Cowan vs Brooklyn

Cowan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 48 in Brooklyn. 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. On these figures, Cowan tends to suit families with children and couples, while Brooklyn suits people living alone.

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 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 58%)
  • carries lower crime risk (57/100 vs 79/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 85%)
  • But Brooklyn has more parks and reserves (8 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Brooklyn

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 10%)
  • has cheaper rent ($470/wk vs $515/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Brooklyn

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (42 min vs 57 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (43.4 km vs 46.1 km)
  • But Cowan is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Cowan is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • Brooklyn has more units and townhouses to downsize into (15% vs 2%)

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 Brooklyn 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 Brooklyn
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 Brooklyn
Walkability 10 / 0
Cowan — Walkability: 10/100 Brooklyn — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 43 / 21
Cowan — Safety: 43/100 Brooklyn — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 24 / 29
Cowan — Low fire risk: 24/100 Brooklyn — Low fire risk: 29/100

Demographics

Brooklyn skews older (48 vs 41).

Cowan Brooklyn
Population 631 737
+17% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -2.8% +2.1%
Median age 41 48
Median household income $117,000/yr
+8% vs other
 $107,224/yr
Median weekly rent $515/wk
+9% vs other
 $470/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cowan Brooklyn
0-4 5.2% / 5.7%
Cowan — 0-4: 5.2% Brooklyn — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 14.7% / 8.5%
Cowan — 5-14: 14.7% Brooklyn — 5-14: 8.5%
15-19 9.4% / 4.9%
Cowan — 15-19: 9.4% Brooklyn — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 6.5% / 5.7%
Cowan — 20-24: 6.5% Brooklyn — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 7.6% / 10.3%
Cowan — 25-34: 7.6% Brooklyn — 25-34: 10.3%
35-44 11.9% / 10.6%
Cowan — 35-44: 11.9% Brooklyn — 35-44: 10.6%
45-54 15.5% / 15.6%
Cowan — 45-54: 15.5% Brooklyn — 45-54: 15.6%
55-64 14.7% / 20.4%
Cowan — 55-64: 14.7% Brooklyn — 55-64: 20.4%
65-74 10.8% / 10.7%
Cowan — 65-74: 10.8% Brooklyn — 65-74: 10.7%
75-84 5.7% / 7.1%
Cowan — 75-84: 5.7% Brooklyn — 75-84: 7.1%
85+ 1.0% / 1.8%
Cowan — 85+: 1.0% Brooklyn — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

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%
Brooklyn 44.8% couple families
Brooklyn — Couple Families: 44.8% Brooklyn — Lone Person: 39.2% Brooklyn — One Parent Families: 12.7% Brooklyn — Group Household: 3.3%
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%
Brooklyn 23.8% renting
Brooklyn — Owned Outright: 39.0% Brooklyn — Mortgage: 37.2% Brooklyn — Renting: 23.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cowan Brooklyn
Certificate III & IV 17.7% / 17.4%
Cowan — Certificate III & IV: 17.7% Brooklyn — Certificate III & IV: 17.4%
Bachelor Degree 16.8% / 14.0%
Cowan — Bachelor Degree: 16.8% Brooklyn — Bachelor Degree: 14.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 8.8%
Cowan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Brooklyn — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 5.1% / 7.2%
Cowan — Postgraduate Degree: 5.1% Brooklyn — Postgraduate Degree: 7.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 3.0%
Cowan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Brooklyn — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

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

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 Brooklyn
England 3.5% / 5.7%
Cowan — England: 3.5% Brooklyn — England: 5.7%
South Africa 1.6% / 1.5%
Cowan — South Africa: 1.6% Brooklyn — South Africa: 1.5%
New Zealand 1.4% / 1.5%
Cowan — New Zealand: 1.4% Brooklyn — New Zealand: 1.5%
Philippines 1.3% / 0.7%
Cowan — Philippines: 1.3% Brooklyn — Philippines: 0.7%
Iran 1.0% / —
Cowan — Iran: 1.0% Brooklyn — Iran: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.9%
Cowan — Scotland: not among its largest Brooklyn — Scotland: 0.9%
Netherlands — / 0.8%
Cowan — Netherlands: not among its largest Brooklyn — Netherlands: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.7%).

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%
Brooklyn 84.7% houses
Brooklyn — Houses: 84.7% Brooklyn — Flats / Apartments: 15.3% Brooklyn — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Cowan Brooklyn
Median house price $1,230,000 $1,150,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 77 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Cowan Brooklyn
Environmental 88% 96%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 2%
Parks and recreation 4% 1%
Residential 1%
same for both
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 Brooklyn
New dwellings approved 260
across Hornsby
same for both
Approvals change year on year -79%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Cowan Brooklyn
House price Higher than 74% of NSW Higher than 57% of NSW
Income Higher than 82% of NSW Higher than 73% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 46% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW

Liveability

Cowan is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Cowan Brooklyn
Grade C
same for both
Score 40/100 36/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Brooklyn carries more crime risk (79 vs 57).

Cowan Brooklyn
Bushfire High
76/100
 High
71/100
Crime Moderate
57/100
 High
79/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Low
15/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Cowan Brooklyn
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 Brooklyn

  • Brooklyn Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cowan Brooklyn
Cafes & restaurants 2 5
Parks & reserves 3 8
Childcare 0 1
GPs 0 2
Fuel stations 0 1
Beaches 0 3
Waterways 6 8

Mobility

Cowan sits further from the CBD (46.1 km vs 43.4 km).

Cowan Brooklyn
Walkability score 10/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 46.1 km
+6% vs other
 43.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 57 min 42 min
Public transport score 48/100
Rail · Bus
 75/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 7.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 35.5
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
 1.1%
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 Brooklyn
Worked from Home 42.2% / 48.8%
Cowan — Worked from Home: 42.2% Brooklyn — Worked from Home: 48.8%
Car (driver) 47.0% / 42.3%
Cowan — Car (driver): 47.0% Brooklyn — Car (driver): 42.3%
Train 5.2% / 1.2%
Cowan — Train: 5.2% Brooklyn — Train: 1.2%
Walked Only 1.5% / 4.9%
Cowan — Walked Only: 1.5% Brooklyn — Walked Only: 4.9%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / 1.5%
Cowan — Car (passenger): 4.1% Brooklyn — Car (passenger): 1.5%

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

Setting

Cowan Brooklyn
Elevation 59 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 171 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 4.6 km 1.6 km
1.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Cowan Brooklyn
Connectivity score 78/100 45/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 60%
239 premises
 0%
398 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Cowan

Outer Trains

Brooklyn

Beach Coastal Outer Trains

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cowan

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

Other comparisons with Brooklyn

Brooklyn vs Berowra Brooklyn vs Mooney Mooney Brooklyn vs Dangar Island Brooklyn vs Patonga Brooklyn vs Cottage Point
Full data on Cowan Full data on Brooklyn
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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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