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Suburb Insights · NSW 2576

Bowral, NSW 2576 Property Profile

ABS 2021 Census · Updated 21 May 2026

Suburb Overview

Bowral is a regional centre in New South Wales, Australia, with a population of approximately 10,764, making it a smaller community. Located approximately 99 km from the Sydney CBD, Bowral is a regional area in New South Wales. The median household income is $79,820 per year.

Investment Score

49 / 100 Moderate

Bowral has a solid income profile that supports reliable occupancy rates. Distance from major centres is a consideration, though regional markets can offer higher rental yields.

Location

Sydney
Bowral
New South Wales · 2576
99 km from Sydney CBD
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Key Indicators

Postcode
2576

Official Australia Post postcode for Bowral. A postcode may cover multiple suburbs.

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Population
10,764

Usual resident population at the most recent census.

Median weekly rent
$500/wk

Weekly median rent for occupied homes. Live rental data integration coming soon.

Median household income
$79,820/yr

Annual median household income (before tax) across all households.

Distance to CBD
99 km

Straight-line distance from the suburb centroid to the nearest capital city CBD. Actual driving distance will be longer.

Lifestyle & Amenities

Schools nearby
3

Estimated 3 schools within or near this suburb.

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Parks & green spaces
4

Estimated 4 parks and green spaces near this suburb.

Median monthly mortgage
$2,167/mo

Monthly median mortgage repayment for households currently paying off a mortgage.

Home type
73% houses

Proportion of separate houses versus units, townhouses, and other home types. Useful for investors assessing rental demand mix.

Why People Like Living in Bowral

Who Bowral Suits

👨‍👩‍👧Families3 schools nearby, 73% separate houses.
📊InvestorsRent covers a solid share of the median mortgage.
🏡First-home buyersEntry costs sit at or below the New South Wales median.
💼ProfessionalsLonger commute to the CBD.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Mortgage costs are lower than the New South Wales median, improving cash-flow margins.
  • Access to several schools nearby (around 3).
  • Local parks and reserves (around 4) add to liveability.
  • Solid transport links into employment hubs.

Cons

  • Rent-to-income ratio is above comfortable thresholds — watch tenant affordability.
  • Long distance to the CBD (99 km) — plan for commute time or local employment.

Investment Insight

With 10,764 residents, Bowral is one of New South Wales's more populous suburbs — roughly 2.0× the state median of 5,325 — giving it a deep buyer and tenant pool that typically supports higher transaction volumes and shorter average days on market. Household income of $79,820/year is 18% below the New South Wales median of $97,552, typically translating into lower entry prices and a tenant base more sensitive to rent increases. Median weekly rent of $500 equates to $2,167/month — about 100% of the median mortgage repayment of $2,167/month — meaning rental income covers most of a typical owner's repayment and this is a genuine cash-flow suburb before tax benefits. Bowral is 99 km from Sydney, so the local market tracks regional employment and lifestyle drivers more than CBD-driven commuter demand.

Investment Tip

This suburb suits yield-focused investors who are comfortable with lower liquidity. Employment concentration and local population trends matter more here than in metro markets. Local rents consume roughly 33% of household income — a useful sanity check on tenant affordability.

Bowral vs New South Wales Median

How Bowral stacks up against the median of all New South Wales suburbs in our dataset. Positive values mean Bowral sits above the state median; negative means below.

MetricBowralNSW medianΔ vs state
Population10,7645,325+102%
Median household income$79,820/yr$97,552/yr-18%
Median rent (weekly)$500$430+16%
Median mortgage (monthly)$2,167$2,1670%
Distance to CBD99 km45 km+120%
Separate houses73%76%-3pp

Investor Checklist

Pre-inspection briefing for Bowral — every item is derived from public datasets, with full citations in our data sources page.

Investment Strategy

⚠️
Buy & Hold

Moderate buy-and-hold potential: Bowral's 10,764-person market and $79,820 median household income work for investors who are selective on street location and property quality rather than counting on a suburb-wide rerating.

Rental Yield

Strong rental coverage: $500/week (~$2,167/month) covers 100% of the $2,167/month median mortgage repayment, so the shortfall sits at just $0/month. Investors targeting positive cash flow should shortlist this suburb.

⚠️
Renovation / Flip

With 73% houses in a 10,764-person market, renovation margins depend on individual street and aspect rather than any suburb-wide story — do comparable-sales analysis before committing capital.

Risk Factors

Run the numbers on a Bowral property

Full Property Analysis

30-year projections for Bowral

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2026 Outlook

Growth: Low Rental Demand: Moderate Investor Sentiment: Low

Capital-growth expectations for Bowral are modest for 2026 — incomes 18% below the NSW median of $97,552 suggest gains will lag headline metro markets. Rental coverage runs at ~100% of the typical mortgage ($2,167/month rent vs $2,167/month repayment), keeping cash flow in positive or near-neutral territory. The EquitySight investment score of 49/100 places Bowral in the mid tier of Australian suburbs we profile, and overall investor sentiment is cautious heading into the second half of 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bowral a good suburb for investment?

Bowral scores 49/100 on our EquitySight investment framework — a moderate rating. That score is driven by a population of 10,764, median household income of $79,820/year and median weekly rent of $500. Whether it fits your portfolio depends on whether you are targeting cash flow, capital growth, or a value-add renovation — all three are scored with suburb-specific numbers elsewhere on this page.

What drives property demand in Bowral?

The main demand drivers in Bowral are a median household income of $79,820/year, a dwelling mix that is 73% separate houses, roughly 3 schools and 4 parks within the catchment. Together these shape both owner-occupier and tenant demand and are the factors we weight most heavily in the suburb's investment score.

What is the population of Bowral?

Bowral has a usual resident population of approximately 10,764, compared with a New South Wales suburb median of 5,325 — placing it in the upper half of the state's suburbs by size. Population is the clearest proxy for market depth: more residents mean more transactions and typically a shorter average days-on-market on resale.

How far is Bowral from the Sydney CBD?

Bowral sits 99 km straight-line from the Sydney CBD. This is a regional market where CBD distance is only indicative — local industry diversity and commute alternatives matter more.

What is the median rent in Bowral?

The most recent census recorded a median weekly rent of $500 in Bowral, equating to approximately $26,000/year in gross rental income (state median $430/week). Market rents have typically drifted above the recorded figure — verify against current listings on realestate.com.au and Domain before making an offer.

What is the typical mortgage repayment in Bowral?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Bowral is $2,167, or approximately $26,004/year (vs $2,167/month state median). Stress-test your own borrowing at rates 1–2 percentage points above today's to make sure you can still service the loan through an RBA tightening cycle.

Is Bowral cash-flow positive for investors?

A median weekly rent of $500 works out to $2,167/month, covering 100% of the median mortgage repayment of $2,167/month. That means rent exceeds the median repayment by roughly $-0/month, so on these numbers Bowral leans cash-flow-positive before accounting for strata, council rates, insurance and maintenance. Actual cash flow depends on your deposit, loan terms, ownership costs and marginal tax rate — run the full numbers in our rental yield calculator.

What are the main risks of investing in Bowral?

The main risks are interest-rate sensitivity on the $2,167 median mortgage, below-median household incomes ($79,820 vs $97,552 state median), the broader New South Wales market cycle. Each of these is covered in the Risk Factors section above with suburb-specific numbers rather than generic warnings.

How we built this Bowral profile

Every number on this page comes from the ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing, Australia Post postcode reference data, and OpenStreetMap amenity tiles. The investment score, strategy verdicts, and comparison table are computed deterministically from those inputs — no opinion, no estimation. See our full methodology and the data sources and licences for the formulas we use.

Nearby Suburbs

New South Wales Property Resources