Carlton Small Area Demographic Profile2013

Contents

Disclaimer

Data sources

Further information

1.0Key Findings

2.0Profile

2.1History and environment of Carlton

2.2Geography of Carlton small area

2.3Demographic Profile

2.4Social profile

2.5Income profile

2.6Socio-economic Index for Areas (SEIFA)

2.7Housing

2.8Land use and business activity

2.9Workforce

2.10Future outlook

Disclaimer

While all due care has been taken to ensure that the content of this report is accurate and current, there may be errors or omissions in it and no legal responsibility is accepted for the information and opinions contained within.

In addition, as the report is based on historic information that is subject to revision and assumptions in preparing forecast figures that are both difficult to predict and liable to change, we do not guarantee the reports currency.

Data sources

Unless otherwise stated, all data in this report are based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011 Census of Population and Housing.

City of Melbourne’s own Census of Land Use and Employment (CLUE) 2010 database also utilised for various economic, land use and employment related analysis.

Forecast population estimates provided via 2011 to 2036 Population and Household forecasts, id Consultants, last updated October 2013.

Further information

For further information about this small area, another small area with the City of Melbourne or the municipality overall, see the City Research webpage found via the City of Melbourne homepage:

This link also contains other demographic reports related to various elements of the City of Melbourne and the small areas contained within it, such as: Workers Profile, Students Profile, High rise Dwellers profile, Younger Persons Profile, Older Persons Profile and Key Changes between 2006 and 2011 Censuses.

1.0Key Findings

Carlton was the second most populous small area in the City of Melbourne (the ‘municipality’) with only the Melbourne CBD area housing more residents. The 14,109 residents in Carlton represented 15 per cent of the municipality’s overall population.

There were 8416 dwellings in Carlton representing around 14 per cent of the municipality, with residential apartments comprising 44 per cent of all housing types. Carlton had the highest proportion of rented dwellings among the municipality’s small areas (62 per cent) and also the lowest comparative proportion of dwellings owned outright or mortgaged (17 per cent).

Carlton had a relatively young population with a median age of 25, compared to 28 for the municipality, 36 for Greater Melbourne and 37 for Australia. Just under half (46 per cent) of Carlton’s residents were aged 12 to 25, with only eight per cent aged 60 years or older.

More than half (56 per cent) of Carlton’s residents were born overseas with 49 per cent speaking a language other than English at home. China was the most common country of birth (10 per cent) and Mandarin was the most common language spoken at home (15 per cent).

The median personal weekly income of $366 was the second lowest average income among the municipality’s small areas, with a relatively high proportion of residents (37 per cent) earning a weekly income of below $300. One in five (22 per cent) residents did not earn an income.

A key factor contributing to the median age, median income, high propensity to rent and high proportion of foreign language speaking residents was the one third (35 per cent) of Carlton’s population who were higher education students, a significant proportion of whom were international students, were relatively young and either not working at all or working in low income jobs.

The most common household type in Carlton was a lone person household (43 per cent), followed by family households (30 per cent) and group households (18 per cent).

Carlton scored lower than the municipality average for all four SEIFA (Socio-Economic Index for Areas) metrics, indicating significant pockets of disadvantage. For three of the four indexes Carlton ranked last compared to the other populated small areas.

More than 15,000 people worked in Carlton with the most common occupation a ‘professional’ (37 per cent), with 87 per cent of the workforce residing outside of Carlton but within Greater Melbourne.

Just over one third of workers (36 per cent) used some form of public transport to get to work, with driving a car the most common transport form, used by 45 per cent of workers. Bicycles were ridden by 6 per cent.

Carlton’s population is forecast to reach 28,000 by 2036, living in more than 14,000 households. This forecast predicts that Carlton’s share of the municipality’s population and proportion of households are both expected to remain at around 14 per cent.

An ‘average’ resident in Carlton today is no longer an elderly Italian small business owner as the area was perhaps once known for, but more commonly a younger Chinese-born student.

2.0Profile

2.1History and environment of Carlton

Carlton is the traditional home of Melbourne’s Italian community. Visitors and locals flock to the suburb for the atmospheric Italian restaurants and cafés that spill on to bustling Lygon Street.

Growing from its traditional Italian roots, these days Carlton has a greater proportion of residents from Eastern Asia, South-eastern Asia and the United Kingdom. Carlton has the second largest population in the municipality. It comprises a large population of local and international students many of which attend the nearby University of Melbourne and RMIT University.

Carlton is one of the most dynamic and diverse suburbs in the municipality. Entertainment, cultural and leisure activities can be found side by side with its educational, business, retail and residential facilities.

Virtually all of Carlton falls within the municipality's boundaries. Besides Lygon Street, this area includes the historic Melbourne General Cemetery, Princes Park (home to the Carlton Football Club) and the beautiful Carlton Gardens. The Gardens contain the striking, contemporary Melbourne Museum and the domed 19th century Royal Exhibition Building.

The Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens were inscribed on the World Heritage list on 1 July 2004, becoming the first building in Australia to achieve World Heritage listing. Today, the Royal Exhibition Building is a campus of Museum Victoria and the gardens are managed bythe City of Melbourne.

Carlton is bounded by Nicholson Street in the east; Victoria Street in the south; Elizabeth Street, Grattan Street and Swanston Street in the west; and Cemetery Road West, Royal Parade, Bowen Crescent, MacPherson Street and Princes Street in the north. Included in this area is the section of Carlton North in the City of Melbourne, comprising Princes Park and the Melbourne General Cemetery.

2.2Geography of Carlton small area

Figure 1: Carlton small area geography within City of Melbourne

The small area of Carlton includes the suburb of Carlton (postcode 3052) plus the section of Carlton North in the City of Melbourne, comprising Princes Park and the Melbourne General Cemetery.

2.3Demographic Profile

Figure 2: Key metrics of Carlton residents

Key metrics / Carlton / City of Melbourne
Residential population / 14,109
(15 per cent of City of Melbourne) / 93,627
Younger residents (12-25 years) / 46 per cent / 33 per cent
Older residents (60 years and over) / 8 per cent / 10 per cent
Median age / 25 / 28
Residents born overseas / 56 per cent / 48 per cent
Most common language spoken at home (other than English) / Mandarin
(15 per cent) / Mandarin
(10 per cent)
Weekly personal income less than $300 / 37 per cent / 26 per cent
Weekly personal income greater than $1250 / 14 per cent / 23 per cent
Median personal weekly income / $366 / $711
Higher education (university) students / 35 per cent / 21 per cent
Bachelor degree or higher / 36 per cent / 40 per cent

Carlton’s residential population of 14,109 represents 15 per cent of the City of Melbourne’s overall population.

Carlton has a relatively young population with a median age of 25, and has the second youngest median age of all small areas in the municipality behind only Parkville (24). Just under half (46 per cent) of Carlton’s residents are aged 12 to 25, with a low 8 per cent aged 60 years or older.

More than half (56 per cent) of Carlton’s residents were born overseas with Mandarin the most common language spoken at home other than English; which was spoken by 15 per cent of residents, the second highest proportion among the municipality’s small areas behind only Melbourne CBD (18 per cent).

There was a relatively high proportion of residents earning a weekly income below $300 of 37 per cent, the second highest proportion of low earners among the municipality’s small areas, behind only Parkville (42 per cent). Conversely, a relatively low 14 per cent of residents earned a weekly income above $1250 resulting in an average personal weekly income of $366, the second lowest average income among the municipality’s small areas behind only Parkville ($327).

Higher education students comprised 35 per cent of Carlton’s population, the second highest proportion in the municipality behind only Parkville (42 per cent); with a similar proportion of 36 per cent holding a bachelor degree qualification or higher.

Figure 3: Carlton age profile

Years of Age / Number of Residents
0 to 4 years / 412
5 to 9 years / 326
10 to 14 years / 270
15 to 19 years / 1358
20 to 24 years / 4429
25 to 29 years / 2491
30 to 34 years / 1295
35 to 39 years / 727
40 to 44 years / 485
45 to 49 years / 415
50 to 55 years / 379
56 to 59 years / 389
60 to 64 years / 373
65 to 69 years / 269
70 to 74 years / 192
75 to 79 years / 136
80 to 84 years / 95
85 to 89 years / 55
90 to 95 years / 9
95 to 99 years / 3
100 and over / 0

Median age is 25 years

A significant factor defining the age of range for the majority of Carlton’s residential population is the number of universities located within or adjacent to the Carlton small area. Almost six in ten (58 per cent) of Carlton’s residents were aged 20 to 34 years, a proportion equal to that of the Southbank small area and only behind Melbourne CBD small area (66 per cent). Overall, around half (52 per cent) of the City of Melbourne residents overall were within this age range.

2.4Social profile

2.1.1.Education

Just under half (45 per cent) of Carlton’s residents attended an educational institution, the second highest proportion among the municipality’s small areas behind only Parkville (49 per cent). Among Carlton’s students, 79 per cent were undertaking higher education (i.e. university or similar).

Higher education students comprised 35 per cent of Carlton’s total population, the second highest proportion in the municipality behind only Parkville (42 per cent).

More than one third (36 per cent) of Carlton’s residents held a bachelor degree qualification or higher.

2.1.2.Household and family structure

Family households* accounted for three in 10 (30 per cent) household types in Carlton. The most common household type was lone person households, comprising 43 per cent of all occupied dwellings, with group households accounting for 18 per cent.

These proportions of household types meant that, relative to all small areas in the City of Melbourne, Carlton was:

  • the least likely to house family household types
  • the most likely to house lone household types
  • the second most likely to house group household types (behind only Parkville, with 18 per cent).

*Note: a family is defined by the ABS as two or more persons, one of whom is at least 15 years of age, who are related by blood, marriage (registered or de facto), adoption, step or fostering, and who are usually resident in the same household.

2.1.3.Culture and language profile

More than half (56 per cent) of Carlton’s residents were born overseas, the second highest proportion among the municipality’s small areas (behind only Melbourne CBD at 66 per cent). The most common countries of birth included: China (10 per cent), Malaysia (9 per cent), Singapore (4 per cent), Indonesia (3 per cent), and Hong Kong (2 per cent).

Strongly correlated to country of birth statistics, 49 per cent of Carlton’s residents spoke a language other than English at home. Carlton has the second highest proportion of residents speaking a language other than English at home compared to all small areas in the municipality, behind only Melbourne CBD (55 per cent). The most common languages spoken include: Mandarin, Cantonese, Indonesian, Somali, and Arabic.

2.1.4.Internet connection at home

Around one in ten (10 per cent) households in Carlton did not have an Internet connection to their dwelling. The most common Internet connection type was broadband, with 69 per cent of households connected this way, a comparable proportion to the 71 per cent with broadband connection across the overall municipality.

A low 3 per cent of households maintained a dial-up Internet connection, 6 per cent accessed the Internet via an other* connection type, while 12 per cent of households did not provide an answer to this Census question.

* Note on Internet connection types:

  • Broadband connection includes: ADSL, Cable, Wireless, Satellite, Fibre and Mobile connections
  • Dial up connection includes: analogue modem and ISDN connections
  • Other connection type includes: Internet access through mobile phones, etc.

2.5Income profile

Figure 4: Carlton income comparisons

Income (weekly) / Carlton / City of Melbourne
Median total personal income / $366 / $711
Median total family income / $1298 / $1962
Median total household income / $634 / $1352

The median total personal income for Carlton was around half (51 per cent) of that for the overall municipality median, with median total household income slightly below half (47 per cent) of the overall municipality median. Median total family income was closer to the municipality median at 66 per cent, but still significantly lower.

Among the small areas in the City of Melbourne, Carlton has the second highest proportion of persons earning a personal income of less than $300 per week (37 per cent, behind only Parkville with 42 per cent), and also the smallest proportion of persons earning an personal income of more than $1250 per week (14 per cent).

Carlton was equal with the Melbourne CBD small area for the highest proportion of residents reporting a nil or negative personal income, with 22 per cent stating a nil or negative income.

Carlton contained the smallest proportion of residents earning a personal income in the highest bracket reported by the ABS of $2000 or more per week, with 5 per cent declaring this level of personal income.

Figure 5: Carlton personal weekly income profile

Personal Weekly Income / Number of Residents
Negative Income / 187
Nil Income / 2868
1 to 199 dollars / 1032
200 to 299 dollars / 1074
300 to 399 dollars / 922
400 to 599 dollars / 1066
600 to 799 dollars / 826
800 to 999 dollars / 741
1000 to 1249 dollars / 847
1250 to 1499 dollars / 596
1500 to1 999 dollars / 642
2000 or more / 688
Not stated / 1609
Not applicable / 1010

Median personal income is 366 dollars

2.6Socio-economic Index for Areas (SEIFA)

SEIFA is a suite of four indexes compiled from data collected in the ABS 2011 Census which rank areas in terms of the socio-economic characteristics of persons and households in that area. SEIFA allows for comparisons of areas whereby the lower the score, the greater the disadvantage relative to other comparable areas.

The Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD) summarises information about the economic and social conditions of people and households within an area, including both relative advantage and disadvantage measures.

The Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage (IRSD) is a general socio-economic index that summarises a range of information about the economic and social conditions of people and households within an area. Unlike the other indexes, this index includes only measures of relative disadvantage.

The Index of Economic Resources (IER) focuses on the financial aspects of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage, by summarising variables related to income and wealth. This index excludes education and occupation variables because they are not direct measures of economic resources. It also misses some assets such as savings or equities which, although relevant, could not be included because this information was not collected in the 2011 Census.

The Index of Education and Occupation (IEO) is designed to reflect the educational and occupational level of communities. The education variables in this index show either the level of qualification achieved or whether further education is being undertaken. The occupation variables classify the workforce into the major groups and skill levels of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) and the unemployed. This index does not include any income variables.

The following diagram represents the continuum that should be considered when interpreting SEIFA scores.

* Note that for the IRSD, a high index score represents “Least Disadvantaged” and a low index score represents ‘most disadvantaged’.

Figure 6: Carlton SEIFA Indexes

SEIFA 2011 Index / Carlton / City of Melbourne
Advantage and Disadvantage / 980 / 1051
Disadvantage / 942 / 1026
Economic Resources / 768 / 870
Education and Occupation / 1149 / 1175
Usual Resident Population / 14,109 / 93,627

Carlton ranks last on the four SEIFA indexes compared to the other populated small areas in the City of Melbourne for three out of four indexes. For ‘Education and Occupation’ it ranked second to last, ahead of North Melbourne.

Carlton scored lower than the overall City of Melbourne average for all four indexes, with the three scores lower than 1000 indicating significant pockets of disadvantage within this small area.

It should also be noted that the relatively high proportion of university students living in Carlton, and particularly international students, are often financially supported by means other than individual employment. Analysis of SEIFA data can therefore make this population appear to be more disadvantaged than reality, as personal income is a key factor in determining SEIFA rankings.

Furthermore, a significant public housing estate is located at the north of Carlton, impacting the socio-economic profile of the small area.

2.7Housing

Figure 7: Carlton Housing Statistics

Housing metrics / Carlton / City of Melbourne
Number of dwellings* / 8416 / 58,733
Most prominent housing type* / Residential apartments (44 per cent) / Residential apartments (67 per cent)
Occupied private dwellings fully owned or being purchased / 17 per cent / 27 per cent
Occupied private dwellings rented / 62 per cent / 49 per cent
Unoccupied private dwellings / 9 per cent / 12 per cent
Median rent per week / $341 / $400
Median mortgage per month / $1900 / $2167

*Note: data sourced from CLUE 2010. All other data sourced from ABS 2011 Census