Burnside vs Caroline Springs

Comparing Burnside and Caroline Springs, VIC: Caroline Springs has more residents (24,488 vs 5,800); Burnside carries more flood risk (47 vs 30); and Caroline Springs scores higher overall (49 vs 36).

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Caroline Springs

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (10 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (29 vs 4)
  • has more childcare (16 vs 4)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Burnside

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($603,000 vs $847,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Caroline Springs

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (23% vs 11%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Caroline Springs

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (83/100 vs 61/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Caroline Springs

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 2)
  • is more walkable (83/100 vs 61/100)
  • But Burnside has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 8%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Burnside

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.1% vs 1.2%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Burnside and Caroline Springs drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Burnside Caroline Springs
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Burnside Caroline Springs
Walkability 61 / 83
Burnside — Walkability: 61/100 Caroline Springs — Walkability: 83/100
Safety 35 / 44
Burnside — Safety: 35/100 Caroline Springs — Safety: 44/100
Low fire risk 5 / 9
Burnside — Low fire risk: 5/100 Caroline Springs — Low fire risk: 9/100
Low flood risk 53 / 70
Burnside — Low flood risk: 53/100 Caroline Springs — Low flood risk: 70/100

Demographics

Caroline Springs has more residents (24,488 vs 5,800); Caroline Springs has higher household incomes ($110,968 vs $97,292).

Burnside Caroline Springs
Population 5,800 24,488
+322% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +22.1% +1.2%
Median age 37 35
Median household income $97,292/yr $110,968/yr
+14% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Burnside Caroline Springs
0-4 6.0% / 6.1%
Burnside — 0-4: 6.0% Caroline Springs — 0-4: 6.1%
5-14 14.7% / 16.8%
Burnside — 5-14: 14.7% Caroline Springs — 5-14: 16.8%
15-19 7.2% / 8.3%
Burnside — 15-19: 7.2% Caroline Springs — 15-19: 8.3%
20-24 5.7% / 6.3%
Burnside — 20-24: 5.7% Caroline Springs — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 12.4% / 11.8%
Burnside — 25-34: 12.4% Caroline Springs — 25-34: 11.8%
35-44 14.6% / 16.7%
Burnside — 35-44: 14.6% Caroline Springs — 35-44: 16.7%
45-54 12.3% / 16.7%
Burnside — 45-54: 12.3% Caroline Springs — 45-54: 16.7%
55-64 11.2% / 8.8%
Burnside — 55-64: 11.2% Caroline Springs — 55-64: 8.8%
65-74 7.3% / 5.7%
Burnside — 65-74: 7.3% Caroline Springs — 65-74: 5.7%
75-84 5.1% / 2.2%
Burnside — 75-84: 5.1% Caroline Springs — 75-84: 2.2%
85+ 3.4% / 0.4%
Burnside — 85+: 3.4% Caroline Springs — 85+: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Burnside 63.2% couple families
Burnside — Couple Families: 63.2% Burnside — Lone Person: 21.5% Burnside — One Parent Families: 12.6% Burnside — Group Household: 1.4% Burnside — Other Families: 1.4%
Caroline Springs 62.1% couple families
Caroline Springs — Couple Families: 62.1% Caroline Springs — Lone Person: 17.4% Caroline Springs — One Parent Families: 16.9% Caroline Springs — Group Household: 2.3% Caroline Springs — Other Families: 1.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Burnside 10.8% renting
Burnside — Owned Outright: 31.0% Burnside — Mortgage: 58.3% Burnside — Renting: 10.8%
Caroline Springs 22.8% renting
Caroline Springs — Owned Outright: 23.9% Caroline Springs — Mortgage: 53.3% Caroline Springs — Renting: 22.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Burnside Caroline Springs
Bachelor Degree 12.3% / 14.9%
Burnside — Bachelor Degree: 12.3% Caroline Springs — Bachelor Degree: 14.9%
Certificate III & IV 10.6% / 10.0%
Burnside — Certificate III & IV: 10.6% Caroline Springs — Certificate III & IV: 10.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 7.9%
Burnside — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% Caroline Springs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 4.7%
Burnside — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Caroline Springs — Postgraduate Degree: 4.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 1.7%
Burnside — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Caroline Springs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.9%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Burnside Caroline Springs
India 5.0% / 6.2%
Burnside — India: 5.0% Caroline Springs — India: 6.2%
Philippines 6.2% / 4.8%
Burnside — Philippines: 6.2% Caroline Springs — Philippines: 4.8%
Vietnam 4.7% / 3.0%
Burnside — Vietnam: 4.7% Caroline Springs — Vietnam: 3.0%
Iraq 2.7% / 1.8%
Burnside — Iraq: 2.7% Caroline Springs — Iraq: 1.8%
New Zealand 1.2% / 2.0%
Burnside — New Zealand: 1.2% Caroline Springs — New Zealand: 2.0%
Sri Lanka 1.4% / 1.2%
Burnside — Sri Lanka: 1.4% Caroline Springs — Sri Lanka: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Burnside 85.3% houses
Burnside — Houses: 85.3% Burnside — Townhouses: 14.2% Burnside — Flats / Apartments: 0.5%
Caroline Springs 90.0% houses
Caroline Springs — Houses: 90.0% Caroline Springs — Townhouses: 7.4% Caroline Springs — Flats / Apartments: 2.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Burnside Caroline Springs
Median house price $790,000 $780,000
Median unit price — $460,000
Median land price $603,000 $847,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 27 days
from 83 sales
 26 days
from 252 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Burnside Caroline Springs
3 bed $735K / $720K
Burnside — 3 bed: $735K (43 sales) Caroline Springs — 3 bed: $720K (240 sales)

43 vs 240 sales

4 bed $848K / $895K
Burnside — 4 bed: $848K (76 sales) Caroline Springs — 4 bed: $895K (141 sales)

76 vs 141 sales

5 bed $1.05M / $1.05M
Burnside — 5 bed: $1.05M (17 sales) Caroline Springs — 5 bed: $1.05M (32 sales)

17 vs 32 sales

Zoning mix

Burnside Caroline Springs
Residential 84% 82%
Other and special use 0% 15%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 2%
Commercial 5% 0%
Parks and recreation 3% 0%
Industrial 2% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Burnside Caroline Springs
New dwellings approved 4,602
across Melton
same for both
Approvals change year on year +5%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Burnside Caroline Springs
Houses 3.5%
$610/wk on $910K
 3.6%
$550/wk on $790K
Units — 4.5%
$440/wk on $508K

Ranking within VIC

Burnside Caroline Springs
House price Higher than 56% of VIC Higher than 51% of VIC
Income Higher than 67% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 47% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 77% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 35% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 32% of VIC

Liveability

Caroline Springs scores higher overall (49 vs 36); Caroline Springs is more walkable (83 vs 61).

Burnside Caroline Springs
Grade C
same for both
Score 36/100 49/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Burnside carries more flood risk (47 vs 30).

Burnside Caroline Springs
Bushfire High
95/100
 High
91/100
Crime Moderate
65/100
 Moderate
56/100
Flood Moderate
47/100
 Low
30/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 11
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Burnside Caroline Springs
Inside the suburb 1 10
Rated above peers 1 2
Rated at peers 0 5
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Burnside

  • Burnside Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Caroline Springs

  • Christ the Priest Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • St George Preca School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Brookside P-9 College Government · Combined at peers
  • Catholic Regional College Caroline Springs Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • Creekside K-9 College Government · Combined at peers
  • Southern Cross Grammar Independent · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Burnside Caroline Springs
Supermarkets 1 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 18
Parks & reserves 4 29
Childcare 4 16
GPs 2 5
Pharmacies 1 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 5
Fuel stations 0 2
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 2 17

Mobility

Burnside Caroline Springs
Walkability score 61/100 83/100
Distance to Melbourne 28.3 km 30.1 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 32 min 33 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 86.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 333.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 3023
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 43
postcode 3023
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Burnside Caroline Springs
Car (driver) 68.0% / 62.3%
Burnside — Car (driver): 68.0% Caroline Springs — Car (driver): 62.3%
Worked from Home 21.9% / 28.3%
Burnside — Worked from Home: 21.9% Caroline Springs — Worked from Home: 28.3%
Car (passenger) 5.4% / 5.1%
Burnside — Car (passenger): 5.4% Caroline Springs — Car (passenger): 5.1%
Train 3.0% / 2.7%
Burnside — Train: 3.0% Caroline Springs — Train: 2.7%
Bus 1.3% / 0.7%
Burnside — Bus: 1.3% Caroline Springs — Bus: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.0%).

Setting

Burnside Caroline Springs
Elevation 76 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 83 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 14.9 km 17.0 km

NBN connectivity

Burnside Caroline Springs
Connectivity score 73/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 50%
1,585 premises
 51%
8,663 premises

Climate

Burnside Caroline Springs
Annual rainfall 518 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.0°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Burnside Caroline Springs
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 23.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Burnside Caroline Springs
Average residential rate $1,779/yr
same for both
Council Melton
same for both

Federal electorate

Burnside Caroline Springs
Division Gorton
same for both
Member Alice Jordan-Baird
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Burnside Caroline Springs
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Burnside

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks River

Caroline Springs

Family Multicultural Outer Parks River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Burnside

Burnside vs Deer Park Burnside vs Kings Park Burnside vs Burnside Heights Burnside vs Albanvale Burnside vs Ravenhall

Other comparisons with Caroline Springs

Caroline Springs vs Truganina Caroline Springs vs Hillside Caroline Springs vs Taylors Hill Caroline Springs vs Fraser Rise Caroline Springs vs Burnside Heights Caroline Springs vs Ravenhall
Full data on Burnside Full data on Caroline Springs
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or