Albion Park Rail
Three facts define this Illawarra suburb, and they pull in different directions. The population grew 68.9% over the decade, one of the steepest expansions on the coast, yet the median house price holds at $799,000, well below Sydney levels. Household income sits in the 40.9th percentile nationally, and the suburb scores in decile 2 on both the IRSAD and IRSD disadvantage indexes, near the bottom of the national distribution. University qualifications reach just 13.4%, which is 16.7 points below the national figure, while detached houses make up 78.1% of dwellings. The median age of 41 runs only 1 year above national, but the young-adult share fell 2.6 points over the decade.
Population
6,920
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,411/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
51
Median House
$799K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $799,000 median is affordable by NSW coastal standards, and prices rose 3.2% from $780,000 in 2024 to $805,000 in 2025, a steady rather than runaway pace. The stock suits families: 78.1% are separate houses and apartments are almost absent at 0.9%, so buyers compete for detached homes rather than units. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 57.9% and 4-plus bedroom homes add 25.6%, leaving little small stock. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,820, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.8%, just below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes only in the 40.9th percentile. Owners with a mortgage (37.8%) outnumber outright owners (34.9%), a sign of recent buyers still paying down debt rather than long-settled wealth.
For Buyers
The $799,000 median is affordable by NSW coastal standards, and prices rose 3.2% from $780,000 in 2024 to $805,000 in 2025, a steady rather than runaway pace. The stock suits families: 78.1% are separate houses and apartments are almost absent at 0.9%, so buyers compete for detached homes rather than units. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 57.9% and 4-plus bedroom homes add 25.6%, leaving little small stock. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,820, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.8%, just below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes only in the 40.9th percentile. Owners with a mortgage (37.8%) outnumber outright owners (34.9%), a sign of recent buyers still paying down debt rather than long-settled wealth.
For Investors
A 27.3% renter share and weekly rent of $390 give landlords a moderate tenant pool, and against the $799,000 median that rent implies a gross yield near 2.5%, higher than premium Sydney suburbs though modest in absolute terms. The 4.8% vacancy rate is slightly elevated, pointing to adequate supply rather than scarcity. Demand support is real: the population is forecast to grow 3.04% a year, adding about 153 residents annually, with overseas migration the primary driver at roughly 100 net arrivals a year and internal migration adding another 44. Development activity is healthy at 46 applications in 12 months, including subdivisions and multi-dwelling housing that signal new supply ahead. Rent climbed 18.8% over the period, so the case rests on growth and yield more than capital scarcity.
Development Activity
Total DAs
333
Last 12 Months
51
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+15.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 41 is just 1.0 year above the national figure, but the make-up is shifting: the working-age share rose 4.1 points while the young-adult share fell 2.6 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 15.7%, which is 5.9 points below national, marking this as a predominantly Australian-born area. Ancestry is heavily Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,934), Scottish (725) and Irish (621), and the largest non-English languages are Macedonian (18 speakers) and Greek (12). University qualifications at 13.4% run 16.7 points below national, consistent with a workforce weighted toward trades and service roles. Average household size is 2.5, identical to the national average, and couples with children (1,788 families) outnumber couples without children (1,553), a younger family profile than wealthier suburbs.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
78.1%
Houses
20.9%
Townhouse
0.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward recent buyers: 37.8% carry a mortgage, 34.9% own outright and 27.3% rent. Mortgage holders outnumbering outright owners points to a churn of newer households rather than long-held, debt-free wealth. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 78.1% separate houses, with semi-detached at 20.9% and apartments at just 0.9%, so the market offers family homes and little else. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 57.9% and 4-plus bedroom homes 25.6%, while small one and two-bedroom stock is scarce at 16.5% combined. The median house price rose from $780,000 to $805,000 across 2024-2025, a 3.2% one-year move. Mortgage-to-income at 29.8% sits just under the stress line, and rent-to-income at 27.6% stays manageable, both reflecting affordability relative to Sydney despite below-median local incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,820
Rent / wk
$390
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$636
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.8%
Unoccupied
130
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.6%
Couples, no children
5,435
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service and trade sectors rather than knowledge industries: Healthcare leads at 24.9% (457 workers), Construction follows at 11.9% (219) and Education at 9.9% (181), with Public Admin at 8.0% and Retail at 7.9%. By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers (506) and Clerical and Admin staff (359) top the list, ahead of Professionals (340), which aligns with the decile 1 IEO score for education and occupation, the lowest tier nationally. Unemployment sits at 5.9% and the full-time employment rate is 61.2%, while participation reads 47.6%, held down by 2,339 residents not in the labour force. The IER economic-resources score reaches decile 4, higher than the decile 2 disadvantage indexes, because affordable housing leaves households with relatively more disposable resources.
Unemployment
10.1%
Labour Force
3,365
Unemployed
341
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.2%
Part-time
32.9%
Participation
47.6%
Employed
2,556
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.4%
Postgraduate
2.4%
Born Overseas
15.7%
Dwellings
2,565
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 91.9% drive to work while just 2.3% use public transport and 1.5% walk or cycle, well above the national reliance on cars and a function of the suburb's outer-Illawarra position. No schools are recorded inside the 7.16 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for the low density of 966 residents per km2. With no crime statistics available, the SEIFA indexes serve as an indirect read: the suburb scores decile 2 on IRSAD and IRSD, near the lower end nationally, and 11.3% of residents (742 people) need daily assistance, above what the median age of 41 alone would suggest. Volunteering runs at 9.9%, and rent-to-income at 27.6% keeps housing costs manageable.
Drive
91.9%
Public Transport
2.3%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+3.04%/yr
(+153 people/yr)
High GrowthThis is a fast-expanding suburb: the population grew 68.9% over the decade and is forecast to keep rising 3.04% a year, adding about 153 residents annually toward a medium projection of 5,822 by 2031. Overseas migration is the primary driver at roughly 100 net arrivals a year, supported by 44 from internal migration, so growth is fuelled by genuine inflow rather than churn. Affordability improved from 42.5% in 2011 to 35.3% in 2021, an unusual gain for a high-growth area and a reason buyers keep arriving. The gentrification stage reads early signs with a score of 34, reflecting a 16.2% real income gain over the decade, though the suburb remains in decile 2 for advantage and has room to climb rather than peaking.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+100
Net Internal / yr
+44
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Accelerating: 10% → 69%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Albion Park Rail compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Albion Park Rail a good suburb to live in?
Albion Park Rail suits families seeking affordable detached housing, with 78.1% separate houses and a $799,000 median, well below Sydney levels. The population grew 68.9% over the decade. The trade-offs are a decile 2 IRSAD score, near the bottom nationally, and high car dependence with 91.9% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Albion Park Rail?
The median house price is $799,000, affordable by NSW coastal standards. Prices rose 3.2% from $780,000 in 2024 to $805,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $390 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,820, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.8%, just below the stress threshold.
What schools are in Albion Park Rail?
No schools are recorded inside the 7.16 km2 Albion Park Rail boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Education is the third-largest employer locally at 9.9% of the workforce, though university qualifications sit at 13.4%, which is 16.7 points below national.
Is Albion Park Rail safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Albion Park Rail in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 2 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a lower tier nationally, and 11.3% of its residents need daily assistance, both pointing to a higher-need rather than affluent area.
Is Albion Park Rail good for property investment?
Rent of $390 a week against a $799,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.5%, higher than premium Sydney suburbs. The 4.8% vacancy rate is mildly elevated, but forecast population growth of 3.04% a year and 18.8% rent growth over the period support demand-led returns.
How is Albion Park Rail's population changing?
The population grew 68.9% over the decade and is forecast to keep rising 3.04% a year, about 153 residents annually, toward 5,822 by 2031. Overseas migration drives growth at roughly 100 net arrivals a year, while the young-adult share fell 2.6 points over the decade.
How much development is happening in Albion Park Rail?
There were 46 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including subdivisions and multi-dwelling housing that signal new supply. This activity fits a high-growth suburb expanding 3.04% a year, where detached houses make up 78.1% of existing stock.
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), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
Explore Albion Park Rail on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map