Howrah
Detached houses define Howrah more strongly than almost any other signal: 95.2% of dwellings are separate homes and only 0.1% are apartments. The suburb has 9,545 residents, a median age of 43, and household income in the 59.3 percentile, above the national midpoint. Compared with nearby Bellerive and Tranmere, Howrah reads as a lower-density eastern shore pocket because ownership is high, turnover is modest, and the housing stock is overwhelmingly family-scale.
Population
9,545
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,690/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Howrah suits buyers who want space more than unit choice: 95.2% of homes are separate houses, 53.0% have 3 bedrooms, and another 31.1% have 4 or more. Costs sit below common stress markers because mortgage payments take 23.1% of household income and typical monthly repayments are $1,690. With 44.4% owned outright and 36.2% mortgaged, competition may be steady rather than speculative, especially compared with more transient rental suburbs.
For Buyers
Howrah suits buyers who want space more than unit choice: 95.2% of homes are separate houses, 53.0% have 3 bedrooms, and another 31.1% have 4 or more. Costs sit below common stress markers because mortgage payments take 23.1% of household income and typical monthly repayments are $1,690. With 44.4% owned outright and 36.2% mortgaged, competition may be steady rather than speculative, especially compared with more transient rental suburbs.
For Investors
Howrah is a measured income market rather than a high-churn renter hub. Renters make up 18.5% of households, below owner-occupied tenure at 80.6%, while weekly rent is $400 and vacancy is 4.8%. That higher vacancy figure means pricing and presentation matter because tenants have more choice than in very tight markets. With 0 approvals in the past 12 months and growth led by Overseas migration, supply pressure looks limited but not fast moving.
Demographics
Howrah is older, more settled, and less migrant-heavy than the national pattern. The median age is 43, which is 3.0 years above national, while 38.7% of residents hold a university qualification, 8.6 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents are 15.1%, 6.5 points below national, and ancestry leans English, Irish, and Scottish with counts of 4,385, 1,137, and 1,041. The 77.4% stayed share helps explain the stable neighbourhood feel.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.2%
Houses
4.7%
Townhouse
0.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is unusually uniform: 95.2% separate houses, 4.7% semi-detached homes, and just 0.1% apartments. That makes Howrah far more house-oriented than inner or denser waterfront pockets. Tenure reinforces the established pattern, with 44.4% owned outright, 36.2% mortgaged, and only 18.5% renting. Affordability pressure is contained because rent absorbs 23.7% of income and mortgages 23.1%, both below typical stress thresholds. Larger homes dominate, with 84.1% having 3 or more bedrooms.
Mortgage / mo
$1,690
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$400
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$865
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.8%
Unoccupied
196
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
40.1%
Couples with children
44.4%
Couples, no children
14.0%
Single parent
2,793
Total families
Economy & Employment
Howrah's workforce is anchored in public and service-sector jobs. Healthcare employs 660 people, or 19.6%, followed by Education at 497 and 14.7%, and Public Admin at 475 and 14.1%. Professionals are the largest occupation group with 1,222 people, ahead of Clerical/Admin at 745. Unemployment is 4.5% and participation is 61.3%. SEIFA scores are above the national 1000 average across IRSD 1059, IRSAD 1036, IEO 1031, and IER 1027, with deciles of 8, 7, 7, and 7.
Unemployment
4.5%
Labour Force
4,881
Unemployed
221
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.9%
Part-time
37.0%
Participation
61.3%
Employed
4,660
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.7%
Postgraduate
10.3%
Born Overseas
15.1%
Dwellings
3,838
Transport to Work
Daily life in Howrah is car-oriented because 77.1% of commuters drive, far higher than the 5.6% using public transport and the 1.6% walking or cycling. Working from home is 9.8%, which gives some households flexibility despite the transport pattern. The suburb covers 7.43 sq km at a density of 1,284.7 people per sq km, supporting a suburban feel rather than a compact urban one. A suburb-specific crime rate is not available, so safety should be checked against current local sources.
Drive
77.1%
Public Transport
5.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
9.8%
Population Forecast
+1.4%/yr
(+170 people/yr)
EstablishedHowrah's growth outlook is steady rather than explosive. The forecast trend is 1.4% a year, with Overseas migration listed as the primary driver. Over the past 10 years, population change is 20.7%, while the shift trajectory is Mixed. Gentrification is flagged at score 23 and stage Early signs, below the separate shift gentrification score of 45 marked Active, suggesting change is present but uneven. Affordability has stayed stable, moving from 47.4 in 2011 to 47.2 in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+91
Net Internal / yr
-61
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +23% since 2011, Accelerating: 8% → 15%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Howrah compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Howrah a good suburb to live in?
Howrah suits households wanting an established, house-focused area. Separate houses make up 95.2% of dwellings, 44.4% are owned outright, and the median age is 43, so it tends to feel settled rather than transient.
What is the median house price in Howrah?
A current median house price is not available for Howrah. Affordability can still be read through costs: typical mortgage repayments are $1,690 per month and mortgage payments take 23.1% of household income.
What schools are in Howrah?
Howrah has 0 schools within the suburb boundary. Families usually need to check options in nearby Clarence suburbs, while transport planning matters because 77.1% of commuters drive and 5.6% use public transport.
Is Howrah safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available for Howrah, so recent local police information is worth checking. The resident base is stable, with 77.4% at the same address over 5 years and 44.4% owning outright.
Is Howrah good for property investment?
Howrah can suit investors seeking steady rent rather than high renter turnover. Renters are 18.5% of households, weekly rent is $400, vacancy is 4.8%, and there were 0 development approvals in the past 12 months.
How is Howrah's population changing?
Howrah has 9,545 residents today and its forecast trend is 1.4% annual growth. The 10-year population change is 20.7%, the trajectory is Mixed, and migration is primarily driven by Overseas migration.
How do people commute in Howrah?
Commuting is strongly car-based: 77.1% drive, 5.6% use public transport, and 1.6% walk or cycle. Working from home is 9.8%, giving some residents flexibility compared with a fully commute-dependent suburb.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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