NSW · Gunnedah Council
Caroona, 2343
Current weather
14.8°CClear sky
74% humidity · 10.7 km/h wind · 19.6° / 10.8° today · 8.8 mm rain
Updated
- Green suburb
Suburb profile
Caroona is a welcoming smaller community in Gunnedah, with a settled community character. Set in the wider countryside, it offers distance from the capital and a strong sense of place. Generous greenery runs through the area, from street trees to tucked-away reserves.
Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with plenty of young families in the mix. Local shops, markets and community spots keep everyday life grounded in the town itself. There is enough green space nearby for walks, picnics and after-school play.
Strong public transport connections keep the wider area accessible. The market sits in a sensible middle ground: not cheap, but fair value for the area.
Population
- Population
- 196
- Median age
- 40
- Median household income / week
- $933
- Dwelling vacancy
- 17.4%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 15 of 86
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,517
- Employment rate
- 41.9%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 4 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $440
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 33
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · Period: January to March 2026 · Updated on site · Quarterly releases
Crime & safety
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 14
- Against the person
- 5
- Against property
- 5
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 71.4
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 39 residents
- State safety percentile
- 49.8th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +17%
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Reported offences by period
Most common offence types
- Breach Bail Conditions28
- Domestic Violence Related Assault35
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment35
- Malicious Damage To Property43
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault26
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Period: Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 692
- Walhallow Public SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Public transport
18 public transport stops in this suburb
- 981 Waverley Rd
- Coonabarabran Rd After Boundary St
- Coonabarabran Rd At Johnson St
- Waverley Rd After Mystery Rd
- Waverley Rd Opp 981
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Period: current · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
6 planning-related records
2026· 2 proposals
June 2026
- Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool971 4D ROAD CAROONA 2343Under Assessment
March 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure11 HILL STREET CAROONA 2343Determined
2025· 3 proposals
September 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Rural industry690 WAVERLEY ROAD CAROONA 2343Determined
July 2025
- Commercial development; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia11 PARK LANE CAROONA 2343Determined
January 2025
- Subdivision971 4D ROAD CAROONA 2343Determined
2024· 1 proposal
March 2024
- Signage; Advertising and signage80 WALHALLOW COMMUNITY ROAD CAROONA 2343Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site · Daily open-data feed (applications from Oct 2018)
Amenities
1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Telephone
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 6/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 4/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 11
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Recent changes
- Telephoneamenitiestelephone
- Breach Bail Conditionscrime28
- Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime35
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassmentcrime35
- Malicious Damage To Propertycrime43
- Non-Domestic Violence Related Assaultcrime26
- 981 Waverley Rdtransport
- Coonabarabran Rd After Boundary Sttransport
- Coonabarabran Rd At Johnson Sttransport
- Waverley Rd After Mystery Rdtransport
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Updated on site · Rolling 12-month windows
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · Updated on site · GTFS static feed (updated nightly)
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
More in Gunnedah Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.