Cowell vs Cleve

Cleve is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 53 in Cowell. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Cowell: a median of $350,000, against $250,000 in Cleve, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Cleve tends to suit families with children 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

Cleve

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 54/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 81%)
  • But Cowell 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

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Cowell has cheaper land ($86,500 vs $125,000)
  • Cleve has cheaper houses ($250,000 vs $350,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cleve

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($165/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Cowell

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (323 min vs 354 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (490 km vs 531.4 km)
  • But Cleve is more walkable (54/100 vs 42/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cleve

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 54/100)
  • is more walkable (54/100 vs 42/100)
  • But Cowell has more units and townhouses to downsize into (19% 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

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

Cowell Cleve
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.

Cowell Cleve
Walkability 42 / 54
Cowell — Walkability: 42/100 Cleve — Walkability: 54/100
Safety 46 / 73
Cowell — Safety: 46/100 Cleve — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 66 / 88
Cowell — Low fire risk: 66/100 Cleve — Low fire risk: 88/100

Demographics

Cowell rents higher ($200/wk vs $165/wk); Cowell skews older (53 vs 49).

Cowell Cleve
Population 1,124
+15% vs other
 953
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.4% +1.3%
Median age 53 49
Median household income $60,372/yr
+6% vs other
 $56,732/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk
+18% vs other
 $165/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cowell Cleve
0-4 3.5% / 6.6%
Cowell — 0-4: 3.5% Cleve — 0-4: 6.6%
5-14 10.9% / 12.2%
Cowell — 5-14: 10.9% Cleve — 5-14: 12.2%
15-19 4.1% / 2.9%
Cowell — 15-19: 4.1% Cleve — 15-19: 2.9%
20-24 2.7% / 2.5%
Cowell — 20-24: 2.7% Cleve — 20-24: 2.5%
25-34 9.3% / 10.6%
Cowell — 25-34: 9.3% Cleve — 25-34: 10.6%
35-44 9.4% / 10.2%
Cowell — 35-44: 9.4% Cleve — 35-44: 10.2%
45-54 12.9% / 10.4%
Cowell — 45-54: 12.9% Cleve — 45-54: 10.4%
55-64 16.5% / 14.9%
Cowell — 55-64: 16.5% Cleve — 55-64: 14.9%
65-74 19.7% / 13.2%
Cowell — 65-74: 19.7% Cleve — 65-74: 13.2%
75-84 9.2% / 10.5%
Cowell — 75-84: 9.2% Cleve — 75-84: 10.5%
85+ 3.1% / 5.4%
Cowell — 85+: 3.1% Cleve — 85+: 5.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cowell 50.2% lone person
Cowell — Lone Person: 50.2% Cowell — Couple Families: 33.6% Cowell — One Parent Families: 11.9% Cowell — Group Household: 2.4% Cowell — Other Families: 2.0%
Cleve 53.8% lone person
Cleve — Lone Person: 53.8% Cleve — Couple Families: 33.1% Cleve — One Parent Families: 8.8% Cleve — Group Household: 2.8% Cleve — Other Families: 1.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cowell 24.3% renting
Cowell — Owned Outright: 49.4% Cowell — Mortgage: 26.3% Cowell — Renting: 24.3%
Cleve 19.8% renting
Cleve — Owned Outright: 49.9% Cleve — Mortgage: 30.3% Cleve — Renting: 19.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cowell Cleve
Certificate III & IV 19.9% / 17.0%
Cowell — Certificate III & IV: 19.9% Cleve — Certificate III & IV: 17.0%
Bachelor Degree 5.5% / 6.9%
Cowell — Bachelor Degree: 5.5% Cleve — Bachelor Degree: 6.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.2% / 5.4%
Cowell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.2% Cleve — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.4%
Postgraduate Degree 1.1% / 0.8%
Cowell — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1% Cleve — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.4% / 0.9%
Cowell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4% Cleve — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).

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.

Cowell Cleve
England 2.9% / 1.3%
Cowell — England: 2.9% Cleve — England: 1.3%
New Zealand 0.8% / 0.4%
Cowell — New Zealand: 0.8% Cleve — New Zealand: 0.4%
South Africa 0.7% / —
Cowell — South Africa: 0.7% Cleve — South Africa: not among its largest
Philippines 0.4% / 0.3%
Cowell — Philippines: 0.4% Cleve — Philippines: 0.3%
Germany 0.6% / —
Cowell — Germany: 0.6% Cleve — Germany: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.5% / —
Cowell — Netherlands: 0.5% Cleve — Netherlands: not among its largest
Ireland — / 0.5%
Cowell — Ireland: not among its largest Cleve — Ireland: 0.5%
Italy — / 0.4%
Cowell — Italy: not among its largest Cleve — Italy: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cowell 81.3% houses
Cowell — Houses: 81.3% Cowell — Townhouses: 15.4% Cowell — Flats / Apartments: 3.2%
Cleve 98.2% houses
Cleve — Houses: 98.2% Cleve — Townhouses: 1.0% Cleve — Flats / Apartments: 0.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cowell Cleve
Median house price $350,000 $250,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $86,500 $125,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 36 days
from 11 sales
 202 days
from 6 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Cowell Cleve
3 bed $345K / $250K
Cowell — 3 bed: $345K (24 sales) Cleve — 3 bed: $250K (33 sales)

24 vs 33 sales

4 bed $445K / $308K
Cowell — 4 bed: $445K (8 sales) Cleve — 4 bed: $308K (6 sales)

8 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Cowell has more land zoned for conservation (21% vs 6%); Cleve has more rural and farming land (93% vs 78%).

Cowell Cleve
Rural and farming 78% 93%
Environmental 21% 6%
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

Cowell Cleve
New dwellings approved 5
across Franklin Harbour
 13
across Cleve
Approvals change year on year -67% —

Ranking within SA

Cowell Cleve
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 28% of SA Higher than 22% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of SA Higher than 82% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 28% of SA —
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of SA Higher than 72% of SA

Liveability

Cleve scores higher overall (48 vs 28); Cleve is more walkable (54 vs 42).

Cowell Cleve
Grade D C
Score 28/100 48/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Cowell carries more bushfire risk (34 vs 12); Cowell carries more crime risk (54 vs 27).

Cowell Cleve
Bushfire Low
34/100
 Low
12/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 Low
27/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion High
88/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Cowell Cleve
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Cowell

  • Cowell Area School Government · Combined above peers

Schools in Cleve

  • Cleve Area School Government · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cowell Cleve
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 5 2
Parks & reserves 7 5
Childcare 1
same for both
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1
same for both
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 2
same for both
Fuel stations 3 1
EV chargers 1 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 9 21

Mobility

Cleve sits further from the CBD (531.4 km vs 490 km).

Cowell Cleve
Walkability score 42/100 54/100
Distance to Adelaide 490 km 531.4 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 323 min 354 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 5602
 0.0%
postcode 5640
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 5602
 77
postcode 5640

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.

Cowell Cleve
Car (driver) 73.6% / 70.6%
Cowell — Car (driver): 73.6% Cleve — Car (driver): 70.6%
Walked Only 9.0% / 14.3%
Cowell — Walked Only: 9.0% Cleve — Walked Only: 14.3%
Worked from Home 6.3% / 12.7%
Cowell — Worked from Home: 6.3% Cleve — Worked from Home: 12.7%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 2.4%
Cowell — Car (passenger): 4.6% Cleve — Car (passenger): 2.4%
Bus 5.4% / —
Cowell — Bus: 5.4% Cleve — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.6%).

Setting

Cowell Cleve
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 198 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 546 m 23.7 km

NBN connectivity

Cowell Cleve
Connectivity score 44/100 41/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
663 premises
 0%
555 premises

Climate

Cowell Cleve
Annual rainfall 326 mm 390 mm
Summer max (Jan) 28.3°C 28.0°C
Winter min (Jul) 7.7°C 7.8°C

Council rates

Cowell Cleve
Average residential rate $1,072/yr $1,474/yr
Council Franklin Harbour Cleve

Federal electorate

Cowell Cleve
Division Grey
same for both
Member Tom Venning
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cowell Cleve
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cowell

Affordable Coastal Retirees Rural

Cleve

Affordable Quiet Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cowell

Cowell vs Arno Bay Cowell vs Miltalie Cowell vs Mangalo

Other comparisons with Cleve

Cleve vs Arno Bay Cleve vs Verran Cleve vs Rudall Cleve vs Miltalie Cleve vs Mangalo
Full data on Cowell Full data on Cleve
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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