Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan is well-off — but expensive to rent
Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan 2080 · Hornsby, Greater Sydney, NSW
Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan is among the more advantaged parts of Australia (SEIFA decile 9 of 10); a train station within walking distance (Cowan, about 1,100 m). The trade-offs: renting is expensive, a median of $780 a week (DCJ, 2026-Q1); the population is barely moving.
Mostly free-standing houses, with a median age of 42 and households on a median $2,497 a week at the 2021 Census.
Compiled from ABS regional population (SA2), the 2021 Census, SEIFA 2021, NSW DCJ median rents, NSW DCJ median sale prices, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research reported offences, OpenStreetMap and ACARA Schools NSW / NSW Dept of Education · figures current to September 2026.
What it costs to buy
NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report · 2025-Q4Median sale price from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice's recorded property sales. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
Too few properties sold in Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan's postcode this quarter to report its own median, so the Greater Sydney median is shown instead.
Too few properties sold in Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan's postcode this quarter to report its own median, so the Greater Sydney median of $1,200,000 is shown instead.
This is the median price of properties recorded as sold this quarter — settlement can lag a purchase decision by weeks, so the most recent quarter can revise slightly as more sales are recorded.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median price | Year on year | Greater Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-Q4 | $1,200,000 | — | $1,200,000 |
Sale price data © NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Rent and Sales Report, December 2025 release. Figures are the median for properties sold in the quarter. DCJ suppresses a median where too few properties sold.
What it costs to rent
NSW DCJ Rent and Sales Report · 2026-Q1Median weekly rent for new tenancies, from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice's bond lodgements. Compare year-on-year — quarter-to-quarter moves are mostly seasonal noise.
Too few new bonds were lodged in Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan's postcode this quarter to report its own median, so the Greater Sydney median is shown instead.
Too few new bonds were lodged in Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan's postcode this quarter to report its own median, so the Greater Sydney median of $780 is shown instead.
This is the median rent on new leases signed this quarter, not what existing tenants pay. It usually runs higher than the Census figure.
Show every quarter, with the year-on-year change
| Quarter | Median rent | Year on year | Greater Sydney |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-Q1 | $780 | — | $930 |
Rent data © NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Rent and Sales Report, March 2026 release. Figures are the median for new bonds lodged in the quarter, not all tenancies. DCJ suppresses a median where too few bonds were lodged.
Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan on the map
The Australian Bureau of Statistics Statistical Area 2 outline for Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan, NSW.
Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Boundary: ABS SA2 (ASGS 2021), simplified — an SA2 can differ from the gazetted suburb, and detached parts such as islands may not all be shown.
How the population has changed
Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan against the New South Wales average, both set to 100 in the first year shown so the growth rates compare.
Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan population grew from 12,011 in 2016 to 11,761 in 2025, a change of -2.1% over the period, against the New South Wales average.
Show the data table
| Year | Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan | New South Wales average |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 12,011 | 7,732,858 |
| 2017 | 12,044 | 7,855,316 |
| 2018 | 12,048 | 7,954,476 |
| 2019 | 12,025 | 8,046,748 |
| 2020 | 11,985 | 8,110,610 |
| 2021 | 11,795 | 8,097,062 |
| 2022 | 11,774 | 8,182,098 |
| 2023 | 11,783 | 8,356,387 |
| 2024 | 11,742 | 8,492,050 |
| 2025 | 11,761 | 8,592,524 |
Where the growth is coming from
Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan gained 608 residents from internal migration and 123 from overseas in the year to June 2025, while 772 people moved away — a net addition of -41 before natural increase.
- Internal migration in+608
- Internal migration out+714
- Overseas migration in+123
- Natural increase+60
Components of population change over the sample year. Natural increase is shown apart from migration so the two are not read as one figure.
How it has changed
Census · five-yearlyThe 2016 Census against 2021. Older figures are mapped onto today's boundaries via the ABS Time Series Profile, so comparisons are approximate where borders moved.
| Measure | 2016 | 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 11,699 | 11,790 | +0.8% |
| Median age | 40 | 42 | +2 yrs |
| Median household income | $2,153/wk | $2,497/wk | +16% |
| Median weekly rent | $550/wk | $560/wk | +1.8% |
| Born overseas | 22.1% | 23.7% | +1.6 pts |
Who lives here
Census · five-yearlyFrom the 2021 Census — the most recent available; 2026 Census data isn't expected until mid-2027. Each figure carries its definition, so you know what is being counted.
People
Income
Housing
Work
Household
Country of birth
Language at home
How homes are held
- Owned outright 39.6%
- Mortgaged 47.1%
- Rented 12.2%
- Other / not stated 1.1%
How well-off the area is
Census · five-yearlyThe ABS SEIFA indexes rank every area by relative advantage and disadvantage. Decile 1 is the lowest tenth of Australia; decile 10 is the highest.
- Relative disadvantage (IRSD)Lower decile means more relative disadvantageDecile 10score 1,100
- Advantage & disadvantage (IRSAD)Higher decile means more relative advantageDecile 9score 1,107
- Economic resources (IER)Income and housing capacityDecile 10score 1,113
- Education & occupation (IEO)Education and occupational skill levelsDecile 9score 1,086
Safety context
NSW BOCSAR · June 2026How much crime is reported in Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan, from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR).
Most-reported offences · Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan, last 12 months
- Malicious damage to property357 /100k+25% vs Greater Sydney↑ 45%
- Theft247 /100k+541% vs Greater Sydney↑ 53%
- Assault204 /100k+287% vs Greater Sydney↑ 200%
- Intimidation, stalking and harassment153 /100k−51% vs Greater Sydney↑ 50%
- Drug offences77 /100k+367% vs Greater Sydney↓ 10%
- Robbery9 /100k+199% vs Greater Sydney↓ 0%
Rate per 100,000 people in Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan; the arrow compares the last 12 months with the 12 before.
Of these categories, malicious damage to property is reported most in Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan over the last 12 months, running 25% above the Greater Sydney rate and up on the year before.
Show the data table
| Offence category | Suburb | Greater Sydney | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malicious damage to property | 357 per 100k | 287 per 100k | ↑ 45% vs prior year |
| Theft | 247 per 100k | 38 per 100k | ↑ 53% vs prior year |
| Assault | 204 per 100k | 53 per 100k | ↑ 200% vs prior year |
| Intimidation, stalking and harassment | 153 per 100k | 312 per 100k | ↑ 50% vs prior year |
| Drug offences | 77 per 100k | 16 per 100k | ↓ 10% vs prior year |
| Robbery | 9 per 100k | 3 per 100k | ↑ 0% vs prior year |
Crime statistics © State of New South Wales (NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research), used under CC BY 4.0, updated June 2026. Matched to this suburb from BOCSAR’s own locality-level data — see the safest/highest-crime rankings’ methodology for the locality-to-suburb matching used. Monthly counts are volatile — the 12-month figures above smooth that noise.
Getting around, and what's nearby
OpenStreetMap · quarterlyWhat OpenStreetMap records inside the suburb boundary. Counts reflect what is tagged in OSM and can undercount a real but less-mapped area. The park count here is OpenStreetMap green space of any kind, including privately held land — it is a different measure from the council parks below.
Within the Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan SA2, OpenStreetMap records 6 schools, 5 childcare and kindergarten centres, 4 GP or clinic locations, 1 supermarket and 13 green spaces. For families: 1 library and 10 playgrounds. Eating out and socialising: 6 cafés, 8 restaurants and 3 pubs and bars. Staying active: 28 sports fields. Also 2 shopping centres. The nearest train station, Cowan, is about 1,100 m from the suburb centre. OpenStreetMap also maps 76 bus stops here.
List every mapped place
Schools
- Cowan Public School
- Wideview Public School
- St Bernard's Primary School
- Berowra Public School
- Berowra Christian School
- Brooklyn Public School
Childcare & kindergartens
- KU Berowra Preschool
- Jack & Jill Kindergarden
- Goodstart Early Learning
- Berowra Cottage Children's Centre
- Hawkesbury River Child Care
Libraries
- Berowra Branch Library
Shopping centres
- Berowra Village Shopping Centre
- Berowra Marketplace
GPs & clinics
- Berowra Family Medical Practice
- Berowra Child and Family Health Centre
- Brooklyn Community Health Centre
Supermarkets
- Coles
Green spaces
- Cowan Park
- Richards Close Reserve
- Warrina Street Oval
- Hornsby Shire Council Rest Park
- Crossroads Reserve
- Berowra Park
- Saltpan Reserve
- Brooklyn Park
Train stations
- Cowan
- Berowra
- Hawkesbury River
Schools
Every open NSW school whose campus sits inside the SA2 boundary, with the average ICSEA across them. Open a school for its own ICSEA, student background and a link to My School.
The Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan SA2 contains 6 schools, of which 4 are government and 2 non-government. Its schools with a published ICSEA average 1097 (1000 is the national average); each school's own figure and student background are on its page. NAPLAN results for each school are on its My School profile (ACARA). For area context, Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan sits in decile 9 of the ABS SEIFA index of education and occupation nationally and 71% of adults here completed Year 12 (Census 2021).
The centre of this SA2 is zoned for Cowan Public School (primary), Asquith Girls High School (secondary).
Parts of this SA2 also fall in the catchment of Brooklyn Public School (primary), Arcadia Public School (primary), Mount Kuring-gai Public School (primary), Galston High School (secondary).
Catchments can divide a suburb — confirm your address on EdMap.
Want another suburb? Search the catchment finder.
Show school list
- Berowra Christian School · Non-Government
- Berowra Public School · State
- Brooklyn Public School · State
- Cowan Public School · State
- St Bernard's Catholic Primary School · Non-Government
- Wideview Public School · State
School list: NSW Government open data — ACARA Schools NSW, via the NSW data portal, CC BY 4.0. Catchments: NSW Department of Education “School intake zones” dataset, CC BY 4.0. ICSEA: ACARA School Profile. NAPLAN: myschool.edu.au (ACARA).
Nearby, in Hornsby
Others in the same ABS district, by population growth. If this one doesn't fit, one of these might.
- HereBerowra - Brooklyn - Cowan+0.2%
- 01Hornsby - East+1.1%
- 02Asquith - Mount Colah+1.0%
- 03Hornsby - West+0.3%
- 04Normanhurst - Thornleigh - Westleigh+0.2%
- 05Wahroonga (West) - Waitara+0.2%
Dots place each suburb's growth on the same scale, slowest at left.
Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan: common questions
Is Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan a good place to live?
How much does it cost to rent in Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan?
Is Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan a safe suburb?
What schools are in Berowra - Brooklyn - Cowan?
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