Cowes vs Sunset Strip

Sunset Strip is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 55 in Cowes. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cowes, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Cowes: a median of $700,000, against $600,000 in Sunset Strip, though rent is higher in Sunset Strip. On these figures, Cowes tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Sunset Strip suits families with children.

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

Cowes

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • But Sunset Strip carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 69/100)

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

First-home buyers

Sunset Strip

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($600,000 vs $700,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Sunset Strip

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (31/100 vs 16/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (134.4 km vs 138.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cowes

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (17% vs 1%)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (35% vs 14%)
  • But Sunset Strip is more walkable (31/100 vs 16/100)

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

Investors

Cowes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (36.2% vs 17.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Cowes Sunset Strip
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.

Cowes Sunset Strip
Walkability 16 / 31
Cowes — Walkability: 16/100 Sunset Strip — Walkability: 31/100
Safety 31 / 47
Cowes — Safety: 31/100 Sunset Strip — Safety: 47/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Cowes — Low fire risk: 100/100 Sunset Strip — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 77 / 100
Cowes — Low flood risk: 77/100 Sunset Strip — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Cowes has more residents (6,593 vs 503); Cowes skews older (55 vs 38).

Cowes Sunset Strip
Population 6,593
+92% vs other
 503
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +36.2% +17.8%
Median age 55 38
Median household income $53,352/yr
+2% vs other
 $52,468/yr
Median weekly rent $331/wk $350/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cowes Sunset Strip
0-4 4.2% / 5.2%
Cowes — 0-4: 4.2% Sunset Strip — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 10.0% / 17.5%
Cowes — 5-14: 10.0% Sunset Strip — 5-14: 17.5%
15-19 3.6% / 4.8%
Cowes — 15-19: 3.6% Sunset Strip — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 2.8% / 4.6%
Cowes — 20-24: 2.8% Sunset Strip — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 8.0% / 13.9%
Cowes — 25-34: 8.0% Sunset Strip — 25-34: 13.9%
35-44 9.6% / 16.3%
Cowes — 35-44: 9.6% Sunset Strip — 35-44: 16.3%
45-54 11.1% / 10.1%
Cowes — 45-54: 11.1% Sunset Strip — 45-54: 10.1%
55-64 15.7% / 14.7%
Cowes — 55-64: 15.7% Sunset Strip — 55-64: 14.7%
65-74 19.8% / 10.1%
Cowes — 65-74: 19.8% Sunset Strip — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 10.8% / 3.0%
Cowes — 75-84: 10.8% Sunset Strip — 75-84: 3.0%
85+ 4.3% / 0.8%
Cowes — 85+: 4.3% Sunset Strip — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cowes 53.0% lone person
Cowes — Lone Person: 53.0% Cowes — Couple Families: 27.1% Cowes — One Parent Families: 15.5% Cowes — Group Household: 3.6% Cowes — Other Families: 0.8%
Sunset Strip 42.7% lone person
Sunset Strip — Lone Person: 42.7% Sunset Strip — Couple Families: 28.0% Sunset Strip — One Parent Families: 21.3% Sunset Strip — Group Household: 5.5% Sunset Strip — Other Families: 2.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cowes 27.9% renting
Cowes — Owned Outright: 48.8% Cowes — Mortgage: 23.3% Cowes — Renting: 27.9%
Sunset Strip 27.5% renting
Sunset Strip — Owned Outright: 28.5% Sunset Strip — Mortgage: 44.0% Sunset Strip — Renting: 27.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cowes Sunset Strip
Certificate III & IV 16.2% / 18.1%
Cowes — Certificate III & IV: 16.2% Sunset Strip — Certificate III & IV: 18.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.8% / 9.7%
Cowes — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8% Sunset Strip — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7%
Bachelor Degree 9.1% / 6.0%
Cowes — Bachelor Degree: 9.1% Sunset Strip — Bachelor Degree: 6.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 2.4%
Cowes — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Sunset Strip — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / 2.0%
Cowes — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Sunset Strip — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

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.

Cowes Sunset Strip
England 6.4% / 4.8%
Cowes — England: 6.4% Sunset Strip — England: 4.8%
New Zealand 1.6% / 1.6%
Cowes — New Zealand: 1.6% Sunset Strip — New Zealand: 1.6%
Philippines — / 2.4%
Cowes — Philippines: not among its largest Sunset Strip — Philippines: 2.4%
India 1.2% / —
Cowes — India: 1.2% Sunset Strip — India: not among its largest
Italy 0.9% / —
Cowes — Italy: 0.9% Sunset Strip — Italy: not among its largest
Scotland 0.7% / —
Cowes — Scotland: 0.7% Sunset Strip — Scotland: not among its largest
Sri Lanka — / 0.6%
Cowes — Sri Lanka: not among its largest Sunset Strip — Sri Lanka: 0.6%
Zimbabwe — / 0.6%
Cowes — Zimbabwe: not among its largest Sunset Strip — Zimbabwe: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cowes 83.4% houses
Cowes — Houses: 83.4% Cowes — Townhouses: 11.8% Cowes — Flats / Apartments: 4.8%
Sunset Strip 99.0% houses
Sunset Strip — Houses: 99.0% Sunset Strip — Townhouses: 0.0% Sunset Strip — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cowes Sunset Strip
Median house price $700,000 $600,000
Median unit price $459,000 —
Median land price $446,000 $457,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 57 days
from 132 sales
 154 days
from 8 sales

Zoning mix

Cowes has more rural and farming land (57% vs 0%).

Cowes Sunset Strip
Residential 33% 90%
Rural and farming 57% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 7%
Parks and recreation 4% 3%
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

Cowes Sunset Strip
New dwellings approved 393
across Bass Coast
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
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.

Cowes Sunset Strip
Houses 3.6%
$520/wk on $760K
 —
Units 4.5%
$420/wk on $489K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Cowes Sunset Strip
House price Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 26% of VIC
Income Higher than 12% of VIC Higher than 11% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 15% of VIC Higher than 29% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 70% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 39% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 30% of VIC —

Liveability

Sunset Strip is more walkable (31 vs 16).

Cowes Sunset Strip
Grade C
same for both
Score 45/100 48/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Cowes carries more flood risk (23 vs 0); Cowes carries more crime risk (69 vs 53).

Cowes Sunset Strip
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
69/100
 Moderate
53/100
Flood Low
23/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
57/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Cowes Sunset Strip
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Cowes

  • Cowes Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in Sunset Strip

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

Amenities in the suburb

Cowes Sunset Strip
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 44 0
Parks & reserves 9 1
Childcare 6 0
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Fuel stations 2 0
EV chargers 1 0
Beaches 1 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Cowes sits further from the CBD (138.3 km vs 134.4 km).

Cowes Sunset Strip
Walkability score 16/100 31/100
Distance to Melbourne 138.3 km
+3% vs other
 134.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 113 min 109 min
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 3922
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 3922
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.

Cowes Sunset Strip
Car (driver) 65.2% / 75.3%
Cowes — Car (driver): 65.2% Sunset Strip — Car (driver): 75.3%
Worked from Home 21.8% / 17.3%
Cowes — Worked from Home: 21.8% Sunset Strip — Worked from Home: 17.3%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / 1.9%
Cowes — Car (passenger): 5.4% Sunset Strip — Car (passenger): 1.9%
Walked Only 5.8% / —
Cowes — Walked Only: 5.8% Sunset Strip — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 1.6% / 2.5%
Cowes — Bicycle: 1.6% Sunset Strip — Bicycle: 2.5%
Bus 0.3% / 3.1%
Cowes — Bus: 0.3% Sunset Strip — Bus: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.3%).

Setting

Cowes Sunset Strip
Elevation 31 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 51 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.4 km
2.6 km to a named beach
 1.2 km
1.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Cowes Sunset Strip
Connectivity score 75/100 73/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 54%
6,893 premises
 51%
368 premises

Climate

Cowes Sunset Strip
Annual rainfall 704 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.6°C
same for both

Council rates

Cowes Sunset Strip
Average residential rate $1,727/yr
same for both
Council Bass Coast
same for both

Federal electorate

Cowes Sunset Strip
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cowes Sunset Strip
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cowes

Coastal Retirees

Sunset Strip

Beach Coastal Family Large Blocks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cowes

Cowes vs Ventnor Cowes vs Rhyll Cowes vs Wimbledon Heights Cowes vs Silverleaves Cowes vs Smiths Beach

Other comparisons with Sunset Strip

Sunset Strip vs Rhyll Sunset Strip vs Smiths Beach Sunset Strip vs Sunderland Bay
Full data on Cowes Full data on Sunset Strip
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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