Carlton
Compared with more house-based Carlton North and quieter Parkville, Carlton is vertical, dense and renter-heavy. Its standout feature is 9,056.3 people per sq km across only 1.77 sq km, with a median age of 27, 13 years below the national benchmark. Renters make up 75.6% of households and apartments 80.9% of dwellings, while separate houses are only 1.3%, so demand is shaped by students, hospital workers and city-edge renters rather than conventional family buyers.
Population
16,055
Median Age
27.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,292/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
241
For homebuyers, Carlton is a compact, apartment-first market rather than a detached-house suburb. The latest recorded house median is $1,394,500, 14.2% below the 2018 peak of $1,625,000 but 39.1% higher than the 2013 level. Only 1.3% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 80.9% apartments and 17.2% semi-detached homes. Small households dominate because 32.8% of homes have 0 to 1 bedrooms and 47.6% have 2 bedrooms; mortgage costs at 33.9% of income indicate pressure for buyers using debt.
For Buyers
For homebuyers, Carlton is a compact, apartment-first market rather than a detached-house suburb. The latest recorded house median is $1,394,500, 14.2% below the 2018 peak of $1,625,000 but 39.1% higher than the 2013 level. Only 1.3% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 80.9% apartments and 17.2% semi-detached homes. Small households dominate because 32.8% of homes have 0 to 1 bedrooms and 47.6% have 2 bedrooms; mortgage costs at 33.9% of income indicate pressure for buyers using debt.
For Investors
Carlton's investor appeal is driven by renter depth, but the vacancy risk is higher than in tighter inner-city markets. Renters account for 75.6% of households and median weekly rent is $365, with rent using 28.3% of household income. The 29.6% vacancy rate is a major caution, likely reflecting student-cycle stock and short-stay or transition supply. Development activity is also above a quiet suburb, with 232 applications in 12 months, while overseas migration averages +2,515 people a year compared with net internal movement of -468.
Development Activity
Total DAs
351
Last 12 Months
241
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+134.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$3.2M
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Carlton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Carlton Gardens Primary School
Prep-6 · 435 students
Carlton Primary School
Prep-6 · 114 students
Demographics
Carlton's population skews younger, more educated and more international than the national average. The median age is 27, 13 years below the national benchmark, while 68.6% hold a university qualification, 38.5 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 58.4%, with Chinese ancestry the largest count at 3,964, followed by English at 3,110. Mandarin is the leading non-English language with 1,172 speakers, and Christianity, Islam and Buddhism record 3,301, 1,141 and 968 people, reflecting a student and migrant intake tied to nearby universities.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
1.3%
Houses
17.2%
Townhouse
80.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing in Carlton is weighted far more toward compact rentals than family ownership. The latest house median of $1,394,500 sits below the $1,625,000 peak reached in 2018, after rising 39.1% from the 2013 level of $1,002,500. Ownership is limited: 13.9% own outright and 10.5% have a mortgage, compared with 75.6% renting. The dwelling mix explains that pattern because 80.9% are apartments, 47.6% have 2 bedrooms and only 4.8% have 4 or more bedrooms, unlike more house-based pockets north of Brunswick Road.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,898
Rent / wk
$365
HH Size
1.8
Personal Income / wk
$659
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
29.6%
Unoccupied
2,909
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
33.9% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
48.9%
Couples, no children
6,087
Total families
Economy & Employment
Carlton's economy has a high-skill core but lower household resources than its education profile suggests. Professional/Tech is the largest industry at 19.3% or 1,262 workers, followed by Healthcare at 13.9%, Education at 13.3%, Hospitality at 10.8% and Retail at 6.8%. Professionals are the largest occupation with 3,513 people, yet unemployment is 12.3% and participation is 58.7%, partly because students lift non-working counts. SEIFA is split: IEO decile 10 and IRSAD decile 8 sit above average, while IER decile 1 and IRSD decile 3 are lower, showing education strength alongside constrained incomes.
Unemployment
6.7%
Labour Force
16,266
Unemployed
1,086
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.0%
Part-time
32.7%
Participation
58.7%
Employed
7,827
Occupations
Top Industries
University
68.6%
Postgraduate
25.8%
Born Overseas
58.4%
Dwellings
6,905
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for people who value walking access over quiet residential space. Walking or cycling accounts for 47.0% of commutes, higher than the 40.6% who drive and well above the 9.1% using public transport, because the CBD, universities and hospitals sit close by. The local school base is small, with 2 government primary schools led by Carlton Gardens Primary School at ICSEA 1133 and 435 enrolments; the ICSEA range is 957 to 1133. Safety is the trade-off: crime is 177.3 per 1,000 residents, while IRSAD decile 8 sits above average for advantage.
Drive
40.6%
Public Transport
9.1%
Walk / Cycle
47.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.21%/yr
(+559 people/yr)
EstablishedCarlton's growth outlook is positive but uneven. The trend forecast adds 2.21% a year, or about 559 people annually, taking the medium path from 23,862 in 2026 to 26,654 in 2031. Migration is the main engine: overseas migration averages +2,515 people a year, far higher than the net internal outflow of -468. The gentrification score is 20 and the stage is Early signs, which fits a suburb where demand is strong but churn is high. A recovered COVID dip also matters, with population falling 18.9% before rebounding 39.2% to 23,758.
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
2,846
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
177.3
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 compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carlton a good suburb to live in?
Yes, if you want a dense inner-Melbourne lifestyle with walking access. Walking or cycling accounts for 47.0% of commutes, but the trade-off is a high crime rate of 177.3 per 1,000 residents.
What is the median house price in Carlton?
Carlton's latest recorded house median is $1,394,500 in Apr-Jun 2024. That is 14.2% below the 2018 peak of $1,625,000 but 39.1% higher than the 2013 level.
What schools are in Carlton?
Carlton has 2 local government primary schools. Carlton Gardens Primary School has ICSEA 1133 and 435 enrolments, while Carlton Primary School has ICSEA 957 and 114 enrolments.
Is Carlton safe?
Carlton has a high recorded crime rate of 177.3 offences per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category with 2,161 incidents, followed by 299 crimes against the person.
Is Carlton good for property investment?
Carlton has deep rental demand, with 75.6% of households renting and median rent at $365 per week. Investors should weigh that against a very high 29.6% vacancy rate and 232 recent development applications.
How is Carlton's population changing?
Carlton is forecast to grow by 2.21% a year, or about 559 people annually. Overseas migration is the key driver at +2,515 people a year, offset by net internal movement of -468.
What languages are spoken in Carlton?
Carlton has a strongly international profile, with 58.4% of residents born overseas. Mandarin is the largest listed language with 1,172 speakers, followed by Canton with 217 and Hindi with 150.
Is there much development in Carlton?
Yes. Carlton recorded 232 development applications over 12 months, including building permits and planning permits. That level of activity matters because apartments already make up 80.9% of dwellings.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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