Suburb guide · Georges River council area
Mortgage broker for Carlton (2218) home buyers
Carlton had 10,631 residents at the 2021 Census and 50.1% were born overseas, most often in China (1,198), with Nepal second (590). Units (45.2% of homes) and houses (46.6%) sit side by side, at median prices of $838,000 and $1,725,000 in January to March 2026. Our office isn't local: we meet Carlton clients by phone or video, at morning, midday or evening times, seven days a week.
On this page
Carlton at a glance
- Residents
- 10,6313,764 occupied homesABS Census 2021
- Born overseas
- 50.1%Top birthplaces: China, Nepal, North MacedoniaABS Census 2021
- Born in Nepal
- 5905.5% of residentsABS Census 2021
- Speak Nepali at home
- 6095.7% of residentsABS Census 2021
- Arrived 2016 to 2021
- 9.1%971 people born overseasABS Census 2021
- Median age
- 382.7 people per householdABS Census 2021
- Median household income
- $1,860/wk$96,720 a yearABS Census 2021
- Households renting
- 37.4%28.7% mortgage, 30.8% owned outrightABS Census 2021
- Flats and apartments
- 45.2%46.6% separate houses, 6.2% semis and townhousesABS Census 2021
- Median rent, new leases
- $700/wkAll dwellings, postcode 2218NSW DCJ, April to June 2026
The suburb is split between councils, Georges River (68.9% of its land) and Bayside (31.1% of its land), which matters for council rates and planning rules. Across our 26 NSW suburb guides it ranks 23rd for Nepal-born residents and 14th for household income, at $96,720 a year. At 38, the median age is among the oldest of our suburbs, and households average 2.7 people. Carlton shares postcode 2218 with Allawah, so the DCJ sale and rent figures cover the whole postcode, not Carlton alone. Only 9.8% of workers used a train on Census day 2021, a lockdown day when 34.4% worked from home.
Buying costs at Carlton's median prices
In January to March 2026, the median strata sale (mostly units and townhouses) in postcode 2218 was $838,000 from 51 sales, and the median non-strata sale (mostly houses) was $1,725,000. Read the house figure with care: DCJ marks it as a small sample. A house costs 2.1 times as much as a unit here, a gap of $887,000. A median unit costs 8.7 years of the suburb's 2021 median household income of $96,720; a house, 17.8 years.
| Item | Median unit | Median house |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $838,000 | $1,725,000 |
| 5% deposit | $41,900 | $86,250 |
| 10% deposit | $83,800 | $172,500 |
| 20% deposit (no LMI) | $167,600 | $345,000 |
| Transfer duty, standard | $31,897 | $76,162 |
| Transfer duty, first home buyer | $7,446 | $76,162 |
| Registration fees | $365 | $365 |
| 5% Deposit Scheme cap ($1,500,000) | Under | Over |
| Cash needed, first home buyer, 10% deposit | $91,611 | $249,027 |
- Owner-occupier, established home, every scheme condition met. Cash needed excludes conveyancing and LMI. 2026-27 rules, checked 26 October 2026.
Because $838,000 sits between $800,000 and $1,000,000, the median unit gets a partial concession, $24,451 off the $31,897 duty bill. No first home concession reaches the median house; at that price the duty is $76,162 for everyone.
The median unit is under the 5% Deposit Scheme cap for Sydney ($1,500,000); the median house is $225,000 over it, so a house at that price needs a bigger deposit or LMI.
Try a price other than $838,000 in the NSW stamp duty calculator
Renting vs buying in Carlton
A renter signing a new lease in postcode 2218 in April to June 2026 paid a median $700 a week ($36,400 a year); DCJ counted 153 new bonds. By size, a two-bedroom unit leased for $680 a week and a three-bedroom house for $825.
Back in 2021, Carlton households with a mortgage repaid a median $2,167 a month, 11% more than the median rent ($450 a week). New leases now cost 56% more than the 2021 median, although the two sources measure different things (new bonds against all renters). In 2021, the median rent took 24% of the median household income.
A 5% deposit on the median unit ($41,900) equals about 60 weeks of the current median rent, between one and two years of rent. Most households here own their home: 37.4% rent, 28.7% have a mortgage and 30.8% own outright.
| Dwelling | Weekly | Yearly | New bonds |
|---|---|---|---|
| All dwellings | $700 | $36,400 | 153 |
| 1-bedroom unit (small sample) | $540 | $28,080 | 11 to 30 |
| 2-bedroom unit | $680 | $35,360 | 74 |
| 3-bedroom unit (small sample) | $795 | $41,340 | 11 to 30 |
| House (all sizes) (small sample) | $850 | $44,200 | 11 to 30 |
| 3-bedroom house (small sample) | $825 | $42,900 | 11 to 30 |
- No interest rate is assumed: compare with your own rate in the repayments calculator.
Where we can help in Carlton
Nepali-Australian buyers in Carlton
590 residents (5.5%) were born in Nepal and 609 speak Nepali at home, about one in 18 of the suburb. We often help document a gift from family in Nepal, explain how lenders treat savings held overseas, and turn lakh and crore figures into a deposit in Australian dollars.
Nepali community home loans NPR to AUD converter
Owners with a mortgage
28.7% of Carlton homes are owned with a mortgage, with a median repayment of $26,004 a year in 2021. Loans taken out before a move to permanent residency are often worth a second look. Refinancing
Carlton and its neighbours
Allawah is the closest suburb in our guides, 0.7 km from Carlton. Four of the five neighbours listed have a lower median unit price than Carlton's $838,000. Hurstville has a larger Nepal-born community (4,938 people).
| Suburb | Distance | Born in Nepal | Median rent | Median unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton | — | 590 | $700/wk | $838,000 |
| Allawah | 0.7 km | 653 | $700/wk | $838,000 |
| Kogarah | 1.4 km | 1,848 | $750/wk | $810,000 |
| Hurstville | 2.1 km | 4,938 | $750/wk | $740,000 |
| Rockdale | 2.7 km | 2,451 | $750/wk | $760,000 |
| Penshurst | 3.6 km | 1,096 | $630/wk | $735,000 |
- Born in Nepal: ABS Census 2021. Rent and unit price: NSW DCJ, latest quarter.
See the Allawah suburb guide, buying in Kogarah or home prices in Hurstville. All NSW suburb guides
Carlton buyers often ask
How much stamp duty would a first home buyer pay on a median Carlton unit?
About $7,446 instead of $31,897: the $838,000 median unit is in the concession taper. Checked against Revenue NSW on 26 October 2026.
What deposit do I need to buy in Carlton?
For the median unit ($838,000): $41,900 at 5%, $83,800 at 10% or $167,600 at 20%. The median house needs $345,000 for 20%. Below 20%, expect LMI unless you use the 5% Deposit Scheme or a guarantor.
Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme in Carlton?
The median unit ($838,000) is $662,000 under the $1,500,000 cap. The median house ($1,725,000) is $225,000 over the $1,500,000 cap. You must be a citizen or permanent resident and a first home buyer.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Carlton?
That depends on the rate you are offered, so we don't assume one. New leases in postcode 2218 cost a median $36,400 a year; in 2021 the median mortgage here cost $26,004 a year in repayments.
Buying in Carlton?
Sulav checks your deposit, income and visa against lender policy for a unit around $838,000, in a 60-minute call by phone or video.
Sources
Data last updated . Census figures are for 2021; DCJ figures are quarterly medians.
- ABS QuickStats 2021: Carlton (SAL10818)
- ABS Census 2021 tables for SAL10818
- ASGS Edition 3 boundaries
- Rent and Sales Report, sales January to March 2026
- Rent and Sales Report, rents April to June 2026
- Transfer duty rates
- First Home Buyers Assistance Scheme (new or existing home)
- 5% Deposit Scheme price caps