Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Carrum Downs
20 km²
A shifting population defines Carrum Downs, where 38.3% of residents have moved in over the last five years. This large community is notably younger than most areas, with a typical resident aged 36 and a higher proportion of children. It is a place of detached houses and large family homes, though it has a significant number of one-parent families. Residents generally work in health, construction, and manufacturing, supporting a suburban character that is becoming increasingly diverse.
Families are well catered for: 27 schools serve Carrum Downs.
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The community is younger than the national figure, with 19.2% of people under 15 and a typical age of 36. De facto relationships are well above the state average at 15.5%, while seniors aged 65 and over make up only 13.5% of the population.
People born overseas make up 24.8% of the population, which is much higher than most similar areas, though still well below the 30.0% figure for Victoria. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
Language diversity is much higher than in similar areas, with 17.4% of people using another language at home. However, this is still well below the Victorian average of 27.6%.
A large portion of the community identifies as having no religion, at 47.9%, which is well above both the state and national figures.
The area has a lower proportion of adults with a university degree (14.8%) and fewer people who finished Year 12 (51.9%) compared to the state and nation. Many residents hold a Certificate III or IV qualification.
Typical weekly household income is $1,658, which is about the same as the national figure. Personal income is higher than in most similar areas, though only 6.2% of people earn $2,000 or more per week.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 31.9% of people reporting a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are particularly prevalent at 11.7%.
While 28.1% of residents provide unpaid care for children, the rate of volunteering is among the lowest for its level at 7.5%, well below the national figure of 14.1%.
The First Nations community is among the largest at this level, with 349 people. Their unemployment rate is 6.0%, which is well below the national average of 12.3%.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, accounting for 19.1% of households. About 26.7% of people live alone.
Homes are typically large, with 83.6% having three or more bedrooms, and 79.0% are separate houses. Renting is much more common than in similar areas, and only 22.2% of homes are owned outright.
Public transport access is excellent, with 93.9% of homes within a 10-minute walk of a stop and a very short 2-minute walk to the nearest stop. Most people still rely on cars, with 65.0% driving to work.
The area has seen significant movement, with 38.3% of people arriving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 7.1% of the population.
More adults are working or looking for work (66.8%) than in most similar areas. The most common industries are health care, construction, and manufacturing.
The area is very walkable, with 85.4% of homes having a 15-minute-city walkshed. Most residents can walk to a park (99.6%) or health services (82.7%) within 15 minutes.