SuburbCheck

Carlton vs East Melbourne

The verdict

Carlton is more affordable, with a median house price of $1.49M versus $3.33M in East Melbourne. East Melbourne has a shorter estimated CBD commute (11 vs 17 min).

Scores

CarltonEast Melbourne
CarltonEast Melbourne
Overall9597
Transport9699
Education9192
Liveability9898

Overall is based on transport, liveability & education — the metrics available at consistent quality nationwide. Residential safety is compared separately below.

Demographics

CarltonEast Melbourne
Population16,0554,896
Median age2742
Median household income (wk)$1,292$2,345
Bachelor degree or higher71.8%73.1%
Born in Australia39.1%67.2%
Avg household size1.81.8

Growth: Carlton High Growth · East Melbourne High Growth

Property

CarltonEast Melbourne
Median house price$1.49M$3.33M
Median unit price$382K$712K
House price YoY-32.3%7.8%
Median rent — house (wk)Data not availableData not available
Rental yield (house)Data not availableData not available
Days on market (house)Data not availableData not available

Median price history

Safety

CarltonEast Melbourne
Residential safety score2623
Break & enter dwelling /100k1,1091,225
Motor vehicle theft /100k822919
Domestic assault /100k392245
Total incidents /100k (all)17,11021,283

Total incidents over time

Schools

CarltonEast Melbourne
Total schools20
Government20
Independent00
Average ICSEA1,065Data not available

See the full school list on each profile: Carlton · East Melbourne

Transport

CarltonEast Melbourne
Transport score9699
Train stations00
Bus stops379
Light rail stops1523
Ferry wharves00
CBD commute (min)1711
Nearest train station (km)370 m240 m

Liveability

CarltonEast Melbourne
Summer max temp25.8°C25.8°C
Winter max temp14.2°C14.2°C
Annual rainfall (mm)600600
Supermarkets81
Cafes & restaurants15828
Parks2215
Playgrounds94
Swimming pools423
Medical GPs103
Distance to coast (km)5.5 km4.8 km
Distance to CBD (km)1.5 km1.7 km
Nearest beach (km)5.5 km4.8 km
Nearest hospital (km)940 m300 m

Population & growth

CarltonEast Melbourne
Population (2021)16,0554,896
Estimated 202523,7735,178
Projected 204128,3358,641
Annual growth rate10.31%1.41%

Common questions

Which is safer, Carlton or East Melbourne?

Carlton has the higher residential safety score (Carlton 26/100 vs East Melbourne 23/100).

Which is more affordable, Carlton or East Melbourne?

Carlton is more affordable, with a median house price of $1.49M versus $3.33M.

Which has better public transport, Carlton or East Melbourne?

East Melbourne has the higher transport score (Carlton 96/100 vs East Melbourne 99/100).

Try another comparison

Compare two suburbs

Carlton

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SuburbCheck

A free, data-driven tool to compare Australian suburbs on safety, schools, transport, property and liveability — built from public government data.

Data sources

ABS Census & ERP · Valuers-General · BOCSAR & state crime agencies · GTFS · ACARA · Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap.

Data is from public sources and may not reflect current conditions. Figures are indicative and should not be the sole basis for property or relocation decisions.

© 2026 SuburbCheck · Data refreshed quarterly.