Karakin vs Cowalla

Cowalla is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 60 in Karakin. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are people living alone. On these figures, Karakin 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

Cowalla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 81/100)

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

First-home buyers

Cowalla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 37%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Cowalla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Cowalla

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (81 min vs 94 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (109.3 km vs 125 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Karakin has more residents already 65 and over (43% vs 24%)
  • Cowalla carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 81/100)

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

Investors

Cowalla

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (12.5% vs -0.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Karakin Cowalla
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.

Karakin Cowalla
Walkability 0 / 0
Karakin — Walkability: 0/100 Cowalla — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 19 / 77
Karakin — Safety: 19/100 Cowalla — Safety: 77/100
Low fire risk 35 / 36
Karakin — Low fire risk: 35/100 Cowalla — Low fire risk: 36/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Karakin — Low flood risk: 100/100 Cowalla — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Karakin has more residents (239 vs 54); Cowalla has higher household incomes ($84,500 vs $47,788).

Karakin Cowalla
Population 239
+77% vs other
 54
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.8% +12.5%
Median age 60 52
Median household income $47,788/yr $84,500/yr
+77% vs other
Median weekly rent $220/wk $225/wk
+2% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Karakin Cowalla
0-4 2.9% / 5.6%
Karakin — 0-4: 2.9% Cowalla — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 5.9% / —
Karakin — 5-14: 5.9% Cowalla — 5-14: not among its largest
15-19 5.9% / —
Karakin — 15-19: 5.9% Cowalla — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 1.3% / 9.3%
Karakin — 20-24: 1.3% Cowalla — 20-24: 9.3%
25-34 2.9% / 5.6%
Karakin — 25-34: 2.9% Cowalla — 25-34: 5.6%
35-44 5.9% / 13.0%
Karakin — 35-44: 5.9% Cowalla — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 13.4% / 24.1%
Karakin — 45-54: 13.4% Cowalla — 45-54: 24.1%
55-64 17.6% / 18.5%
Karakin — 55-64: 17.6% Cowalla — 55-64: 18.5%
65-74 33.5% / 24.1%
Karakin — 65-74: 33.5% Cowalla — 65-74: 24.1%
75-84 7.1% / —
Karakin — 75-84: 7.1% Cowalla — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 2.5% / —
Karakin — 85+: 2.5% Cowalla — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (33.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Karakin 55.6% lone person
Karakin — Lone Person: 55.6% Karakin — Couple Families: 38.9% Karakin — One Parent Families: 5.6%
Cowalla 57.1% lone person
Cowalla — Lone Person: 57.1% Cowalla — Couple Families: 42.9% Cowalla — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Karakin 10.0% renting
Karakin — Owned Outright: 62.0% Karakin — Mortgage: 28.0% Karakin — Renting: 10.0%
Cowalla 18.8% renting
Cowalla — Owned Outright: 50.0% Cowalla — Mortgage: 31.2% Cowalla — Renting: 18.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Karakin Cowalla
Certificate III & IV 23.4% / 35.2%
Karakin — Certificate III & IV: 23.4% Cowalla — Certificate III & IV: 35.2%
Bachelor Degree 7.5% / 13.0%
Karakin — Bachelor Degree: 7.5% Cowalla — Bachelor Degree: 13.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 5.6%
Karakin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Cowalla — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Postgraduate Degree 1.3% / —
Karakin — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3% Cowalla — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (35.2%).

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.

Karakin Cowalla
England 9.6% / 9.3%
Karakin — England: 9.6% Cowalla — England: 9.3%
South Africa 2.1% / 7.4%
Karakin — South Africa: 2.1% Cowalla — South Africa: 7.4%
Scotland 1.7% / —
Karakin — Scotland: 1.7% Cowalla — Scotland: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.3% / —
Karakin — New Zealand: 1.3% Cowalla — New Zealand: not among its largest
Vietnam 1.3% / —
Karakin — Vietnam: 1.3% Cowalla — Vietnam: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Karakin 102.9% houses
Karakin — Houses: 102.9%
Cowalla 100.0% houses
Cowalla — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Property market

Karakin Cowalla
Median house price $780,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $375,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 64 days
from 4 sales
 —

Development activity

Karakin Cowalla
New dwellings approved 128
across Gingin
same for both
Approvals change year on year -18%
same for both

Ranking within WA

Karakin Cowalla
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 7% of WA Higher than 48% of WA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 4% of WA Higher than 20% of WA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 43% of WA Higher than 58% of WA
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of WA Higher than 38% of WA

Liveability

Karakin Cowalla
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Karakin carries more crime risk (81 vs 23).

Karakin Cowalla
Bushfire Moderate
65/100
 Moderate
64/100
Crime High
81/100
 Low
23/100
Flood None
0/100
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

Karakin Cowalla
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

Karakin Cowalla
Parks & reserves 0 2
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Karakin sits further from the CBD (125 km vs 109.3 km).

Karakin Cowalla
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Perth 125 km
+13% vs other
 109.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 94 min 81 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 6044
 0.5%
postcode 6503
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 6044
 78
postcode 6503

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.

Karakin Cowalla
Car (driver) 73.0% / 46.4%
Karakin — Car (driver): 73.0% Cowalla — Car (driver): 46.4%
Worked from Home 22.2% / 25.0%
Karakin — Worked from Home: 22.2% Cowalla — Worked from Home: 25.0%
Walked Only — / 28.6%
Karakin — Walked Only: not among its largest Cowalla — Walked Only: 28.6%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / —
Karakin — Car (passenger): 4.8% Cowalla — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.0%).

Setting

Karakin Cowalla
Elevation 56 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 58 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.2 km 17.4 km

NBN connectivity

Karakin Cowalla
Connectivity score 30/100 16/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
149 premises
 0%
22 premises

Council rates

Karakin Cowalla
Average residential rate $2,630/yr
same for both
Council Gingin
same for both

Federal electorate

Karakin Cowalla
Division Durack
same for both
Member Melissa Price
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Karakin Cowalla
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $800,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Karakin

Retirees Rural

Cowalla

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Karakin

Karakin vs Lancelin Karakin vs Nilgen Karakin vs Ledge Point

Other comparisons with Cowalla

Cowalla vs Wanerie
Full data on Karakin Full data on Cowalla
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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