Carrum Downs VIC 3201
Located in Victoria, Carrum Downs sits 47 km from Melbourne CBD, around 43 minutes by car. The suburb has 21,976 residents, a median age of 36, and a median household income of $86,216 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The suburb grew 6.1% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $370 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. Carrum Downs is characterised by high crime risk and high flood risk. Of 5 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is moderate.
Is Carrum Downs a good suburb?
Carrum Downs scores a C (37/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, weaker on safety.
Mixed results
5 schools · 1 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 64/100 · 47.3 km · 43 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $786K
High crime risk
Fire 34/100 · Crime 79/100 · Flood 73/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 3/10 · median age 36 · 21,976 residents
Liveability Rating
37 / 100 · Ranked #624 in VICEach bar is Carrum Downs's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Carrum Downs?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
37 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataCarrum Downs's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $786,000, about 8% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$786,000
13% below its 8 neighbours (median $900,000)
Based on 507 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 11 days — median across 209 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 12 sales $610K
- 3 bed 342 sales $760K
- 4 bed 137 sales $850K
- 5 bed 11 sales $861K
Units
$605,000
In line with its 5 neighbours (median $610,000)
Based on 142 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 14 days — median across 64 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 6 sales $435K
- 2 bed 55 sales $550K
- 3 bed 79 sales $645K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Carrum Downs are currently listed at around $760,000 on average. Based on 157 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$760K
157 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$642K
37 units listed in the last 6 months.
194 of the suburb's 8,307 dwellings (2.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Carrum Downs rent for around $630 a week on average, based on 115 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$630/wk
7% below its 7 neighbours (median $680/wk)
115 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$560/wk
16 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
131 rentals advertised against an estimated 2,334 rented homes (5.6%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025117 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 26% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3201.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$630/week ($33,000 a year) on a $760,000 median
$560/week ($29,000 a year) on a $642,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
7 active Airbnb listings: 6 whole homes and 1 room. Whole homes are about 0.1% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Carrum Downs safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Carrum Downs sits in the high band, with 1,833 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 11% on the prior year.
1,833 offences
11.4% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025109 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 5 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Five schools serve Carrum Downs, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. St Joachim's School leads the pack.
- • 2,554 students across 4 schools (avg 638)
- • Sectors: 3 Government, 1 Independent, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 969-1052, median 995 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Carrum Downs Secondary College (928 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Walkability
Carrum Downs is somewhat walkable on foot — at 64/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car. Within the suburb there are 4 supermarkets, 25 parks and 14 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Carrum Downs.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 333.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 310.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 190.6 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.8 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Carrum Downs.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 53%
- Premises covered
- 11,873
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
Frankston: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 49 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 6 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Carrum Downs is home to about 22,000 residents, with a median age of 36, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $86,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
21,976
Median Age
36
Median Household Income
$86,216/yr
Census Median Rent
$370/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$42,484/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
4.6%
Total Dwellings
8,307
Owner-Occupier Rate
71.9%
Houses
79.0%
Rental Stress
22.3%
Mortgage Stress
24.1%
Work From Home
16.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
106 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 81 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 2,267 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 71.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 78.1%
- Employment Rate
- 63.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 40.5%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
528 residents (2.4%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 20,469 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
5% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (551 of 11,311).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 14,103 people work here; 11,311 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.2 per resident). At least 20% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,795 a year through Frankston based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 33%
- Infrastructure and transport 31%
- Industrial 14%
- Rural and farming 14%
- Parks and recreation 7%
- Commercial 1%
Proposed rezonings
- Commercial 1 Zone → Commercial 1 Zone · C167fran, exhibited Jan 2026 13.1 ha
- Commercial 1 Zone → Commercial 1 Zone · C167fran, exhibited Jan 2026 9.0 ha
- Commercial 2 Zone → Commercial 2 Zone · C167fran, exhibited Jan 2026 6.8 ha
and 1 smaller change
Land in this suburb moved from one zone to another by a planning scheme amendment (Vicmap Planning, CC BY 4.0). Exhibited amendments are proposals and can change or lapse.
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Frankston
In the year to August 2026, 725 new dwellings were approved across Frankston. That mix is 244 houses and 481 units. Approvals are down 46.9% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 199 homes
- Projects firmly planned 78 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 24 homes
- Projects possible in the longer term 97 homes
From the Victorian Government's Urban Development Program: growth-area land and approved lots (metropolitan 2025, regional June 2024) and projects of 10 or more homes in Melbourne (2025), by stage. Lots and homes are counted as published; a lot usually becomes one home.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2017).
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.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6.3 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 20.8 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.98 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 3 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Dandenong monitoring station, 12.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Frankston Beach, 8.1 kmwarm summers — mild winters.
- Elevation
- 19 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 4.5 km
- 4.6 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- —
- Summer max (Jan)
- 24.5°C
- 4 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 8.3°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
2 facilities within 5 km- 1.5 kmRigid and Semi-Rigid Polymer Product ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 3.4 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Total Phosphorus · Ammonia (total)
EV adoption
In postcode 3201, 116 of 19,583 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.0% (398 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3201, 3,365 rooftop-solar systems totalling 23.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 8,690 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 144 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.
6 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3201 in 2025-26, rank 120 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 342, in 2001-02.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
7 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $786,000 this is $36,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Jodie Belyea Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jodie Belyea | 57.1% | 42.9% | +0.3 |
| 2022 | Peta Murphy | 56.3% | 43.7% | -3.5 |
| 2019 | Peta Murphy | 52.7% | 47.3% | -1.7 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Sonya Kilkenny Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Sonya Kilkenny ALP | 50.0% | 59.9% | 40.1% |
| 2018 | Sonya Kilkenny ALP | 52.7% | 62.0% | 38.0% |
| 2014 | Sonya Kilkenny ALP | 50.7% | 50.7% | 49.3% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Carrum Downs?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 21,976 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.
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Melbourne There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Melbourne suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Langwarrin VIC 3910
Seaford VIC 3198
Lyndhurst VIC 3975
Skye VIC 3977
Patterson Lakes VIC 3197
Frankston North VIC 3200
Compare Carrum Downs 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 Carrum Downs
Is Carrum Downs a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Carrum Downs is high (79/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Carrum Downs?
Carrum Downs has a low recorded bushfire history (34/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a high share of it (73/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Carrum Downs a good place to live?
Carrum Downs has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (37/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Carrum Downs?
Carrum Downs, VIC had a population of 21,976 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Carrum Downs, VIC?
The postcode for Carrum Downs, VIC is 3201.
How far is Carrum Downs from Melbourne?
Carrum Downs is 47 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 43 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Carrum Downs?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Carrum Downs was $86,216 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 Carrum Downs?
The median advertised rent in Carrum Downs is $630 a week for houses (115 listings) and $560 a week for units (16 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Carrum Downs?
The median age of residents in Carrum Downs was 36 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Carrum Downs at risk of bushfire?
Carrum Downs has a low recorded bushfire history (34/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb 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 Carrum Downs?
There are 5 schools inside the Carrum Downs boundary: 1 above, 2 at, and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Carrum Downs walkable?
Carrum Downs scores 64/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Carrum Downs?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Carrum Downs (Dandenong) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 20.8 µg/m³. That puts Carrum Downs below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Carrum Downs?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Carrum Downs, Frankston Beach (8.1 km away), summer days average 24.5°C, winter nights 8.3°C, and 4 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Carrum Downs?
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 Carrum Downs belong to?
Carrum Downs sits within the Frankston local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Carrum Downs?
The average residential rates bill through Frankston is $1,795 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Carrum Downs?
Across Frankston, 725 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 46.9% 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 Carrum Downs in?
Carrum Downs sits within the federal Division of Dunkley, currently held by Jodie Belyea (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 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.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.