Cowell vs Mangalo

Mangalo is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 53 in Cowell. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cowell, about half of households are people living alone. In Mangalo, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Mangalo tends to suit families with children and couples.

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

Mangalo

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 46%)
  • carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 54/100)
  • 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

Mangalo

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (8% vs 21%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Mangalo

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (7% vs 17%)
  • has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Cowell

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (42/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (323 min vs 379 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (490 km vs 514.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Cowell is more walkable (42/100 vs 0/100)
  • Mangalo carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 54/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Mangalo

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.7% vs 1.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Cowell and Mangalo 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 Mangalo
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 Mangalo
Walkability 42 / 0
Cowell — Walkability: 42/100 Mangalo — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 46 / 71
Cowell — Safety: 46/100 Mangalo — Safety: 71/100
Low fire risk 66 / 62
Cowell — Low fire risk: 66/100 Mangalo — Low fire risk: 62/100

Demographics

Cowell has more residents (1,124 vs 56); Cowell rents higher ($200/wk vs $100/wk).

Cowell Mangalo
Population 1,124
+95% vs other
 56
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.4% +7.7%
Median age 53 32
Median household income $60,372/yr $74,724/yr
+24% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk
+50% vs other
 $100/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cowell Mangalo
0-4 3.5% / 23.2%
Cowell — 0-4: 3.5% Mangalo — 0-4: 23.2%
5-14 10.9% / 21.4%
Cowell — 5-14: 10.9% Mangalo — 5-14: 21.4%
15-19 4.1% / —
Cowell — 15-19: 4.1% Mangalo — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 2.7% / —
Cowell — 20-24: 2.7% Mangalo — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 9.3% / 23.2%
Cowell — 25-34: 9.3% Mangalo — 25-34: 23.2%
35-44 9.4% / 14.3%
Cowell — 35-44: 9.4% Mangalo — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 12.9% / 14.3%
Cowell — 45-54: 12.9% Mangalo — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 16.5% / 5.4%
Cowell — 55-64: 16.5% Mangalo — 55-64: 5.4%
65-74 19.7% / —
Cowell — 65-74: 19.7% Mangalo — 65-74: not among its largest
75-84 9.2% / —
Cowell — 75-84: 9.2% Mangalo — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 3.1% / —
Cowell — 85+: 3.1% Mangalo — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cowell 33.6% couple families
Cowell — Couple Families: 33.6% Cowell — Lone Person: 50.2% Cowell — One Parent Families: 11.9% Cowell — Group Household: 2.4% Cowell — Other Families: 2.0%
Mangalo 100.0% couple families
Mangalo — Couple Families: 100.0% Mangalo — Lone Person: 0.0% Mangalo — One Parent Families: 0.0% Mangalo — Group Household: 0.0% Mangalo — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person 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%
Mangalo 23.1% renting
Mangalo — Owned Outright: 53.8% Mangalo — Mortgage: 23.1% Mangalo — Renting: 23.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cowell 81.3% houses
Cowell — Houses: 81.3% Cowell — Flats / Apartments: 3.2% Cowell — Townhouses: 15.4%
Mangalo 76.5% houses
Mangalo — Houses: 76.5% Mangalo — Flats / Apartments: 23.5% Mangalo — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Cowell Mangalo
Certificate III & IV 19.9% / 19.6%
Cowell — Certificate III & IV: 19.9% Mangalo — Certificate III & IV: 19.6%
Bachelor Degree 5.5% / 5.4%
Cowell — Bachelor Degree: 5.5% Mangalo — Bachelor Degree: 5.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.2% / 5.4%
Cowell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.2% Mangalo — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.4%
Postgraduate Degree 1.1% / —
Cowell — Postgraduate Degree: 1.1% Mangalo — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.4% / —
Cowell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4% Mangalo — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

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

Property market

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

Zoning mix

Cowell Mangalo
Rural and farming 78% 87%
Environmental 21% 13%
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 Mangalo
New dwellings approved 5
across Franklin Harbour
 13
across Cleve
Approvals change year on year -67% —

Ranking within SA

Cowell Mangalo
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 28% of SA Higher than 49% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of SA Higher than 6% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 28% of SA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of SA Higher than 3% of SA

Liveability

Cowell is more walkable (42 vs 0).

Cowell Mangalo
Grade D —
Score 28/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Cowell carries more crime risk (54 vs 29).

Cowell Mangalo
Bushfire Low
34/100
 Low
38/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 Low
29/100
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 Mangalo
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Cowell

  • Cowell Area School Government · Combined above peers

Schools in Mangalo

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

Amenities in the suburb

Cowell Mangalo
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 5 0
Parks & reserves 7 6
Childcare 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 3 0
EV chargers 1 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 9 2

Mobility

Mangalo sits further from the CBD (514.9 km vs 490 km).

Cowell Mangalo
Walkability score 42/100 0/100
Distance to Adelaide 490 km 514.9 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 323 min 379 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 5602
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 5602
same for both

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 Mangalo
Car (driver) 73.6% / 60.7%
Cowell — Car (driver): 73.6% Mangalo — Car (driver): 60.7%
Worked from Home 6.3% / 39.3%
Cowell — Worked from Home: 6.3% Mangalo — Worked from Home: 39.3%
Walked Only 9.0% / —
Cowell — Walked Only: 9.0% Mangalo — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 5.4% / —
Cowell — Bus: 5.4% Mangalo — Bus: not among its largest
Car (passenger) 4.6% / —
Cowell — Car (passenger): 4.6% Mangalo — Car (passenger): not among its largest

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

Setting

Cowell Mangalo
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 311 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 546 m 39.2 km

NBN connectivity

Cowell Mangalo
Connectivity score 44/100 15/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
663 premises
 0%
19 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Cowell

Affordable Coastal Retirees Rural

Mangalo

Family Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cowell

Cowell vs Cleve Cowell vs Arno Bay Cowell vs Miltalie

Other comparisons with Mangalo

Mangalo vs Cleve Mangalo vs Miltalie Mangalo vs Kelly
Full data on Cowell Full data on Mangalo
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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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