Cowra vs Parkes
Property investment comparison - Cowra, NSW 2794 vs Parkes, NSW 2870
Head-to-head across core investment metrics: Cowra wins 2, Parkes wins 1. The better choice depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow, growth, affordability, or liquidity, the table below highlights the winner on each metric.
| Metric | Cowra | Parkes |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $480K | $480K |
| Median unit price | $275K | - |
| Gross rental yield (houses) | 4.33% | 4.80% |
| Gross rental yield (units) | 4.70% | - |
| 1-year house growth | +7.7%estimate | +7.0% |
| 3-year house growth | - | -2.8% |
| Vacancy rate | 1.6% | 2.7% |
| Population | 10,145 | 11,324 |
Cowra vs Parkes: what the numbers say
Houses cost about the same in both suburbs: the median house price is $480K in Cowra and $480K in Parkes.
On cash flow, Parkes leads: houses there return a gross rental yield of 4.80%, compared with 4.33% in Cowra, a gap of 0.47 percentage points.
Over the past year house prices moved +7.7% in Cowra (an estimate) and +7.0% in Parkes, so recent momentum favours Cowra, although both suburbs recorded growth.
Rental vacancy is 1.6% in Cowra and 2.7% in Parkes, so landlords in Cowra face less competition for tenants. Anything under 2% is generally read as a tight market where tenants compete for homes.
Parkes is the bigger suburb, with a population of 11,324 against 10,145, larger than Cowra; a larger suburb usually means a deeper pool of buyers and tenants.
In short: Parkes for rental income, Cowra for recent price momentum, Cowra for the tighter rental market. Which matters more depends on whether the investor is buying for cash flow, capital growth or affordability.
Keep exploring
- National investment guide - top suburbs across every metric
- Take the suburb finder quiz - 5 questions to match your goals
- How our investment score works
- Property investment glossary - every term defined
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