Berowra Waters

Cowan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 56 in Berowra Waters. 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 Berowra Waters, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Cowan: a median of $1.23 million, against $908,000 in Berowra Waters, though rent is higher in Berowra Waters. On these figures, Cowan tends to suit families with children and couples, while Berowra Waters 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

  • has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 38%)

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 30%)
  • Berowra Waters has cheaper houses ($907,500 vs $1,230,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cowan

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (23% vs 32%)
  • has cheaper rent ($515/wk vs $575/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Cowan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Cowan is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • Berowra Waters has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 18%)

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

Where they sit

Cowan and Berowra Waters 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 Waters
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 Waters
Walkability 10 / 0
Cowan — Walkability: 10/100 Berowra Waters — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 43 / 34
Cowan — Safety: 43/100 Berowra Waters — Safety: 34/100
Low fire risk 24 / 3
Cowan — Low fire risk: 24/100 Berowra Waters — Low fire risk: 3/100

Demographics

Cowan has more residents (631 vs 169); Berowra Waters skews older (56 vs 41).

Cowan Berowra Waters
Population 631
+73% vs other
 169
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -2.8% —
Median age 41 56
Median household income $117,000/yr
+19% vs other
 $94,224/yr
Median weekly rent $515/wk $575/wk
+12% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cowan Berowra Waters
0-4 5.2% / 5.3%
Cowan — 0-4: 5.2% Berowra Waters — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 14.7% / 7.1%
Cowan — 5-14: 14.7% Berowra Waters — 5-14: 7.1%
15-19 9.4% / 4.1%
Cowan — 15-19: 9.4% Berowra Waters — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 6.5% / —
Cowan — 20-24: 6.5% Berowra Waters — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 7.6% / 7.1%
Cowan — 25-34: 7.6% Berowra Waters — 25-34: 7.1%
35-44 11.9% / 7.1%
Cowan — 35-44: 11.9% Berowra Waters — 35-44: 7.1%
45-54 15.5% / 16.6%
Cowan — 45-54: 15.5% Berowra Waters — 45-54: 16.6%
55-64 14.7% / 23.7%
Cowan — 55-64: 14.7% Berowra Waters — 55-64: 23.7%
65-74 10.8% / 17.2%
Cowan — 65-74: 10.8% Berowra Waters — 65-74: 17.2%
75-84 5.7% / 12.4%
Cowan — 75-84: 5.7% Berowra Waters — 75-84: 12.4%
85+ 1.0% / —
Cowan — 85+: 1.0% Berowra Waters — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.7%).

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%
Berowra Waters 38.2% couple families
Berowra Waters — Couple Families: 38.2% Berowra Waters — Lone Person: 52.9% Berowra Waters — One Parent Families: 0.0% Berowra Waters — Group Household: 8.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

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 Waters 0.0% renting
Berowra Waters — Owned Outright: 64.4% Berowra Waters — Mortgage: 35.6% Berowra Waters — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cowan Berowra Waters
Bachelor Degree 16.8% / 20.1%
Cowan — Bachelor Degree: 16.8% Berowra Waters — Bachelor Degree: 20.1%
Certificate III & IV 17.7% / 11.2%
Cowan — Certificate III & IV: 17.7% Berowra Waters — Certificate III & IV: 11.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 12.4%
Cowan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Berowra Waters — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 12.4%
Postgraduate Degree 5.1% / 8.3%
Cowan — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1% Berowra Waters — Postgraduate Degree: 8.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 5.9%
Cowan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Berowra Waters — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

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 Waters
England 3.5% / 9.5%
Cowan — England: 3.5% Berowra Waters — England: 9.5%
New Zealand 1.4% / 3.6%
Cowan — New Zealand: 1.4% Berowra Waters — New Zealand: 3.6%
Singapore — / 3.6%
Cowan — Singapore: not among its largest Berowra Waters — Singapore: 3.6%
South Africa 1.6% / —
Cowan — South Africa: 1.6% Berowra Waters — South Africa: not among its largest
Philippines 1.3% / —
Cowan — Philippines: 1.3% Berowra Waters — Philippines: not among its largest
Iran 1.0% / —
Cowan — Iran: 1.0% Berowra Waters — Iran: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.5%).

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 Waters 103.3% houses
Berowra Waters — Houses: 103.3% Berowra Waters — Townhouses: 0.0% Berowra Waters — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cowan Berowra Waters
Median house price $1,230,000 $907,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Cowan has more land zoned for conservation (88% vs 70%).

Cowan Berowra Waters
Environmental 88% 70%
Parks and recreation 4% 29%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 1%
Residential 1% 0%
Planning zones cover 100% of Cowan and 99% of Berowra Waters. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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 Waters
New dwellings approved 260
across Hornsby
same for both
Approvals change year on year -79%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Cowan Berowra Waters
House price Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Income Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 61% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 35% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 40% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW

Liveability

Cowan is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Cowan Berowra Waters
Grade C —
Score 40/100 —
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Berowra Waters carries more bushfire risk (97 vs 76).

Cowan Berowra Waters
Bushfire High
76/100
 High
97/100
Crime Moderate
57/100
 Moderate
66/100
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 Berowra Waters
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Cowan

  • Cowan Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Berowra Waters

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

Amenities in the suburb

Cowan Berowra Waters
Cafes & restaurants 2 3
Parks & reserves 3 0
Waterways 6 2

Mobility

Cowan Berowra Waters
Walkability score 10/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 46.1 km
+2% vs other
 45.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 57 min 61 min
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 Waters
Worked from Home 42.2% / 62.5%
Cowan — Worked from Home: 42.2% Berowra Waters — Worked from Home: 62.5%
Car (driver) 47.0% / 23.2%
Cowan — Car (driver): 47.0% Berowra Waters — Car (driver): 23.2%
Walked Only 1.5% / 14.3%
Cowan — Walked Only: 1.5% Berowra Waters — Walked Only: 14.3%
Train 5.2% / —
Cowan — Train: 5.2% Berowra Waters — Train: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 4.1% / —
Cowan — Car (passenger): 4.1% Berowra Waters — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (62.5%).

Setting

Cowan Berowra Waters
Elevation 59 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.6 km 7.7 km

NBN connectivity

Cowan Berowra Waters
Connectivity score 78/100 36/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 60%
239 premises
 0%
55 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Cowan Berowra Waters
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 Waters

Outer Professionals Retirees River

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 Bar Point

Other comparisons with Berowra Waters

Berowra Waters vs Berowra Heights Berowra Waters vs Arcadia Berowra Waters vs Fiddletown Berowra Waters vs Berrilee Berowra Waters vs Canoelands
Full data on Cowan Full data on Berowra Waters
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or