Carrs Creek vs Grafton

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Carrs Creek, about half of households are couple families. In Grafton, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Carrs Creek: a median of $1.5 million, against $530,000 in Grafton. On these figures, Carrs Creek tends to suit families with children and couples, while Grafton suits people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

  • Carrs Creek carries lower crime risk (60/100 vs 92/100)
  • Grafton has more parks and reserves (18 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Grafton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($530,000 vs $1,500,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Grafton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (35% vs 23%)

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

Commuting to the city

Grafton

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (83/100 vs 11/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (402 min vs 409 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (610.9 km vs 614.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Grafton

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (83/100 vs 11/100)
  • But Carrs Creek carries lower crime risk (60/100 vs 92/100)

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

Investors

Carrs Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (37.8% vs 1.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Carrs Creek Grafton
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.

Carrs Creek Grafton
Walkability 11 / 83
Carrs Creek — Walkability: 11/100 Grafton — Walkability: 83/100
Safety 40 / 8
Carrs Creek — Safety: 40/100 Grafton — Safety: 8/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Carrs Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100 Grafton — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Grafton has more residents (10,563 vs 186); Carrs Creek has higher household incomes ($71,500 vs $61,308).

Carrs Creek Grafton
Population 186 10,563
+5579% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +37.8% +1.5%
Median age 44
same for both
Median household income $71,500/yr
+14% vs other
 $61,308/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Carrs Creek Grafton
0-4 4.8% / 5.6%
Carrs Creek — 0-4: 4.8% Grafton — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 17.7% / 12.1%
Carrs Creek — 5-14: 17.7% Grafton — 5-14: 12.1%
15-19 5.4% / 5.5%
Carrs Creek — 15-19: 5.4% Grafton — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 — / 5.6%
Carrs Creek — 20-24: not among its largest Grafton — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 13.4% / 11.4%
Carrs Creek — 25-34: 13.4% Grafton — 25-34: 11.4%
35-44 8.1% / 10.6%
Carrs Creek — 35-44: 8.1% Grafton — 35-44: 10.6%
45-54 8.1% / 11.1%
Carrs Creek — 45-54: 8.1% Grafton — 45-54: 11.1%
55-64 20.4% / 12.5%
Carrs Creek — 55-64: 20.4% Grafton — 55-64: 12.5%
65-74 10.2% / 11.9%
Carrs Creek — 65-74: 10.2% Grafton — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 7.0% / 8.7%
Carrs Creek — 75-84: 7.0% Grafton — 75-84: 8.7%
85+ 4.8% / 4.9%
Carrs Creek — 85+: 4.8% Grafton — 85+: 4.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Carrs Creek 36.8% lone person
Carrs Creek — Lone Person: 36.8% Carrs Creek — Couple Families: 50.0% Carrs Creek — One Parent Families: 13.2% Carrs Creek — Group Household: 0.0% Carrs Creek — Other Families: 0.0%
Grafton 46.9% lone person
Grafton — Lone Person: 46.9% Grafton — Couple Families: 27.2% Grafton — One Parent Families: 19.8% Grafton — Group Household: 4.3% Grafton — Other Families: 1.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Carrs Creek 23.3% renting
Carrs Creek — Owned Outright: 45.0% Carrs Creek — Mortgage: 31.7% Carrs Creek — Renting: 23.3%
Grafton 35.0% renting
Grafton — Owned Outright: 36.3% Grafton — Mortgage: 28.7% Grafton — Renting: 35.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Carrs Creek Grafton
New Zealand 1.6% / 0.8%
Carrs Creek — New Zealand: 1.6% Grafton — New Zealand: 0.8%
England — / 1.3%
Carrs Creek — England: not among its largest Grafton — England: 1.3%
India — / 0.7%
Carrs Creek — India: not among its largest Grafton — India: 0.7%
Philippines — / 0.4%
Carrs Creek — Philippines: not among its largest Grafton — Philippines: 0.4%
Scotland — / 0.2%
Carrs Creek — Scotland: not among its largest Grafton — Scotland: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (1.6%).

Qualifications

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

Carrs Creek Grafton
Certificate III & IV 12.9% / 17.8%
Carrs Creek — Certificate III & IV: 12.9% Grafton — Certificate III & IV: 17.8%
Bachelor Degree 7.0% / 7.4%
Carrs Creek — Bachelor Degree: 7.0% Grafton — Bachelor Degree: 7.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.4% / 6.0%
Carrs Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.4% Grafton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.5%
Carrs Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Grafton — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.3%
Carrs Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Grafton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Carrs Creek 100.0% houses
Carrs Creek — Houses: 100.0% Carrs Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Carrs Creek — Townhouses: 0.0%
Grafton 76.1% houses
Grafton — Houses: 76.1% Grafton — Flats / Apartments: 13.3% Grafton — Townhouses: 10.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Carrs Creek Grafton
Median house price $1,500,000 $530,000
Median unit price — $390,000
Median land price — $420,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 26 days
from 179 sales

Zoning mix

Carrs Creek has more rural and farming land (99% vs 11%); Grafton has more land zoned for conservation (22% vs 1%).

Carrs Creek Grafton
Rural and farming 99% 11%
Residential 0% 44%
Environmental 1% 22%
Parks and recreation 0% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 6%
Commercial 0% 3%
Industrial 0% 2%
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

Carrs Creek Grafton
New dwellings approved 246
across Clarence Valley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -80%
same for both

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.

Carrs Creek Grafton
Houses — 4.9%
$565/wk on $605K
Units — 5.1%
$400/wk on $405K

Ranking within NSW

Carrs Creek Grafton
House price Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 18% of NSW
Income Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Schools — Higher than 11% of NSW
Walkability Higher than 59% of NSW Higher than 93% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 15% of NSW Higher than 72% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 18% of NSW Higher than 17% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 88% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 96% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 71% of NSW

Liveability

Grafton is more walkable (83 vs 11).

Carrs Creek Grafton
Grade — C
Score — 33/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Grafton carries more crime risk (92 vs 60).

Carrs Creek Grafton
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
60/100
 High
92/100
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 3
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Carrs Creek Grafton
Inside the suburb 0 5
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 3
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Carrs Creek

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

Schools in Grafton

  • Grafton Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Mary's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Westlawn Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Grafton High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Clarence Valley Anglican School, Grafton Campus Independent · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Carrs Creek Grafton
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 5
Parks & reserves 0 18
Childcare 0 11
GPs 0 7
Pharmacies 0 5
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 9
Fuel stations 0 2
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 4 3

Mobility

Carrs Creek sits further from the CBD (614.3 km vs 610.9 km).

Carrs Creek Grafton
Walkability score 11/100 83/100
Distance to Sydney 614.3 km 610.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 409 min 402 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 2460
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 60
postcode 2460
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.

Carrs Creek Grafton
Car (driver) 81.0% / 77.7%
Carrs Creek — Car (driver): 81.0% Grafton — Car (driver): 77.7%
Worked from Home 19.0% / 8.3%
Carrs Creek — Worked from Home: 19.0% Grafton — Worked from Home: 8.3%
Car (passenger) — / 6.7%
Carrs Creek — Car (passenger): not among its largest Grafton — Car (passenger): 6.7%
Walked Only — / 5.2%
Carrs Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest Grafton — Walked Only: 5.2%
Bicycle — / 1.7%
Carrs Creek — Bicycle: not among its largest Grafton — Bicycle: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.0%).

Setting

Carrs Creek Grafton
Elevation 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 37.1 km 35.5 km

NBN connectivity

Carrs Creek Grafton
Connectivity score 37/100 79/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 9%
57 premises
 40%
5,999 premises

Climate

Carrs Creek Grafton
Annual rainfall 1,060 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.3°C
same for both

Council rates

Carrs Creek Grafton
Average residential rate $1,380/yr
same for both
Council Clarence Valley
same for both

Federal electorate

Carrs Creek Grafton
Division Page
same for both
Member Kevin Hogan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Carrs Creek Grafton
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Carrs Creek

Family River Rural

Grafton

Affordable Parks Regional Centre Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Carrs Creek

Carrs Creek vs Junction Hill Carrs Creek vs Great Marlow Carrs Creek vs Alumy Creek

Other comparisons with Grafton

Grafton vs South Grafton Grafton vs Clarenza Grafton vs Great Marlow Grafton vs Waterview
Full data on Carrs Creek Full data on Grafton
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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