Carlton North
Inner-north Carlton North combines a population of 6,177 with a compact 1.87 square kilometre footprint and density of 3,301.6 people per square kilometre. Its median age of 33 is 7 years below the national figure, while 71.4% of residents hold a university qualification, 41.3 percentage points above the national level. Household income sits at the 90.7th percentile, yet 50.5% of households rent and vacancy is 13.4%, creating a distinctive premium renter market.
Population
6,177
Median Age
33.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,400/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
62
Median House
$1.8M
October to December 2025
Carlton North suits buyers prioritising inner-city access, established housing and smaller households, but the entry cost is substantial. Housing is dominated by semi-detached dwellings at 71.4%, with 45.1% of stock containing 2 bedrooms and 33.2% containing 3 bedrooms. Compared with a detached-house search in broader Melbourne, buyers should expect a more attached format and tighter floorplans. The 24.1% mortgage-to-income ratio and 23.0% rent-to-income ratio indicate that affordability depends heavily on income, despite both stress flags being false.
For Buyers
Carlton North suits buyers prioritising inner-city access, established housing and smaller households, but the entry cost is substantial. Housing is dominated by semi-detached dwellings at 71.4%, with 45.1% of stock containing 2 bedrooms and 33.2% containing 3 bedrooms. Compared with a detached-house search in broader Melbourne, buyers should expect a more attached format and tighter floorplans. The 24.1% mortgage-to-income ratio and 23.0% rent-to-income ratio indicate that affordability depends heavily on income, despite both stress flags being false.
For Investors
Carlton North presents a renter-led investment profile, with 50.5% of households renting and weekly rent of $552. The 13.4% vacancy rate is high for a tightly settled inner suburb, which can give tenants more choice and make leasing speed more variable than in lower-vacancy markets. Planning activity reached 58 applications over 12 months, including dwelling demolitions and a swimming pool permit. Growth is supported by overseas migration, while forecast rent growth is 7.4%.
Development Activity
Total DAs
68
Last 12 Months
62
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1140.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$323K
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Carlton North
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Carlton North Primary School
Demographics
Carlton North is younger and more university-educated than the national profile: the median age is 33, or 7 years below national, and university attainment is 71.4%, 41.3 percentage points above national. The overseas-born share is 23.6%, only 2.0 points above the national figure, while average household size is 2.3, or 0.2 below national. English ancestry leads at 2,284 people, followed by Irish at 1,150, Scottish at 818 and Italian at 691. No religion is recorded for 3,952 residents compared with 1,576 identifying with Christianity. A 41.9% turnover rate, alongside a 50.5% renting share, helps explain the suburb's mobile population compared with more settled family districts.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
6.1%
Houses
71.4%
Townhouse
21.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Across 20 quarters, the compound annual growth rate was 3.8%. The tenure mix is renter-heavy at 50.5%, with 28.4% owning outright and 19.4% paying a mortgage. Compared with owner-dominated suburbs, this creates greater turnover and less predictable household stability. Semi-detached dwellings account for 71.4%, apartments 21.0% and separate houses only 6.1%, while 2-bedroom homes represent 45.1% of stock.
Mortgage / mo
$2,500
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $552.
$760
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $950 · units $600
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,208
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.4%
Unoccupied
404
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.7%
Couples with children
53.8%
Couples, no children
11.1%
Single parent
1,462
Total families
Economy & Employment
Carlton North has a high-income, professional employment base. Household income is $2,400 per week, placing it at the 90.7th percentile, while professionals number 1,968 and managers 616. The largest industries are Professional/Tech at 22.6%, Healthcare at 14.2%, Education at 13.0%, Public Administration at 8.4% and Retail at 6.6%, supporting demand from knowledge workers and public-sector employees. Labour-force participation is 75.6%, unemployment is 3.6% and 60.5% of workers are employed full-time. Compared with the national middle, education and occupational indicators are strongly above average: IEO and IRSD both sit in decile 10. However, IER is only decile 4, showing that measured economic resources are less uniform than the suburb's income and qualification profile suggests.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
4,193
Unemployed
152
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.5%
Part-time
32.8%
Participation
75.6%
Employed
4,041
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
71.4%
Postgraduate
24.8%
Born Overseas
23.6%
Dwellings
2,612
Transport to Work
Carlton North supports a walkable, work-from-home-oriented lifestyle, with 54.8% of residents working from home, 13.9% walking or cycling to work and 7.0% using public transport. Car driving accounts for 22.9%, while the suburb's 1.87 square kilometre area and density of 3,301.6 people per square kilometre keep daily services relatively concentrated. Carlton North Primary School provides a local government primary option; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address. Safety requires practical awareness: the recorded crime rate is 79.0 per 1,000 people across 488 offences, including 390 property and deception offences versus 46 crimes against the person. Socioeconomic advantage is above the midpoint of the decile scale, with IRSAD in decile 10.
Drive
22.9%
Public Transport
7.0%
Walk / Cycle
13.9%
Work from Home
54.8%
Population Forecast
+2.21%/yr
(+559 people/yr)
EstablishedCarlton North is classified as an established market, with an annual growth trend of 2.21% and overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 18.1% over 10 years, while the social trajectory is Mixed because the young share has fallen 1.9 percentage points even as the working share rose 9.4 points and the senior share increased 2.8 points. Gentrification is rated Early signs with a score of 20, although another shift measure records a score of 45 and an Active stage. Growth is therefore likely to reflect renewed demand and changing household composition rather than a greenfield expansion. The area also recovered from a COVID-era dip of 18.9%, with recovery measured at 39.2%.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+2,515
Net Internal / yr
-468
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Net internal outflow -468/yr, Strong overseas inflow +2515/yr, COVID recovered (-19% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
488
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
79.0
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Carlton North compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Carlton North?
Carlton North Primary School is the local government primary school. The local count is 1 school, so families should check the enrolment zone for the exact property before making a decision. Secondary options and other school sectors may require travel beyond the suburb boundary, making address-level planning important.
Is Carlton North safe?
Carlton North recorded 488 offences and a crime rate of 79.0 per 1,000 people. Property and deception offences accounted for 390 cases, substantially higher than the 46 crimes against the person. Residents should use normal inner-city precautions, particularly around property security, while assessing the exact street and surrounding activity.
How is Carlton North's population changing?
The suburb has 6,177 residents today, while population change across the wider area is 18.1% over 10 years. The annual growth trend is 2.21% and overseas migration is the primary driver. The trajectory is Mixed: the young share fell 1.9 percentage points, the senior share rose 2.8 points and the working share increased 9.4 points.
What development is happening in Carlton North?
There were 58 development applications over the past 12 months, indicating active planning activity in an established suburb. Recent examples include demolition of existing dwellings and outbuildings, plus a swimming pool and safety barrier application. Because dwelling counts were not specified for these applications, buyers should review the permit details for each address.
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), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), 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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