Bowen
A 13.3% vacancy rate shapes Bowen more than any single headline, sitting high for a town of 11205 people. The housing stock is strongly detached, with 83.6% separate houses and only 0.3% apartments, while renters make up 39.3% of occupied homes. Compared with Whitsunday neighbours such as Airlie Beach and Proserpine, Bowen reads as a lower-density service and coastal town, spread across 1796.27 sq km at just 6.2 people per sq km. Its income profile sits at the 34.2 household income percentile nationally.
Population
11,205
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,343/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Bowen suits buyers who want land, house format and lower carrying costs rather than apartment convenience. Separate houses account for 83.6% of dwellings, far higher than the 0.3% apartment share, and 40.7% of homes have 3 bedrooms while 31.4% have 4 or more. A current median house price is not available, so buyers should price check recent sales street by street. The typical mortgage is $1500 per month, with mortgage costs at 25.8% of income, below common stress thresholds because loan sizes remain relatively contained.
For Buyers
Bowen suits buyers who want land, house format and lower carrying costs rather than apartment convenience. Separate houses account for 83.6% of dwellings, far higher than the 0.3% apartment share, and 40.7% of homes have 3 bedrooms while 31.4% have 4 or more. A current median house price is not available, so buyers should price check recent sales street by street. The typical mortgage is $1500 per month, with mortgage costs at 25.8% of income, below common stress thresholds because loan sizes remain relatively contained.
For Investors
Bowen has a large rental base, with 39.3% of homes rented and a median rent of $270 per week, but the 13.3% vacancy rate is the main risk because tenant choice is high. That vacancy rate sits above what many investors would consider tight, so rent growth is less automatic even with forecast population momentum. Development approvals show 0 projects over 12 months, which limits new dwelling competition, while migration is balanced at 368 net internal and 331 net overseas residents annually. Investors need yield discipline, not just growth expectations.
Schools in Bowen iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Mary's Catholic School
Prep-6 · 146 students
Queens Beach State School
Prep-6 · 302 students
Bowen State School
Prep-6 · 508 students
Bowen State High School
7-12 · 679 students
Merinda State School
Prep-6 · 41 students
Demographics
Bowen is older and less university-credentialed than the national profile. The median age is 42, which is 2.0 years above the national benchmark, while university attainment is 15.3%, or 14.8 percentage points below national. Overseas-born residents make up 16.2%, 5.4 points below national, so ancestry is more Anglo-leaning, led by English at 3935 people, Irish at 1086 and Scottish at 1085. Mandarin is the largest listed non-English language at 44 speakers. Household size is 2.4, slightly below the national average by 0.1.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.6%
Houses
13.2%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Bowen's housing market is defined by detached supply and mixed tenure rather than a published price benchmark. Owner-occupiers are still substantial, with 34.7% owned outright and 26.1% mortgaged, but renting is also high at 39.3%. Separate houses represent 83.6% of dwellings, compared with just 13.2% semi-detached homes and 0.3% apartments. Housing costs look lower than many coastal markets: rent takes 20.1% of income and mortgage repayments take 25.8%. The 3-bedroom share of 40.7% gives the market a practical family-home bias.
Mortgage / mo
$1,500
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (Mar 2026 quarter), QLD RTA bond data. Census 2021 median: $270.
$585
Bond data Mar 2026 quarter · houses $585 · units $420
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$710
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.3%
Unoccupied
621
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
33.5%
Couples, no children
7,681
Total families
Economy & Employment
Bowen's economy ranks lower on SEIFA measures but has a clear working base in services, freight and agriculture. Healthcare is the largest listed industry at 15.1%, followed by agriculture at 12.3%, transport at 10.6%, education at 10.2% and construction at 9.3%. Labourers are the biggest occupation group at 1054 workers, ahead of machinery and drivers at 641. Unemployment is 5.1% and participation is 52.4%. SEIFA places education and occupation in decile 1, while economic resources, disadvantage and advantage-disadvantage sit in decile 2, pointing to modest incomes and qualifications rather than joblessness alone.
Unemployment
2.6%
Labour Force
17,067
Unemployed
448
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.2%
Part-time
26.7%
Participation
52.4%
Employed
4,552
Occupations
Top Industries
University
15.3%
Postgraduate
2.4%
Born Overseas
16.2%
Dwellings
4,029
Transport to Work
Bowen is a car-first town, with 81.1% of commuters driving, only 2.8% using public transport and 5.3% walking or cycling. That is lower public transport use than in inner urban markets, so daily convenience depends heavily on access to a car. There are 5 local schools with ICSEA values from 881 to 967. St Mary's Catholic School leads at 967 with 146 enrolments, followed by Queens Beach State School at 928 and Bowen State School at 927, giving families both Catholic and Government options. IRSAD sits in decile 2, signalling lower socio-economic advantage than the national average.
Drive
81.1%
Public Transport
2.8%
Walk / Cycle
5.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+4.18%/yr
(+897 people/yr)
High GrowthBowen is classified as high growth, with the trend adding 897 people a year at 4.18% annually. The medium scenario rises from 22362 in 2026 to 26846 in 2031, a gain of 4484 people over 5 years. Migration is balanced rather than single-source, with average net internal migration of 368 and net overseas migration of 331 each year. The shift pattern is mixed: affordability improved from 38.8 in 2011 to 32.0 in 2021, but real income growth was -1.5%. Gentrification has a score of 0 and is labelled New development, so growth is more about population expansion than prestige repricing.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+331
Net Internal / yr
+368
Gentrification Signal
New development
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bowen compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bowen a good suburb to live in?
Bowen can suit households wanting detached housing, space and coastal access, with 83.6% separate houses and a low density of 6.2 people per sq km. It is more car-dependent than inner areas, with 81.1% of commuters driving.
What is the median house price in Bowen?
A current median house price is not available for Bowen. Buyers can still benchmark affordability through local costs: the typical mortgage is $1500 per month, and mortgage repayments equal 25.8% of income.
What schools are in Bowen?
Bowen has 5 listed schools, led by St Mary's Catholic School with an ICSEA of 967, Queens Beach State School at 928 and Bowen State School at 927. Bowen State High School provides the local secondary option.
Is Bowen safe?
A current crime rate per 1000 residents is not available for Bowen, so street-level checks are important. Broader livability indicators show a car-based town with 5 schools and an IRSAD ranking in decile 2.
Is Bowen good for property investment?
Bowen has investor appeal from a 39.3% rental share and $270 weekly median rent, but the 13.3% vacancy rate is high. That means investors should be cautious on tenant demand and avoid assuming quick rent rises.
How is Bowen's population changing?
Bowen is on a high-growth trajectory, with forecast growth of 4.18% a year, equal to 897 people annually. The medium scenario reaches 26846 residents by 2031, supported by balanced internal and overseas migration.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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