Cowaramup
With 97.9% of dwellings being separate houses and a median house price around $493,000, Cowaramup sits firmly in WA's detached-housing heartland, yet its household income ranks in the 72nd percentile nationally, above the state median. The suburb covers 95 square kilometres with a population of 2,482, giving a density of just 26 people per km2. A vacancy rate of 15.9% is notably elevated compared to most WA suburban averages, reflecting the rural character and holiday-market influence of the Margaret River wine region. University qualifications reach 32.6% of residents, which is 2.5 percentage points above the national figure, an unusual credential profile for a low-density regional community.
Population
2,482
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,925/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$493K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price of $493,000 is estimated from 2025 rental data, with monthly mortgage repayments averaging $1,950, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.4%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability is the main draw compared to Perth metro suburbs at similar income levels. Stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 97.9%, with semi-detached dwellings making up the remaining 2.1%. Bedroom composition skews large: 50.7% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 38.6% have 3 bedrooms, meaning small-unit options are rare. Outright owners at 28.7% and mortgage holders at 53.2% indicate a mortgage-belt profile where most residents are servicing debt, not sitting on paid-off assets.
For Buyers
The median house price of $493,000 is estimated from 2025 rental data, with monthly mortgage repayments averaging $1,950, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.4%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. That affordability is the main draw compared to Perth metro suburbs at similar income levels. Stock is overwhelmingly separate houses at 97.9%, with semi-detached dwellings making up the remaining 2.1%. Bedroom composition skews large: 50.7% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 38.6% have 3 bedrooms, meaning small-unit options are rare. Outright owners at 28.7% and mortgage holders at 53.2% indicate a mortgage-belt profile where most residents are servicing debt, not sitting on paid-off assets.
For Investors
Renters make up 18.1% of the market, a lower share than state and national averages, which limits the tenant pool for investment properties. Weekly rent sits at $390, modest relative to the $493,000 median price, implying a gross yield near 4.1%. The vacancy rate of 15.9% is the most significant caution signal, running well above the typical 3-4% benchmark that suggests balanced conditions, pointing to soft demand at current asking rents. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, consistent with a stable-stock rural town rather than a growth corridor. The area attracts lifestyle buyers and tourism exposure from the Margaret River region, which can support short-stay demand but also inflates vacancy in long-term rental counts.
Schools in Cowaramup iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Cowaramup Primary School
K-6 · 400 students
Demographics
Cowaramup's median age is 39, which is 1.0 year below the national figure, reflecting a working-age bias rather than an aging rural profile. Overseas-born residents account for 20.0%, slightly below the national average by 1.6 percentage points, with English ancestry dominant at 1,127 residents, followed by Irish (264) and Scottish (241). University qualifications at 32.6% exceed the national figure by 2.5 percentage points, suggesting the area attracts educated professionals and knowledge workers alongside its agricultural and tourism base. Average household size is 2.8, compared to the national average of 2.5, consistent with the suburb's dominance of large family homes. Volunteering is high at 25.8% of residents, pointing to a well-engaged community relative to most Australian suburbs.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.9%
Houses
2.1%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The tenure mix shows 53.2% of households on a mortgage, above the national average, while just 18.1% rent, well below national norms. Outright ownership sits at 28.7%. The overwhelming preference for separate houses at 97.9% means buyers seeking apartments or semi-detached properties have almost no options locally. Bedroom size skews toward family-scale homes: 50.7% have 4 or more bedrooms and 38.6% have 3 bedrooms, with 2-bedroom properties at just 8.8%. The rent-to-income ratio of 20.3% is below the 30% stress threshold, meaning renters are not under financial pressure at current levels. Mortgage stress is also absent at 23.4%, which is one of the better affordability ratios seen in WA regional towns.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wk
$390
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$876
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.9%
Unoccupied
146
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.8%
Couples, no children
1,856
Total families
Economy & Employment
Education leads local employment at 13.3% of the workforce (116 workers), followed by Healthcare at 12.7% (111 workers), Construction at 10.7% (93), Manufacturing at 10.6% (92) and Mining at 9.1% (79). The Mining share is notable for a wine-region town and likely reflects FIFO workers based here while employed at sites elsewhere in WA. By occupation, Professionals lead at 232 workers and Managers at 182, together accounting for a larger share than Labourers (146), which is consistent with the above-national university qualification rate of 32.6%. The unemployment rate is 2.6%, low compared to national benchmarks, and the participation rate is 64.1%. Full-time employment at 54.2% is balanced by a part-time share of 46.4%, common in communities with tourism and agriculture roles.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.2%
Part-time
43.2%
Participation
64.1%
Employed
1,141
Occupations
Top Industries
University
32.6%
Postgraduate
4.0%
Born Overseas
20.0%
Dwellings
757
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 87.4% of residents drive to work, above the national average, which is expected for a rural suburb with no train access and just 2.5% using public transport. Walking and cycling accounts for 5.6%, above what many low-density towns record, likely influenced by the compact village core. Schools are not recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on facilities in nearby towns. The need-assistance rate of 2.7% (60 people) is low, consistent with the younger-than-national median age of 39. Rent-to-income at 20.3% and mortgage-to-income at 23.4% both sit below stress thresholds, making Cowaramup one of the more financially comfortable communities in regional WA compared to higher-cost coastal towns.
Drive
87.4%
Public Transport
2.5%
Walk / Cycle
5.6%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Cowaramup compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cowaramup a good suburb to live in?
Cowaramup offers low mortgage stress at 23.4% of income and a rent-to-income ratio of 20.3%, both below standard stress thresholds. Household income ranks in the 72nd percentile nationally. The trade-offs are high car dependency at 87.4% using cars to commute, a 15.9% vacancy rate signalling soft rental demand, and no recorded schools within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Cowaramup?
The median house price is approximately $493,000, estimated from 2025 rental data. Weekly rent averages $390 and monthly mortgage repayments run around $1,950, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.4%, comfortably below the 30% stress level.
What schools are in Cowaramup?
No schools are recorded within the Cowaramup suburb boundary in this dataset. With 2,482 residents across 95 square kilometres and an above-national university qualification rate of 32.6%, families in the area rely on schools in nearby towns in the Margaret River region.
Is Cowaramup safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Cowaramup in this dataset. As indirect indicators, the unemployment rate is low at 2.6%, only 2.7% of residents (60 people) need daily assistance, and household income sits in the 72nd percentile nationally, all consistent with a stable, low-disadvantage community.
Is Cowaramup good for property investment?
The gross yield is near 4.1% based on $390 weekly rent against a $493,000 median price, reasonable for regional WA. However, the 15.9% vacancy rate is well above the healthy benchmark of 3-4%, indicating weak long-term rental demand. With 0 development applications in the past 12 months and an 18.1% renter share below national average, the case is cautious.
How is Cowaramup's population changing?
The current population stands at 2,482 across 95 square kilometres. The turnover rate of 28.6% indicates moderate residential movement, with 71.4% of residents having stayed in the past 5 years. The elevated vacancy rate of 15.9% suggests supply slightly exceeds sustained demand, which may constrain growth unless lifestyle migration from Perth increases.
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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