Carapook vs Nareen
Nareen is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 49 in Carapook. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Carapook, the large majority of households are couple families. In Nareen, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Carapook tends to suit couples, while Nareen suits people living alone and families with children.
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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Carapook is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 54%)
- Nareen carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 31/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Carapook
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (2% vs 23%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Nareen
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($85/wk vs $120/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Carapook
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (369.5 km vs 374.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Carapook has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 5%)
- Nareen carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 31/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Carapook
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-4.3% vs -15.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Carapook and Nareen drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Carapook has higher household incomes ($125,632 vs $84,500); Carapook rents higher ($120/wk vs $85/wk).
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 67 | 79 +18% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -4.3% | -15.1% |
| Median age | 49 | 41 |
| Median household income | $125,632/yr +33% vs other | $84,500/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $120/wk +29% vs other | $85/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.3%).
Zoning mix
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% same for both | |
| 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
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 43 across Southern Grampians same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +200% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 93% of VIC | Higher than 55% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 37% of VIC | Higher than 60% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 36% of VIC | Higher than 14% of VIC |
Liveability
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | very advantaged area decile 10/10 |
Risk profile
Nareen carries more bushfire risk (24 vs 0); Carapook carries more crime risk (31 vs 19).
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 24/100 |
| Crime | Low 31/100 | Low 19/100 |
| Flood | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 2 same for both | |
Mobility
Nareen sits further from the CBD (374.2 km vs 369.5 km).
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 369.5 km | 374.2 km +1% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 267 min | 265 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 3312 | 0.0% postcode 3315 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 28 postcode 3312 | 32 postcode 3315 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (54.3%).
Setting
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 225 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 267 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 28/100 | 17/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 22 premises | 0% 20 premises |
Council rates
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,892/yr same for both | |
| Council | Southern Grampians same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wannon same for both | |
| Member | Dan Tehan same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Carapook | Nareen | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Carapook
Other comparisons with Nareen
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.