Lake Albert vs Rowan

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Lake Albert, about half of households are couple families. In Rowan, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Lake Albert tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Rowan suits families with children and couples.

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

Lake Albert

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (12 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (4 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
  • But Rowan is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 66%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Lake Albert

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (50/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (287 min vs 299 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (455.6 km vs 466.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lake Albert

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (50/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 83/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 14%)

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

Investors

Rowan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.1% vs 1.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Lake Albert Rowan
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.

Lake Albert Rowan
Walkability 50 / 0
Lake Albert — Walkability: 50/100 Rowan — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 56 / 17
Lake Albert — Safety: 56/100 Rowan — Safety: 17/100
Low fire risk 82 / 100
Lake Albert — Low fire risk: 82/100 Rowan — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Lake Albert has more residents (6,291 vs 105); Rowan has higher household incomes ($125,632 vs $98,332).

Lake Albert Rowan
Population 6,291
+98% vs other
 105
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.6% +22.1%
Median age 43
same for both
Median household income $98,332/yr $125,632/yr
+28% vs other
Median weekly rent $340/wk $350/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lake Albert Rowan
0-4 5.2% / 3.8%
Lake Albert — 0-4: 5.2% Rowan — 0-4: 3.8%
5-14 14.3% / 20.0%
Lake Albert — 5-14: 14.3% Rowan — 5-14: 20.0%
15-19 6.8% / 8.6%
Lake Albert — 15-19: 6.8% Rowan — 15-19: 8.6%
20-24 4.6% / 2.9%
Lake Albert — 20-24: 4.6% Rowan — 20-24: 2.9%
25-34 10.0% / 5.7%
Lake Albert — 25-34: 10.0% Rowan — 25-34: 5.7%
35-44 11.2% / 13.3%
Lake Albert — 35-44: 11.2% Rowan — 35-44: 13.3%
45-54 12.3% / 18.1%
Lake Albert — 45-54: 12.3% Rowan — 45-54: 18.1%
55-64 12.7% / 19.0%
Lake Albert — 55-64: 12.7% Rowan — 55-64: 19.0%
65-74 13.3% / 9.5%
Lake Albert — 65-74: 13.3% Rowan — 65-74: 9.5%
75-84 7.3% / 4.8%
Lake Albert — 75-84: 7.3% Rowan — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ 2.3% / —
Lake Albert — 85+: 2.3% Rowan — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lake Albert 51.3% couple families
Lake Albert — Couple Families: 51.3% Lake Albert — Lone Person: 30.7% Lake Albert — One Parent Families: 14.4% Lake Albert — Group Household: 3.0% Lake Albert — Other Families: 0.5%
Rowan 78.9% couple families
Rowan — Couple Families: 78.9% Rowan — Lone Person: 21.1% Rowan — One Parent Families: 0.0% Rowan — Group Household: 0.0% Rowan — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lake Albert 16.4% renting
Lake Albert — Owned Outright: 43.7% Lake Albert — Mortgage: 39.9% Lake Albert — Renting: 16.4%
Rowan 0.0% renting
Rowan — Owned Outright: 45.5% Rowan — Mortgage: 54.5% Rowan — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Lake Albert Rowan
Certificate III & IV 18.9% / 27.6%
Lake Albert — Certificate III & IV: 18.9% Rowan — Certificate III & IV: 27.6%
Bachelor Degree 10.9% / 13.3%
Lake Albert — Bachelor Degree: 10.9% Rowan — Bachelor Degree: 13.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / —
Lake Albert — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Rowan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 4.8%
Lake Albert — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Rowan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.8% / —
Lake Albert — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8% Rowan — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.6%).

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.

Lake Albert Rowan
Ireland — / 2.9%
Lake Albert — Ireland: not among its largest Rowan — Ireland: 2.9%
England 1.6% / —
Lake Albert — England: 1.6% Rowan — England: not among its largest
New Zealand 0.7% / —
Lake Albert — New Zealand: 0.7% Rowan — New Zealand: not among its largest
South Africa 0.3% / —
Lake Albert — South Africa: 0.3% Rowan — South Africa: not among its largest
China 0.3% / —
Lake Albert — China: 0.3% Rowan — China: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.3% / —
Lake Albert — Netherlands: 0.3% Rowan — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lake Albert 95.6% houses
Lake Albert — Houses: 95.6% Lake Albert — Flats / Apartments: 3.8% Lake Albert — Townhouses: 0.7%
Rowan 100.0% houses
Rowan — Houses: 100.0% Rowan — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Rowan — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Lake Albert Rowan
Median house price $712,000 —
Median unit price $583,000 —
Median land price $426,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 45 days
from 86 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Rowan has more rural and farming land (99% vs 34%).

Lake Albert Rowan
Rural and farming 34% 99%
Residential 49% 0%
Parks and recreation 10% 0%
Environmental 4% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 3% 1%
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

Lake Albert Rowan
New dwellings approved 548
across Wagga Wagga
same for both
Approvals change year on year +139%
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.

Lake Albert Rowan
Houses 3.7%
$600/wk on $844K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Lake Albert Rowan
House price Higher than 25% of NSW —
Income Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Schools Higher than 2% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 81% of NSW Higher than 3% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 85% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 38% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 56% of NSW —

Liveability

Lake Albert is more walkable (50 vs 0).

Lake Albert Rowan
Grade C —
Score 44/100 —
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Lake Albert carries more bushfire risk (18 vs 0); Rowan carries more crime risk (83 vs 44).

Lake Albert Rowan
Bushfire Low
18/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
44/100
 High
83/100
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 2
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Lake Albert Rowan
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Lake Albert

  • Lake Albert Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Mater Dei Catholic College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Mater Dei Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in Rowan

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

Amenities in the suburb

Lake Albert Rowan
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 12 0
Childcare 4 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 8 9

Mobility

Rowan sits further from the CBD (466.5 km vs 455.6 km).

Lake Albert Rowan
Walkability score 50/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 455.6 km 466.5 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 287 min 299 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2650
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 45
postcode 2650
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.

Lake Albert Rowan
Car (driver) 81.5% / 84.2%
Lake Albert — Car (driver): 81.5% Rowan — Car (driver): 84.2%
Worked from Home 10.3% / 15.8%
Lake Albert — Worked from Home: 10.3% Rowan — Worked from Home: 15.8%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / —
Lake Albert — Car (passenger): 5.4% Rowan — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 1.6% / —
Lake Albert — Walked Only: 1.6% Rowan — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 0.6% / —
Lake Albert — Bus: 0.6% Rowan — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.2%).

Setting

Lake Albert Rowan
Elevation 211 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 287 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Lake Albert Rowan
Connectivity score 80/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 50%
2,635 premises
 0%
33 premises

Climate

Lake Albert Rowan
Annual rainfall 565 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.4°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Lake Albert Rowan
PM2.5 7.7 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 23.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Lake Albert Rowan
Average residential rate $1,254/yr
same for both
Council Wagga Wagga
same for both

Federal electorate

Lake Albert Rowan
Division Riverina
same for both
Member Michael Mccormack
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lake Albert Rowan
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lake Albert

Acreage Quiet

Rowan

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lake Albert

Lake Albert vs Kooringal Lake Albert vs Forest Hill Lake Albert vs Tatton Lake Albert vs Springvale Lake Albert vs Gumly Gumly Lake Albert vs Gregadoo

Other comparisons with Rowan

Rowan vs Springvale Rowan vs Uranquinty Rowan vs Kapooka Rowan vs Gregadoo Rowan vs Gelston Park Rowan vs Maxwell
Full data on Lake Albert Full data on Rowan
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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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