The numbers, in plain English
To rent in Carrum Downs without housing stress, a household income of about $97,000/year keeps the rent of $560/week at or below 30% of gross income — the standard affordability benchmark. That rent is the official median for a 3-bedroom house — the most common new lease here (652 bonds lodged). Check your income →
To buy the median home ($775,000) with a 20% deposit of $155k, repayments at 6.2% over 30 years come to about $3,797/month — comfortable on roughly $152,000/year under the same 30% rule. Saving that deposit at $1,500/month takes about 8.6 years, before stamp duty of $42k. Run your own loan →
That price is the real median of 345 house sales in Carrum Downs, published by the state land authority — not an estimate.
Compared to the rest of Victoria, Carrum Downs is more expensive to buy than 89% of the state's suburbs (state median $330k) and pricier to rent than 83% (state median $445/week). It sits roughly 37 km from the Melbourne CBD as the crow flies.
For investors, the median rent against the median price gives a gross rental yield of about 4.0% before costs. Net yield calculator →
Modelled medians, not valuations — every formula above is documented on our methodology page.
Actual rents lodged here
Bonds lodged, September 2025Unlike the modelled figures above, these are the real median rents from every rental bond lodged with the Victorian RTBA in Carrum Downs — a typical 3-bedroom house rents for $560/week.
| Bedrooms | Type | Median rent | Bonds lodged |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | house | $560/wk | 652 |
| 4 | house | $660/wk | 272 |
Source: Victoria DFFH Rental Report (CC BY 4.0), moving-annual by suburb with at least 5 lodgements per figure. Updated quarterly — see data sources.
Affordability by income
$60k income
Rent (590/wk)
Over budget
Budget: $346/wk
Buy ($775k)
Repayments are a stretch
$3,717/mo · deposit in ~17.3yr
$90k income
Rent (590/wk)
Over budget
Budget: $519/wk
Buy ($775k)
Repayments are a stretch
$3,717/mo · deposit in ~11.5yr
$120k income
Rent (590/wk)
Affordable
Budget: $692/wk
Buy ($775k)
Repayments are a stretch
$3,717/mo · deposit in ~8.7yr
Based on 30% gross income rule for rent; 6% p.a. / 30-year P&I loan at 20% deposit for purchase; 15% savings rate for deposit timeline.
Upfront buying costs
| Purchase price | $775k |
| 20% deposit (no LMI) | $155k |
| Stamp duty (Victoria) | $42k |
| Stamp duty (first home buyer) | Same — check eligibility |
| Conveyancing (est.) | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Building inspection (est.) | $400 – $700 |
| Total upfront (est.) | $199k |
Who lives here & what's nearby
Real figures for Carrum Downs — measured, not modelled.
How Carrum Downs compares
- Households here earn about 20% more than the typical Victoria suburb.
- Younger than average — a median age of 36 vs 46 statewide.
Demographics from the ABS 2021 Census; distances and school counts from OpenStreetMap. Comparisons are against the median suburb in Victoria. Suburb-level price trends aren't shown because no open source publishes them reliably yet — see our data sources.
Neighbourhood at a Glance
Indicative scores based on ABS Census data modelling. Always conduct your own research.
Government schemes that may apply
First Home Guarantee (FHBG)
Buy with as little as 5% deposit, no LMI. Up to 35,000 places/year nationwide.
Learn more →First Home Owner Grant (FHOG)
Victoria offers a grant for eligible first home buyers purchasing new builds. Amounts vary.
Learn more →First Home Super Saver (FHSS)
Save up to $50k inside super (taxed at 15% instead of marginal rate), then withdraw for a deposit.
Learn more →Stamp duty concessions
Most states offer full or partial stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers. VIC has its own thresholds.
Learn more →Similar suburbs in Victoria
What people are saying about Carrum Downs
Be the first to share an insight about this suburb
Sign in to share your local knowledge about Carrum Downs
Check your personal affordability
Enter your income and see every suburb in Australia ranked for you.
Get pre-approved in Carrum Downs
Free broker match. 35+ lenders compared. No obligation.
Rent data for Carrum Downs sourced from the ABS 2021 Census, scaled by rental CPI to current values. Calculations use 30% gross income rule, 20% deposit, 6% p.a. loan rate over 30 years. Not financial advice.