Moving to Carrum VIC 3197
What the official numbers say about living in Carrum — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $1,040,000 for a median house or $762,500 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 94% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $406 a week, against a median household income of $1,732 a week.
Who you'll be living with
Carrum grew 18% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (3,602 → 4,239 people).
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, New Zealand, India; most spoken languages besides English: Greek, Mandarin, Russian.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Carrum scores a little above the national average (decile 7 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (64% of workers), while 32% work from home.
Nearest train station: Carrum, 450 m west.
Nearest airport: Moorabbin Airport, 11.1 km north.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 33 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 14 schools · 26 cafes & restaurants · 7 supermarkets · 26 parks · 4 beaches — see them all on the Carrum profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Carrum Primary School 300 m · Patterson River Secondary College 1.1 km · Bonbeach Primary School 1.1 km · Seaford North Primary School 1.5 km · Patterson Lakes Primary School 1.6 km · Chelsea Primary School 2.4 km · St Joseph’s School 2.5 km · Seaford Primary School 3.1 km
Groceries: ALDI 400 m · Goodfellows Carrum Village Foodstore 400 m · IGA Express 1.4 km · Woolworths 1.7 km · Coles 1.7 km · Woolworths 2.7 km · NQR 2.8 km
Parks and reserves: Roy Dore Reserve 400 m · Carrum Foreshore Park 500 m · Yarning Circle 650 m · The Beauty Spot 700 m · Mascot Avenue Reserve 750 m · Mernda Avenue Reserve 850 m · Snapper Point Park 1000 m · John Lindsay Reserve 1000 m
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Carrum, most often seen first: Common Starling · Common Myna · Eurasian Blackbird · Little Raven · Pacific Black Duck · Chestnut Teal.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Carrum, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carrum here | 4,239 | $1,040,000 | 7/10 | 5% |
| Bonbeach | 6,855 | $1,025,000 | 8/10 | 3% |
| Patterson Lakes | 7,793 | $1,385,000 | 9/10 | 5% |
| Chelsea | 8,347 | $1,210,000 | 8/10 | 3% |
| Seaford | 17,215 | $842,000 | 5/10 | 19% |
| Chelsea Heights | 5,393 | $932,500 | 8/10 | 9% |
| Edithvale | 6,276 | $1,310,000 | 9/10 | 3% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Kingston (Vic.) — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Isaacs — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3197 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Carrum profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Carrum has a median sale price of $1,040,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $762,500. Renters pay a median $406 a week.
The population grew 18% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 3,602 people to 4,239. It sits about 33 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Carrum station is roughly 0.4 km away. Local government is Kingston (Vic.) council, and the federal seat is Isaacs.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Carrum vs Bonbeach · Carrum vs Patterson Lakes.
Nearby guides: Bonbeach · Patterson Lakes · Chelsea · Seaford · Chelsea Heights · Edithvale.
Keep an eye on Carrum
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