Albion
With 51.6% of residents born overseas, Albion ranks 30 percentage points above the national average, making international migration the defining force shaping this western Melbourne suburb. Population has climbed 68.9% over the past decade, reaching 4,334 in 2021, and the medium forecast projects another 765 residents by 2031. The median house price of $737,500 sits well below Melbourne's established inner-ring benchmarks, and rent-to-income at 23% stays below the 30% stress threshold despite a 46.5% renter share. Two SEIFA signals stand in contrast: an IEO decile of 5 (average education and employment outcomes) against an IER decile of just 1 (very low economic resources), pointing to a community gaining human capital faster than household wealth.
Population
4,334
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,310/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
9
Median House
$738K
Apr-Jun 2024
The $737,500 median house price in the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter is 11.4% below the $832,500 peak recorded in 2021, giving buyers a degree of margin compared to that cycle high. Since 2013, prices have risen 94.6% over 14 years, a compound annual growth rate of 4.9%. Separate houses make up 55.1% of the stock, with apartments at 26% and semi-detached dwellings at 19%, so detached supply is reasonable for a suburb 12 km from the CBD. The two and three-bedroom segments each account for around 37% of dwellings, and four-plus bedroom homes are only 11.9%, reflecting a working-density typology rather than family-upgrade territory. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,700, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 30%, right at the stress boundary, so buyers should stress-test at higher rates. Outright owners are 26.2% of households, below average, consistent with the suburb's younger and newer-arrival profile.
For Buyers
The $737,500 median house price in the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter is 11.4% below the $832,500 peak recorded in 2021, giving buyers a degree of margin compared to that cycle high. Since 2013, prices have risen 94.6% over 14 years, a compound annual growth rate of 4.9%. Separate houses make up 55.1% of the stock, with apartments at 26% and semi-detached dwellings at 19%, so detached supply is reasonable for a suburb 12 km from the CBD. The two and three-bedroom segments each account for around 37% of dwellings, and four-plus bedroom homes are only 11.9%, reflecting a working-density typology rather than family-upgrade territory. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,700, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 30%, right at the stress boundary, so buyers should stress-test at higher rates. Outright owners are 26.2% of households, below average, consistent with the suburb's younger and newer-arrival profile.
For Investors
Albion's 46.5% renter share is well above state norms, giving landlords a large tenant pool in a suburb where weekly rent averages $301. Against the $737,500 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 2.1%, modest but not negligible given the 94.6% price growth since 2013. The 14.3% vacancy rate is elevated and signals genuine oversupply in the rental stock, particularly in the 26% apartment segment, so investors should concentrate on houses or well-located semis. Population growth at 3.04% annually is driven by 100 net overseas arrivals per year against 44 internal net arrivals, meaning demand pressure is real and persistent. Nine development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, a low number for the area, suggesting limited new supply competing for tenants. Rent grew 18.8% over the measured period, above the income growth rate of 16.2%, which is constructive for future yield compression.
Development Activity
Total DAs
13
Last 12 Months
9
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+800.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Albion iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Theresa's School
Prep-6 · 229 students
Albion Primary School
Prep-6 · 189 students
Demographics
Albion's median age of 35 is 5 years below the national figure, making it one of the younger cohorts in Melbourne's west. The working-age share grew 4.1 percentage points over the decade, while the senior share fell 0.1 points, confirming that the youthful profile is structural rather than coincidental. Overseas-born residents at 51.6% exceed the national rate by 30 percentage points. The top ancestries after the broad "other" category are English (829 residents), Vietnamese (314), and Irish (296), reflecting both legacy Anglo-Celtic settlement and more recent Asian-Pacific arrivals. The most-spoken non-English languages are Nepali (87), Punjabi (56), Urdu (48), and Mandarin (46), indicating South Asian newcomers are now the fastest-growing community stream. University qualifications reach 40.5% of residents, a full 10.4 percentage points above the national average, notable for a suburb with an IRSAD decile of 3. Average household size is 2.3, marginally below national.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
55.1%
Houses
19.0%
Townhouse
26.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure in Albion skews toward renters: 46.5% rent, 27.3% are paying a mortgage, and only 26.2% own outright, a profile consistent with the high overseas-born share and lower household wealth indexed by IER decile 1. The IRSD decile of 2 confirms relative disadvantage, yet mortgage-to-income at 30% and rent-to-income at 23% both sit at or below stress thresholds, suggesting affordability is workable rather than acute. House prices tracked from $379,000 in 2013 to a $832,500 peak in 2021 before correcting to $737,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, a 11.4% pullback from peak that makes re-entry more accessible than the cycle high. Two and three-bedroom dwellings together represent 74.7% of stock, with 13.3% in the studio or one-bedroom category, likely driving the apartment vacancy pressure. The CAGR of 4.9% over 14 years compares favourably against inflation but lags premium inner-Melbourne suburbs.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,700
Rent / wk
$301
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$708
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
14.3%
Unoccupied
295
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.5%
Couples, no children
2,849
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employer at 16.5% of working residents (230 workers), followed by Education at 9.5% (132), Hospitality at 8.6% (120), Retail at 8.4% (117), and Transport at 7.7% (107). This distribution reflects a service-economy base typical of Melbourne's western suburbs rather than a knowledge-economy cluster. By occupation, Professionals lead at 396 but Labourers (268), Community and Personal Service (256), and Clerical and Admin (246) workers are numerically close, indicating a wide occupational spread. The unemployment rate of 7.5% is above metropolitan norms, and the participation rate of 54.2% is low, partly because 1,228 residents are not in the labour force. The household income percentile of 31.3 positions Albion in the lower third nationally, explaining the IER decile 1 score despite an IEO score of 970 (decile 5) that reflects reasonable education levels. Real incomes grew 16.2% over the decade, consistent with national trends.
Unemployment
3.4%
Labour Force
3,547
Unemployed
122
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.0%
Part-time
32.5%
Participation
54.2%
Employed
1,863
Occupations
Top Industries
University
40.5%
Postgraduate
12.8%
Born Overseas
51.6%
Dwellings
1,767
Transport to Work
Public transport accounts for 15.4% of commute mode share, above the outer-suburban average, and 74.6% drive, below the typical western-Melbourne dependency on cars at around 80% in comparable suburbs. Walking and cycling is 3.5%, modest for a suburb with a density of 1,721 residents per sq km. No schools are recorded inside the Albion boundary in this dataset, so families depend on facilities in neighbouring Sunshine, Sunshine West, or Braybrook. The suburb scores decile 2 on IRSD, indicating higher relative disadvantage than most metropolitan areas nationally. Crime totals 520 incidents per year at a rate of 120 per 1,000 residents, above metropolitan benchmarks, with property and deception offences accounting for 309 of those incidents. The 9% volunteering rate and 7.2% needing daily assistance (287 people) point to community vulnerability that civic infrastructure should account for.
Drive
74.6%
Public Transport
15.4%
Walk / Cycle
3.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+3.04%/yr
(+153 people/yr)
High GrowthAlbion's 68.9% population increase over the past decade is among the steepest in metropolitan Melbourne, driven primarily by overseas migration averaging 100 net arrivals per year compared to 44 net internal arrivals. The annual growth rate of 3.04% (153 persons per year) is classified as high growth, and the medium forecast projects the population rising from 4,334 in 2021 to 5,822 by 2031. Historical estimates show the actual population reached 5,026 by 2025, already above the earlier medium projection, suggesting the forecast may be conservative. The gentrification score is 15 out of 100, classified as not gentrifying, though the signals note that population growth accelerated from 10% to 69% over the period, which is an early driver. Affordability improved from 42.5% in 2011 to 35.3% in 2021, indicating that price growth did not fully outrun income gains. The young-adult share declined by 2.6 percentage points, absorbed into the broader working-age cohort.
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%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
520
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
120.0
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 Albion compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Albion a good suburb to live in?
Albion offers genuine affordability at a $737,500 median house price and a rent-to-income ratio of 23%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The suburb is close to Sunshine and has a growing, young population with a median age of 35, five years below the national figure. The main drawbacks are a crime rate of 120 per 1,000 residents and an IRSD disadvantage decile of 2, indicating below-average access to services and economic resources nationally.
What is the median house price in Albion?
The median house price was $737,500 in the Apr-Jun 2024 quarter, down 11.4% from the $832,500 peak in 2021. Prices have risen 94.6% since 2013 ($379,000), a compound annual growth rate of 4.9% over 14 years. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,700 and weekly rent averages $301.
What schools are in Albion?
No schools are recorded inside the Albion boundary in this dataset. Families typically rely on schools in neighbouring Sunshine, Sunshine West, and Braybrook. Despite the lack of local schools, 40.5% of Albion residents hold university qualifications, which is 10.4 percentage points above the national average.
Is Albion safe?
Albion recorded 520 total crimes in the reference period, a rate of 120 per 1,000 residents, which is above the Melbourne metropolitan average. Property and deception offences are the dominant category at 309 incidents, followed by justice procedures (63) and crimes against the person (55). The IRSD decile of 2 signals elevated relative disadvantage, which correlates with higher crime rates nationally.
Is Albion good for property investment?
The 46.5% renter share creates a large tenant pool, and rent grew 18.8% over the measurement period, outpacing the income growth rate of 16.2%. Population growth at 3.04% annually, driven by 100 net overseas arrivals per year, supports sustained rental demand. The main risks are a 14.3% vacancy rate in the rental stock and a modest gross yield near 2.1% against the $737,500 median, favouring a capital-growth strategy over yield-first investment.
How is Albion's population changing?
Albion's population grew 68.9% over the past decade, one of the steepest growth rates in metropolitan Melbourne. Overseas migration averaging 100 net arrivals per year is the primary driver. The medium forecast projects the population reaching 5,822 by 2031, up from 4,334 in 2021, and the actual 2025 estimate of 5,026 already tracks ahead of that projection.
What languages are spoken in Albion?
51.6% of Albion residents were born overseas, which is 30 percentage points above the national figure. The most spoken non-English languages are Nepali (87 speakers), Punjabi (56), Urdu (48), and Mandarin (46), reflecting a growing South Asian community. Vietnamese ancestry (314 residents) also features prominently in the wider demographic profile.
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.
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