Cowes vs Wimbledon Heights

Wimbledon Heights is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 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 $584,000 in Wimbledon Heights. On these figures, Cowes tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Wimbledon Heights suits 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

Cowes

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • But Wimbledon Heights has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 83%)

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

First-home buyers

Wimbledon Heights

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (27% vs 35%)
  • has cheaper houses ($584,500 vs $700,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Cowes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 17%)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

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

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 3%)
  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (35% vs 17%)

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 12.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Cowes and Wimbledon Heights 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 Wimbledon Heights
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 Wimbledon Heights
Walkability 16 / 23
Cowes — Walkability: 16/100 Wimbledon Heights — Walkability: 23/100
Safety 31 / 29
Cowes — Safety: 31/100 Wimbledon Heights — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Cowes — Low fire risk: 100/100 Wimbledon Heights — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 77 / 100
Cowes — Low flood risk: 77/100 Wimbledon Heights — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Cowes has more residents (6,593 vs 421); Cowes skews older (55 vs 45).

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
Population 6,593
+94% vs other
 421
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +36.2% +12.9%
Median age 55 45
Median household income $53,352/yr $62,192/yr
+17% vs other
Median weekly rent $331/wk $330/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
0-4 4.2% / 5.9%
Cowes — 0-4: 4.2% Wimbledon Heights — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 10.0% / 12.1%
Cowes — 5-14: 10.0% Wimbledon Heights — 5-14: 12.1%
15-19 3.6% / 5.2%
Cowes — 15-19: 3.6% Wimbledon Heights — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 2.8% / 5.5%
Cowes — 20-24: 2.8% Wimbledon Heights — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 8.0% / 10.7%
Cowes — 25-34: 8.0% Wimbledon Heights — 25-34: 10.7%
35-44 9.6% / 11.6%
Cowes — 35-44: 9.6% Wimbledon Heights — 35-44: 11.6%
45-54 11.1% / 12.8%
Cowes — 45-54: 11.1% Wimbledon Heights — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 15.7% / 20.2%
Cowes — 55-64: 15.7% Wimbledon Heights — 55-64: 20.2%
65-74 19.8% / 11.2%
Cowes — 65-74: 19.8% Wimbledon Heights — 65-74: 11.2%
75-84 10.8% / 5.9%
Cowes — 75-84: 10.8% Wimbledon Heights — 75-84: 5.9%
85+ 4.3% / —
Cowes — 85+: 4.3% Wimbledon Heights — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

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%
Wimbledon Heights 44.0% lone person
Wimbledon Heights — Lone Person: 44.0% Wimbledon Heights — Couple Families: 40.5% Wimbledon Heights — One Parent Families: 9.5% Wimbledon Heights — Group Household: 6.0% Wimbledon Heights — Other Families: 0.0%
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%
Wimbledon Heights 17.1% renting
Wimbledon Heights — Owned Outright: 29.3% Wimbledon Heights — Mortgage: 53.7% Wimbledon Heights — Renting: 17.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
Certificate III & IV 16.2% / 18.8%
Cowes — Certificate III & IV: 16.2% Wimbledon Heights — Certificate III & IV: 18.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.8% / 8.6%
Cowes — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8% Wimbledon Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Bachelor Degree 9.1% / 8.3%
Cowes — Bachelor Degree: 9.1% Wimbledon Heights — Bachelor Degree: 8.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 2.9%
Cowes — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Wimbledon Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / 1.0%
Cowes — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Wimbledon Heights — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

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 Wimbledon Heights
England 6.4% / 5.0%
Cowes — England: 6.4% Wimbledon Heights — England: 5.0%
India 1.2% / 0.7%
Cowes — India: 1.2% Wimbledon Heights — India: 0.7%
New Zealand 1.6% / —
Cowes — New Zealand: 1.6% Wimbledon Heights — New Zealand: not among its largest
Philippines — / 1.2%
Cowes — Philippines: not among its largest Wimbledon Heights — Philippines: 1.2%
Italy 0.9% / —
Cowes — Italy: 0.9% Wimbledon Heights — Italy: not among its largest
Scotland 0.7% / —
Cowes — Scotland: 0.7% Wimbledon Heights — Scotland: not among its largest
Vietnam — / 0.7%
Cowes — Vietnam: not among its largest Wimbledon Heights — Vietnam: 0.7%

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%
Wimbledon Heights 97.1% houses
Wimbledon Heights — Houses: 97.1% Wimbledon Heights — Townhouses: 0.0% Wimbledon Heights — Flats / Apartments: 2.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
Median house price $700,000 $584,500
Median unit price $459,000 —
Median land price $446,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 57 days
from 132 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Cowes has more rural and farming land (57% vs 1%).

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
Residential 33% 83%
Rural and farming 57% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 12%
Parks and recreation 4% 5%
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 Wimbledon Heights
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 Wimbledon Heights
Houses 3.6%
$520/wk on $760K
 —
Units 4.5%
$420/wk on $489K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
House price Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC
Income Higher than 12% of VIC Higher than 23% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 15% of VIC Higher than 55% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 70% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 39% of VIC —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 30% of VIC —

Liveability

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
Grade C —
Score 45/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
same for both

Risk profile

Cowes carries more flood risk (23 vs 0).

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
69/100
 High
71/100
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 Wimbledon Heights
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 Wimbledon Heights

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

Amenities in the suburb

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 44 0
Parks & reserves 9 2
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 Wimbledon Heights
Walkability score 16/100 23/100
Distance to Melbourne 138.3 km 138 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 113 min
same for both
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 Wimbledon Heights
Car (driver) 65.2% / 82.4%
Cowes — Car (driver): 65.2% Wimbledon Heights — Car (driver): 82.4%
Worked from Home 21.8% / 14.7%
Cowes — Worked from Home: 21.8% Wimbledon Heights — Worked from Home: 14.7%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / 2.9%
Cowes — Car (passenger): 5.4% Wimbledon Heights — Car (passenger): 2.9%
Walked Only 5.8% / —
Cowes — Walked Only: 5.8% Wimbledon Heights — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 1.6% / —
Cowes — Bicycle: 1.6% Wimbledon Heights — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.4%).

Setting

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
Elevation 31 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 58 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.4 km
2.6 km to a named beach
 3.0 km
3.0 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
Connectivity score 75/100 84/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 54%
6,893 premises
 71%
332 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

Cowes Wimbledon Heights
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Cowes

Coastal Retirees

Wimbledon Heights

Affordable Coastal Large Blocks
Full data on Cowes Full data on Wimbledon Heights
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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