Bowen Postcode

Queensland

Remote Bottom 20% SEIFA
4805
Postcode for Bowen, QLD
Phone area code: 07 · 961 km from Brisbane · Pop. 11,205
11,205
Population
42
Median Age
$1,343
Household Income/wk
$270
Median Rent/wk
2/10
SEIFA Advantage
1796.3
Area (km²)

Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.

Where Bowen ranks: SEIFA decile 2 places it in the bottom 20% of Australia for socio-economic advantage.

How Bowen Compares

Bowen vs the QLD average and the national average (2021 Census, population-weighted).

MetricBowenQLD avgAU avg
Household income/wk $1,343 -QLD $1,770 $1,836
Rent/wk $270 -QLD $380 $390
Mortgage/month $1,500 -QLD $1,774 $1,958
Median age 42 44.0 45.0
SEIFA decile 2/10 -QLD 4.0/10 6.0/10
Unemployment 4.8% -QLD 6.0% 5.0%

Green pill = at least 10% above the QLD average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.

Bowen is a remote community in Queensland, with postcode 4805. It lies roughly 961 km from Brisbane, classified by the ABS as remote Australia. The area is administered by Whitsunday.

According to the 2021 Census, Bowen has a population of 11,205 with a median age of 42. The median weekly household income is $1,343, below the QLD average. The unemployment rate is 4.8%, lower than the QLD average. The Indigenous population is 1,188 (10.6% of residents).

Housing in Bowen includes a median weekly rent of $270, median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,500, with 4,046 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the QLD average. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 60.7% of housing.

On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Bowen scores in decile 2 out of 10, which is well below the national average.

There are 5 schools in the Bowen area, including Bowen State High School, Bowen State School, Queens Beach State School and others.

Bowen is part of the Bowen Basin - North statistical area in Queensland.

Bowen Details

Postcode4805
StateQueensland (QLD)
Phone Area Code07
Population (2021)11,205
Median Age42 years
Median Household Income (Census 2021)$1,343/week
Median Personal Income (Census 2021)$710/week
Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021)$270
Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021)$1,500
Average Household Size2.4 persons
Area1796.3 km²
Population Density6/km²
Total Dwellings4,046
Australian Citizens82.3%
Indigenous Population1,188 (10.6%)
Unemployment Rate4.8%
SEIFA IRSAD Decile2/10 (well below average)
Latitude-20.0121024
Longitude148.246279
Distance from Brisbane961 km
Region (SA4)Mackay - Isaac - Whitsunday
Area (SA3)Bowen Basin - North
Local GovernmentWhitsunday
Federal ElectorateDawson

Age Profile

0–14 (18.2%) 15–24 (10.1%) 25–44 (24.3%) 45–64 (27.1%) 65+ (20.4%)
Show counts
0–14 years2,041 (18.2%)
15–24 years1,129 (10.1%)
25–44 years2,727 (24.3%)
45–64 years3,033 (27.1%)
65+ years2,284 (20.4%)

Housing Tenure

Owned outright (34.7%) Mortgaged (26.1%) Rented (39.3%)

SEIFA Socio-economic Index

Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD), decile 2 of 10. Higher deciles indicate more advantage.

Health Conditions (2021 Census)

Arthritis1,151 (10.3%)
Asthma908 (8.1%)
Diabetes588 (5.2%)
Heart Disease519 (4.6%)
Cancer364 (3.2%)
Lung Condition284 (2.5%)
Dementia104 (0.9%)

Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.

Motor Vehicles per Dwelling

No vehicle239 (6.0%)
1 vehicle1,393 (35.2%)
2 vehicles1,528 (38.6%)
3+ vehicles796 (20.1%)

Schools in Bowen

Bowen State High School
Secondary · Gov · ICSEA 919 · 679 students
Bowen State School
Primary · Gov · ICSEA 927 · 508 students
Queens Beach State School
Primary · Gov · ICSEA 928 · 302 students
St Mary's Catholic School
Primary · Cat · ICSEA 967 · 146 students
Merinda State School
Primary · Gov · ICSEA 881 · 41 students

Suburbs Near Bowen

Same Postcode (4805)

More Bowen Data

Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.