suburb.guide

VIC · Cardinia Council

Garfield North, 3814

Est. population · Jun 2025

240

Growth (1 yr)

+1.3%

Growth (5 yr)

+6.7%

Median age

50

Median income

$1,713/wk

Employment rate

60%

University qualified

16%

Work from home

16.5%

Languages at home

2%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

52.6/100
Average

Top 29% of Victoria's suburbs

Verified 81% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Agricultural
  • Hills
  • Rural living
What Garfield North is known for: Green suburb, Agricultural, Hills, Rural living

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Suburb Guide, “Garfield North, VIC Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/vic/garfield-north

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Suburb profile

Garfield North is a rural locality in Victoria, in Cardinia Council.

Local amenities are a relative strength, placing it among the highest-ranked rural localities. Open-space access is exceptionally strong. Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median, and green cover is an exceptional strength, and population has been growing faster than in comparable places, and recorded road crashes are a relative strength, with recorded road crashes 64% below the peer median.

Overall, Garfield North suits people prioritising open space and local amenities.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in Victoria (1828)

Strengths

  • Open-space access is exceptionally strong
  • Local amenities are a relative strength
  • Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median
  • Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
  • Population has been growing faster than in comparable places
  • Recorded road crashes are a relative strength

Weaknesses

No relative weaknesses against comparable places.

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Garfield North compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$387/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

240

+1.3% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

7.7%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#65

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

47th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

77th

percentile in VIC

Rented dwellings

5%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

8/10

national SEIFA decile

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
52.6/100 — Average
State standing
Top 29% of Victoria's suburbs
National rank
1515th in Australia
State rank
369th in VIC
Peer rank
#65 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#119 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
81%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

240(June 2025)

+1.3% annual · +6.7% over 5 years · 77th percentile in VIC

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.3%
5-year growth
+6.7%
Change in 1 year
+3
Change in 5 years
+15
Growth rank in VIC
77th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~250), extrapolated at +1.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
236
Median age
50
Median household income / week
$1,713
Dwelling vacancy
7.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
6 of 78
Median monthly mortgage
$2,152
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$387
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
56% / 38.7% / 5.3%
Employment rate
60%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
16.5% / 0% / 59.5%
Walked or cycled to work
7.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
75 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

16% of adults have a university degree, compared with 29.2% across Victoria. 24.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified16% · 29.2% VIC
  • Diploma qualified7.5% · 9.8% VIC
  • Trade / vocational24.5% · 14.2% VIC
  • Year 12 or below52% · 46.8% VIC

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce20%
  • Engineering and related technologies17.8%
  • Architecture and building15.6%
  • Health10%
  • Education8.9%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services7.8%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$54,838

56th percentile in VIC · -7% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$59,952

56th percentile in VIC · -8% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
12.0%

41st percentile in VIC · -13% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$80,492

50th percentile in VIC · +27% vs Australia

Residents with business income
12.0%

53rd percentile in VIC · +15% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 3814 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
1,595
Taxpayers reporting net rent
190
Median net rent
-$782
Taxpayers reporting business income
195
Taxable income vs state median
+3%
Salary / wages vs state median
+3%
Rental investment vs state median
-8%
Super vs state median
0%
Business income vs state median
+9%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in VIC, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Seasonal & agricultural work

12.4% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 5.4× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 2.1% across Victoria.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
12.4%

52nd percentile in VIC · +439% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
15
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 3814

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 3814 (Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.

Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)

Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for Melbourne - South East (SA4 212), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12131,123
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212831
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412608
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415524
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419263
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 721179
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 121418
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841316
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841610
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110

Melbourne - South East is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.

Census employed residents counted in G54: 121 · AFF share +491% vs the state.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
  • Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0

Community & culture

2% speak a language other than English at home; 14.9% born overseas

Language at home
200 English only · 4 other
Non-English at home
2%
Born overseas
32 (14.9%)
Australian citizens
198

Religion

46.6%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 46.6%, while 38.6% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion38.6%38.8%
Christianity46.6%40.9%
Other / not stated14.8%20.3%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic27.1%20.5%
Anglican10.6%6.5%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2026)
12
Against the person
1
Against property
4
Rate per 1,000 residents
50
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 236 residents
State crime-rate percentile
46.9th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-63.6%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
4
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
16.67

Most common offence types

  • A212 Non-Fv Serious Assault1
  • B21 Criminal Damage1
  • B42 Steal From A Motor Vehicle2
  • B53 Obtain Benefit By Deception1
  • E21 Breach Family Violence Order7

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

School list
School catchments
  • Bunyip Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Drouin Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Garfield Primary SchoolGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Pakenham Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

  • Victorian designated neighbourhood zones — Victorian Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published

Amenities

7 mapped amenities

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
4.24
Sport & outdoors(3)
  • Mount Cannibal Flora and Fauna ReserveNature reserve
  • Picnic area
  • Public toilets
Entertainment(2)
  • Viewpoint (2)
Other(2)
  • Information
  • Parking

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
9.2%
Woodland / forest cover
8.5%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
2
Parks (OSM)
1
Typical summer maximum
25°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Proposed West Gippsland Hospital (22.1 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
6
Participants per 1,000 residents
25.0

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
25° / 12°
Rainfall
197 mm · ~25 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
20° / 9°
Rainfall
228 mm · ~28 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
13° / 5°
Rainfall
261 mm · ~33 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
18° / 7°
Rainfall
304 mm · ~38 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from PPARS statewide register (lodged 2020–2022). Free public PPARS MapServer — applications through ~2022 (service last updated Feb 2024).

17 planning-related records

2021· 9 proposals

  • August 2021

  • Use of the land for a Dependent Person's Unit Buildings and works associated with a Dwelling and Dependent Person's Unit
    175 GARFIELD NORTH ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Buildings and works associated with a dwelling extension and three (3) buildings associated with agriculture
    95 SANDERS ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of the land for a shed associated with agriculture and the removal of vegetation
    497 GARFIELD NORTH ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • July 2021

  • Use of the land for a Dependent Person's Unit
    130 BASSED ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • June 2021

  • Buildings and works associated with the construction of two (2) outbuildings
    135 Old Sale RoadWithdrawn

  • May 2021

  • Removal of vegetation (five trees, including one native tree)
    335 Garfield North RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • March 2021

  • Buildings and works associated with an outbuilding
    135 OLD SALE ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Removal of vegetation (Cypress pines)
    70 BASSED ROAD GARFIELD NORTH 3814Permit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • January 2021

  • Removal of vegetation (Pinus radiata and White Poplar)
    300 Garfield North Rd, Garfield North Rd & Tynong North Road (Road Reserves)Permit issued by a delegate of the RA
2020· 8 proposals

  • November 2020

  • Development of the land for multiple sheds associated with agriculture
    220 Garfield North RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA
  • Development of the land for a dwelling
    35 Bassed RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • October 2020

  • Development of the land for two (2) outbuildings (storage shed and garaport)
    165 Sanders RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • July 2020

  • Development of the land for alterations and additions to an existing dwelling, and removal of native vegetation
    25 Wallaby CourtPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • June 2020

  • Development of the land for an outbuildings (shed)
    205 Old Sale RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • April 2020

  • Development of the land for a shed associated with agriculture
    175 Garfield North RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

  • March 2020

  • two (2) lot boundary realignment, use and development of the land for a dwelling and removal of vegetation
    545 Garfield North RoadWithdrawn

  • February 2020

  • Development of a Shed
    35 Wollondilly RoadPermit issued by a delegate of the RA

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Victorian Bushfire Management Overlay mapping. Flood cover uses inundation overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
La Trobe
Member of Parliament
Jason WOOD (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
115,425
Turnout (2025)
93.0%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+6.4 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 52.1%Labor 47.9%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 15.7 km away).

Coalition 62.5%Labor 37.5%

10.4 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +3.5 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • GarfieldLabor 40.0% · Coalition 60.0% TPP (2025)5.4 km away
  • BunyipLabor 40.7% · Coalition 59.3% TPP (2025)7.0 km away
  • TynongLabor 33.0% · Coalition 67.0% TPP (2025)7.1 km away
  • MaryknollLabor 38.4% · Coalition 61.6% TPP (2025)7.4 km away
  • Nar Nar GoonLabor 31.8% · Coalition 68.2% TPP (2025)10.8 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
8/10
IRSD decile (2021)
10/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in Cardinia Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Victoria.