Caroona vs Pine Ridge

Pine Ridge is the younger of the two, with a median age of 34 against 40 in Caroona. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Caroona, most households rent. In Pine Ridge, most households own their home and most households are couple families. On these figures, Caroona tends to suit renters, people living alone, and families with children, while Pine Ridge 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

Pine Ridge

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 91/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (82% vs 67%)

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

First-home buyers

Pine Ridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (19% vs 38%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Caroona

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (62% vs 38%)
  • has cheaper rent ($189/wk vs $210/wk)
  • But Pine Ridge leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 20%)

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

Commuting to the city

Pine Ridge

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (272 min vs 278 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (378.9 km vs 381.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Pine Ridge

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (0/100 vs 91/100)
  • is more walkable (12/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Caroona

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-3.0% vs -19.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Caroona Pine Ridge
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.

Caroona Pine Ridge
Walkability 0 / 12
Caroona — Walkability: 0/100 Pine Ridge — Walkability: 12/100
Safety 9 / 100
Caroona — Safety: 9/100 Pine Ridge — Safety: 100/100
Low fire risk 69 / 68
Caroona — Low fire risk: 69/100 Pine Ridge — Low fire risk: 68/100

Demographics

Caroona has more residents (196 vs 96); Pine Ridge has higher household incomes ($81,224 vs $48,516).

Caroona Pine Ridge
Population 196
+51% vs other
 96
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.0% -19.3%
Median age 40 34
Median household income $48,516/yr $81,224/yr
+67% vs other
Median weekly rent $189/wk $210/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Caroona Pine Ridge
0-4 10.2% / 8.3%
Caroona — 0-4: 10.2% Pine Ridge — 0-4: 8.3%
5-14 17.9% / 14.6%
Caroona — 5-14: 17.9% Pine Ridge — 5-14: 14.6%
15-19 5.6% / 8.3%
Caroona — 15-19: 5.6% Pine Ridge — 15-19: 8.3%
20-24 4.1% / 3.1%
Caroona — 20-24: 4.1% Pine Ridge — 20-24: 3.1%
25-34 8.7% / 16.7%
Caroona — 25-34: 8.7% Pine Ridge — 25-34: 16.7%
35-44 7.7% / 6.2%
Caroona — 35-44: 7.7% Pine Ridge — 35-44: 6.2%
45-54 17.9% / 20.8%
Caroona — 45-54: 17.9% Pine Ridge — 45-54: 20.8%
55-64 15.3% / 3.1%
Caroona — 55-64: 15.3% Pine Ridge — 55-64: 3.1%
65-74 9.2% / 7.3%
Caroona — 65-74: 9.2% Pine Ridge — 65-74: 7.3%
75-84 5.1% / 8.3%
Caroona — 75-84: 5.1% Pine Ridge — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ 2.0% / —
Caroona — 85+: 2.0% Pine Ridge — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Caroona 27.3% couple families
Caroona — Couple Families: 27.3% Caroona — One Parent Families: 40.0% Caroona — Lone Person: 32.7%
Pine Ridge 64.7% couple families
Pine Ridge — Couple Families: 64.7% Pine Ridge — One Parent Families: 17.6% Pine Ridge — Lone Person: 17.6%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Caroona 61.9% renting
Caroona — Owned Outright: 28.6% Caroona — Mortgage: 9.5% Caroona — Renting: 61.9%
Pine Ridge 37.5% renting
Pine Ridge — Owned Outright: 25.0% Pine Ridge — Mortgage: 37.5% Pine Ridge — Renting: 37.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Caroona 95.7% houses
Caroona — Houses: 95.7% Caroona — Flats / Apartments: 4.3%
Pine Ridge 100.0% houses
Pine Ridge — Houses: 100.0% Pine Ridge — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Caroona Pine Ridge
Certificate III & IV 9.2% / 9.4%
Caroona — Certificate III & IV: 9.2% Pine Ridge — Certificate III & IV: 9.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 6.2%
Caroona — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Pine Ridge — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Bachelor Degree 8.2% / 4.2%
Caroona — Bachelor Degree: 8.2% Pine Ridge — Bachelor Degree: 4.2%
Postgraduate Degree — / 3.1%
Caroona — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Pine Ridge — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.4%).

Property market

Caroona Pine Ridge
Median house price $515,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Caroona Pine Ridge
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

Caroona Pine Ridge
New dwellings approved 25
across Gunnedah
 12
across Liverpool Plains
Approvals change year on year -17% +33%

Ranking within NSW

Caroona Pine Ridge
House price Higher than 16% of NSW —
Income Higher than 10% of NSW Higher than 49% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 60% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 5% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW

Liveability

Pine Ridge is more walkable (12 vs 0).

Caroona Pine Ridge
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Caroona carries more crime risk (91 vs 0).

Caroona Pine Ridge
Bushfire Low
31/100
 Low
32/100
Crime High
91/100
 None
0/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Caroona Pine Ridge
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 Caroona

  • Walhallow Public School Government · Primary

Schools in Pine Ridge

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Caroona Pine Ridge
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Caroona sits further from the CBD (381.2 km vs 378.9 km).

Caroona Pine Ridge
Walkability score 0/100 12/100
Distance to Sydney 381.2 km 378.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 278 min 272 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 2343
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 2343
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.

Caroona Pine Ridge
Car (driver) 65.4% / 69.2%
Caroona — Car (driver): 65.4% Pine Ridge — Car (driver): 69.2%
Worked from Home 19.2% / 17.9%
Caroona — Worked from Home: 19.2% Pine Ridge — Worked from Home: 17.9%
Walked Only 15.4% / —
Caroona — Walked Only: 15.4% Pine Ridge — Walked Only: not among its largest
Car (passenger) — / 12.8%
Caroona — Car (passenger): not among its largest Pine Ridge — Car (passenger): 12.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.2%).

Setting

Caroona Pine Ridge
Elevation 336 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 322 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Caroona Pine Ridge
Connectivity score 24/100 26/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
70 premises
 0%
25 premises

Climate

Caroona Pine Ridge
Annual rainfall 650 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 32.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 2.6°C
same for both

Council rates

Caroona Pine Ridge
Average residential rate $1,093/yr $934/yr
Council Gunnedah Liverpool Plains

Federal electorate

Caroona Pine Ridge
Division Parkes New England
Member Jamie Chaffey Barnaby Joyce
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Caroona Pine Ridge
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Caroona

Affordable Family Rural Young Families

Pine Ridge

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Caroona

Caroona vs Quirindi Caroona vs Werris Creek Caroona vs Spring Ridge Caroona vs Breeza

Other comparisons with Pine Ridge

Pine Ridge vs Quirindi Pine Ridge vs Spring Ridge Pine Ridge vs Blackville Pine Ridge vs Warrah Ridge
Full data on Caroona Full data on Pine Ridge
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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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