Cowes
VICCowes is a growing suburb in VIC with 6,593 residents.
- SAL code
- 20657
- SA2
- 205031091
- Population
- 6,593
Cowes, VIC had 6,593 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 13.2% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 65-74 years, and the median age sits at 55. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,550 a month. Around 72.1% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 48.8%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 84.2% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 17 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Population
?6,593
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+13.2%
3yr: +5.2% · 10yr: +43.2%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,026/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
55
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?5/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?2.8%
SA4 · Q4 2025
Schools
2
2 primary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?7
4 long day, 3 OSHC
Parks & green space
?17
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?22
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
No data for this suburb
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Phillip Island (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Cowes suburb alone is ~6,593 (Census 2021).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 7,361 to 14,795 over 24 years, averaging 3.0% per year.
Schools
2 in suburbGovernment school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for VIC.
Source when available: Victorian Department of Education / Vicmap School Zones.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 1.1%Almost entirely detached houses (84.2%), owner-occupied (72%), built for families (45% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire & flood risk
Bushfire
Source: VIC DTP Designated Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
Flood
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Overlay (flood codes)
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped hazard polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
15 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZ | Farming ZoneRural | 55.0% | 11.46 km² |
| GRZ1 | General Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 28.6% | 5.97 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 3.5% | 0.73 km² |
| LDRZ | Low Density Residential ZoneResidential | 3.4% | 0.72 km² |
| RAZ | Rural Activity ZoneRural | 2.5% | 0.53 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 1.6% | 0.34 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Other | 1.5% | 0.32 km² |
| IN3Z | Industrial 3 ZoneIndustrial | 0.8% | 0.17 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.6% | 0.12 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 0.5% | 0.10 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Other | 0.5% | 0.10 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 0.5% | 0.10 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.3% | 0.06 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 0.1% | 0.02 km² |
| RGZ1 | Residential Growth Zone Schedule 1Residential | 0.1% | 0.02 km² |
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Zones (ZONE_VIC/2026-04-29/08783d2926383881) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.