Cowra vs Wattamondara

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cowra, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Wattamondara: a median of $685,000, against $449,000 in Cowra, though rent is higher in Cowra. On these figures, Cowra tends to suit 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

Cowra

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (23 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (7 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (7 vs 0)
  • But Wattamondara carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 84/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Cowra has cheaper houses ($448,550 vs $685,000)
  • Wattamondara leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 26%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Cowra has a bigger rental market to choose from (29% vs 4%)
  • Wattamondara leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 21%)

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

Commuting to the city

Cowra

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (318.6 km vs 395.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (262 min vs 267 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Cowra has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • Wattamondara carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 84/100)

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

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

Cowra Wattamondara
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.

Cowra Wattamondara
Walkability 14 / 14
Cowra — Walkability: 14/100 Wattamondara — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 16 / 78
Cowra — Safety: 16/100 Wattamondara — Safety: 78/100
Low fire risk 70 / 100
Cowra — Low fire risk: 70/100 Wattamondara — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Cowra has more residents (10,145 vs 214); Wattamondara has higher household incomes ($72,904 vs $57,564).

Cowra Wattamondara
Population 10,145
+98% vs other
 214
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.8% +0.5%
Median age 46
same for both
Median household income $57,564/yr $72,904/yr
+27% vs other
Median weekly rent $230/wk
+5% vs other
 $218/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cowra Wattamondara
0-4 5.5% / 7.5%
Cowra — 0-4: 5.5% Wattamondara — 0-4: 7.5%
5-14 12.1% / 10.3%
Cowra — 5-14: 12.1% Wattamondara — 5-14: 10.3%
15-19 5.8% / 5.1%
Cowra — 15-19: 5.8% Wattamondara — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 5.4% / 7.5%
Cowra — 20-24: 5.4% Wattamondara — 20-24: 7.5%
25-34 10.4% / 13.6%
Cowra — 25-34: 10.4% Wattamondara — 25-34: 13.6%
35-44 9.7% / 5.1%
Cowra — 35-44: 9.7% Wattamondara — 35-44: 5.1%
45-54 11.9% / 14.5%
Cowra — 45-54: 11.9% Wattamondara — 45-54: 14.5%
55-64 13.1% / 15.0%
Cowra — 55-64: 13.1% Wattamondara — 55-64: 15.0%
65-74 13.7% / 14.5%
Cowra — 65-74: 13.7% Wattamondara — 65-74: 14.5%
75-84 8.6% / 6.1%
Cowra — 75-84: 8.6% Wattamondara — 75-84: 6.1%
85+ 3.7% / 4.7%
Cowra — 85+: 3.7% Wattamondara — 85+: 4.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cowra 47.1% lone person
Cowra — Lone Person: 47.1% Cowra — Couple Families: 31.0% Cowra — One Parent Families: 17.3% Cowra — Group Household: 3.2% Cowra — Other Families: 1.5%
Wattamondara 40.0% lone person
Wattamondara — Lone Person: 40.0% Wattamondara — Couple Families: 40.0% Wattamondara — One Parent Families: 15.0% Wattamondara — Group Household: 5.0% Wattamondara — 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.

Cowra 29.3% renting
Cowra — Owned Outright: 43.4% Cowra — Mortgage: 27.4% Cowra — Renting: 29.3%
Wattamondara 3.7% renting
Wattamondara — Owned Outright: 51.2% Wattamondara — Mortgage: 45.1% Wattamondara — Renting: 3.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cowra 90.4% houses
Cowra — Houses: 90.4% Cowra — Townhouses: 6.5% Cowra — Flats / Apartments: 3.1%
Wattamondara 100.0% houses
Wattamondara — Houses: 100.0% Wattamondara — Townhouses: 0.0% Wattamondara — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Cowra Wattamondara
Certificate III & IV 16.8% / 20.1%
Cowra — Certificate III & IV: 16.8% Wattamondara — Certificate III & IV: 20.1%
Bachelor Degree 6.2% / 7.0%
Cowra — Bachelor Degree: 6.2% Wattamondara — Bachelor Degree: 7.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.9% / 2.3%
Cowra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9% Wattamondara — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.3%
Postgraduate Degree 1.2% / —
Cowra — Postgraduate Degree: 1.2% Wattamondara — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.2% / —
Cowra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2% Wattamondara — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

Property market

Cowra Wattamondara
Median house price $448,550 $685,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $272,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 39 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Cowra Wattamondara
Rural and farming 93% 97%
Residential 3% 1%
Environmental 2%
same for both
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

Cowra Wattamondara
New dwellings approved 33
across Cowra
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.

Cowra Wattamondara
Houses 4.1%
$395/wk on $503K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Cowra Wattamondara
House price Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 25% of NSW
Income Higher than 17% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
Schools Higher than 61% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 65% of NSW
same for both
Affordability Higher than 79% of NSW Higher than 69% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 12% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 68% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 77% of NSW —

Liveability

Cowra Wattamondara
Grade C —
Score 31/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Cowra carries more bushfire risk (30 vs 0); Cowra carries more crime risk (84 vs 22).

Cowra Wattamondara
Bushfire Low
30/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
84/100
 Low
22/100
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 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Cowra Wattamondara
Inside the suburb 7 0
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 4 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Cowra

  • Cowra High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Holmwood Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • Cowra Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Mulyan Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • OneSchool Global NSW - Cowra Independent · Primary at peers
  • St Raphael's Catholic School Cowra Catholic · Combined at peers

Schools in Wattamondara

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

Amenities in the suburb

Cowra Wattamondara
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 23 1
Childcare 7 0
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Hospitals 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 5 0
Fuel stations 4 0
EV chargers 2 0
Waterways 54 11

Mobility

Wattamondara sits further from the CBD (395.9 km vs 318.6 km).

Cowra Wattamondara
Walkability score 14/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 318.6 km 395.9 km
+24% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 262 min 267 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2794
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 51
postcode 2794
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.

Cowra Wattamondara
Car (driver) 78.9% / 85.1%
Cowra — Car (driver): 78.9% Wattamondara — Car (driver): 85.1%
Worked from Home 9.2% / 11.5%
Cowra — Worked from Home: 9.2% Wattamondara — Worked from Home: 11.5%
Car (passenger) 6.3% / 3.4%
Cowra — Car (passenger): 6.3% Wattamondara — Car (passenger): 3.4%
Walked Only 5.2% / —
Cowra — Walked Only: 5.2% Wattamondara — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 0.3% / —
Cowra — Bicycle: 0.3% Wattamondara — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.1%).

Setting

Cowra Wattamondara
Elevation 296 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 308 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Cowra Wattamondara
Connectivity score 54/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 23%
5,530 premises
 0%
119 premises

Climate

Cowra Wattamondara
Annual rainfall 631 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.3°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.4°C
same for both

Council rates

Cowra Wattamondara
Average residential rate $583/yr
same for both
Council Cowra
same for both

Federal electorate

Cowra Wattamondara
Division Riverina
same for both
Member Michael Mccormack
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cowra Wattamondara
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cowra

Affordable Retirees Rural

Wattamondara

Affordable Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cowra

Cowra vs Canowindra Cowra vs Woodstock Cowra vs Koorawatha Cowra vs Gooloogong Cowra vs Darbys Falls Cowra vs Billimari

Other comparisons with Wattamondara

Wattamondara vs Koorawatha Wattamondara vs Bumbaldry
Full data on Cowra Full data on Wattamondara
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or