Airport West
Airport West stands out for a compact, established profile: 8,173 residents live at 2,224.1 people per sq km. Its median age of 39 is 1 year below the national figure, while household income ranks at the 61.9th percentile. Compared with nearby Niddrie and Essendon West, the 60.4% car-driver share points to road-based daily travel because only 2.2% use public transport. A crime rate of 105.7 per 1,000 is the main caution against treating the mid-to-upper socioeconomic profile as uniformly low-risk.
Population
8,173
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,761/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
118
Median House
$1.1M
October to December 2025
The stock is mainly 3-bedroom homes at 60.0%, with 62.6% separate houses and 35.4% semi-detached dwellings, while apartments account for only 1.7%. Mortgage costs equal 27.3% of household income, below the stress flag, although the entry price is high compared with the $1,761 weekly household income. The established housing mix suits buyers seeking space because 38.4% of homes are owned outright.
For Buyers
The stock is mainly 3-bedroom homes at 60.0%, with 62.6% separate houses and 35.4% semi-detached dwellings, while apartments account for only 1.7%. Mortgage costs equal 27.3% of household income, below the stress flag, although the entry price is high compared with the $1,761 weekly household income. The established housing mix suits buyers seeking space because 38.4% of homes are owned outright.
For Investors
Airport West gives investors a $401 weekly median rent, with 28.3% of homes rented and a 9.2% vacancy rate. That vacancy is higher than a tightly constrained rental market, so leasing competition should be allowed for rather than assuming automatic scarcity. Rent growth of 29.4% supports the longer-term case, while overseas migration is the primary forecast growth driver. Development activity is material at 105 applications in 12 months, including a 2-dwelling dual-occupancy example, which may add competing stock. Compared with outright owners, renters are a smaller 28.3% share, so investors should focus on property type, parking and permit impacts instead of relying on rent alone.
Development Activity
Total DAs
149
Last 12 Months
118
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+555.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Airport West
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
St Christopher's School
Demographics
Airport West has a settled but culturally layered population of 8,173, with a median age of 39, 1 year below national. University attainment is 38.1%, 8.0 percentage points above national, while 25.9% were born overseas, 4.3 points higher. English ancestry at 1,946 people and Italian ancestry at 1,940 are almost equal, and Italian is the leading listed home language at 306 people, followed by Greek at 113. The average household size is 2.3, or 0.2 below national, consistent with 36.5% couples without children and 42.8% couples with children. An 80.0% stay rate indicates continuity because only 20.0% turnover is recorded. Compared with nearby Niddrie, the profile is established and family-oriented rather than highly transient.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
62.6%
Houses
35.4%
Townhouse
1.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Airport West's housing is dominated by established low-rise stock: 62.6% separate houses and 35.4% semi-detached homes, while 3-bedroom dwellings make up 60.0%. Tenure splits between 38.4% outright owners, 32.1% mortgage holders and 28.3% renters. Mortgage costs at 27.3% of household income sit below the stress flag, but the purchase price is high compared with weekly household income of $1,761. Compared with apartment-heavy areas, the house and semi-detached mix supports family demand.
Mortgage / mo
$2,085
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$401
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$883
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.2%
Unoccupied
347
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
42.8%
Couples with children
36.5%
Couples, no children
17.9%
Single parent
2,299
Total families
Economy & Employment
Airport West's economy is spread across practical and knowledge sectors: construction accounts for 13.6% of workers, healthcare 13.5%, education 12.7%, public administration 8.6% and professional and technical work 8.4%. This aligns with 984 professionals, 670 clerical and administrative workers, 601 managers and 598 trades workers. Labour force participation is 64.2%, unemployment is 4.4%, and weekly household income of $1,761 sits at the 61.9th percentile, above the midpoint. SEIFA is mixed but moderate: IEO is decile 6, IER decile 5, IRSD decile 6 and IRSAD decile 6. The lower resources decile compared with the education and occupation decile suggests qualifications do not translate evenly into financial capacity, while the broad industry base supports resilience.
Unemployment
4.4%
Labour Force
4,381
Unemployed
191
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.6%
Part-time
29.4%
Participation
64.2%
Employed
4,190
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.1%
Postgraduate
8.4%
Born Overseas
25.9%
Dwellings
3,436
Transport to Work
Daily life in Airport West is more car-oriented than transit-led: 60.4% drive, compared with 2.2% using public transport, while 32.2% work from home. One local school is St Christopher's School, a Catholic primary campus, so families should check enrolment zones against the exact address rather than assume access. Safety needs attention: 864 recorded offences equal 105.7 per 1,000 residents, with property and deception offences at 656 compared with 74 crimes against the person. IRSAD sits in decile 6, and 7.3% need assistance. The practical appeal comes from established housing and work-from-home capacity, but the crime rate is higher than the profile's mid-range socioeconomic standing might suggest.
Drive
60.4%
Public Transport
2.2%
Walk / Cycle
2.0%
Work from Home
32.2%
Population Forecast
+1.04%/yr
(+91 people/yr)
EstablishedAirport West's growth outlook is positive but not one-directional. The forecast annual trend is 1.04%, with overseas migration the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 17.4% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is Mixed: rent growth is 29.4%, real income growth is 33.4%, the young share is up 1.3 points and the senior share is down 0.8 points. Gentrification is rated Not gentrifying with a score of 7, alongside a separate shift score of 45 and an Active stage. Compared with a flat trajectory, 1.04% indicates measured expansion, but the mixed signals point to gradual change rather than sudden reinvention. Development activity at 105 applications in 12 months may reinforce renewal because established homes can be adapted without wholesale land-use change.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+83
Net Internal / yr
+7
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +21% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
864
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
105.7
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Airport West compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Airport West?
St Christopher's School is a Catholic primary school in Airport West, giving the suburb 1 listed local school. Families should check the exact enrolment zone and nearby options, because this is a narrower sector mix than suburbs with government and independent campuses.
Is Airport West safe?
Safety is mixed rather than uniformly low-risk. Airport West recorded 864 offences, or 105.7 per 1,000 residents; property and deception offences accounted for 656, compared with 74 crimes against the person. Check current local conditions before deciding, because risk can vary by location and time.
Is Airport West good for property investment?
Airport West can suit investors seeking established houses and semi-detached stock, with $401 weekly rent and 28.3% renting. However, the 9.2% vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market, and 105 development applications may add competition. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, so returns depend on property selection.
How is Airport West's population changing?
Population change is positive but mixed. Airport West has 8,173 residents today, while the wider-area trend records 17.4% change over 10 years and an annual forecast trend of 1.04%. Overseas migration is the primary driver, but the trajectory is labelled Mixed rather than uniformly rising.
What development is occurring in Airport West?
Development activity is notable at 105 applications in 12 months, including a 2-dwelling side-by-side dual-occupancy example. Compared with a low-permit suburb, this signals more potential change to the housing mix. Buyers should check permit status, parking and landscaping conditions before relying on a proposed project.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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