Carters Ridge vs Ridgewood
Carters Ridge is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 49 in Ridgewood. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Carters Ridge, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Ridgewood: a median of $1.42 million, against $998,000 in Carters Ridge, though rent is higher in Carters Ridge. On these figures, Carters Ridge tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Ridgewood 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
- Carters Ridge is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 56%)
- Ridgewood has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Carters Ridge
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper land ($890,000 vs $1,355,000)
- has cheaper houses ($997,500 vs $1,415,000)
Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.
Renters
Ridgewood
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($280/wk vs $330/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Ridgewood
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (136.4 km vs 143.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Too close to call
Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs 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
Carters Ridge and Ridgewood drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Carters Ridge has more residents (497 vs 317); Carters Ridge rents higher ($330/wk vs $280/wk).
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 497 +36% vs other | 317 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +6.0% | +3.3% |
| Median age | 44 | 49 |
| Median household income | $71,864/yr | $72,748/yr +1% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $330/wk +15% vs other | $280/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.1%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $997,500 | $1,415,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $890,000 | $1,355,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 34 days from 4 sales | 133 days from 3 sales |
Development activity
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 467 across Gympie | 239 across Noosa |
| Approvals change year on year | +16% | -9% |
Ranking within QLD
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 41% of QLD | Higher than 42% of QLD |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 60% of QLD | Higher than 63% of QLD |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 82% of QLD same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 65% of QLD | Higher than 47% of QLD |
Liveability
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 18/100 | Low 19/100 |
| 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 | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 3 |
| Waterways | 0 | 6 |
Mobility
Carters Ridge sits further from the CBD (143.4 km vs 136.4 km).
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Brisbane | 143.4 km +5% vs other | 136.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 110 min | 111 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.0% postcode 4563 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 96 postcode 4563 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.6%).
Setting
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 115 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 107 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 30.1 km | 24.8 km |
NBN connectivity
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 210 premises | 0% 149 premises |
Climate
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 1,045 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.9°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 7.7°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 4.3 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 12.3 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,936/yr | $1,614/yr |
| Council | Gympie | Noosa |
Federal electorate
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Wide Bay same for both | |
| Member | Llew O'Brien same for both | |
| Party | Liberal National Party of Queensland same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Carters Ridge | Ridgewood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $30,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Carters Ridge
Other comparisons with Ridgewood
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.