Cowper vs Ulmarra

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Ulmarra tends to suit older residents.

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

Ulmarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • 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

Cowper

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 26%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Ulmarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Ulmarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (621.8 km vs 633.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Ulmarra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 19%)

Weighs 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

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

Cowper Ulmarra
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.

Cowper Ulmarra
Walkability 13 / 14
Cowper — Walkability: 13/100 Ulmarra — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 29 / 24
Cowper — Safety: 29/100 Ulmarra — Safety: 24/100
Low fire risk 76 / 68
Cowper — Low fire risk: 76/100 Ulmarra — Low fire risk: 68/100

Demographics

Ulmarra has more residents (749 vs 88); Cowper has higher household incomes ($67,600 vs $51,168).

Cowper Ulmarra
Population 88 749
+751% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -6.4% -3.9%
Median age 48 49
Median household income $67,600/yr
+24% vs other
 $51,168/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
+13% vs other
 $260/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cowper Ulmarra
0-4 — / 4.3%
Cowper — 0-4: not among its largest Ulmarra — 0-4: 4.3%
5-14 10.2% / 12.1%
Cowper — 5-14: 10.2% Ulmarra — 5-14: 12.1%
15-19 5.7% / 5.1%
Cowper — 15-19: 5.7% Ulmarra — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 — / 4.8%
Cowper — 20-24: not among its largest Ulmarra — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 15.9% / 8.0%
Cowper — 25-34: 15.9% Ulmarra — 25-34: 8.0%
35-44 12.5% / 11.2%
Cowper — 35-44: 12.5% Ulmarra — 35-44: 11.2%
45-54 6.8% / 10.9%
Cowper — 45-54: 6.8% Ulmarra — 45-54: 10.9%
55-64 19.3% / 13.0%
Cowper — 55-64: 19.3% Ulmarra — 55-64: 13.0%
65-74 13.6% / 15.4%
Cowper — 65-74: 13.6% Ulmarra — 65-74: 15.4%
75-84 5.7% / 10.5%
Cowper — 75-84: 5.7% Ulmarra — 75-84: 10.5%
85+ — / 4.8%
Cowper — 85+: not among its largest Ulmarra — 85+: 4.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cowper 40.0% lone person
Cowper — Lone Person: 40.0% Cowper — One Parent Families: 40.0% Cowper — Couple Families: 20.0% Cowper — Group Household: 0.0% Cowper — Other Families: 0.0%
Ulmarra 42.2% lone person
Ulmarra — Lone Person: 42.2% Ulmarra — One Parent Families: 21.1% Ulmarra — Couple Families: 31.9% Ulmarra — Group Household: 3.2% Ulmarra — Other Families: 1.6%
Lone Person One Parent Families Couple Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cowper 28.1% renting
Cowper — Owned Outright: 50.0% Cowper — Mortgage: 21.9% Cowper — Renting: 28.1%
Ulmarra 27.6% renting
Ulmarra — Owned Outright: 46.2% Ulmarra — Mortgage: 26.2% Ulmarra — Renting: 27.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cowper 100.0% houses
Cowper — Houses: 100.0% Cowper — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Cowper — Townhouses: 0.0%
Ulmarra 91.3% houses
Ulmarra — Houses: 91.3% Ulmarra — Flats / Apartments: 5.9% Ulmarra — Townhouses: 2.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Cowper Ulmarra
Certificate III & IV 17.0% / 20.2%
Cowper — Certificate III & IV: 17.0% Ulmarra — Certificate III & IV: 20.2%
Bachelor Degree 10.2% / 4.0%
Cowper — Bachelor Degree: 10.2% Ulmarra — Bachelor Degree: 4.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.5% / 6.4%
Cowper — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.5% Ulmarra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.5% / 0.9%
Cowper — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5% Ulmarra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.7%
Cowper — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Ulmarra — Postgraduate Degree: 0.7%

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

Property market

Cowper Ulmarra
Median house price $680,000 $635,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $15,448 —
Typical days to sell (houses) — 26 days
from 13 sales

Zoning mix

Cowper Ulmarra
Rural and farming 89% 93%
Environmental 8% 6%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 0%
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

Cowper Ulmarra
New dwellings approved 246
across Clarence Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -80%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Cowper Ulmarra
House price Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 17% of NSW
Income Higher than 30% of NSW Higher than 12% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 62% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 63% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 18% of NSW Higher than 21% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW

Liveability

Cowper Ulmarra
Grade — D
Score — 18/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Cowper Ulmarra
Bushfire Low
24/100
 Low
32/100
Crime High
71/100
 High
76/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Cowper Ulmarra
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Cowper

  • Cowper Public School Government · Primary

Schools in Ulmarra

  • Ulmarra Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Cowper Ulmarra
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 5 10

Mobility

Cowper sits further from the CBD (633.4 km vs 621.8 km).

Cowper Ulmarra
Walkability score 13/100 14/100
Distance to Sydney 633.4 km
+2% vs other
 621.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 414 min 411 min
Public transport score 27/100
Bus
 46/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 4.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 19.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 9 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2460
 0.2%
postcode 2462
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 60
postcode 2460
 55
postcode 2462

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.

Cowper Ulmarra
Car (driver) 83.3% / 81.7%
Cowper — Car (driver): 83.3% Ulmarra — Car (driver): 81.7%
Worked from Home 16.7% / 10.4%
Cowper — Worked from Home: 16.7% Ulmarra — Worked from Home: 10.4%
Walked Only — / 4.6%
Cowper — Walked Only: not among its largest Ulmarra — Walked Only: 4.6%
Car (passenger) — / 3.3%
Cowper — Car (passenger): not among its largest Ulmarra — Car (passenger): 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.3%).

Setting

Cowper Ulmarra
Elevation 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 23.6 km 25.5 km

NBN connectivity

Cowper Ulmarra
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
49 premises
 0%
358 premises

Climate

Cowper Ulmarra
Annual rainfall 1,060 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.3°C
same for both

Council rates

Cowper Ulmarra
Average residential rate $1,380/yr
same for both
Council Clarence Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Cowper Ulmarra
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cowper Ulmarra
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cowper

Affordable Rural

Ulmarra

Affordable Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cowper

Cowper vs Woodford Island Cowper vs Tyndale Cowper vs Brushgrove Cowper vs Lower Southgate Cowper vs Calliope Cowper vs Coldstream

Other comparisons with Ulmarra

Ulmarra vs Clarenza Ulmarra vs Tucabia Ulmarra vs Southgate Ulmarra vs Great Marlow Ulmarra vs Lower Southgate Ulmarra vs Swan Creek
Full data on Cowper Full data on Ulmarra
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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