Carlisle River VIC 3239
Located in Victoria, Carlisle River sits 192 km from Melbourne CBD, around 2 hours 35 minutes by car. The locality has 168 residents, a median age of 45, and a median household income of $53,872 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the lower-middle tier nationally. Population grew 24.4% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $200 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $888. The area shows high bushfire risk. 1 school sits within the locality boundary, and walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 168. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
How do you rate the liveability in Carlisle River?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Carlisle River are currently listed at around $614,000 on average. Based on 3 houses listed in the past six months.
$614K
3 houses listed in the last 6 months.
3 of the suburb's 61 dwellings (4.9%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Short-Stay Rentals
4 active Airbnb listings: 4 whole homes and 0 rooms.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months.
Is Carlisle River safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Carlisle River sits in the moderate band, with 10 incidents recorded in 2026.
10 offences
no change since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20259 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 2 of them fatal
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
One school serves Carlisle River, but none have published comparable ratings yet.
- • 4 students in one school (avg 4)
Primary
Walkability
Carlisle River is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Carlisle River.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 54
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Colac Otway: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Carlisle River is home to 168 residents, with a median age of 45, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $54,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
168
Median Age
45
Median Household Income
$53,872/yr
Census Median Rent
$200/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$888/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$26,780/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
27.9%
Total Dwellings
61
Owner-Occupier Rate
77.4%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
19.3%
Mortgage Stress
19.8%
Work From Home
27.6%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 77.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 86.9%
- Employment Rate
- 49.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 28.6%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,023 a year through Colac Otway based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Parks and recreation 61%
- Rural and farming 38%
- Zones under 1% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Colac Otway
In the year to August 2026, 226 new dwellings were approved across Colac Otway. That mix is 200 houses and 26 units. Approvals are up 64.5% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2013).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Climate & Setting
from Colac (Shire Office), 28.7 kmModerate rainfall.
- Elevation
- 77 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 21.7 km
- Annual rainfall
- 607 mm
- 82 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the locality centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 3239, 0 of 533 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 0.9% (5 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 0.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3239, 103 rooftop-solar systems totalling 0.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 241 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 4 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3239 in 2025-26. The most was 5, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Dan Tehan Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Dan Tehan | 39.1% | 60.9% | -2.3 |
| 2022 | Dan Tehan | 40.9% | 59.1% | -1.1 |
| 2019 | Dan Tehan | 39.6% | 60.4% | +1.2 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Richard Riordan Liberal
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Richard Riordan LP | 51.8% | 48.2% | 51.8% |
| 2018 | Richard Riordan LP | 51.1% | 44.6% | 55.4% |
| 2014 | Terry Mulder LP | 55.4% | 39.4% | 60.6% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Carlisle River?
Every figure above is a locality average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 168 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Carlisle River to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Carlisle River
Is Carlisle River a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Carlisle River is moderate (49/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Carlisle River?
Carlisle River has a high recorded bushfire history (84/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (50/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Carlisle River?
Carlisle River, VIC had a population of 168 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Carlisle River, VIC?
The postcode for Carlisle River, VIC is 3239.
How far is Carlisle River from Melbourne?
Carlisle River is 192 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 154 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Carlisle River?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Carlisle River was $53,872 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Carlisle River?
There are too few current rental listings in Carlisle River for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $200, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Carlisle River?
The median age of residents in Carlisle River was 45 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Carlisle River at risk of bushfire?
Carlisle River has a high recorded bushfire history (84/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Carlisle River?
There is 1 school inside the Carlisle River boundary, none of which has enough NAPLAN and ICSEA data for a quality band.
What is the weather like in Carlisle River?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Carlisle River, Colac (Shire Office) (28.7 km away), 607 mm of rain a year over 82 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Carlisle River?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Carlisle River belong to?
Carlisle River sits within the Colac Otway local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Carlisle River?
The average residential rates bill through Colac Otway is $2,023 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Carlisle River?
Across Colac Otway, 226 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 64.5% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Carlisle River in?
Carlisle River sits within the federal Division of Wannon, currently held by Dan Tehan (Liberal).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.
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