Carrum vs Seaford

In both, most households own their home. In Seaford, most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Carrum: a median of $1.09 million, against $870,000 in Seaford, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Seaford tends to suit 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

Seaford

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (9 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (18 vs 4)
  • has more childcare (17 vs 4)
  • But Carrum carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 83/100)

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

First-home buyers

Seaford

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($850,000 vs $1,400,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($870,000 vs $1,087,500)
  • has cheaper units ($610,000 vs $725,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Seaford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($351/wk vs $406/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Carrum

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 62/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (48.4 km vs 51.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Carrum

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (55% vs 26%)
  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 62/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 83/100)
  • But Seaford has more GPs (5 vs 2)

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

Investors

Seaford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.7% vs 3.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Carrum Seaford
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.

Carrum Seaford
Walkability 85 / 62
Carrum — Walkability: 85/100 Seaford — Walkability: 62/100
Safety 38 / 17
Carrum — Safety: 38/100 Seaford — Safety: 17/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Carrum — Low fire risk: 100/100 Seaford — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 38 / 27
Carrum — Low flood risk: 38/100 Seaford — Low flood risk: 27/100

Demographics

Seaford has more residents (17,215 vs 4,239); Carrum rents higher ($406/wk vs $351/wk).

Carrum Seaford
Population 4,239 17,215
+306% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.5% +4.6%
Median age 40
same for both
Median household income $90,064/yr
+13% vs other
 $78,000/yr
Median weekly rent $406/wk
+14% vs other
 $351/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Carrum Seaford
0-4 7.8% / 6.8%
Carrum — 0-4: 7.8% Seaford — 0-4: 6.8%
5-14 10.2% / 10.8%
Carrum — 5-14: 10.2% Seaford — 5-14: 10.8%
15-19 4.3% / 4.5%
Carrum — 15-19: 4.3% Seaford — 15-19: 4.5%
20-24 4.2% / 4.7%
Carrum — 20-24: 4.2% Seaford — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 14.0% / 13.7%
Carrum — 25-34: 14.0% Seaford — 25-34: 13.7%
35-44 15.3% / 15.6%
Carrum — 35-44: 15.3% Seaford — 35-44: 15.6%
45-54 13.8% / 14.2%
Carrum — 45-54: 13.8% Seaford — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 13.3% / 11.8%
Carrum — 55-64: 13.3% Seaford — 55-64: 11.8%
65-74 10.2% / 9.8%
Carrum — 65-74: 10.2% Seaford — 65-74: 9.8%
75-84 5.3% / 5.9%
Carrum — 75-84: 5.3% Seaford — 75-84: 5.9%
85+ 1.7% / 2.2%
Carrum — 85+: 1.7% Seaford — 85+: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Carrum 42.6% lone person
Carrum — Lone Person: 42.6% Carrum — Couple Families: 33.8% Carrum — One Parent Families: 18.0% Carrum — Group Household: 4.3% Carrum — Other Families: 1.2%
Seaford 43.3% lone person
Seaford — Lone Person: 43.3% Seaford — Couple Families: 32.6% Seaford — One Parent Families: 17.9% Seaford — Group Household: 4.4% Seaford — 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.

Carrum 31.2% renting
Carrum — Owned Outright: 31.6% Carrum — Mortgage: 37.2% Carrum — Renting: 31.2%
Seaford 34.4% renting
Seaford — Owned Outright: 28.7% Seaford — Mortgage: 36.9% Seaford — Renting: 34.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Carrum Seaford
Certificate III & IV 16.4% / 16.3%
Carrum — Certificate III & IV: 16.4% Seaford — Certificate III & IV: 16.3%
Bachelor Degree 14.6% / 11.5%
Carrum — Bachelor Degree: 14.6% Seaford — Bachelor Degree: 11.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.8% / 9.3%
Carrum — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8% Seaford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3%
Postgraduate Degree 4.0% / 3.1%
Carrum — Postgraduate Degree: 4.0% Seaford — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / 2.2%
Carrum — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% Seaford — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

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.

Carrum Seaford
England 5.1% / 5.0%
Carrum — England: 5.1% Seaford — England: 5.0%
New Zealand 1.7% / 2.3%
Carrum — New Zealand: 1.7% Seaford — New Zealand: 2.3%
India 0.9% / 0.6%
Carrum — India: 0.9% Seaford — India: 0.6%
Germany 0.7% / 0.8%
Carrum — Germany: 0.7% Seaford — Germany: 0.8%
China 0.7% / 0.7%
Carrum — China: 0.7% Seaford — China: 0.7%
South Africa 0.8% / —
Carrum — South Africa: 0.8% Seaford — South Africa: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.8%
Carrum — Scotland: not among its largest Seaford — Scotland: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Carrum 45.1% houses
Carrum — Houses: 45.1% Carrum — Townhouses: 41.6% Carrum — Flats / Apartments: 13.4%
Seaford 73.6% houses
Seaford — Houses: 73.6% Seaford — Townhouses: 23.2% Seaford — Flats / Apartments: 3.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Carrum Seaford
Median house price $1,087,500 $870,000
Median unit price $725,000 $610,000
Median land price $1,400,000 $850,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 27 days
from 17 sales
 24 days
from 188 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Carrum Seaford
3 bed $1.03M / $850K
Carrum — 3 bed: $1.03M (41 sales) Seaford — 3 bed: $850K (262 sales)

41 vs 262 sales

4 bed $1.31M / $1M
Carrum — 4 bed: $1.31M (16 sales) Seaford — 4 bed: $1M (65 sales)

16 vs 65 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Carrum Seaford
2 bed $676K / $540K
Carrum — 2 bed: $676K (34 sales) Seaford — 2 bed: $540K (91 sales)

34 vs 91 sales

3 bed $811K / $720K
Carrum — 3 bed: $811K (14 sales) Seaford — 3 bed: $720K (55 sales)

14 vs 55 sales

Zoning mix

Seaford has more industrially zoned land (13% vs 0%).

Carrum Seaford
Residential 72% 45%
Infrastructure and transport 15% 24%
Parks and recreation 13% 17%
Industrial 0% 13%
Rural and farming 0% 1%
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

Carrum Seaford
New dwellings approved 465
across Kingston (Vic.)
 725
across Frankston
Approvals change year on year -36% -47%

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.

Carrum Seaford
Houses 4.1%
$825/wk on $1.05M
 4.0%
$680/wk on $890K
Units 3.4%
$598/wk on $920K
 4.7%
$550/wk on $605K

Ranking within VIC

Carrum Seaford
House price Higher than 75% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC
Income Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 45% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 36% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 20% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 80% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 95% of VIC
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC

Liveability

Carrum scores higher overall (62 vs 41); Carrum is more walkable (85 vs 62).

Carrum Seaford
Grade B C
Score 62/100 41/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Seaford carries more crime risk (83 vs 62); Seaford carries more flood risk (73 vs 62).

Carrum Seaford
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
62/100
 High
83/100
Flood Moderate
62/100
 High
73/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
45/100
 Moderate
50/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Carrum Seaford
Inside the suburb 1 9
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1 4
Rated below peers 0 2

Schools in Carrum

  • Carrum Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Seaford

  • Kananook Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Belvedere Park Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Patterson River Secondary College Government · Secondary at peers
  • Seaford North Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Seaford Park Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Seaford Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Carrum Seaford
Supermarkets 2 4
Cafes & restaurants 3 18
Parks & reserves 4 18
Childcare 4 17
GPs 2 5
Pharmacies 2
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 1 3
Fuel stations 0 7
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Seaford sits further from the CBD (51.9 km vs 48.4 km).

Carrum Seaford
Walkability score 85/100 62/100
Distance to Melbourne 48.4 km 51.9 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 45 min 47 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 77.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 206.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 3197
 0.7%
postcode 3198
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 3197
 29
postcode 3198

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.

Carrum Seaford
Car (driver) 59.8% / 64.8%
Carrum — Car (driver): 59.8% Seaford — Car (driver): 64.8%
Worked from Home 31.2% / 26.9%
Carrum — Worked from Home: 31.2% Seaford — Worked from Home: 26.9%
Train 4.3% / 2.6%
Carrum — Train: 4.3% Seaford — Train: 2.6%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 3.3%
Carrum — Car (passenger): 3.3% Seaford — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Walked Only 1.0% / 1.1%
Carrum — Walked Only: 1.0% Seaford — Walked Only: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.8%).

Setting

Carrum Seaford
Elevation 9 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 620 m
700 m to a named beach
 1.2 km
1.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Carrum Seaford
Connectivity score 89/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the curb
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 44%
2,293 premises
 46%
9,914 premises

Climate

Carrum Seaford
Annual rainfall —
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 24.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.3°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Carrum Seaford
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.98 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Carrum Seaford
Average residential rate $1,940/yr $1,795/yr
Council Kingston (Vic.) Frankston

Federal electorate

Carrum Seaford
Division Dunkley
same for both
Member Jodie Belyea
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Carrum Seaford
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Carrum

Beach Coastal Easy Commute Outer Parks River Townhouses Trains Transport Hub

Seaford

Beach Coastal Easy Commute Outer Parks Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Carrum

Carrum vs Patterson Lakes Carrum vs Bonbeach

Other comparisons with Seaford

Seaford vs Frankston Seaford vs Carrum Downs Seaford vs Patterson Lakes Seaford vs Frankston North
Full data on Carrum Full data on Seaford
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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