Carlisle River vs Simpson

Simpson is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 45 in Carlisle River. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Simpson, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Carlisle River tends to suit people living alone and share households, while Simpson suits 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

Simpson

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 49/100)

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 $228/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Carlisle River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (191.8 km vs 200.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Simpson

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 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 2.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Carlisle River Simpson
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.

Carlisle River Simpson
Walkability 0 / 0
Carlisle River — Walkability: 0/100 Simpson — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 51 / 73
Carlisle River — Safety: 51/100 Simpson — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 16 / 17
Carlisle River — Low fire risk: 16/100 Simpson — Low fire risk: 17/100
Low flood risk 50 / 84
Carlisle River — Low flood risk: 50/100 Simpson — Low flood risk: 84/100

Demographics

Simpson has more residents (583 vs 168); Simpson has higher household incomes ($81,432 vs $53,872).

Carlisle River Simpson
Population 168 583
+247% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +24.4% +2.5%
Median age 45 39
Median household income $53,872/yr $81,432/yr
+51% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk $228/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Carlisle River Simpson
0-4 3.6% / 7.2%
Carlisle River — 0-4: 3.6% Simpson — 0-4: 7.2%
5-14 13.7% / 12.2%
Carlisle River — 5-14: 13.7% Simpson — 5-14: 12.2%
15-19 8.3% / 8.1%
Carlisle River — 15-19: 8.3% Simpson — 15-19: 8.1%
20-24 5.4% / 6.0%
Carlisle River — 20-24: 5.4% Simpson — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 10.7% / 11.5%
Carlisle River — 25-34: 10.7% Simpson — 25-34: 11.5%
35-44 12.5% / 11.8%
Carlisle River — 35-44: 12.5% Simpson — 35-44: 11.8%
45-54 13.7% / 14.2%
Carlisle River — 45-54: 13.7% Simpson — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 19.6% / 13.2%
Carlisle River — 55-64: 19.6% Simpson — 55-64: 13.2%
65-74 13.7% / 8.1%
Carlisle River — 65-74: 13.7% Simpson — 65-74: 8.1%
75-84 3.6% / 5.7%
Carlisle River — 75-84: 3.6% Simpson — 75-84: 5.7%
85+ — / 1.4%
Carlisle River — 85+: not among its largest Simpson — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Carlisle River 41.0% couple families
Carlisle River — Couple Families: 41.0% Carlisle River — Lone Person: 38.5% Carlisle River — One Parent Families: 7.7% Carlisle River — Group Household: 12.8%
Simpson 51.4% couple families
Simpson — Couple Families: 51.4% Simpson — Lone Person: 27.5% Simpson — One Parent Families: 14.5% Simpson — Group Household: 6.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Carlisle River 22.6% renting
Carlisle River — Owned Outright: 46.8% Carlisle River — Mortgage: 30.6% Carlisle River — Renting: 22.6%
Simpson 16.2% renting
Simpson — Owned Outright: 45.3% Simpson — Mortgage: 38.5% Simpson — Renting: 16.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Carlisle River Simpson
Certificate III & IV 14.9% / 18.9%
Carlisle River — Certificate III & IV: 14.9% Simpson — Certificate III & IV: 18.9%
Bachelor Degree 10.7% / 4.5%
Carlisle River — Bachelor Degree: 10.7% Simpson — Bachelor Degree: 4.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / 5.0%
Carlisle River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Simpson — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.0%
Postgraduate Degree 2.4% / 0.5%
Carlisle River — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4% Simpson — Postgraduate Degree: 0.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.7%
Carlisle River — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Simpson — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

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.

Carlisle River Simpson
England 5.4% / 0.5%
Carlisle River — England: 5.4% Simpson — England: 0.5%
Philippines 3.0% / 0.7%
Carlisle River — Philippines: 3.0% Simpson — Philippines: 0.7%
New Zealand — / 3.6%
Carlisle River — New Zealand: not among its largest Simpson — New Zealand: 3.6%
Netherlands — / 1.4%
Carlisle River — Netherlands: not among its largest Simpson — Netherlands: 1.4%
Scotland — / 1.0%
Carlisle River — Scotland: not among its largest Simpson — Scotland: 1.0%
Thailand — / 0.7%
Carlisle River — Thailand: not among its largest Simpson — Thailand: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Carlisle River 100.0% houses
Carlisle River — Houses: 100.0%
Simpson 100.5% houses
Simpson — Houses: 100.5%
Houses

Property market

Carlisle River Simpson
Median house price — $290,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Simpson has more rural and farming land (87% vs 38%).

Carlisle River Simpson
Rural and farming 38% 87%
Parks and recreation 61% 12%
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 Simpson
New dwellings approved 226
across Colac Otway
 60
across Corangamite
Approvals change year on year +64% +117%

Ranking within VIC

Carlisle River Simpson
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 12% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 8% of VIC Higher than 22% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption — Higher than 15% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 18% of VIC Higher than 41% of VIC

Liveability

Carlisle River Simpson
Grade — C
Score — 36/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Carlisle River carries more flood risk (50 vs 16); Carlisle River carries more crime risk (49 vs 27).

Carlisle River Simpson
Bushfire High
84/100
 High
83/100
Crime Moderate
49/100
 Low
27/100
Flood Moderate
50/100
 Low
16/100
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 Simpson
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
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 Simpson

  • Simpson Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Carlisle River Simpson
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 5
Childcare 0 1
GPs 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 4 2

Mobility

Simpson sits further from the CBD (200.4 km vs 191.8 km).

Carlisle River Simpson
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 191.8 km 200.4 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 154 min 155 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3239
 0.2%
postcode 3266
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 43
postcode 3239
 37
postcode 3266

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.

Carlisle River Simpson
Car (driver) 50.0% / 52.6%
Carlisle River — Car (driver): 50.0% Simpson — Car (driver): 52.6%
Worked from Home 27.6% / 27.4%
Carlisle River — Worked from Home: 27.6% Simpson — Worked from Home: 27.4%
Walked Only 13.8% / 15.9%
Carlisle River — Walked Only: 13.8% Simpson — Walked Only: 15.9%
Car (passenger) 8.6% / 4.1%
Carlisle River — Car (passenger): 8.6% Simpson — Car (passenger): 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (52.6%).

Setting

Carlisle River Simpson
Elevation 77 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 163 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 21.7 km 22 km

NBN connectivity

Carlisle River Simpson
Connectivity score 21/100 29/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
54 premises
 0%
258 premises

Climate

Carlisle River Simpson
Annual rainfall 607 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Carlisle River Simpson
Average residential rate $2,023/yr $2,335/yr
Council Colac Otway Corangamite

Federal electorate

Carlisle River Simpson
Division Wannon
same for both
Member Dan Tehan
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Carlisle River Simpson
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Carlisle River

Rural

Simpson

Affordable Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Carlisle River

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Other comparisons with Simpson

Simpson vs Cooriemungle Simpson vs Scotts Creek Simpson vs Jancourt East Simpson vs Irrewillipe Simpson vs Bungador
Full data on Carlisle River Full data on Simpson
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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.

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