Caroona vs Quirindi

Caroona is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 46 in Quirindi. In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Caroona, most households rent. In Quirindi, most households own their home. Houses cost more in Caroona: a median of $515,000, against $455,000 in Quirindi, though rent is higher in Quirindi. On these figures, Caroona tends to suit renters and families with children, while Quirindi suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Quirindi

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (11 vs 0)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (3 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • But Caroona is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 50%)

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

First-home buyers

Quirindi

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 38%)
  • has cheaper houses ($455,000 vs $515,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Caroona

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (62% vs 29%)
  • has cheaper rent ($189/wk vs $250/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Quirindi

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (258 min vs 278 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (354.7 km vs 381.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Quirindi

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 16%)
  • carries lower crime risk (78/100 vs 91/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Caroona and Quirindi 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 Quirindi
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 Quirindi
Walkability 0 / 0
Caroona — Walkability: 0/100 Quirindi — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 9 / 22
Caroona — Safety: 9/100 Quirindi — Safety: 22/100
Low fire risk 69 / 74
Caroona — Low fire risk: 69/100 Quirindi — Low fire risk: 74/100

Demographics

Quirindi has more residents (3,355 vs 196); Quirindi rents higher ($250/wk vs $189/wk).

Caroona Quirindi
Population 196 3,355
+1612% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.0% -2.6%
Median age 40 46
Median household income $48,516/yr $62,296/yr
+28% vs other
Median weekly rent $189/wk $250/wk
+32% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Caroona Quirindi
0-4 10.2% / 5.2%
Caroona — 0-4: 10.2% Quirindi — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 17.9% / 13.0%
Caroona — 5-14: 17.9% Quirindi — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 5.6% / 5.7%
Caroona — 15-19: 5.6% Quirindi — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 4.1% / 4.4%
Caroona — 20-24: 4.1% Quirindi — 20-24: 4.4%
25-34 8.7% / 8.8%
Caroona — 25-34: 8.7% Quirindi — 25-34: 8.8%
35-44 7.7% / 10.8%
Caroona — 35-44: 7.7% Quirindi — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 17.9% / 12.4%
Caroona — 45-54: 17.9% Quirindi — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 15.3% / 13.5%
Caroona — 55-64: 15.3% Quirindi — 55-64: 13.5%
65-74 9.2% / 13.8%
Caroona — 65-74: 9.2% Quirindi — 65-74: 13.8%
75-84 5.1% / 8.7%
Caroona — 75-84: 5.1% Quirindi — 75-84: 8.7%
85+ 2.0% / 3.6%
Caroona — 85+: 2.0% Quirindi — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Caroona 32.7% lone person
Caroona — Lone Person: 32.7% Caroona — Couple Families: 27.3% Caroona — One Parent Families: 40.0% Caroona — Group Household: 0.0% Caroona — Other Families: 0.0%
Quirindi 44.7% lone person
Quirindi — Lone Person: 44.7% Quirindi — Couple Families: 32.8% Quirindi — One Parent Families: 17.6% Quirindi — Group Household: 3.6% Quirindi — Other Families: 1.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

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%
Quirindi 29.4% renting
Quirindi — Owned Outright: 43.1% Quirindi — Mortgage: 27.5% Quirindi — Renting: 29.4%
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% Caroona — Townhouses: 0.0%
Quirindi 93.2% houses
Quirindi — Houses: 93.2% Quirindi — Flats / Apartments: 2.7% Quirindi — Townhouses: 4.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Caroona Quirindi
Certificate III & IV 9.2% / 16.5%
Caroona — Certificate III & IV: 9.2% Quirindi — Certificate III & IV: 16.5%
Bachelor Degree 8.2% / 6.5%
Caroona — Bachelor Degree: 8.2% Quirindi — Bachelor Degree: 6.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 5.1%
Caroona — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Quirindi — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.1%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.0%
Caroona — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Quirindi — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.8%
Caroona — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Quirindi — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.5%).

Property market

Caroona Quirindi
Median house price $515,000 $455,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $122,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 43 days
from 47 sales

Zoning mix

Caroona Quirindi
Rural and farming 100% 94%
Residential 0% 5%
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 Quirindi
New dwellings approved 25
across Gunnedah
 12
across Liverpool Plains
Approvals change year on year -17% +33%

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.

Caroona Quirindi
Houses — 4.3%
$450/wk on $550K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Caroona Quirindi
House price Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 11% of NSW
Income Higher than 10% of NSW Higher than 24% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 96% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 4% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 60% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 5% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 67% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 84% of NSW

Liveability

Caroona Quirindi
Grade — C
Score — 40/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Caroona carries more crime risk (91 vs 78).

Caroona Quirindi
Bushfire Low
31/100
 Low
26/100
Crime High
91/100
 High
78/100
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 Quirindi
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0 3
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Caroona

  • Walhallow Public School Government · Primary

Schools in Quirindi

  • Quirindi High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Quirindi Public School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Caroona Quirindi
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 1 4
Parks & reserves 0 11
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 4
Fuel stations 2 3
Waterways 0 4

Mobility

Caroona sits further from the CBD (381.2 km vs 354.7 km).

Caroona Quirindi
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 381.2 km
+7% vs other
 354.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 278 min 258 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 Quirindi
Car (driver) 65.4% / 76.2%
Caroona — Car (driver): 65.4% Quirindi — Car (driver): 76.2%
Worked from Home 19.2% / 12.2%
Caroona — Worked from Home: 19.2% Quirindi — Worked from Home: 12.2%
Walked Only 15.4% / 5.8%
Caroona — Walked Only: 15.4% Quirindi — Walked Only: 5.8%
Car (passenger) — / 4.5%
Caroona — Car (passenger): not among its largest Quirindi — Car (passenger): 4.5%
Bus — / 0.8%
Caroona — Bus: not among its largest Quirindi — Bus: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.2%).

Setting

Caroona Quirindi
Elevation 336 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 384 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Caroona Quirindi
Connectivity score 24/100 52/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
70 premises
 22%
1,834 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Caroona Quirindi
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

Quirindi

Affordable Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Caroona

Caroona vs Werris Creek Caroona vs Spring Ridge Caroona vs Breeza Caroona vs Pine Ridge

Other comparisons with Quirindi

Quirindi vs Werris Creek Quirindi vs Wallabadah Quirindi vs Willow Tree Quirindi vs Quipolly Quirindi vs Pine Ridge Quirindi vs Warrah Ridge
Full data on Caroona Full data on Quirindi
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.

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