Carlisle River vs Irrewillipe
Carlisle River is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 48 in Irrewillipe. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Irrewillipe, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Irrewillipe tends to suit couples.
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
Irrewillipe
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 49/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 49%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Carlisle River
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $229/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Irrewillipe
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (140 min vs 154 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (178.5 km vs 191.8 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Irrewillipe
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 49/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Carlisle River
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (24.4% vs -20.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Carlisle River and Irrewillipe 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
Carlisle River has more residents (168 vs 100); Irrewillipe has higher household incomes ($79,872 vs $53,872).
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 168 +40% vs other | 100 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +24.4% | -20.0% |
| Median age | 45 | 48 |
| Median household income | $53,872/yr | $79,872/yr +48% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $200/wk | $229/wk +14% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.6%).
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 (21.0%).
Zoning mix
Irrewillipe has more rural and farming land (68% vs 38%).
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 38% | 68% |
| Parks and recreation | 61% | 31% |
| 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
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 226 across Colac Otway same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +64% same for both | |
Ranking within VIC
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 12% of VIC | Higher than 47% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 8% of VIC | Higher than 28% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — | Higher than 4% of VIC |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 18% of VIC | Higher than 34% of VIC |
Liveability
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
Carlisle River carries more crime risk (49 vs 28).
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 84/100 | High 86/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 49/100 | Low 28/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 50/100 | Moderate 43/100 |
| 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
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Carlisle River
- Carlisle River Primary School Government · Primary
Schools in Irrewillipe
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 same for both | |
| Waterways | 4 | 1 |
Mobility
Carlisle River sits further from the CBD (191.8 km vs 178.5 km).
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 191.8 km +7% vs other | 178.5 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 154 min | 140 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 3239 | 0.1% postcode 3249 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 43 postcode 3239 | 39 postcode 3249 |
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 (63.5%).
Setting
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 77 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 132 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 21.7 km | 33.9 km |
NBN connectivity
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 21/100 | 28/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 54 premises | 0% 72 premises |
Climate
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 607 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,023/yr same for both | |
| Council | Colac Otway same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wannon same for both | |
| Member | Dan Tehan same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Carlisle River | Irrewillipe | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Carlisle River
Other comparisons with Irrewillipe
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.