Mittagong vs Bowral

Mittagong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 55 in Bowral. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Bowral: a median of $1.43 million, against $1.09 million in Mittagong, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Mittagong tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Bowral 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

Bowral

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (11 vs 5)
  • has more parks and reserves (19 vs 9)
  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 68/100)

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

First-home buyers

Mittagong

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,090,000 vs $1,425,000)
  • has cheaper units ($710,000 vs $830,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Mittagong

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($400/wk vs $500/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Mittagong

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (86 min vs 91 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (113.6 km vs 118.8 km)
  • But Bowral is more walkable (92/100 vs 14/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bowral

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (92/100 vs 14/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 68/100)
  • has more GPs (9 vs 5)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mittagong Bowral
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.

Mittagong Bowral
Walkability 14 / 92
Mittagong — Walkability: 14/100 Bowral — Walkability: 92/100
Safety 32 / 63
Mittagong — Safety: 32/100 Bowral — Safety: 63/100
Low fire risk 24 / 100
Mittagong — Low fire risk: 24/100 Bowral — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Bowral has more residents (10,764 vs 6,090); Bowral rents higher ($500/wk vs $400/wk).

Mittagong Bowral
Population 6,090 10,764
+77% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.6% +4.2%
Median age 49 55
Median household income $74,100/yr $79,820/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk $500/wk
+25% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mittagong Bowral
0-4 4.8% / 3.4%
Mittagong — 0-4: 4.8% Bowral — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 10.0% / 10.8%
Mittagong — 5-14: 10.0% Bowral — 5-14: 10.8%
15-19 5.8% / 4.8%
Mittagong — 15-19: 5.8% Bowral — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 3.7% / 3.4%
Mittagong — 20-24: 3.7% Bowral — 20-24: 3.4%
25-34 10.1% / 6.0%
Mittagong — 25-34: 10.1% Bowral — 25-34: 6.0%
35-44 10.4% / 8.8%
Mittagong — 35-44: 10.4% Bowral — 35-44: 8.8%
45-54 12.6% / 12.0%
Mittagong — 45-54: 12.6% Bowral — 45-54: 12.0%
55-64 13.1% / 12.8%
Mittagong — 55-64: 13.1% Bowral — 55-64: 12.8%
65-74 14.4% / 16.9%
Mittagong — 65-74: 14.4% Bowral — 65-74: 16.9%
75-84 10.5% / 15.0%
Mittagong — 75-84: 10.5% Bowral — 75-84: 15.0%
85+ 4.6% / 6.2%
Mittagong — 85+: 4.6% Bowral — 85+: 6.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mittagong 46.9% lone person
Mittagong — Lone Person: 46.9% Mittagong — Couple Families: 33.1% Mittagong — One Parent Families: 14.5% Mittagong — Group Household: 4.3% Mittagong — Other Families: 1.2%
Bowral 48.9% lone person
Bowral — Lone Person: 48.9% Bowral — Couple Families: 34.3% Bowral — One Parent Families: 12.9% Bowral — Group Household: 3.0% Bowral — Other Families: 0.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mittagong 28.8% renting
Mittagong — Owned Outright: 44.0% Mittagong — Mortgage: 27.2% Mittagong — Renting: 28.8%
Bowral 19.9% renting
Bowral — Owned Outright: 53.8% Bowral — Mortgage: 26.3% Bowral — Renting: 19.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mittagong Bowral
Bachelor Degree 16.2% / 16.8%
Mittagong — Bachelor Degree: 16.2% Bowral — Bachelor Degree: 16.8%
Certificate III & IV 13.0% / 11.3%
Mittagong — Certificate III & IV: 13.0% Bowral — Certificate III & IV: 11.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.5% / 10.8%
Mittagong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5% Bowral — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.8%
Postgraduate Degree 6.2% / 7.1%
Mittagong — Postgraduate Degree: 6.2% Bowral — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 2.8%
Mittagong — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Bowral — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

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.

Mittagong Bowral
England 5.4% / 7.2%
Mittagong — England: 5.4% Bowral — England: 7.2%
New Zealand 1.6% / 1.7%
Mittagong — New Zealand: 1.6% Bowral — New Zealand: 1.7%
Nepal 2.2% / 1.0%
Mittagong — Nepal: 2.2% Bowral — Nepal: 1.0%
India 2.0% / 0.9%
Mittagong — India: 2.0% Bowral — India: 0.9%
South Africa — / 1.0%
Mittagong — South Africa: not among its largest Bowral — South Africa: 1.0%
Philippines 0.9% / —
Mittagong — Philippines: 0.9% Bowral — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mittagong 83.6% houses
Mittagong — Houses: 83.6% Mittagong — Townhouses: 7.6% Mittagong — Flats / Apartments: 8.8%
Bowral 80.6% houses
Bowral — Houses: 80.6% Bowral — Townhouses: 16.1% Bowral — Flats / Apartments: 3.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mittagong Bowral
Median house price $1,090,000 $1,425,000
Median unit price $710,000 $830,000
Median land price $1,050,000 $1,035,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 35 days
from 47 sales
 48 days
from 127 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Mittagong Bowral
2 bed $800K / $1.24M
Mittagong — 2 bed: $800K (7 sales) Bowral — 2 bed: $1.24M (11 sales)

7 vs 11 sales

3 bed $975K / $1.14M
Mittagong — 3 bed: $975K (39 sales) Bowral — 3 bed: $1.14M (66 sales)

39 vs 66 sales

4 bed $1.22M / $1.44M
Mittagong — 4 bed: $1.22M (27 sales) Bowral — 4 bed: $1.44M (109 sales)

27 vs 109 sales

Zoning mix

Mittagong has more land zoned for conservation (82% vs 56%).

Mittagong Bowral
Environmental 82% 56%
Residential 11% 27%
Parks and recreation 1% 8%
Rural and farming 3% 6%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
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

Mittagong Bowral
New dwellings approved 335
across Wingecarribee
same for both
Approvals change year on year +6%
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.

Mittagong Bowral
Houses 3.2%
$750/wk on $1.21M
 3.3%
$915/wk on $1.43M
Units 3.6%
$550/wk on $785K
 4.0%
$650/wk on $840K

Ranking within NSW

Mittagong Bowral
House price Higher than 60% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Income Higher than 41% of NSW Higher than 47% of NSW
Schools Higher than 57% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 97% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 32% of NSW Higher than 18% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 72% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 74% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 31% of NSW Higher than 36% of NSW
Rental yield (units) Higher than 14% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW

Liveability

Bowral is more walkable (92 vs 14); Bowral scores higher overall (69 vs 37).

Mittagong Bowral
Grade C B
Score 37/100 69/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Mittagong carries more bushfire risk (76 vs 0); Mittagong carries more crime risk (68 vs 37).

Mittagong Bowral
Bushfire High
76/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
68/100
 Low
37/100
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
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Mittagong Bowral
Inside the suburb 4 5
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 2 3
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Mittagong

  • St Michael's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Frensham Junior School Independent · Primary at peers
  • Frensham School Independent · Secondary at peers
  • Mittagong Public School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Bowral

  • Aurora Southern Highlands Steiner School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Bowral High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Bowral Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Southern Highlands Christian School Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mittagong Bowral
Supermarkets 2 5
Cafes & restaurants 19 35
Parks & reserves 9 19
Childcare 5 11
GPs 5 9
Pharmacies 4 5
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 2 7
Fuel stations 4 3
EV chargers 2 0
Waterways 18 26

Mobility

Bowral sits further from the CBD (118.8 km vs 113.6 km).

Mittagong Bowral
Walkability score 14/100 92/100
Distance to Sydney 113.6 km 118.8 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 86 min 91 min
Public transport score 77/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 61.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 127.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 2575
 1.7%
postcode 2576
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 2575
 41
postcode 2576

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.

Mittagong Bowral
Car (driver) 61.7% / 55.0%
Mittagong — Car (driver): 61.7% Bowral — Car (driver): 55.0%
Worked from Home 27.5% / 34.0%
Mittagong — Worked from Home: 27.5% Bowral — Worked from Home: 34.0%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 5.0%
Mittagong — Car (passenger): 5.3% Bowral — Car (passenger): 5.0%
Walked Only 4.3% / 4.8%
Mittagong — Walked Only: 4.3% Bowral — Walked Only: 4.8%
Train 1.0% / 0.5%
Mittagong — Train: 1.0% Bowral — Train: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (61.7%).

Setting

Mittagong Bowral
Elevation 620 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 679 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 35.8 km 41.0 km

NBN connectivity

Mittagong Bowral
Connectivity score 61/100 66/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 29%
3,572 premises
 39%
6,483 premises

Climate

Mittagong Bowral
Annual rainfall 974 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Mittagong Bowral
Average residential rate $2,072/yr
same for both
Council Wingecarribee
same for both

Federal electorate

Mittagong Bowral
Division Whitlam
same for both
Member Carol Berry
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mittagong Bowral
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mittagong

Retirees

Bowral

Cafe Culture Parks Regional Centre Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mittagong

Mittagong vs Colo Vale Mittagong vs Renwick Mittagong vs Willow Vale Mittagong vs Welby Mittagong vs Balaclava Mittagong vs Woodlands

Other comparisons with Bowral

Bowral vs Moss Vale Bowral vs Burradoo Bowral vs Berrima Bowral vs Woodlands Bowral vs Glenquarry
Full data on Mittagong Full data on Bowral
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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