Moving to Garfield VIC 3814
What the official numbers say about living in Garfield — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $690,000 for a median house or $510,000 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 94% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $330 a week, against a median household income of $1,677 a week.
About 86% of homes are owner-occupied and 12% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Garfield grew 44% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (1,466 → 2,114 people).
Around 79% of households are families, averaging 2.8 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, New Zealand, Netherlands; most spoken languages besides English: Croatian, Greek, Thai.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Garfield sits around the national average (decile 5 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (78% of workers), while 19% work from home.
Nearest train station: Garfield Station, 300 m west.
Nearest airport: Moorabbin Airport, 52.2 km west.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 70 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 4 schools · 3 cafes & restaurants — see them all on the Garfield profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Garfield Primary School 400 m · Bunyip Primary School 3.2 km · Columbia Catholic School 3.4 km · St Thomas Aquinas College 4.9 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Garfield, most often seen first: Eurasian Blackbird · Common Myna · Australian Magpie · Magpie-lark · Red Wattlebird · Grey Fantail.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Garfield, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield here | 2,114 | $690,000 | 5/10 | 8% |
| Bunyip | 3,131 | $700,000 | 6/10 | 10% |
| Longwarry | 2,436 | $585,000 | 2/10 | 4% |
| Nar Nar Goon | 1,023 | — | 4/10 | 2% |
| Nar Nar Goon North | 819 | $324,000 | 8/10 | 25% |
| Drouin | 15,287 | $605,000 | 3/10 | 10% |
| Gembrook | 2,559 | $890,000 | 7/10 | 68% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Cardinia — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of La Trobe — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3814 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Garfield profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Garfield has a median sale price of $690,000 (2024 sales), and a unit $510,000. Renters pay a median $330 a week, and about 12% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 44% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 1,466 people to 2,114. It sits about 70 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line, and Garfield Station station is roughly 0.3 km away. Local government is Cardinia council, and the federal seat is La Trobe.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Garfield vs Bunyip · Garfield vs Longwarry.
Nearby guides: Bunyip · Longwarry · Nar Nar Goon · Nar Nar Goon North · Drouin · Gembrook.
Keep an eye on Garfield
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