Howatharra vs Bowes

Howatharra is the younger of the two, with a median age of 50 against 59 in Bowes. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Howatharra, most households are people living alone. In Bowes, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Howatharra tends to suit people living alone, while Bowes suits 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Howatharra carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 73/100)
  • Bowes is already more of a family suburb (52% vs 35%)

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

First-home buyers

Howatharra

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 60%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Bowes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $200/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Howatharra

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (298 min vs 315 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (444.3 km vs 454.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Howatharra carries lower crime risk (35/100 vs 73/100)
  • Bowes has more residents already 65 and over (40% vs 20%)

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

Investors

Bowes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-8.0% vs -17.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Howatharra Bowes
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.

Howatharra Bowes
Walkability 0 / 0
Howatharra — Walkability: 0/100 Bowes — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 65 / 27
Howatharra — Safety: 65/100 Bowes — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 59 / 87
Howatharra — Low fire risk: 59/100 Bowes — Low fire risk: 87/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Howatharra — Low flood risk: 100/100 Bowes — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Howatharra has higher household incomes ($86,112 vs $54,184); Howatharra rents higher ($200/wk vs $150/wk).

Howatharra Bowes
Population 112
+7% vs other
 104
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -17.0% -8.0%
Median age 50 59
Median household income $86,112/yr
+37% vs other
 $54,184/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk
+25% vs other
 $150/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Howatharra Bowes
0-4 4.5% / —
Howatharra — 0-4: 4.5% Bowes — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 9.8% / 11.5%
Howatharra — 5-14: 9.8% Bowes — 5-14: 11.5%
15-19 2.7% / 3.8%
Howatharra — 15-19: 2.7% Bowes — 15-19: 3.8%
20-24 — / —
Howatharra — 20-24: not among its largest Bowes — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 4.5% / 7.7%
Howatharra — 25-34: 4.5% Bowes — 25-34: 7.7%
35-44 11.6% / 13.5%
Howatharra — 35-44: 11.6% Bowes — 35-44: 13.5%
45-54 22.3% / 5.8%
Howatharra — 45-54: 22.3% Bowes — 45-54: 5.8%
55-64 15.2% / 11.5%
Howatharra — 55-64: 15.2% Bowes — 55-64: 11.5%
65-74 15.2% / 27.9%
Howatharra — 65-74: 15.2% Bowes — 65-74: 27.9%
75-84 4.5% / 7.7%
Howatharra — 75-84: 4.5% Bowes — 75-84: 7.7%
85+ — / 4.8%
Howatharra — 85+: not among its largest Bowes — 85+: 4.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Howatharra 65.2% lone person
Howatharra — Lone Person: 65.2% Howatharra — Couple Families: 34.8% Howatharra — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Bowes 48.0% lone person
Bowes — Lone Person: 48.0% Bowes — Couple Families: 20.0% Bowes — One Parent Families: 32.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Howatharra 0.0% renting
Howatharra — Owned Outright: 52.4% Howatharra — Mortgage: 47.6% Howatharra — Renting: 0.0%
Bowes 11.9% renting
Bowes — Owned Outright: 54.8% Bowes — Mortgage: 33.3% Bowes — Renting: 11.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Howatharra Bowes
England 8.0% / 4.8%
Howatharra — England: 8.0% Bowes — England: 4.8%
New Zealand 2.7% / 4.8%
Howatharra — New Zealand: 2.7% Bowes — New Zealand: 4.8%
Germany 2.7% / —
Howatharra — Germany: 2.7% Bowes — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.0%).

Qualifications

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

Howatharra Bowes
Certificate III & IV 18.8% / 14.4%
Howatharra — Certificate III & IV: 18.8% Bowes — Certificate III & IV: 14.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 10.6%
Howatharra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Bowes — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.6%
Bachelor Degree 12.5% / 3.8%
Howatharra — Bachelor Degree: 12.5% Bowes — Bachelor Degree: 3.8%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Howatharra 90.2% houses
Howatharra — Houses: 90.2% Howatharra — Flats / Apartments: 9.8%
Bowes 100.0% houses
Bowes — Houses: 100.0% Bowes — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Development activity

Howatharra Bowes
New dwellings approved 22
across Chapman Valley
 40
across Northampton
Approvals change year on year +100% +50%

Ranking within WA

Howatharra Bowes
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 50% of WA Higher than 12% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 10% of WA Higher than 20% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 19% of WA —
NBN connectivity Higher than 49% of WA Higher than 47% of WA

Liveability

Howatharra Bowes
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Howatharra carries more bushfire risk (41 vs 13); Bowes carries more crime risk (73 vs 35).

Howatharra Bowes
Bushfire Moderate
41/100
 Low
13/100
Crime Low
35/100
 High
73/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
63/100
 Moderate
59/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Howatharra Bowes
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Howatharra Bowes
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 3 2
Waterways 0 3

Mobility

Bowes sits further from the CBD (454.9 km vs 444.3 km).

Howatharra Bowes
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Perth 444.3 km 454.9 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 298 min 315 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 6532
 0.0%
postcode 6535
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 60
postcode 6532
 54
postcode 6535

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.

Howatharra Bowes
Car (driver) 75.5% / 59.2%
Howatharra — Car (driver): 75.5% Bowes — Car (driver): 59.2%
Worked from Home 12.2% / 32.7%
Howatharra — Worked from Home: 12.2% Bowes — Worked from Home: 32.7%
Walked Only 12.2% / 8.2%
Howatharra — Walked Only: 12.2% Bowes — Walked Only: 8.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.5%).

Setting

Howatharra Bowes
Elevation 120 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 146 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.9 km 7.8 km

NBN connectivity

Howatharra Bowes
Connectivity score 25/100 23/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
53 premises
 0%
19 premises

Climate

Howatharra Bowes
Annual rainfall 374 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Federal electorate

Howatharra Bowes
Division Durack
same for both
Member Melissa Price
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Howatharra Bowes
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Howatharra

Rural

Bowes

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Howatharra

Howatharra vs White Peak Howatharra vs Nabawa

Other comparisons with Bowes

Bowes vs Northampton Bowes vs Sandy Gully Bowes vs Isseka
Full data on Howatharra Full data on Bowes
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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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