Carnegie
Carnegie combines a median age of 36 with a population of 17,909 packed into 3.69 sq km, creating a density of 4,856.9 people per sq km. Overseas-born residents account for 44.7%, which is 23.1 percentage points above the national figure, while university attainment is 61.4%, or 31.3 points higher than national levels. Compared with a detached-house search in nearby Murrumbeena or Glen Huntly, Carnegie requires closer attention to attached housing, with 42.8% renting and vacancy at 11.8%.
Population
17,909
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,878/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
73
Median House
$1.7M
October to December 2025
Carnegie suits buyers who value a compact, apartment-friendly setting but can manage a premium entry price. Only 32.0% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 39.7% apartments and 28.2% semi-detached homes, so attached housing is more common than detached stock. Mortgage costs are $2,040 monthly, representing 25.1% of household income, higher than the 21.0% rent-to-income share. The 41.8% share of 2-bedroom homes supports smaller households, but buyers should compare buildings carefully because maintenance, parking and noise vary by address.
For Buyers
Carnegie suits buyers who value a compact, apartment-friendly setting but can manage a premium entry price. Only 32.0% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 39.7% apartments and 28.2% semi-detached homes, so attached housing is more common than detached stock. Mortgage costs are $2,040 monthly, representing 25.1% of household income, higher than the 21.0% rent-to-income share. The 41.8% share of 2-bedroom homes supports smaller households, but buyers should compare buildings carefully because maintenance, parking and noise vary by address.
For Investors
Carnegie presents a rental-focused profile that needs careful stock selection. Renting accounts for 42.8% of occupied dwellings, compared with 26.5% owned outright and 29.3% mortgaged, while weekly rent is $395 and vacancy is 11.8%. That combination can give tenants more choice, so investors should distinguish well-maintained buildings from properties exposed to competing supply. Development activity is material, with 70 applications in 12 months, including a rooming house proposal and alterations in overlay areas. Forecast growth is 1.18% annually and is driven by overseas migration. Rent growth of 31.2% is higher than the 13.7% wider-area population change over 10 years, making supply and affordability important counterweights to rental demand.
Development Activity
Total DAs
86
Last 12 Months
73
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1725.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Carnegie
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Carnegie Primary School
Demographics
Carnegie has a younger, highly educated and internationally connected profile. The median age is 36, four years below the national figure, and university attainment is 61.4%, 31.3 percentage points above national levels. Overseas-born residents make up 44.7%, 23.1 points above national, with English ancestry recorded for 4,101 residents, Chinese ancestry for 2,269, Irish for 1,649 and Indian for 1,565. Mandarin is the leading listed language at 594 speakers, followed by Greek at 339. Average household size is 2.2, or 0.3 below national, while couples without children represent 44.6% of families compared with 41.5% with children. This smaller-household pattern helps explain why 2-bedroom dwellings account for 41.8%.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
32.0%
Houses
28.2%
Townhouse
39.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Carnegie's housing market is expensive, attached and tenure-diverse. Apartments account for 39.7%, semi-detached homes 28.2% and separate houses 32.0%, meaning attached housing is more common than detached stock. Renting at 42.8% is higher than outright ownership at 26.5% and mortgage ownership at 29.3%. The 2-bedroom share is 41.8%, ahead of 3-bedroom homes at 26.9%, which fits the 2.2-person average household size and gives Carnegie a different housing profile from a lower-density comparison with nearby Murrumbeena.
Mortgage / mo
$2,040
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (year ending Sep 2025), Homes Victoria bond data (year-ending median). Census 2021 median: $395.
$570
Bond data year ending Sep 2025 · houses $750 · units $595
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,005
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.8%
Unoccupied
1,043
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.5%
Couples with children
44.6%
Couples, no children
11.3%
Single parent
4,636
Total families
Economy & Employment
Carnegie's employment base leans toward knowledge and service work. Professional/Tech is the largest listed industry at 16.7% with 1,355 workers, followed by Healthcare at 15.6% and Education at 12.2%; these are all above Retail at 7.8% and Finance at 7.2%. Occupations reinforce that pattern, with 3,789 Professionals and 1,511 Managers compared with 868 Trades workers. Labour-force participation is 69.0%, unemployment is 4.6% and full-time employment is 62.7%, while household income ranks at the 70.2 percentile nationally.
Unemployment
4.6%
Labour Force
10,649
Unemployed
489
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.7%
Part-time
31.9%
Participation
69.0%
Employed
10,160
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
61.4%
Postgraduate
21.1%
Born Overseas
44.7%
Dwellings
7,800
Transport to Work
Carnegie suits residents who prefer a dense, urban-style setting, with 4,856.9 people per sq km across 3.69 sq km. Public transport is used by 7.4% of residents, 40.4% drive and 46.8% work from home, so daily convenience depends on the exact address and routine. One local school, Carnegie Primary School, provides government primary education; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cut across nearby streets. The suburb records 57.5 offences per 1,000 residents, with 781 property and deception offences compared with 139 crimes against the person. Its IRSAD decile of 9 and IRSD decile of 8 are above the middle of the national scale, while 5.0% need assistance. Apartment density is 39.7%, making building quality, street noise and shared facilities important livability checks.
Drive
40.4%
Public Transport
7.4%
Walk / Cycle
3.0%
Work from Home
46.8%
Population Forecast
+1.18%/yr
(+250 people/yr)
EstablishedCarnegie's established-area outlook is steady rather than explosive. Forecast growth is 1.18% annually, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 13.7% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is Mixed: its gentrification score is 45 at the Active stage, although a separate gentrification measure is 28 with Early signs. The affordability indicator moved from 46.2 in 2011 to 39.1 in 2021 and is labelled Improving, while real income growth reached 26.1% and rent growth reached 31.2%. Rent growth is higher than real income growth in that comparison, which can limit buyer access even as incoming households refresh demand. The COVID dip was 4.5%, followed by a 10.9% recovery.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+734
Net Internal / yr
-180
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +25% since 2011, Net internal outflow -180/yr, Strong overseas inflow +734/yr, COVID recovered (-4% dip → full recovery)
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
1,029
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
57.5
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 Carnegie compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carnegie a good suburb to live in?
Carnegie can suit residents seeking a dense suburb with a younger and highly educated profile. Median age is 36, university attainment is 61.4% and 46.8% work from home. Compared with lower-density areas, its 39.7% apartment share means buyers and renters should inspect building quality, parking and noise before committing.
What schools are in Carnegie?
Carnegie Primary School is the local government primary school. Families should check the exact enrolment zone and current availability, because one nearby school is not the same as guaranteed access. Carnegie has 17,909 residents, so compare school logistics with the exact address rather than relying on suburb boundaries.
Is Carnegie safe?
Carnegie recorded 57.5 offences per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences accounted for 781 incidents, higher than the 139 crimes against the person. Safety can vary by street and time, so compare the immediate address with nearby routes and activity areas rather than treating the suburb-wide rate as uniform.
Is Carnegie good for property investment?
Carnegie may suit investors who understand apartment supply and tenant choice. Renting is 42.8%, weekly rent is $395 and vacancy is 11.8%, compared with 26.5% owned outright and 29.3% mortgaged. Development activity reached 70 applications in 12 months, while forecast growth is 1.18% annually and driven by overseas migration.
How is Carnegie's population changing?
Carnegie's population is 17,909 today, with wider-area population change of 13.7% over 10 years. Forecast growth is 1.18% annually and is driven primarily by overseas migration. The trajectory is Mixed, while the active gentrification score is 45. Compared with a flat-growth setting, these indicators point to continued change, although rent growth of 31.2% may pressure affordability.
What languages are spoken in Carnegie?
Carnegie has an overseas-born share of 44.7%, above the national figure by 23.1 percentage points. Mandarin is the most common listed language other than English at 594 speakers, followed by Greek at 339, Russian at 267 and Hindi at 187. Compared with a less internationally connected suburb, local services may need to accommodate a wider range of language backgrounds.
What development is happening in Carnegie?
Development activity is notable, with 70 applications over 12 months. Recent examples include external dwelling alterations in overlay areas, a proposed rooming house and tree removal. Compared with a low-change established suburb, this level of activity warrants checking planning overlays, construction impacts and future apartment supply before buying. Carnegie's 11.8% vacancy rate makes supply especially relevant to investors.
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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