Carnegie
Carnegie fits 17,909 residents into just 3.69 sq km, a density of 4,856.9 people per sq km that is higher than many middle-ring Melbourne suburbs. Its premium pricing is clear in the $1,700,000 median house price, while the built form is more mixed than nearby Murrumbeena or Glen Huntly, with 32.0% separate houses, 39.7% apartments and 28.2% semi-detached homes. The suburb skews educated and global, with university attainment 31.3 percentage points above the national rate and 44.7% born overseas.
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
42
Median House
$1.7M
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are paying for access and scarcity: the median house price is $1,700,000, and detached houses make up only 32.0% of dwellings, so family-sized stock is more limited than the apartment supply. Prices sit 6.0% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak of $1,808,000 but remain 96.5% above the 2013 level. Mortgage costs are manageable for many locals because mortgage payments take 25.1% of income, below common stress thresholds, while 41.8% of homes have 2 bedrooms and 26.9% have 3.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are paying for access and scarcity: the median house price is $1,700,000, and detached houses make up only 32.0% of dwellings, so family-sized stock is more limited than the apartment supply. Prices sit 6.0% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak of $1,808,000 but remain 96.5% above the 2013 level. Mortgage costs are manageable for many locals because mortgage payments take 25.1% of income, below common stress thresholds, while 41.8% of homes have 2 bedrooms and 26.9% have 3.
For Investors
Investors get a deep tenant market but must allow for leasing competition. Renting accounts for 43.4% of households, above the ownership shares of 26.9% outright and 29.7% with a mortgage, and weekly rent is $395. The caution is vacancy: 11.8% is high, so pricing and presentation matter more than in tighter markets. Development activity is also active, with 27 applications in 12 months, while forecast overseas migration of 734 people a year supports demand compared with the internal outflow of 180 a year.
Development Activity
Total DAs
55
Last 12 Months
42
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+600.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Carnegie iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Carnegie Primary School
Prep-6 · 566 students
Demographics
Carnegie is younger, more educated and more international than the national baseline. The median age is 36, which is 4.0 years below national, while 61.4% hold a university qualification, 31.3 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 44.7%, 23.1 points above national, helping explain the mix of Chinese, Indian, English and Irish ancestry. Household size is 2.2, lower than national by 0.3, because apartments and 2-bedroom homes are common across the suburb.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
32.0%
Houses
28.2%
Townhouse
39.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Carnegie's housing market has moved from $865,000 in 2013 to $1,700,000 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 96.5% rise across 14 years and a 4.9% CAGR. The latest price is below the $1,808,000 peak in Apr-Jun 2023 by 6.0%, so buyers are entering after some cooling rather than at the top. The tenure mix is balanced toward mobility, with 43.4% renting, 29.7% mortgaged and 26.9% owned outright. Compared with more detached-house suburbs nearby, its 39.7% apartment share keeps smaller households well represented.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,040
Rent / wk
$395
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
32.9%
Couples, no children
12,648
Total families
Economy & Employment
Carnegie's workforce is white-collar and relatively high income. Professional/Tech leads at 16.7% of workers, followed by Healthcare at 15.6%, Education at 12.2%, Retail at 7.8% and Finance at 7.2%. Occupations follow the same pattern, with 3,789 professionals and 1,511 managers. The household income percentile is 70.2, above average, while SEIFA shows advantage in education and occupation with an IEO decile of 9 and IRSAD decile of 9. The lower IER decile of 4 reflects mixed economic resources, likely linked to the large renter and apartment base.
Unemployment
4.2%
Labour Force
13,564
Unemployed
573
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.3%
Part-time
28.9%
Participation
65.5%
Employed
9,612
Occupations
Top Industries
University
61.4%
Postgraduate
21.1%
Born Overseas
44.7%
Dwellings
7,800
Transport to Work
Daily life is compact but still car-oriented: 76.9% drive to work, compared with 12.9% using public transport and 5.8% walking or cycling. Schooling inside the suburb is anchored by Carnegie Primary School, a Government primary with 566 enrolments and an ICSEA of 1146, which is above the national average benchmark of 1000. Safety is mixed rather than low-risk, with 1,029 recorded offences and a crime rate of 57.5 per 1,000 residents; property and deception offences dominate at 781 incidents, so apartment security and parking matter.
Drive
76.9%
Public Transport
12.9%
Walk / Cycle
5.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.18%/yr
(+250 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than explosive. The trend forecast is 1.18% a year, equal to about 250 residents annually, with the medium scenario rising from 21,032 in 2026 to 22,283 in 2031. Overseas migration is the main driver, adding an average 734 people a year, which more than offsets net internal loss of 180 a year. The suburb has recovered from a 4.5% COVID dip and is now 10.9% above the low. Gentrification is classed as Early signs with a score of 28, lower than a full upgrade cycle, because affordability has improved from 46.2 to 39.1.
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 suits buyers who want a dense, well-educated inner south-east setting. It has 17,909 residents, a median age of 36 and household income in the 70.2 percentile, with apartment and townhouse options sitting alongside detached homes.
What is the median house price in Carnegie?
The median house price in Carnegie is $1,700,000 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 6.0% below the Apr-Jun 2023 peak of $1,808,000, but still 96.5% above the 2013 median of $865,000.
What schools are in Carnegie?
Carnegie Primary School is the listed school within the suburb. It is a Government primary school with 566 enrolments and an ICSEA of 1146, which sits above the national benchmark of 1000.
Is Carnegie safe?
Carnegie recorded 1,029 offences, equal to 57.5 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences were the largest category with 781 incidents, followed by 139 crimes against the person.
Is Carnegie good for property investment?
Carnegie has investor appeal through its 43.4% renter share and $395 weekly rent, but the 11.8% vacancy rate is high. That means investors need to compare stock quality carefully before relying on fast leasing.
How is Carnegie's population changing?
Carnegie is forecast to grow at 1.18% a year, or about 250 residents annually. The medium scenario reaches 22,283 people by 2031, driven mainly by overseas migration of 734 people a year.
What languages are spoken in Carnegie?
Carnegie has a strong multilingual profile, with 44.7% of residents born overseas. Mandarin is the largest listed non-English language at 594 speakers, followed by Greek at 339 and Russian at 267.
Is there much development happening in Carnegie?
Development activity is active, with 27 applications recorded over 12 months. Recent proposals include fence works, tree removal and amendments to endorsed plans, indicating ongoing small-site change rather than only major projects.
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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