Kogarah Bay vs Carlton

Carlton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 44 in Kogarah Bay. In both, most households own their home. In Kogarah Bay, the large majority of homes are detached houses and most households are couple families. In Carlton, about half of homes are flats or apartments and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Kogarah Bay: a median of $2.41 million, against $1.8 million in Carlton, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Kogarah Bay tends to suit couples, while Carlton suits buyers on a tighter budget.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Kogarah Bay has more separate houses rather than flats (97% vs 47%)
  • Carlton has more childcare (7 vs 1)

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 ($810,000 vs $1,150,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,805,000 vs $2,407,500)

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 (39% vs 14%)
  • has cheaper rent ($450/wk vs $650/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Carlton

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (11% vs 2%)
  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 75/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Carlton

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (53% vs 4%)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 75/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Kogarah Bay Carlton
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.

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Walkability 75 / 94
Kogarah Bay — Walkability: 75/100 Carlton — Walkability: 94/100
Safety 67 / 61
Kogarah Bay — Safety: 67/100 Carlton — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Kogarah Bay — Low fire risk: 100/100 Carlton — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Carlton has more residents (10,631 vs 2,102); Kogarah Bay rents higher ($650/wk vs $450/wk).

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Population 2,102 10,631
+406% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.0% -0.8%
Median age 44 38
Median household income $131,456/yr
+26% vs other
 $96,720/yr
Median weekly rent $650/wk
+31% vs other
 $450/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Kogarah Bay Carlton
0-4 4.0% / 5.1%
Kogarah Bay — 0-4: 4.0% Carlton — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 12.5% / 10.4%
Kogarah Bay — 5-14: 12.5% Carlton — 5-14: 10.4%
15-19 7.1% / 5.1%
Kogarah Bay — 15-19: 7.1% Carlton — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 6.5% / 7.2%
Kogarah Bay — 20-24: 6.5% Carlton — 20-24: 7.2%
25-34 9.8% / 16.2%
Kogarah Bay — 25-34: 9.8% Carlton — 25-34: 16.2%
35-44 10.5% / 14.8%
Kogarah Bay — 35-44: 10.5% Carlton — 35-44: 14.8%
45-54 15.3% / 12.5%
Kogarah Bay — 45-54: 15.3% Carlton — 45-54: 12.5%
55-64 15.3% / 12.4%
Kogarah Bay — 55-64: 15.3% Carlton — 55-64: 12.4%
65-74 9.3% / 9.3%
Kogarah Bay — 65-74: 9.3% Carlton — 65-74: 9.3%
75-84 6.9% / 4.9%
Kogarah Bay — 75-84: 6.9% Carlton — 75-84: 4.9%
85+ 2.9% / 1.9%
Kogarah Bay — 85+: 2.9% Carlton — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Kogarah Bay 62.4% couple families
Kogarah Bay — Couple Families: 62.4% Kogarah Bay — Lone Person: 18.1% Kogarah Bay — One Parent Families: 15.1% Kogarah Bay — Group Household: 2.6% Kogarah Bay — Other Families: 1.8%
Carlton 47.3% couple families
Carlton — Couple Families: 47.3% Carlton — Lone Person: 29.2% Carlton — One Parent Families: 15.6% Carlton — Group Household: 5.7% Carlton — Other Families: 2.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Kogarah Bay 13.9% renting
Kogarah Bay — Owned Outright: 47.0% Kogarah Bay — Mortgage: 39.2% Kogarah Bay — Renting: 13.9%
Carlton 38.6% renting
Carlton — Owned Outright: 31.8% Carlton — Mortgage: 29.7% Carlton — Renting: 38.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Bachelor Degree 17.4% / 18.7%
Kogarah Bay — Bachelor Degree: 17.4% Carlton — Bachelor Degree: 18.7%
Certificate III & IV 11.3% / 8.5%
Kogarah Bay — Certificate III & IV: 11.3% Carlton — Certificate III & IV: 8.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 8.9%
Kogarah Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Carlton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 6.5% / 7.9%
Kogarah Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 6.5% Carlton — Postgraduate Degree: 7.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 1.5%
Kogarah Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Carlton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).

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.

Kogarah Bay Carlton
China 4.9% / 11.3%
Kogarah Bay — China: 4.9% Carlton — China: 11.3%
Greece 4.5% / 2.4%
Kogarah Bay — Greece: 4.5% Carlton — Greece: 2.4%
Nepal — / 5.5%
Kogarah Bay — Nepal: not among its largest Carlton — Nepal: 5.5%
Lebanon 1.4% / 1.9%
Kogarah Bay — Lebanon: 1.4% Carlton — Lebanon: 1.9%
Egypt 2.9% / —
Kogarah Bay — Egypt: 2.9% Carlton — Egypt: not among its largest
Philippines — / 2.9%
Kogarah Bay — Philippines: not among its largest Carlton — Philippines: 2.9%
Italy 2.1% / —
Kogarah Bay — Italy: 2.1% Carlton — Italy: not among its largest
England 1.5% / —
Kogarah Bay — England: 1.5% Carlton — England: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Kogarah Bay 96.7% houses
Kogarah Bay — Houses: 96.7% Kogarah Bay — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Kogarah Bay — Townhouses: 4.1%
Carlton 46.6% houses
Carlton — Houses: 46.6% Carlton — Flats / Apartments: 47.2% Carlton — Townhouses: 6.2%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Median house price $2,407,500 $1,805,000
Median unit price $1,150,000 $810,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 27 days
from 15 sales
 24 days
from 46 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.

Kogarah Bay Carlton
3 bed $2M / $1.7M
Kogarah Bay — 3 bed: $2M (13 sales) Carlton — 3 bed: $1.7M (38 sales)

13 vs 38 sales

4 bed $2.34M / $1.95M
Kogarah Bay — 4 bed: $2.34M (15 sales) Carlton — 4 bed: $1.95M (13 sales)

15 vs 13 sales

5 bed $2.88M / $1.92M
Kogarah Bay — 5 bed: $2.88M (11 sales) Carlton — 5 bed: $1.92M (10 sales)

11 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Residential 86% 82%
Parks and recreation 12% 3%
Industrial 0% 6%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 5%
Commercial 0% 4%
Environmental 1% 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

Kogarah Bay Carlton
New dwellings approved 920
across Georges River
same for both
Approvals change year on year +91%
same for both

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.

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Houses — 2.4%
$870/wk on $1.89M
Units — 5.1%
$780/wk on $798K

Ranking within NSW

Kogarah Bay Carlton
House price Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 82% of NSW
Income Higher than 89% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 98% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 19% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 85% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 5% of NSW
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 70% of NSW

Liveability

Carlton is more walkable (94 vs 75).

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Grade A
same for both
Score 82/100 78/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
33/100
 Low
39/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km None 1
Western Sydney University - Bankstown City, 10.0 km

Schools in Kogarah Bay

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Carlton

  • Carlton South Public School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 4 9
Childcare 1 7
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 4

Mobility

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Walkability score 75/100 94/100
Distance to Sydney 20.8 km
+2% vs other
 20.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 28 min 27 min
Public transport score 77/100
Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 62.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 91.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 2217
 0.9%
postcode 2218
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 12
postcode 2217
 13
postcode 2218

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.

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Worked from Home 50.1% / 41.9%
Kogarah Bay — Worked from Home: 50.1% Carlton — Worked from Home: 41.9%
Car (driver) 43.2% / 38.2%
Kogarah Bay — Car (driver): 43.2% Carlton — Car (driver): 38.2%
Train 2.0% / 11.4%
Kogarah Bay — Train: 2.0% Carlton — Train: 11.4%
Car (passenger) 3.1% / 3.9%
Kogarah Bay — Car (passenger): 3.1% Carlton — Car (passenger): 3.9%
Walked Only 1.1% / 3.9%
Kogarah Bay — Walked Only: 1.1% Carlton — Walked Only: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.1%).

Setting

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Elevation 19 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 38 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.2 km
4.2 km to a named beach
 2.8 km

NBN connectivity

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Connectivity score 78/100 84/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 13%
814 premises
 23%
4,424 premises

Climate

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Annual rainfall 1,129 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Kogarah Bay Carlton
PM2.5 6.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 16.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.79 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Average residential rate $1,381/yr
same for both
Council Georges River
same for both

Federal electorate

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Division Barton
same for both
Member Ash Ambihaipahar
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Kogarah Bay Carlton
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Kogarah Bay

Coastal Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Premium Quiet Urban

Carlton

Apartments Coastal Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Kogarah Bay

Kogarah Bay vs Sans Souci Kogarah Bay vs Blakehurst Kogarah Bay vs Beverley Park Kogarah Bay vs Carss Park

Other comparisons with Carlton

Carlton vs Hurstville Carlton vs Bexley Carlton vs Kogarah Carlton vs Blakehurst Carlton vs Allawah Carlton vs South Hurstville
Full data on Kogarah Bay Full data on Carlton
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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