Carlton vs Fitzroy North

Carlton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 27 against 36 in Fitzroy North. In Carlton, the large majority of households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. In Fitzroy North, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Fitzroy North: a median of $1.6 million, against $1.27 million in Carlton, and rent is higher there too. Carlton is closer to the city centre: 2 km, against 4.7 km. On these figures, Carlton tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Fitzroy North

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (14% vs 1%)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (8 vs 3)
  • is already more of a family suburb (35% vs 15%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Carlton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($430,000 vs $620,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,275,000 vs $1,600,000)
  • But Fitzroy North leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 34%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Carlton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (76% vs 51%)
  • has cheaper rent ($365/wk vs $481/wk)
  • But Fitzroy North leaves renters under less rental stress (21% vs 28%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Carlton

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (15% vs 6%)
  • sits closer to the CBD (2 km vs 4.7 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (6 min vs 13 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Fitzroy North

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (10 vs 5)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 8%)
  • carries lower crime risk (81/100 vs 93/100)
  • But Carlton has more units and townhouses to downsize into (99% vs 86%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Fitzroy North

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (3.6% vs -13.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Carlton and Fitzroy North drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Carlton Fitzroy North
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Carlton Fitzroy North
Walkability 99 / 99
Carlton — Walkability: 99/100 Fitzroy North — Walkability: 99/100
Safety 7 / 19
Carlton — Safety: 7/100 Fitzroy North — Safety: 19/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Carlton — Low fire risk: 100/100 Fitzroy North — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 71 / 65
Carlton — Low flood risk: 71/100 Fitzroy North — Low flood risk: 65/100

Demographics

Fitzroy North has higher household incomes ($119,600 vs $67,184); Fitzroy North skews older (36 vs 27).

Carlton Fitzroy North
Population 16,055
+20% vs other
 12,781
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -13.4% +3.6%
Median age 27 36
Median household income $67,184/yr $119,600/yr
+78% vs other
Median weekly rent $365/wk $481/wk
+32% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Carlton Fitzroy North
0-4 1.9% / 4.1%
Carlton — 0-4: 1.9% Fitzroy North — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 3.5% / 8.1%
Carlton — 5-14: 3.5% Fitzroy North — 5-14: 8.1%
15-19 6.3% / 3.5%
Carlton — 15-19: 6.3% Fitzroy North — 15-19: 3.5%
20-24 24.2% / 6.6%
Carlton — 20-24: 24.2% Fitzroy North — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 33.8% / 24.7%
Carlton — 25-34: 33.8% Fitzroy North — 25-34: 24.7%
35-44 10.8% / 15.4%
Carlton — 35-44: 10.8% Fitzroy North — 35-44: 15.4%
45-54 6.0% / 12.1%
Carlton — 45-54: 6.0% Fitzroy North — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 5.0% / 9.8%
Carlton — 55-64: 5.0% Fitzroy North — 55-64: 9.8%
65-74 4.2% / 8.2%
Carlton — 65-74: 4.2% Fitzroy North — 65-74: 8.2%
75-84 2.8% / 5.2%
Carlton — 75-84: 2.8% Fitzroy North — 75-84: 5.2%
85+ 1.4% / 2.3%
Carlton — 85+: 1.4% Fitzroy North — 85+: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (33.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Carlton 57.7% lone person
Carlton — Lone Person: 57.7% Carlton — Group Household: 23.2% Carlton — Couple Families: 8.8% Carlton — One Parent Families: 6.4% Carlton — Other Families: 3.8%
Fitzroy North 46.8% lone person
Fitzroy North — Lone Person: 46.8% Fitzroy North — Group Household: 16.6% Fitzroy North — Couple Families: 26.5% Fitzroy North — One Parent Families: 8.7% Fitzroy North — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Group Household Couple Families One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Carlton 75.6% renting
Carlton — Owned Outright: 13.9% Carlton — Mortgage: 10.5% Carlton — Renting: 75.6%
Fitzroy North 50.6% renting
Fitzroy North — Owned Outright: 26.5% Fitzroy North — Mortgage: 23.0% Fitzroy North — Renting: 50.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Carlton Fitzroy North
Bachelor Degree 29.7% / 30.8%
Carlton — Bachelor Degree: 29.7% Fitzroy North — Bachelor Degree: 30.8%
Postgraduate Degree 17.9% / 16.0%
Carlton — Postgraduate Degree: 17.9% Fitzroy North — Postgraduate Degree: 16.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.2% / 6.2%
Carlton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2% Fitzroy North — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Certificate III & IV 4.0% / 4.7%
Carlton — Certificate III & IV: 4.0% Fitzroy North — Certificate III & IV: 4.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 5.2%
Carlton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Fitzroy North — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.8%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Carlton Fitzroy North
China 14.0% / 0.9%
Carlton — China: 14.0% Fitzroy North — China: 0.9%
England 2.1% / 4.7%
Carlton — England: 2.1% Fitzroy North — England: 4.7%
India 5.0% / —
Carlton — India: 5.0% Fitzroy North — India: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.9% / 2.8%
Carlton — New Zealand: 1.9% Fitzroy North — New Zealand: 2.8%
Malaysia 3.9% / —
Carlton — Malaysia: 3.9% Fitzroy North — Malaysia: not among its largest
Italy 1.3% / 1.9%
Carlton — Italy: 1.3% Fitzroy North — Italy: 1.9%
Vietnam 2.0% / 0.8%
Carlton — Vietnam: 2.0% Fitzroy North — Vietnam: 0.8%
Greece — / 0.9%
Carlton — Greece: not among its largest Fitzroy North — Greece: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Carlton 81.5% flats / apartments
Carlton — Flats / Apartments: 81.5% Carlton — Townhouses: 17.1% Carlton — Houses: 1.3%
Fitzroy North 37.1% flats / apartments
Fitzroy North — Flats / Apartments: 37.1% Fitzroy North — Townhouses: 48.6% Fitzroy North — Houses: 14.3%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Carlton Fitzroy North
Median house price $1,275,000 $1,600,000
Median unit price $430,000 $620,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 39 sales
 23 days
from 113 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Carlton Fitzroy North
2 bed $1.11M / $1.36M
Carlton — 2 bed: $1.11M (24 sales) Fitzroy North — 2 bed: $1.36M (78 sales)

24 vs 78 sales

3 bed $1.53M / $1.7M
Carlton — 3 bed: $1.53M (16 sales) Fitzroy North — 3 bed: $1.7M (77 sales)

16 vs 77 sales

4 bed $1.72M / $2.15M
Carlton — 4 bed: $1.72M (13 sales) Fitzroy North — 4 bed: $2.15M (40 sales)

13 vs 40 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Carlton Fitzroy North
1 bed $283K / $429K
Carlton — 1 bed: $283K (136 sales) Fitzroy North — 1 bed: $429K (44 sales)

136 vs 44 sales

2 bed $574K / $689K
Carlton — 2 bed: $574K (140 sales) Fitzroy North — 2 bed: $689K (64 sales)

140 vs 64 sales

3 bed $950K / $1.15M
Carlton — 3 bed: $950K (13 sales) Fitzroy North — 3 bed: $1.15M (10 sales)

13 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Carlton has more commercially zoned land (20% vs 3%).

Carlton Fitzroy North
Residential 54% 73%
Commercial 20% 3%
Parks and recreation 13% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 12% 11%
Other and special use 2% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Carlton Fitzroy North
New dwellings approved 4,715
across Melbourne
 1,675
across Yarra
Approvals change year on year +195% +646%

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Carlton Fitzroy North
Houses 3.4%
$995/wk on $1.5M
 3.5%
$1,050/wk on $1.57M
Units 6.2%
$500/wk on $420K
 6.4%
$775/wk on $625K

Ranking within VIC

Carlton Fitzroy North
House price Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Income Higher than 28% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Schools Higher than 29% of VIC Higher than 39% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 100% of VIC Higher than 99% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 3% of VIC Higher than 18% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 33% of VIC Higher than 34% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC

Liveability

Fitzroy North scores higher overall (74 vs 61).

Carlton Fitzroy North
Grade B A
Score 61/100 74/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Carlton carries more crime risk (93 vs 81).

Carlton Fitzroy North
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
93/100
 High
81/100
Flood Low
29/100
 Low
35/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 24
within 5 km
 18
within 5 km

Schools

Carlton Fitzroy North
Inside the suburb 3 8
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 1 3
Universities within 10 km 3
Australian Catholic University-Melbourne Campus, 1.0 km
 3
Australian Catholic University-Melbourne Campus, 1.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 19.5% 3.3%

Schools in Carlton

  • Carlton Gardens Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Carlton Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Saints College - BlendED Campus Catholic · Secondary · Special school

Schools in Fitzroy North

  • Fitzroy Community School Independent · Primary above peers
  • Merri Creek Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Deutsche Schule Melbourne Independent · Primary below peers
  • Fitzroy High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Fitzroy North Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Fitzroy High School - Wurun Senior Campus Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Carlton Fitzroy North
Supermarkets 8 3
Cafes & restaurants 155 46
Parks & reserves 18 21
Childcare 11 9
GPs 5 10
Pharmacies 4 2
Banks & Bank@Post 5 1
Fuel stations 3
same for both
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Fitzroy North sits further from the CBD (4.7 km vs 2 km).

Carlton Fitzroy North
Walkability score 99/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 2 km 4.7 km
+135% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 6 min 13 min
Public transport score 81/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 615.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 351.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 3053
 2.5%
postcode 3068
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 2
postcode 3053
 16
postcode 3068

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Carlton Fitzroy North
Worked from Home 43.7% / 56.1%
Carlton — Worked from Home: 43.7% Fitzroy North — Worked from Home: 56.1%
Car (driver) 17.5% / 23.3%
Carlton — Car (driver): 17.5% Fitzroy North — Car (driver): 23.3%
Walked Only 16.3% / 5.4%
Carlton — Walked Only: 16.3% Fitzroy North — Walked Only: 5.4%
Tram / Light Rail 9.8% / 4.9%
Carlton — Tram / Light Rail: 9.8% Fitzroy North — Tram / Light Rail: 4.9%
Bicycle 4.0% / 6.8%
Carlton — Bicycle: 4.0% Fitzroy North — Bicycle: 6.8%
Train 5.4% / 1.3%
Carlton — Train: 5.4% Fitzroy North — Train: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.1%).

Setting

Carlton Fitzroy North
Elevation 53 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.5 km 7.8 km

NBN connectivity

Carlton Fitzroy North
Connectivity score 94/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 84%
14,751 premises
 6%
7,088 premises

Climate

Carlton Fitzroy North
Annual rainfall 534 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Carlton Fitzroy North
PM2.5 7.9 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Carlton Fitzroy North
Average residential rate $2,345/yr $1,937/yr
Council Melbourne Yarra

Federal electorate

Carlton Fitzroy North
Division Melbourne Wills
Member Sarah Witty Peter Khalil
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Carlton Fitzroy North
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Carlton

Affordable Apartments Inner Multicultural Parks Professionals Students Trams Transport Hub Urban

Fitzroy North

Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Inner Nightlife Parks Premium Professionals River Townhouses Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Carlton

Carlton vs Melbourne Carlton vs Fitzroy Carlton vs Parkville Carlton vs Carlton North Carlton vs East Melbourne

Other comparisons with Fitzroy North

Fitzroy North vs Northcote Fitzroy North vs Brunswick East Fitzroy North vs Fitzroy Fitzroy North vs Collingwood Fitzroy North vs Clifton Hill Fitzroy North vs Carlton North
Full data on Carlton Full data on Fitzroy North
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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