Cow Bay Postcode

Queensland

CoastalRemote Bottom 20% SEIFA
4873
Postcode for Cow Bay, QLD
Phone area code: 07 · 1473 km from Brisbane · Pop. 220
220
Population
52
Median Age
$752
Household Income/wk
$200
Median Rent/wk
2/10
SEIFA Advantage
25.6
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 Cow Bay ranks: household income sits in the bottom 10% of QLD suburbs; SEIFA decile 2 places it in the bottom 20% of Australia for socio-economic advantage.

How Cow Bay Compares

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

MetricCow BayQLD avgAU avg
Household income/wk $752 -QLD $1,770 $1,836
Rent/wk $200 -QLD $380 $390
Mortgage/month $867 -QLD $1,774 $1,958
Median age 52 44.0 45.0
SEIFA decile 2/10 -QLD 4.0/10 6.0/10
Unemployment 13.4% +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.

Cow Bay is a remote community in Queensland, with postcode 4873. It lies roughly 1473 km from Brisbane, classified by the ABS as remote Australia. The area is administered by Douglas.

According to the 2021 Census, Cow Bay has a population of 220 with a median age of 52. The median weekly household income is $752, below the QLD average. The unemployment rate is 13.4%, higher than the QLD average. The Indigenous population is 6 (2.7% of residents).

Housing in Cow Bay includes a median weekly rent of $200, median monthly mortgage repayment of $867, with 100 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the QLD average. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 90.3% of housing.

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

Cow Bay is part of the Port Douglas - Daintree statistical area in Queensland.

Cow Bay Details

Postcode4873
StateQueensland (QLD)
Phone Area Code07
Population (2021)220
Median Age52 years
Median Household Income (Census 2021)$752/week
Median Personal Income (Census 2021)$478/week
Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021)$200
Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021)$867
Average Household Size1.7 persons
Area25.6 km²
Population Density9/km²
Total Dwellings100
Australian Citizens80.0%
Indigenous Population6 (2.7%)
Unemployment Rate13.4%
SEIFA IRSAD Decile2/10 (well below average)
Latitude-16.2319196
Longitude145.4562545
Distance from Brisbane1473 km
Region (SA4)Cairns
Area (SA3)Port Douglas - Daintree
Local GovernmentDouglas
Federal ElectorateLeichhardt

Age Profile

0–14 (6.4%) 15–24 (5.9%) 25–44 (19.5%) 45–64 (48.6%) 65+ (18.6%)
Show counts
0–14 years14 (6.4%)
15–24 years13 (5.9%)
25–44 years43 (19.5%)
45–64 years107 (48.6%)
65+ years41 (18.6%)

Housing Tenure

Owned outright (65.6%) Mortgaged (24.7%) Rented (9.7%)

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)

Arthritis24 (10.9%)
Diabetes7 (3.2%)
Heart Disease6 (2.7%)
Asthma5 (2.3%)
Lung Condition5 (2.3%)
Cancer4 (1.8%)

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

Motor Vehicles per Dwelling

No vehicle3 (3.2%)
1 vehicle50 (52.6%)
2 vehicles34 (35.8%)
3+ vehicles8 (8.4%)

Suburbs Near Cow Bay

Same Postcode (4873)

More Cow Bay 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.