Altona Meadows
Detached housing defines Altona Meadows more than almost any other local signal: 85.1% of dwellings are separate houses and only 5.2% are apartments. The suburb has 18,479 residents, a $708,500 median house price, and a 34.9% overseas-born share that sits 13.3 percentage points above the national level. Compared with nearby Altona and Laverton, the appeal is less about density or rail-adjacent renewal and more about established family houses, because 58.7% of homes have 3 bedrooms and household income sits near the middle at the 51.3 percentile.
Population
18,479
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,573/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
12
Median House
$708K
Apr-Jun 2024
Homebuyers are usually weighing space and affordability rather than apartment convenience. The median house price is $708,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, 4.3% below the 2022 peak of $740,000 but 81.7% higher than the 2013 level of $390,000. Separate houses make up 85.1% of stock, with 58.7% of homes having 3 bedrooms and 22.5% having 4 or more. Monthly mortgage costs of $1,700 take 25.0% of household income, which is below stress settings, so the suburb can suit buyers wanting a house-heavy market without inner-bayside pricing.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are usually weighing space and affordability rather than apartment convenience. The median house price is $708,500 in Apr-Jun 2024, 4.3% below the 2022 peak of $740,000 but 81.7% higher than the 2013 level of $390,000. Separate houses make up 85.1% of stock, with 58.7% of homes having 3 bedrooms and 22.5% having 4 or more. Monthly mortgage costs of $1,700 take 25.0% of household income, which is below stress settings, so the suburb can suit buyers wanting a house-heavy market without inner-bayside pricing.
For Investors
Investors get a moderate rental base rather than a high-turnover inner market. Renters make up 27.3% of households, below the ownership segments of 38.4% outright owned and 34.3% mortgaged, so demand is present but not dominant. Weekly rent is $341 and the vacancy rate is 5.0%, which points to higher leasing risk than very tight markets. The investment case rests on household formation and migration because overseas migration averages 188 people a year, while internal migration is -66 and development is modest at 9 applications over 12 months.
Development Activity
Total DAs
17
Last 12 Months
12
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+300.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
$727K
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Altona Meadows iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Queen of Peace Primary School
Prep-6 · 485 students
Altona Green Primary School
Prep-6 · 418 students
Altona Meadows Primary School
Prep-6 · 235 students
Demographics
Altona Meadows is slightly older and more migrant influenced than the national profile. The median age is 41, about 1.0 year above the national benchmark, while 33.3% hold a university qualification, 3.2 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents are 34.9%, 13.3 points above national, with English ancestry at 4,410 people, Maltese at 1,448 and Italian at 1,429. Compared with Point Cook's newer growth-area feel, Altona Meadows reads as more settled because household size is 2.5, matching the national average.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.1%
Houses
9.7%
Townhouse
5.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is stable, detached and still below its price peak. The median house price of $708,500 is 4.3% below the 2022 peak of $740,000, after rising 81.7% from the 2013 trough of $390,000 at a 4.4% CAGR over 14 years. Ownership is strong, with 38.4% owned outright, 34.3% mortgaged and 27.3% renting. The price-to-income ratio is about 8.7 times annualised household income, so affordability is not cheap, but 85.1% separate houses and 58.7% 3-bedroom stock explain why family buyers keep the market anchored.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,700
Rent / wk
$341
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$730
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.0%
Unoccupied
375
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.5%
Couples, no children
14,753
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is broad and close to the middle of the national ladder rather than highly specialised. Healthcare leads at 14.6% of workers, followed by education at 11.8%, construction at 10.5%, professional and tech at 8.5% and public admin at 7.8%. Professionals number 1,718, ahead of 1,309 clerical and admin workers and 876 managers. Full-time work is 66.3% of employed people, while unemployment is 6.6% and participation is 55.5%. SEIFA ranks show the nuance: IEO decile 5 is average, but IER, IRSD and IRSAD are all decile 4.
Unemployment
2.4%
Labour Force
8,416
Unemployed
203
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
66.3%
Part-time
27.1%
Participation
55.5%
Employed
8,002
Occupations
Top Industries
University
33.3%
Postgraduate
7.7%
Born Overseas
34.9%
Dwellings
7,106
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented, with 88.8% driving to work, compared with only 4.3% using public transport and 1.5% walking or cycling. Safety is mixed but not extreme, with 714 recorded offences and a crime rate of 38.6 per 1,000; property and deception offences account for 406 cases. Families have 3 local primary schools, led by Queen of Peace Primary School with ICSEA 1064 and 485 enrolments, and Altona Green Primary School with ICSEA 1051 and 418 enrolments. The ICSEA range is 1000 to 1064, while IRSAD decile 4 sits below the national middle.
Drive
88.8%
Public Transport
4.3%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.82%/yr
(+119 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady and below boom-suburb pace. The trend forecast adds 0.82% a year, or about 119 people annually, taking the medium path from 14,390 in 2026 to 14,984 in 2031. Migration is the main driver because overseas migration averages 188 people a year while internal migration averages -66, showing some local churn. The gentrification score is 6 and the stage is Not gentrifying, even though the shift indicators record 35.4% rent growth and 34.1% real income growth. That mix suggests gradual renewal rather than rapid displacement.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+188
Net Internal / yr
-66
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +18% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
714
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
38.6
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 Altona Meadows compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Altona Meadows a good suburb to live in?
Altona Meadows suits households wanting space, because 85.1% of dwellings are separate houses and 58.7% have 3 bedrooms. Car access matters, with 88.8% driving to work, while schools and a crime rate of 38.6 per 1,000 shape the day-to-day trade-off.
What is the median house price in Altona Meadows?
The median house price in Altona Meadows is $708,500 for Apr-Jun 2024. That is 4.3% below the 2022 peak of $740,000, but still 81.7% higher than the 2013 level of $390,000.
What schools are in Altona Meadows?
Altona Meadows has 3 local primary schools: Queen of Peace Primary School, Altona Green Primary School and Altona Meadows Primary School. Their ICSEA scores range from 1000 to 1064, with enrolments from 235 to 485.
Is Altona Meadows safe?
Altona Meadows recorded 714 offences and a crime rate of 38.6 per 1,000 residents. Property and deception offences are the largest category at 406 incidents, followed by 123 crimes against the person.
Is Altona Meadows good for property investment?
It can suit investors seeking steady family-house demand rather than fast churn. Renters are 27.3% of households, weekly rent is $341, vacancy is 5.0%, and development is limited at 9 applications over 12 months.
How is Altona Meadows's population changing?
The forecast trend is modest, at 0.82% growth a year or about 119 people annually. Overseas migration is the main driver, averaging 188 people a year, partly offset by internal migration of -66 people a year.
What languages are spoken in Altona Meadows?
English is joined by several community languages, reflecting a 34.9% overseas-born share. The listed non-English languages include Greek with 227 speakers, Arabic with 224, Italian with 167, Macedon with 159 and Mandarin with 118.
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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