Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Carlton
2 km²
Far more than half of the people in Carlton do not identify with any religion, reflecting a highly secular community. It is a remarkably young and educated area, with a typical resident aged just 27 and over half of adults holding a university degree. This mix of young professionals and students creates a transient, global atmosphere, with many residents born overseas and a high proportion living alone in apartments. The neighborhood is a walker's paradise where almost no one needs a car for daily life.
Carlton's schools draw a more advantaged community than local incomes would suggest.
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The area is far younger than the national figure, with a typical age of 27 and very few children under 15. It has grown by 18% since 2011 and sees a much higher rate of de facto relationships than most similar areas.
Carlton is very diverse, with 54.7% of people born overseas—far above the national figure of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are Chinese, English, and Australian.
Many residents speak a language other than English at home, at 47.5%, which is far above the national figure. Mandarin is the most common non-English language spoken.
No religion is the most common affiliation at 52.0%, a figure that has risen 18 points since 2011 and is far above the national average.
The community is highly qualified, with 52.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, far above the Australian average of 26.3%. Year 12 completion is also among the highest for similar areas at 82.7%.
Typical household incomes are much lower than the national figure at $1,289 a week, though this has risen $700 since 2011. A high proportion of households earn under $650 weekly.
Residents are generally healthier than average, with long-term health conditions reported well below the national figure. However, mental health conditions are a little more common here than in the rest of Australia.
Volunteer rates are well above the national figure, while unpaid care for children and housework is among the lowest at this level, consistent with the small number of families with children.
There are 95 First Nations people in the area. Year 12 completion among this group is far above the national figure, though the unemployment rate is well above the national average.
The area is dominated by people living alone, at 45.4%, which is far above the national figure. This explains why the typical home has only 1.8 people.
Renting is very common, with 72.3% of households renting, far above the national figure. The housing stock is almost entirely flats or apartments, with only 1.3% of homes being separate houses.
Almost half of homes have no motor vehicle, and 35.7% of the workforce now works from home. Public transport use is well above the national average, with a very high number of weekly departures per 1,000 people.
The population is highly mobile, with 69.7% of people moving in the last five years. This is far above the national figure and is partly driven by a high number of recent overseas arrivals.
Unemployment is well above the national figure at 11.5%, and full-time employment is well below average. Many residents work in professional, technical, or hospitality roles.
Carlton ranks as very high for education and job skills but very low for direct access to money and resources. Overall, it is more advantaged than about 72% of similar areas.
The area is slightly wetter than the Victorian average and has minimum temperatures that are well above the state figure.
This is a walker's paradise with a score of 9.8. Every single home is within a 15-minute walk of public transport, parks, groceries, health services, and schools.