Rowan vs Kapooka
Kapooka is the younger of the two, with a median age of 23 against 43 in Rowan. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses and the large majority of households are couple families. In Rowan, the large majority of households own their home. In Kapooka, the large majority of households rent. On these figures, Rowan tends to suit families with children, while Kapooka suits young adults.
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
Kapooka
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 83/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 79%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Kapooka
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($254/wk vs $350/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Rowan has a shorter drive in (299 min vs 307 min)
- Kapooka is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Kapooka
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (58/100 vs 83/100)
- But Rowan has more residents already 65 and over (14% vs 1%)
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 -37.6%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Rowan and Kapooka drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Kapooka has more residents (395 vs 105); Rowan skews older (43 vs 23).
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 105 | 395 +276% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +22.1% | -37.6% |
| Median age | 43 | 23 |
| Median household income | $125,632/yr +1% vs other | $124,072/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $350/wk +27% vs other | $254/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.1%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.9%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
Rowan has more rural and farming land (99% vs 12%).
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 12% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 1% | 88% |
| 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
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 548 across Wagga Wagga same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +139% same for both | |
Ranking within NSW
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 87% of NSW | Higher than 86% of NSW |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 3% of NSW | Higher than 71% of NSW |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 38% of NSW | — |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 50% of NSW | Higher than 86% of NSW |
Liveability
Kapooka is more walkable (23 vs 0).
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | very advantaged area decile 10/10 |
Risk profile
Kapooka carries more bushfire risk (39 vs 0); Rowan carries more crime risk (83 vs 58).
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 39/100 |
| Crime | High 83/100 | Moderate 58/100 |
| 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 | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Rowan
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Kapooka
- Kapooka Public School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 2 |
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 1 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 2 |
| Waterways | 9 | 2 |
Mobility
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 23/100 |
| Distance to Sydney | 466.5 km | 467.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 299 min | 307 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 2650 | 0.0% postcode 2661 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 45 postcode 2650 | — |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.2%).
Setting
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 287 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 268 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 77/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Fibre to the building |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 33 premises | 36% 162 premises |
Climate
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 7.7 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 23.1 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,254/yr same for both | |
| Council | Wagga Wagga same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Riverina same for both | |
| Member | Michael Mccormack same for both | |
| Party | The Nationals same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Rowan | Kapooka | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $600,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Rowan
Other comparisons with Kapooka
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.