Carine
Carine’s strongest signal is its established affluence: household income sits at the 91.5th percentile, while 68.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms. The suburb has 7,330 residents, a median age of 43 that is 3.0 years above the national figure, and a 10th-decile IRSAD score. Its 85.8% separate-house share and 43.0% mortgage tenure point to a settled family market, with more owner-occupier depth than an apartment-led area. Compared with nearby Duncraig or Sorrento, Carine’s appeal is its compact, school-centred suburban format, although buyers should weigh mature housing stock and an aging trajectory.
Population
7,330
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,442/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
81
Carine suits buyers prioritising established detached housing over compact units. Separate houses account for 85.8% of stock, and 68.0% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, so families are more likely to find larger floorplans than in apartment-oriented locations. The typical mortgage payment is $2,340 a month, while mortgage commitments equal 22.1% of household income, below a level that signals broad mortgage stress. With 45.0% owning outright and 43.0% paying a mortgage, demand is anchored by existing owners as well as move-up households. A suburb-level median sale price should be checked against current comparable sales, land size, renovation quality and school-zone position before bidding.
For Buyers
Carine suits buyers prioritising established detached housing over compact units. Separate houses account for 85.8% of stock, and 68.0% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, so families are more likely to find larger floorplans than in apartment-oriented locations. The typical mortgage payment is $2,340 a month, while mortgage commitments equal 22.1% of household income, below a level that signals broad mortgage stress. With 45.0% owning outright and 43.0% paying a mortgage, demand is anchored by existing owners as well as move-up households. A suburb-level median sale price should be checked against current comparable sales, land size, renovation quality and school-zone position before bidding.
For Investors
Carine is primarily an owner-occupier market rather than a high-rental-yield suburb: only 9.5% of households rent, compared with the 85.8% separate-house share. Weekly rent is $450 and vacancy is 4.5%, giving landlords a reasonable leasing base but less depth than suburbs with a larger tenant pool. The 76 development applications lodged over 12 months point to ongoing renovation and replacement activity, which can support quality uplift but also adds competition from upgraded homes. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, so investors should test tenant demand against the aging trajectory, maintenance costs and current settled prices before calculating yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
81
Last 12 Months
81
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Carine
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
CARINE PRIMARY SCHOOL
CARINE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Demographics
Carine has an older, highly educated profile: the median age is 43, or 3.0 years above national, and 48.9% of residents have a university qualification, 18.8 percentage points above the national comparison. Overseas-born residents comprise 30.5%, 8.9 points above national, with Mandarin, Italian and German among the most recorded languages. Household size is 2.8 people, 0.3 above national, and families dominate: 52.0% are couples with children versus 38.7% couples without children. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts are 3,223, 874 and 849, while Christianity and no religion are reported by 3,409 and 3,303 people. Compared with a more transient catchment, Carine’s 85.2% stayed rate supports stable local networks.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.8%
Houses
10.1%
Townhouse
4.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Carine’s tenure pattern is strongly owner-heavy: 45.0% of dwellings are owned outright and 43.0% are mortgaged, while only 9.5% are rented. That structure aligns with its 85.8% separate-house share, 10.1% semi-detached homes and just 4.1% apartments. Four-plus-bedroom dwellings account for 68.0%, compared with 23.2% three-bedroom homes and 8.1% two-bedroom homes, so the stock is better suited to established families than downsizers seeking small units. Housing costs appear contained at 22.1% of income for mortgages and 18.4% for rent, with affordability stable from 48.6 in 2011 to 47.1 in 2021. Compared with nearby higher-density markets, Carine trades smaller unit choice for land-based housing.
Mortgage / mo
$2,340
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$450
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$969
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.5%
Unoccupied
115
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
52.0%
Couples with children
38.7%
Couples, no children
8.9%
Single parent
2,100
Total families
Economy & Employment
Carine’s economic base is professional and service-led. Healthcare employs 428 people, professional and technical work 397, education 390, construction 222 and mining 201, while the largest occupation groups are professionals at 1,190 and managers at 614. The labour force totals 3,680, participation is 64.0% and unemployment is 3.5%, supporting household purchasing power alongside a household-income percentile of 91.5. Its SEIFA results sit in the top deciles: IEO 9, IER 10, IRSD 10 and IRSAD 10. Compared with lower-income locations, this combination points to stronger capacity for renovations and owner-occupied housing because professional employment and high household incomes reinforce demand.
Unemployment
3.5%
Labour Force
3,680
Unemployed
128
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.5%
Part-time
39.5%
Participation
64.0%
Employed
3,552
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
48.9%
Postgraduate
10.7%
Born Overseas
30.5%
Dwellings
2,464
Transport to Work
Carine is practical for households that drive: 74.0% of commuters travel by car, compared with 4.9% using public transport, while 14.9% work from home. Two local government schools cover primary and senior-high years, giving families a clear in-suburb pathway, although enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address. Social conditions are strong by relative measures, with IRSAD and IRSD both in the 10th decile, and 21.8% volunteering. A 4.7% need-assistance rate also matters for service planning because accessible services remain important as the population ages. For safety, check current WA Police information and street-level conditions before deciding. Compared with transit-led suburbs, Carine is better suited to car-based routines and school runs.
Drive
74.0%
Public Transport
4.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
14.9%
Population Forecast
+1.31%/yr
(+322 people/yr)
EstablishedCarine is an established market, but growth is not static. The forecast trend is 1.31% a year, with overseas migration the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 19.4% over 10 years. Its shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share has increased 5.9 percentage points and the working share has fallen 5.1 points, so future demand is likely to lean more toward established households and age-friendly housing than rapid family churn. Gentrification remains at an Early signs stage with a score of 39, and rent growth has reached 24.3%. The 19.4% ten-year change is stronger than the established label alone suggests, but the aging pattern means growth should be judged by housing quality, tenure and service demand rather than headcount alone.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+280
Net Internal / yr
+56
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +22% since 2011, Net internal migration +56/yr, Strong overseas inflow +280/yr, Accelerating: 4% → 17%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Carine compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carine a good suburb to live in?
Carine suits households seeking established detached housing, strong socioeconomic conditions and schools nearby. The median age is 43, 85.8% of dwellings are separate houses and IRSAD ranks in decile 10, above the national middle.
What is the median house price in Carine?
A current median house price should be confirmed from recent settled sales, comparing land size, condition and school zone. Mortgage repayments are estimated at $2,340 a month, and 68.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, so like-for-like comparisons matter.
What schools are in Carine?
Carine Primary School and Carine Senior High School are the 2 local government schools. Families should confirm the exact enrolment zone and current intake rules, particularly because school boundaries can differ from suburb boundaries.
Is Carine safe?
Carine has an IRSAD score of 1114 and sits in decile 10, indicating strong relative socioeconomic conditions, but those measures are not a substitute for street-level safety checks. Review recent incidents, lighting and traffic around the exact address before buying or renting.
Is Carine good for property investment?
It can suit a long-term, owner-occupier-led strategy, but yield needs careful checking. Only 9.5% of households rent, weekly rent is $450 and vacancy is 4.5%, while 76 development applications in 12 months indicate ongoing housing activity. Confirm current sale prices before relying on a yield calculation.
How is Carine's population changing?
The wider area is forecast to grow at 1.31% a year, with overseas migration the primary driver. Carine's trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 5.9 percentage points, while population change across the wider area is 19.4% over 10 years. This points to steady demand with a changing age mix.
What languages are spoken in Carine?
English ancestry is the largest recorded background at 3,223 people, while Mandarin, Italian and German are among the most recorded languages, with counts of 51, 35 and 32. Overseas-born residents make up 30.5%, above the national comparison by 8.9 points.
What development is occurring in Carine?
Development activity is active but appears largely small-scale: 76 applications were lodged over 12 months, with examples including single-house applications and building-plan checks. This suits an established suburb where replacement homes and renovations can gradually lift housing quality compared with a major greenfield release.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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