Cowan is a census-designated place (CDP) in Stanislaus County, California.

[2] The 2010 United States census reported Cowan's population was 318.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 0.2 square miles (0.4 km2), all of it land.

13 households (13.8%) were made up of individuals, and 8 (8.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 102 housing units at an average density of 652.2 per square mile (251.8/km2), of which 74 (78.7%) were owner-occupied, and 20 (21.3%) were occupied by renters.