Carlton (Vic.), VIC
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Carlton is an inner-city suburb of Melbourne, about 3 km north of the central business district within the City of Melbourne. It is best known as the city's 'Little Italy', a tradition centred on the restaurants and cafes of Lygon Street, and for the World Heritage-listed Carlton Gardens, which frame the Royal Exhibition Building and the Melbourne Museum. Rows of Victorian terraces and leafy garden squares give the suburb its character, and the University of Melbourne sits on its southern edge. The name comes from Carlton House, a former royal residence in London. Carlton lies on the traditional land of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the Kulin nation.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Carlton (Vic.) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 84% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1052, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Carlton (Vic.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 16,055
- Median age
- 27
- Median weekly household income
- $1,292
- SEIFA score
- 1052
- Coordinates
- -37.8001, 144.9671
Carlton (Vic.) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Carlton (Vic.) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 45%, 72% of homes are rented, and 58% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 865 | 5% |
| Youth (15–24) | 4,905 | 31% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 7,159 | 45% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,775 | 11% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,344 | 8% |
Share of the 16,048 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 922 | 13% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 695 | 10% |
| Rented | 5,004 | 72% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 93 | 1% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,186 | 17% |
| Flats & apartments | 5,588 | 81% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 6,921 occupied private dwellings in Carlton (Vic.).
- Median weekly rent
- $365
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,898
- Average household size
- 1.8 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,066
- Median weekly personal income
- $659
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 8,807 (58%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 7,656 (51%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 83 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 12,527 (83%)
- Labour-force participation
- 63.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 11.4%
- Employed full-time
- 4,301
- Employed part-time
- 3,526
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Carlton (Vic.)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Carlton (Vic.) is January (average daytime high around 27°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.9°C). The area receives roughly 724 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°C | 14.9°C | 62 mm |
| Feb | 25.8°C | 14.1°C | 32 mm |
| Mar | 24°C | 13.3°C | 47 mm |
| Apr | 20°C | 10.5°C | 62 mm |
| May | 16°C | 8.4°C | 63 mm |
| Jun | 13.4°C | 6.5°C | 63 mm |
| Jul | 12.9°C | 6.1°C | 50 mm |
| Aug | 13.7°C | 6.2°C | 59 mm |
| Sep | 16.3°C | 7.3°C | 65 mm |
| Oct | 19.6°C | 8.8°C | 76 mm |
| Nov | 21.6°C | 10.8°C | 79 mm |
| Dec | 24.5°C | 12.6°C | 66 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Carlton (Vic.)
Where is Carlton (Vic.)?
Carlton (Vic.) is a suburb of Victoria, Australia.
What is the population of Carlton (Vic.)?
At the 2021 Census, Carlton (Vic.) had a population of about 16,055.
Is Carlton (Vic.) an advantaged area?
Carlton (Vic.) has an ABS SEIFA score of 1052, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 84 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 84% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Carlton (Vic.)?
Carlton (Vic.) has average daytime highs of about 19.6°C and overnight lows of about 10°C, with roughly 724 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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