# Cowal South

East Argyll and Bute. 5,049 people (mid-2024 estimate) in 885 square kilometres.

Cowal South had 5,104 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022).

Middle area. Code S02002669. In: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland) › [Argyll and Bute](https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute)

## Key figures

- **Population: 5,104** (2021). Cowal South had 5,104 usual residents at the census (Scotland's Census 2022). 1,975th least populated of 9,448. Source: Census 2021, England and Wales and Scotland's Census 2022 and Census 2021, Northern Ireland, 2021. Published 21 July 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/cowal-south#f-population
- **People in radon Affected Area squares: 31%** (2022). About 31% of people in Cowal South live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area. UK 44%. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UKHSA and BGS radon atlas and census output areas. Published 1 December 2022. https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/cowal-south#f-radon-affected-share
- **Gigabit broadband coverage: 4.4%** (January 2026). In Cowal South, 4.4% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026 (Ofcom). UK 87.8%. Source: Connected Nations (Ofcom), January 2026. Published 13 May 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/cowal-south#f-gigabit-coverage
- **Claimant rate: 2.1%** (August 2026). In Cowal South, 2.1% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026 (ONS via Nomis). UK 3.9%. Source: Claimant count (Nomis), August 2026. Published 15 September 2026. https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/cowal-south#f-claimant-rate

## On the map

- [Radon Affected Area by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/radon-affected-areas?place=S02002669) (Worked out by Open Index · 2022): About 31% of people in Cowal South live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
- [Average house price by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/house-prices?place=S02002669) (UK House Price Index · July 2026): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Argyll and Bute. The outline is Cowal South.
- [Crimes by council](https://openindex.co.uk/map/scotland-crime-count?place=S02002669) (Recorded crimes and offences in Scotland · 2025/26): Published for whole councils, so the map colours all of Argyll and Bute. The outline is Cowal South.
- [Population by middle area](https://openindex.co.uk/map/population?place=S02002669) (Census 2021, England and Wales): Cowal South had 5,104 usual residents at the census.

## Recorded crime in Cowal South


Scotland publishes recorded crime by council. It has its own layers.

## How Cowal South compares

Each middle area against every other middle area the measure covers.

| Measure | Cowal South | Rank | Compared with |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 5,104 | 2nd most populated | 23 middle areas, Argyll and Bute · 2021 |
| People in radon Affected Area squares | 31% | 12th most people in radon Affected Areas | 23 middle areas, Argyll and Bute · 2022 |
| Gigabit broadband coverage | 4.4% | 8th lowest | 23 middle areas, Argyll and Bute · Jan 2026 |
| Claimant rate | 2.1% | 11th highest | 23 middle areas, Argyll and Bute · Aug 2026 |

## What is the population of Cowal South?

Cowal South had 5,104 usual residents at the census.
Cowal South is the 1,975th least populated of 9,448 in the UK.

## Figures for the whole of Argyll and Bute

These figures are published for the whole of Argyll and Bute, not for each middle area, so they describe all of Argyll and Bute and not Cowal South alone. [See Argyll and Bute](https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute)

- **Average house price: £189,366** (July 2026). Argyll and Bute’s average house price was £189,366 in July 2026 (HM Land Registry). Up 3.1% in a year. Source: UK House Price Index, July 2026. Published 16 September 2026.
- **Median full-time pay: £39,010** (2025). Full-time workers living in Argyll and Bute earned a median of £39,010 in 2025 (ONS earnings survey). 161st highest paid of 348. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025. Published 23 October 2025.
- **House price to pay: 4.9×** (2025). A home in Argyll and Bute costs 4.9 times local full-time pay. Joint 39th most affordable of 348. Source: Worked out by Open Index from the UK House Price Index and the ONS earnings survey. Published 16 September 2026.
- **Population estimate: 87,310** (2025). Argyll and Bute’s population was an estimated 87,310 in mid-2025 (ONS population estimates). Down 0.5% in a year. Source: Mid-year population estimates, 2025. Published 1 October 2026.

## Cowal South in brief

Cowal South had 5,104 usual residents at the census.
About 31% of people in Cowal South live in a 1 km square that the radon atlas marks as a radon Affected Area.
In Cowal South, 4.4% of homes and businesses could get gigabit-capable broadband in January 2026.
In Cowal South, 2.1% of residents aged 16 to 64 were claiming out-of-work benefits in August 2026.

## About

- Type: Middle area
- Code: S02002669
- Ward: [Cowal †](https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/ward/cowal)
- Constituency: [Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber †](https://openindex.co.uk/constituency/argyll-bute-and-south-lochaber)
- Council: [Argyll and Bute](https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute)
- Nation: [Scotland](https://openindex.co.uk/scotland)
- Area: 885 km²
- People, mid-2024: 5,049*
- Neighbourhoods: 7
- Output areas: 46

* People: worked out by Open Index by adding up the neighbourhood estimates inside this area.
† Best fit: the ward and constituency this middle area mostly lies in. Its edges do not follow theirs.

## Next door

[Lomond Shore](https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/lomond-shore), [Mid Argyll](https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/mid-argyll), [Hunter's Quay](https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/hunters-quay), [Highland](https://openindex.co.uk/stirling/highland), [Dunoon](https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/dunoon), [Loch Awe](https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/loch-awe)

## Latest updates for Cowal South

- Schools updated: Ofsted · Oct 2026.
- GP practices updated: NHS England · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Department for Education · Oct 2026.
- Schools updated: Department for Education · Oct 2026.

The same figures as JSON: https://openindex.co.uk/v1/places/S02002669

## How to cite

Source: Open Index, openindex.co.uk. Link to this page, https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/cowal-south, or to one figure with its anchor, https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/cowal-south#f-population.

Open Index's own text and the figures it works out are licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Source data keeps its publishers' licences, named with each figure. Give each figure's period and source with it.

Snapshot 2026.10.8, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23508850. The HTML page: https://openindex.co.uk/argyll-and-bute/cowal-south