Carlingford
NSWCarlingford is a growing suburb in NSW with 28,044 residents.
- SAL code
- 10817
- SA2
- 125021712
- Population
- 28,044
- LGA
- Parramatta
Carlingford, NSW had 28,044 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 7.8% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 38. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $2,500 a month. Around 64.1% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 33.8%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 58.1% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 48 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Carlingford, NSW at a glance
Carlingford is an established middle-ring Sydney suburb ~25 km north-west of the CBD, straddling the City of Parramatta and Hornsby Shire. Mostly large detached houses on generous lots with a growing apartment cluster around the new light rail terminus. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Carlingford reads as quiet, gardened, settled — large detached homes on standard-to-generous lots, with quiet feeder streets backing onto reserves. The Parramatta Light Rail terminus (opened December 2024) drops you into the Parramatta CBD in around 25 minutes; buses run to Epping and Macquarie Park as alternative rail connections. Carlingford Court and Carlingford Village handle the everyday shop, with Westfield Parramatta (~6 km) and Macquarie Centre (~7 km) for the bigger run. School catchments are the headline draw — James Ruse Agricultural High next door is one of the country's top selective schools, The King's School sits across the boundary, and Carlingford West Public is an opportunity-class school. Macquarie University is ~10 minutes by car. In short: a quiet, school-driven family suburb with the Parramatta CBD now a short tram ride away.
For investors
Carlingford splits sharply by dwelling type. Median house $2.20m against $900/wk rent gives a ~2.19% gross yield; units sit at $728K with $720/wk for a ~4.86% yield (Your Investment Property May 2026). House growth is modest at +2.33% over 12 months; units flat (-0.01%). Days-on-market 42 (houses) and 37 (units); 230 house + 322 unit sales in the past 12 months. Vacancy ~1.75% (htag.com.au, 2026).
Strengths
- Deep transaction market (~552 sales/yr across houses + units) — easy entry and exit by Sydney standards.
- Unit yields ~4.86% are competitive for a middle-ring Sydney suburb at this price point (Your Investment Property May 2026).
- Top-tier school catchment (James Ruse, Carlingford West OC, The King's School next door) underpins long-run owner-occupier demand.
- Parramatta Light Rail Stage 1 terminus opened December 2024 — a structural lift in connectivity that's still re-rating local stock.
Trade-offs
- House yields ~2.19% — capital-growth play only, negative cashflow at current rates (Your Investment Property May 2026).
- House growth has cooled to +2.33% YoY and units to roughly flat — the 2024 light-rail bump has largely passed through prices.
- Significant new apartment supply pipeline around the terminus — the 263-281 Pennant Hills Road planning proposal alone adds ~723 dwellings (Council, endorsed July 2024); Meriton has lodged separate towers.
- Houses sit 42 days on market — well above the tight inner-Sydney leasing pace and a sign of price discovery still in progress.
What's coming
City of Parramatta's 2025/26 Budget includes the 'Let's Play @ Kilpack' Kilpack Park upgrade in Carlingford, plus a new 8-bay ambulance station off Khartoum Road. The 263-281 Pennant Hills Road redevelopment (~723 dwellings, community hub, library, central park) is progressing post-exhibition with reduced tower heights. Parramatta Light Rail Stage 2a procurement begins early 2026; a Carlingford-Epping extension remains under study.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a school-driven family suburb with a new light-rail link to Parramatta. For investors: a unit-yield play with growth runway from the rail + apartment cluster, but a heavy supply pipeline to weigh.
Population
?28,044
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+7.8%
3yr: +7.0% · 10yr: +26.0%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,084/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
38
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?7/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?2.3%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
7
4 primary, 3 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?19
9 long day, 6 OSHC, 2 family
Parks & green space
?48
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?126
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?134
Parramatta · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Carlingford - West (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Carlingford suburb alone is ~28,044 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 14,720 to 20,946 over 24 years, averaging 1.5% per year.
Schools
7 in suburbSector
7 public
Type
4 primary · 3 secondary
Total enrolment
7,171
Avg per school
1,024
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Murray Farm PS27.5%
- Carlingford WPS 25.3%
- Carlingford PS 20.0%
- Roselea PS 10.2%
- Nth Rocks PS 7.4%
- Epping WPS 4.2%
- Ngarala PS 3.1%
- Telopea PS 1.5%
- Burnside PS 0.4%
- Yates Ave PS 0.3%
Secondary
Carlingford HS29.0%
- Muirfield HS 26.1%
- Macarthur GHS 10.7%
- Cheltenham GHS 2.5%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 1.1%Predominantly detached houses (58.1%), mixed tenure (64.1% own or mortgage).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
NSW 33%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: NSW RFS BFPL via SEED
As of May 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
This suburb falls outside every flood polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
9 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| R2 | ZoneResidential | 72.1% | 6.17 km² |
| R4 | ZoneResidential | 5.7% | 0.49 km² |
| RE1 | ZoneRecreation | 5.6% | 0.48 km² |
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 5.5% | 0.47 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 5.3% | 0.45 km² |
| R3 | ZoneResidential | 3.0% | 0.25 km² |
| E1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 1.2% | 0.10 km² |
| W1 | ZoneWaterway | 1.2% | 0.10 km² |
| RU3 | ZoneRural | 0.4% | 0.03 km² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.