Carlton North - Princes Hill

Carlton North - Princes Hill is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Carlton North - Princes Hill's population is approximately 8,765 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 579 people, a 7.1% rise from the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 8,186. The change is estimated based on the ABS's June 2024 figure of 8,747 and two validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 3,810 persons per square kilometer, placing Carlton North - Princes Hill in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. The area's 7.1% growth since the census is within 2.6 percentage points of the national average (9.7%), indicating strong growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 86.5% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area, and VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 with adjustments made via weighted aggregation for areas not covered by the former data. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, Carlton North - Princes Hill is expected to experience above median population growth, increasing by 1,774 persons to reach a total of 10,539 by 2041, reflecting a 20.0% gain over the 17-year period.

The level of residential development activity in Carlton North - Princes Hill is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Carlton North - Princes Hill has seen approximately four new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, with 22 approvals between FY21 and FY25, and none so far in FY26. The population has fallen during this period, yet development activity has been adequate relative to population change, which could benefit buyers. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $1,104,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year has seen $39.8 million in commercial approvals registered, suggesting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Carlton North - Princes Hill has significantly lower building activity, at 93.0% below the regional average per person, which typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. However, development activity has increased recently. New development consists of equal parts detached and attached dwellings, promoting higher-density living and creating more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. Despite this, new construction favours detached housing more than current patterns suggest, reflecting ongoing robust demand for family homes. With around 1291 people per approval, Carlton North - Princes Hill is a mature, established area.

By 2041, it is projected to grow by 1,756 residents, and at current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Carlton North - Princes Hill has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 15 projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones are Piedimonte Supermarket Redevelopment, Brenan Place, Edison North Fitzroy, and Liverpool St. The following details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Carlton North - Princes Hill has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Carlton North - Princes Hill has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in the technology sector. Its unemployment rate was 5.9% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 4.0% over the past year. The area had 5,834 residents employed at this time, with an unemployment rate of 1.3% above Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%.

Workforce participation was higher than standard, at 78.4% compared to Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. According to Census responses, 52.6% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. The key industries for employment among Carlton North - Princes Hill residents are professional & technical, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area has a notable specialization in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share twice the regional level (2.0 times).

In contrast, construction employs only 4.0% of local workers, below Greater Melbourne's rate of 9.7%. Analysis of SALM and ABS data from September 2025 shows that employment levels increased by 4.0% during the year, while the labour force grew by 4.7%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.6 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Melbourne, where employment rose by 3.0%, the labour force grew by 3.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Carlton North - Princes Hill's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.3% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, although these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The Carlton North - Princes Hill SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $64,947 and an average income of $105,729 in financial year 2023. These figures are exceptionally high compared to national averages. In Greater Melbourne, the median income was $57,688 with an average income of $75,164. Based on Wage Price Index growth since then, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $70,305 (median) and $114,452 (average). According to census data, household, family, and personal incomes in Carlton North - Princes Hill rank highly nationally, between the 86th and 90th percentiles. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 captures 30.6% of the community (2,682 individuals), which is consistent with broader trends in the area showing 32.8% in the same category. Economic strength is evident with 39.1% of households earning high weekly incomes exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. High housing costs consume 16.4% of income, but strong earnings place disposable income at the 84th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Carlton North - Princes Hill displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Carlton North - Princes Hill had 8.1% houses and 91.9% other dwellings in its dwelling structure as of the latest Census, compared to Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Carlton North - Princes Hill was 30.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 19.4% and rented ones at 49.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,600, higher than Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent was $541, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Carlton North - Princes Hill's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,600 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Carlton North - Princes Hill features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 56.0% of all households, including 18.2% couples with children, 29.5% couples without children, and 6.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 44.0%, with lone person households at 28.3% and group households comprising 15.7%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Carlton North - Princes Hill shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Carlton North - Princes Hill has an educational attainment that exceeds national and state averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 66.0% have university qualifications, compared to 30.4% nationally and 33.4% in Victoria. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 38.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (21.6%) and graduate diplomas (5.6%). Technical qualifications account for 14.1%, with advanced diplomas at 7.4% and certificates at 6.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.7% in tertiary education, 5.1% in primary education, and 4.3% pursuing secondary education.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Carlton North - Princes Hill has 37 active public transport stops serving a mix of light rail and bus routes. These stops are serviced by 11 individual routes, collectively providing 9,411 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 134 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 49%, followed by cycling at 14% and walking at 13%. The area has a lower than average vehicle ownership rate of 0.7 per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 52.6% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 1,344 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 254 weekly trips per individual stop.

Carlton North - Princes Hill's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Carlton North - Princes Hill demonstrates excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups. The rate of private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 73% of the total population (6,407 people), compared to 56.7% in Greater Melbourne and a national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues impacted 11.0% of residents, while asthma affected 9.0%. A significant portion, 69.3%, declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.6% across Greater Melbourne. The under-65 population had better than average health outcomes. The area has 16.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,433 people), higher than the 14.9% in Greater Melbourne. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Carlton North - Princes Hill was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Carlton North-Princes Hill has a higher than average cultural diversity, with 23.4% of its population born overseas and 14.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Carlton North-Princes Hill, comprising 28.4% of the population. Notably, Judaism is slightly overrepresented at 1.1%, compared to Greater Melbourne's average of 1.0%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (24.7%), Australian (17.9%), and Irish (12.7%), which is significantly higher than the regional average of 6.5%. Some other ethnic groups also show notable differences: Italian at 8.0% (regional average 5.2%), French at 0.8% (0.5%), and Polish at 1.0% (0.8%).

Carlton North - Princes Hill hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

Carlton North - Princes Hill has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Carlton North - Princes Hill has a higher proportion of residents aged 25-34 (29.6%), but fewer residents aged 5-14 (5.5%). This concentration of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the censuses of 2016 and 2021, the area's median age decreased by one year to 33 from 34. During this period, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 increased from 26.2% to 29.6%, while those aged 75-84 rose from 4.8% to 6.0%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 45-54 decreased from 10.5% to 8.5%, and those aged 5-14 fell from 7.0% to 5.5%. By 2041, demographic projections suggest significant changes in Carlton North - Princes Hill's age profile. The 45-54 age cohort is expected to grow by 338 people (46%), increasing from 742 to 1,081. Meanwhile, the number of residents aged 15-24 is projected to decrease.