Caroona vs Spring Ridge

In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Caroona, most households rent. In Spring Ridge, the large majority of households own their home and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Caroona tends to suit renters and families with children, while Spring Ridge suits people living alone.

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

  • Caroona is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 40%)
  • Spring Ridge carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 91/100)

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

First-home buyers

Spring Ridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 38%)

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 20%)
  • has cheaper rent ($189/wk vs $231/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Caroona

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (381.2 km vs 398.3 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (278 min vs 287 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Spring Ridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (73/100 vs 91/100)

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

Investors

Spring Ridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (10.8% vs -3.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Caroona and Spring 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 Spring 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 Spring Ridge
Walkability 0 / 0
Caroona — Walkability: 0/100 Spring Ridge — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 9 / 27
Caroona — Safety: 9/100 Spring Ridge — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 69 / 81
Caroona — Low fire risk: 69/100 Spring Ridge — Low fire risk: 81/100

Demographics

Spring Ridge has higher household incomes ($68,224 vs $48,516); Spring Ridge has more residents (266 vs 196).

Caroona Spring Ridge
Population 196 266
+36% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -3.0% +10.8%
Median age 40
same for both
Median household income $48,516/yr $68,224/yr
+41% vs other
Median weekly rent $189/wk $231/wk
+22% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Caroona Spring Ridge
0-4 10.2% / 5.6%
Caroona — 0-4: 10.2% Spring Ridge — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 17.9% / 10.5%
Caroona — 5-14: 17.9% Spring Ridge — 5-14: 10.5%
15-19 5.6% / 3.8%
Caroona — 15-19: 5.6% Spring Ridge — 15-19: 3.8%
20-24 4.1% / 3.8%
Caroona — 20-24: 4.1% Spring Ridge — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 8.7% / 18.4%
Caroona — 25-34: 8.7% Spring Ridge — 25-34: 18.4%
35-44 7.7% / 8.3%
Caroona — 35-44: 7.7% Spring Ridge — 35-44: 8.3%
45-54 17.9% / 11.7%
Caroona — 45-54: 17.9% Spring Ridge — 45-54: 11.7%
55-64 15.3% / 17.3%
Caroona — 55-64: 15.3% Spring Ridge — 55-64: 17.3%
65-74 9.2% / 11.7%
Caroona — 65-74: 9.2% Spring Ridge — 65-74: 11.7%
75-84 5.1% / 6.0%
Caroona — 75-84: 5.1% Spring Ridge — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 2.0% / —
Caroona — 85+: 2.0% Spring Ridge — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

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%
Spring Ridge 51.6% lone person
Spring Ridge — Lone Person: 51.6% Spring Ridge — Couple Families: 33.9% Spring Ridge — One Parent Families: 6.5% Spring Ridge — Group Household: 8.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

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%
Spring Ridge 19.5% renting
Spring Ridge — Owned Outright: 59.8% Spring Ridge — Mortgage: 20.7% Spring Ridge — Renting: 19.5%
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%
Spring Ridge 99.0% houses
Spring Ridge — Houses: 99.0% Spring Ridge — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Caroona Spring Ridge
Certificate III & IV 9.2% / 10.9%
Caroona — Certificate III & IV: 9.2% Spring Ridge — Certificate III & IV: 10.9%
Bachelor Degree 8.2% / 10.9%
Caroona — Bachelor Degree: 8.2% Spring Ridge — Bachelor Degree: 10.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 9.0%
Caroona — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Spring Ridge — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.9%).

Property market

Caroona Spring Ridge
Median house price $515,000 $480,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

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

Ranking within NSW

Caroona Spring Ridge
House price Higher than 16% of NSW Higher than 11% of NSW
Income Higher than 10% of NSW Higher than 32% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 44% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 60% of NSW Higher than 90% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 5% of NSW Higher than 6% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW

Liveability

Caroona Spring 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 bushfire risk (31 vs 19); Caroona carries more crime risk (91 vs 73).

Caroona Spring Ridge
Bushfire Low
31/100
 Low
19/100
Crime High
91/100
 High
73/100
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 Spring Ridge
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Caroona

  • Walhallow Public School Government · Primary

Schools in Spring Ridge

  • Spring Ridge Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Caroona Spring Ridge
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 0 1
GPs 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 0 3

Mobility

Spring Ridge sits further from the CBD (398.3 km vs 381.2 km).

Caroona Spring Ridge
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 381.2 km 398.3 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 278 min 287 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 Spring Ridge
Car (driver) 65.4% / 60.9%
Caroona — Car (driver): 65.4% Spring Ridge — Car (driver): 60.9%
Worked from Home 19.2% / 27.0%
Caroona — Worked from Home: 19.2% Spring Ridge — Worked from Home: 27.0%
Walked Only 15.4% / 12.2%
Caroona — Walked Only: 15.4% Spring Ridge — Walked Only: 12.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.4%).

Setting

Caroona Spring Ridge
Elevation 336 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 317 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Caroona Spring Ridge
Connectivity score 24/100 15/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
70 premises
 0%
31 premises

Climate

Caroona Spring Ridge
Annual rainfall 650 mm 626 mm
Summer max (Jan) 32.6°C 32.8°C
Winter min (Jul) 2.6°C 6.0°C

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Caroona Spring 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

Spring Ridge

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Caroona

Caroona vs Quirindi Caroona vs Werris Creek Caroona vs Breeza Caroona vs Pine Ridge

Other comparisons with Spring Ridge

Spring Ridge vs Curlewis Spring Ridge vs Tambar Springs Spring Ridge vs Blackville Spring Ridge vs Breeza Spring Ridge vs Pine Ridge
Full data on Caroona Full data on Spring 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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