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Suburb profile ·Bass Coast LGA · VIC ·3922

Cowes VIC 3922

Cowes is in Bass Coast LGA, VIC, postcode 3922, with population 6,593.

The read

Growth-momentum

The page has enough signal to be useful, but the story is mixed rather than decisive. Use compare mode to pressure-test it against stronger nearby options, then use the calculator if it still makes the shortlist.

$801K
+0.1% YoY
2014 → 2024 · 11 periods
ABS + state medians
$880K
$358K
2014 2024
Why it fits

Population movement supports a growth-led read. Transport coverage adds a practical access signal.

What to check

Gross yield looks low for an income-first use case.

Median house
$801K
House median, latest period
0.1%YoY D5 vs AU
Median rent
$480/wk
Rent context available
D10 vs AU
Gross yield
3.1%
Low yield band
D9 vs AU
Population
6,593
7K local footprint
D10 vs AU
Schools
2
Matched school context
D8 vs AU
Solar
2,669
141 added 12mo · 18MW

Price history

HousesUnits

Houses to 2024 · Units to 2025 — house and unit medians are released on separate cycles, so their latest period can differ.

Trend & investor depth

Indicative cashflow-$392/wk (-$20,369/yr) · interest-only @ 6.1%, 80% LVR

Indicative cashflow is interest-only and excludes tax — use the calculator for a full projection.

Affordability

Buying
15.0x
median home price as a multiple of annual household income
Stretched
Renting
47%
median weekly rent as a share of gross household income (the 30% rule)
High stress

Owners with a mortgage repay a median of $1,550/mo, while renters pay about $2,080/mo — renting runs $530/mo higher on these medians.

Median price
$801K
Household income · yr
$53K
Median rent · wk
$480
Owner mortgage · mo
$1,550
Gross yield
3.1%

Household income

$53K household · yr-35.2% vs VIC suburb median
Personal
$30K
Family
$70K
Household
$53K

Growth outlook · Bass Coast LGA

Dwellings
+27.2%
28,980 → 36,870
+7,890 dwellings
Population
+25.4%
40,640 → 50,960
Households
+29.7%
18,560 → 24,070

LGA-level official projection (Victoria in Future 2023, DTP). Indicative of the wider council area, not a suburb-level forecast.

Schools

Total2
Avg ICSEA1007
Students633
Catholic1
Government1
  • Cowes Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1019
  • Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 995
Crime Year ending Dec 2025
3,822
8,622 per 100k
D9 vs AU

Crime

Rate · per 100k8,622
Total incidents3,822· Year ending Dec 2025
  • Assault40148%
  • Sexual Offences12815%
  • Robbery61%
  • Break And Enter29335%

Full data detail

Cowes VIC — Property Data and Demographics

Cowes (postcode 3922) is a moderately sized suburb in Victoria within the Bass Coast local government area. It is home to about 6,593 residents, with an older demographic and a median age of 55. Households earn a median income of $53K per year, with an average household size of 2.1 people. Recent annual estimates show population movement into the broader catchment, with population growth running at +2.1% year-on-year at the LGA level. VIC employment has moved +0.9% year-on-year in the official Jobs and Skills Australia NERO series, which provides the broader jobs backdrop for this suburb. VIC also had 45 Commonwealth-backed major projects under construction, 17 underway, and 27 in planning as at 2 October 2024, which is useful as a broader delivery backdrop rather than a suburb-specific project count. The most common occupations are technicians & trades, professionals, community & personal service. Employment in the area leans toward healthcare and accommodation & food. The top ancestries reported are English, Australian, Scottish.

The median house price in Cowes is $801,000, broadly unchanged over the past year. Units have a median price of $669,000 (+49.9% YoY). The current median weekly rent is $480. This gives a gross rental yield of approximately 3.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,550.

Cowes is served by 2 schools, including 2 primary. The average ICSEA score is 1007, which is around the national average of 1,000. Public transport access includes 29 bus stops. The crime rate in the Bass Coast LGA is higher than average at 8,622 incidents per 100,000 population.

Looking at the investment signals, Gross rental yield sits at around 3.1% (moderate yield). Property prices are near the state median ($801K/$875K). The price-to-income ratio of 15.0x is considered stretched. House prices have moved +0.1% year-on-year. Population growth of +2.1% year-on-year points to strong growth demand fundamentals. Building approvals have changed +0% year-on-year, indicating steady development activity.

Market & money
Investment signalsHeuristics
Rental Yield3.1%· Moderate Yield
Price vs State$801K/$875K· Near Median
Affordability15.0x Stretched
Price Momentum+0.1%· Stable
Pop. Growth+2.1% Strong Growth
Development+0%· Steady
InvestmentVIC
Mortgage · mth$1,550
Rent · wk(Census)$331
Market rent · wk(Sep 2025)$480
Gross yield2.1%
Price / income15.0x
Population growth · Bass Coast LGAABS ERP
Population (2025)44,377
5-year growth+2.6% CAGR
YoY change+2.1%
20012025
Development · Bass Coast LGAABS Approvals
Approvals (2026)260
Houses246
Units14
YoY change+0%
Employment · Bass Coast LGASALM
Unemployment (Dec-25)3.3%
YoY change-0.6pp
Dec-10Dec-25
Property investors · Postcode 3922ATO
Negatively geared301 (5.3% of filers)
Avg rental loss$7,550/yr
Landlords (rental income)772
Reported capital gains550
People & prosperity
DemographicsCensus 21
Population6,593
Median age55
Household size2.1
HH income · wk$1,026
Personal income · wk$586
Persons / bedroom0.7
SEIFA indexABS
Advantage (IRSAD)3/10
Education (IEO)4/10
Economic (IER)3/10
Disadvantage (IRSD)3/10
Area & amenity
Local amenitiesOSM
Supermarkets4
Pharmacies2
GP / clinics1
Fuel stations2
Cafes & dining58
aldi1
coles1
iga1
woolworths1
TransportGTFS
Bus stops29
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Current status
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Sources & freshness
Strong evidence

There is enough direct local evidence on Cowes for a first-pass decision.

QuickProperty mixes release files, Census baselines, and matched local services on this page. Read the status panel before treating every metric as equally fresh.

PRICE POSTURE
Manual release files still matter here.

DataVic-discovered annual suburb price workbooks parsed into suburb prices. Quarterly VIC resources are discovered and cached, but not yet used as current-price anchors.

RENT POSTURE
Rent is using a state market dataset when available.

Use current rent as a starting signal, not as a fixed underwriting truth.

SERVICE POSTURE
Service coverage is matched locally, not inferred nationally.

Schools, transport, and hospitals are useful as presence signals, but they still have different source cadences.

Data status
Property prices
VIC Property Sales Report · 2024 · DataVic-discovered annual suburb price workbooks parsed into suburb prices. Quarterly VIC resources are discovered and cached, but not yet used as current-price anchors.
medium stability · manual file · every update · quarterly
Available
Market rent
Homes Victoria · Sep 2025 · State market dataset
medium stability · automated · every update · quarterly
Available
Crime
VIC Crime Statistics Agency · Year ending Dec 2025 · Area-level release dataset
Available
Schools
ACARA 2025 · 2 schools matched
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Hospitals
AIHW · No linked local hospital coverage
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Missing
Transport
GTFS feeds · 29 matched stops/stations
medium stability · manual file · snapshot · mixed
Available
Population growth
ABS ERP · 2025 · Annual estimate series
stable source · automated · every update · annual
Available
Building approvals
ABS Building Approvals · 2026 · Annual release series
stable source · automated · every update · monthly
Available
Available means a direct local dataset is linked. Verify means coverage exists but freshness or precision is weaker, such as ABS price fallback, Census rent fallback, or low-confidence hospital matching.

Cowes FAQ

Common questions
  1. What LGA is Cowes in?

    Cowes is in the Bass Coast Local Government Area, VIC, postcode 3922. Council-level context for Bass Coast LGA (suburb mix, population, rent, and price coverage) is available on the QuickProperty LGA page.

  2. What is the median house price in Cowes?

    The current median house price in Cowes, VIC is $801K, based on the latest available sales data from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region.

  3. What is the typical weekly rent in Cowes?

    The median weekly rent in Cowes is $480/wk, based on the current market rent dataset. The current rent signal is rent context available.

  4. What does the rent signal say about Cowes?

    Rent context available: Cowes has usable rent context. Use this as a suburb screening signal before comparing candidates or modelling a purchase; the matching rent ranking can provide broader market context.

  5. Is Cowes a good investment?

    QuickProperty's investment signals for Cowes show: Moderate Yield, Near Median, Stretched. These are computed from price, rent, income, and population data — not an opaque score.

  6. Where does QuickProperty get its data for Cowes?

    Property prices come from state Valuers General offices and ABS Data by Region. Demographics are from ABS Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA. Crime statistics are from state police agencies. Transport data is sourced from GTFS feeds.

  7. How often is the Cowes data updated?

    Property prices update quarterly. RBA macro indicators update with each deploy. Demographics are from Census 2021. School ICSEA scores are from ACARA 2025.