Swan Marsh vs Carpendeit

Carpendeit is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 45 in Swan Marsh. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Swan Marsh, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Swan Marsh tends to suit young adults and couples, while Carpendeit suits people living alone and families with children.

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

Carpendeit

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 33/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Swan Marsh

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (174.6 km vs 183.8 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (131 min vs 137 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Carpendeit

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 33/100)

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

Investors

Swan Marsh

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (5.0% vs -14.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
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.

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Walkability 0 / 0
Swan Marsh — Walkability: 0/100 Carpendeit — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 67 / 80
Swan Marsh — Safety: 67/100 Carpendeit — Safety: 80/100
Low fire risk 38 / 52
Swan Marsh — Low fire risk: 38/100 Carpendeit — Low fire risk: 52/100
Low flood risk 15 / 69
Swan Marsh — Low flood risk: 15/100 Carpendeit — Low flood risk: 69/100

Demographics

Swan Marsh skews older (45 vs 40); Swan Marsh has higher household incomes ($75,816 vs $68,224).

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Population 127
+9% vs other
115
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.0% -14.2%
Median age 45 40
Median household income $75,816/yr
+10% vs other
$68,224/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
0-4 7.1% / 2.6%
Swan Marsh — 0-4: 7.1% Carpendeit — 0-4: 2.6%
5-14 7.9% / 20.0%
Swan Marsh — 5-14: 7.9% Carpendeit — 5-14: 20.0%
15-19 6.3% / 8.7%
Swan Marsh — 15-19: 6.3% Carpendeit — 15-19: 8.7%
20-24 11.0% / 7.0%
Swan Marsh — 20-24: 11.0% Carpendeit — 20-24: 7.0%
25-34 17.3% / 7.8%
Swan Marsh — 25-34: 17.3% Carpendeit — 25-34: 7.8%
35-44 4.7% / 15.7%
Swan Marsh — 35-44: 4.7% Carpendeit — 35-44: 15.7%
45-54 19.7% / 13.9%
Swan Marsh — 45-54: 19.7% Carpendeit — 45-54: 13.9%
55-64 15.0% / 12.2%
Swan Marsh — 55-64: 15.0% Carpendeit — 55-64: 12.2%
65-74 10.2% / 7.8%
Swan Marsh — 65-74: 10.2% Carpendeit — 65-74: 7.8%
75-84 2.4% / 2.6%
Swan Marsh — 75-84: 2.4% Carpendeit — 75-84: 2.6%
85+ — / 5.2%
Swan Marsh — 85+: not among its largest Carpendeit — 85+: 5.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Swan Marsh 46.7% couple families
Swan Marsh — Couple Families: 46.7% Swan Marsh — Lone Person: 20.0% Swan Marsh — One Parent Families: 20.0% Swan Marsh — Group Household: 13.3%
Carpendeit 35.3% couple families
Carpendeit — Couple Families: 35.3% Carpendeit — Lone Person: 32.4% Carpendeit — One Parent Families: 32.4% Carpendeit — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Swan Marsh 16.7% renting
Swan Marsh — Owned Outright: 44.4% Swan Marsh — Mortgage: 38.9% Swan Marsh — Renting: 16.7%
Carpendeit 20.0% renting
Carpendeit — Owned Outright: 48.6% Carpendeit — Mortgage: 31.4% Carpendeit — Renting: 20.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Swan Marsh 100.0% houses
Swan Marsh — Houses: 100.0%
Carpendeit 100.0% houses
Carpendeit — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Certificate III & IV 20.5% / 12.2%
Swan Marsh — Certificate III & IV: 20.5% Carpendeit — Certificate III & IV: 12.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 6.1%
Swan Marsh — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Carpendeit — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Bachelor Degree 6.3% / 2.6%
Swan Marsh — Bachelor Degree: 6.3% Carpendeit — Bachelor Degree: 2.6%
Postgraduate Degree 2.4% / —
Swan Marsh — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4% Carpendeit — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / —
Swan Marsh — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Carpendeit — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.5%).

Zoning mix

Swan Marsh has more rural and farming land (100% vs 87%).

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Rural and farming 100% 87%
Parks and recreation 0% 13%
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

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
New dwellings approved 226
across Colac Otway
60
across Corangamite
Approvals change year on year +64% +117%

Ranking within VIC

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 29% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 5% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 4% of VIC Higher than 7% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 63% of VIC Higher than 29% of VIC

Liveability

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Swan Marsh carries more flood risk (85 vs 31); Swan Marsh carries more crime risk (33 vs 20).

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Bushfire Moderate
62/100
Moderate
48/100
Crime Low
33/100
Low
20/100
Flood High
85/100
Low
31/100
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

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
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

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Parks & reserves 1
same for both

Mobility

Carpendeit sits further from the CBD (183.8 km vs 174.6 km).

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 174.6 km 183.8 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 131 min 137 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 3249
0.2%
postcode 3260
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 39
postcode 3249
29
postcode 3260

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.

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Car (driver) 57.6% / 55.3%
Swan Marsh — Car (driver): 57.6% Carpendeit — Car (driver): 55.3%
Worked from Home 37.9% / 21.1%
Swan Marsh — Worked from Home: 37.9% Carpendeit — Worked from Home: 21.1%
Walked Only — / 23.7%
Swan Marsh — Walked Only: not among its largest Carpendeit — Walked Only: 23.7%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / —
Swan Marsh — Car (passenger): 4.5% Carpendeit — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (57.6%).

Setting

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Elevation 134 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
150 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 38.6 km 32.8 km

NBN connectivity

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Connectivity score 30/100 27/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
82 premises
0%
37 premises

Climate

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Annual rainfall 607 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Average residential rate $2,023/yr $2,335/yr
Council Colac Otway Corangamite

Federal electorate

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Division Wannon
same for both
Member Dan Tehan
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Swan Marsh Carpendeit
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Swan Marsh

Carpendeit

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Carpendeit

Full data on Swan Marsh Full data on Carpendeit
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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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