Albion vs Cairnlea

In Albion, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In Cairnlea, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Cairnlea: a median of $959,000, against $791,000 in Albion, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Albion tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone, while Cairnlea suits families with children and couples.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Cairnlea

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (83% vs 40%)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 3)
  • carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 84/100)
  • But Albion has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 1)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Albion

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($295,000 vs $407,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($791,000 vs $959,000)
  • But Cairnlea leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 30%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Albion

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (46% vs 15%)
  • has cheaper rent ($301/wk vs $400/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Albion gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (12% vs 4%)
  • Cairnlea is more walkable (82/100 vs 62/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cairnlea

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 84/100)
  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 62/100)
  • But Albion has more units and townhouses to downsize into (45% vs 12%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Albion returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.4% vs 3.5%)
  • Cairnlea is growing faster (3.9% vs -8.4%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Albion and Cairnlea drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Albion Cairnlea
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Albion Cairnlea
Walkability 62 / 82
Albion — Walkability: 62/100 Cairnlea — Walkability: 82/100
Safety 16 / 50
Albion — Safety: 16/100 Cairnlea — Safety: 50/100
Low fire risk 100 / 68
Albion — Low fire risk: 100/100 Cairnlea — Low fire risk: 68/100
Low flood risk 61 / 55
Albion — Low flood risk: 61/100 Cairnlea — Low flood risk: 55/100

Demographics

Cairnlea has more residents (10,038 vs 4,334); Cairnlea has higher household incomes ($107,224 vs $68,120).

Albion Cairnlea
Population 4,334 10,038
+132% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -8.4% +3.9%
Median age 35 36
Median household income $68,120/yr $107,224/yr
+57% vs other
Median weekly rent $301/wk $400/wk
+33% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Albion Cairnlea
0-4 5.6% / 5.1%
Albion — 0-4: 5.6% Cairnlea — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 8.6% / 14.2%
Albion — 5-14: 8.6% Cairnlea — 5-14: 14.2%
15-19 3.6% / 7.8%
Albion — 15-19: 3.6% Cairnlea — 15-19: 7.8%
20-24 7.4% / 7.6%
Albion — 20-24: 7.4% Cairnlea — 20-24: 7.6%
25-34 23.1% / 13.1%
Albion — 25-34: 23.1% Cairnlea — 25-34: 13.1%
35-44 16.7% / 14.3%
Albion — 35-44: 16.7% Cairnlea — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 10.3% / 15.5%
Albion — 45-54: 10.3% Cairnlea — 45-54: 15.5%
55-64 9.7% / 12.2%
Albion — 55-64: 9.7% Cairnlea — 55-64: 12.2%
65-74 8.5% / 7.2%
Albion — 65-74: 8.5% Cairnlea — 65-74: 7.2%
75-84 4.8% / 2.2%
Albion — 75-84: 4.8% Cairnlea — 75-84: 2.2%
85+ 1.8% / 0.9%
Albion — 85+: 1.8% Cairnlea — 85+: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Albion 25.9% couple families
Albion — Couple Families: 25.9% Albion — Lone Person: 47.4% Albion — One Parent Families: 14.4% Albion — Group Household: 9.3% Albion — Other Families: 3.0%
Cairnlea 63.7% couple families
Cairnlea — Couple Families: 63.7% Cairnlea — Lone Person: 12.4% Cairnlea — One Parent Families: 19.6% Cairnlea — Group Household: 2.5% Cairnlea — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Albion 46.5% renting
Albion — Owned Outright: 26.2% Albion — Mortgage: 27.3% Albion — Renting: 46.5%
Cairnlea 15.4% renting
Cairnlea — Owned Outright: 33.8% Cairnlea — Mortgage: 50.8% Cairnlea — Renting: 15.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Albion Cairnlea
Bachelor Degree 14.7% / 14.6%
Albion — Bachelor Degree: 14.7% Cairnlea — Bachelor Degree: 14.6%
Certificate III & IV 9.4% / 8.3%
Albion — Certificate III & IV: 9.4% Cairnlea — Certificate III & IV: 8.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 6.7%
Albion — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Cairnlea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Postgraduate Degree 6.8% / 2.8%
Albion — Postgraduate Degree: 6.8% Cairnlea — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 1.1%
Albion — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Cairnlea — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.7%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Albion Cairnlea
Vietnam 6.4% / 21.0%
Albion — Vietnam: 6.4% Cairnlea — Vietnam: 21.0%
India 7.1% / 2.6%
Albion — India: 7.1% Cairnlea — India: 2.6%
Philippines 3.7% / 4.5%
Albion — Philippines: 3.7% Cairnlea — Philippines: 4.5%
China 2.0% / 1.3%
Albion — China: 2.0% Cairnlea — China: 1.3%
Nepal 3.2% / —
Albion — Nepal: 3.2% Cairnlea — Nepal: not among its largest
Pakistan — / 1.3%
Albion — Pakistan: not among its largest Cairnlea — Pakistan: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Albion 54.8% houses
Albion — Houses: 54.8% Albion — Flats / Apartments: 26.3% Albion — Townhouses: 18.9%
Cairnlea 88.3% houses
Cairnlea — Houses: 88.3% Cairnlea — Flats / Apartments: 4.1% Cairnlea — Townhouses: 7.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Albion Cairnlea
Median house price $791,000 $959,000
Median unit price $295,000 $407,500
Median land price — $801,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 15 sales
 27 days
from 83 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Albion Cairnlea
3 bed $791K / $811K
Albion — 3 bed: $791K (21 sales) Cairnlea — 3 bed: $811K (42 sales)

21 vs 42 sales

4 bed $804K / $1M
Albion — 4 bed: $804K (14 sales) Cairnlea — 4 bed: $1M (62 sales)

14 vs 62 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Albion Cairnlea
1 bed $238K / $328K
Albion — 1 bed: $238K (24 sales) Cairnlea — 1 bed: $328K (10 sales)

24 vs 10 sales

2 bed $340K / $417K
Albion — 2 bed: $340K (34 sales) Cairnlea — 2 bed: $417K (22 sales)

34 vs 22 sales

Zoning mix

Albion has more industrially zoned land (16% vs 2%).

Albion Cairnlea
Residential 43% 66%
Parks and recreation 29% 26%
Industrial 16% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 9% 4%
Commercial 2% 1%
Other and special use 1% 0%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Albion Cairnlea
New dwellings approved 670
across Brimbank
same for both
Approvals change year on year +40%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Albion Cairnlea
Houses 4.4%
$650/wk on $762K
 3.5%
$710/wk on $1.05M
Units 4.6%
$422/wk on $475K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Albion Cairnlea
House price Higher than 49% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
Income Higher than 29% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 71% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 31% of VIC Higher than 56% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 84% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 89% of VIC Higher than 37% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 39% of VIC —

Liveability

Cairnlea is more walkable (82 vs 62); Cairnlea scores higher overall (59 vs 48).

Albion Cairnlea
Grade C B
Score 48/100 59/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Cairnlea carries more bushfire risk (32 vs 0); Albion carries more crime risk (84 vs 50).

Albion Cairnlea
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
32/100
Crime High
84/100
 Moderate
50/100
Flood Low
39/100
 Moderate
45/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 28
within 5 km
 13
within 5 km

Schools

Albion Cairnlea
Inside the suburb 2 3
Rated above peers 2 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Victoria University Footscray Park, 7.5 km
 None

Schools in Albion

  • Albion Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Theresa's School Catholic · Primary above peers

Schools in Cairnlea

  • Cairnlea Park Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Cairnlea Park Primary School-Western Special Assistance Unit - Language Government · Primary
  • Victoria University Secondary College-Cairnlea Campus Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Albion Cairnlea
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 1 9
Parks & reserves 10 13
Childcare 3 6
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 5 2

Mobility

Albion Cairnlea
Walkability score 62/100 82/100
Distance to Melbourne 24.4 km 24.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 27 min 28 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 132.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 73.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3020
 1.0%
postcode 3023
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 28
postcode 3020
 43
postcode 3023

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Albion Cairnlea
Car (driver) 52.4% / 66.8%
Albion — Car (driver): 52.4% Cairnlea — Car (driver): 66.8%
Worked from Home 26.1% / 22.0%
Albion — Worked from Home: 26.1% Cairnlea — Worked from Home: 22.0%
Train 12.5% / 4.0%
Albion — Train: 12.5% Cairnlea — Train: 4.0%
Car (passenger) 4.6% / 5.9%
Albion — Car (passenger): 4.6% Cairnlea — Car (passenger): 5.9%
Bus 2.0% / 0.6%
Albion — Bus: 2.0% Cairnlea — Bus: 0.6%
Walked Only 1.7% / 0.7%
Albion — Walked Only: 1.7% Cairnlea — Walked Only: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.8%).

Setting

Albion Cairnlea
Elevation 45 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 60 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 10.1 km 12.9 km

NBN connectivity

Albion Cairnlea
Connectivity score 76/100 74/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 4%
2,427 premises
 52%
2,878 premises

Climate

Albion Cairnlea
Annual rainfall 534 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Albion Cairnlea
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 23.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Albion Cairnlea
Average residential rate $1,847/yr
same for both
Council Brimbank
same for both

Federal electorate

Albion Cairnlea
Division Fraser
same for both
Member Daniel Mulino
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Albion Cairnlea
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Albion

Affordable Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks

Cairnlea

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Albion

Albion vs St Albans Albion vs Sunshine West Albion vs Sunshine North Albion vs Sunshine Albion vs Ardeer

Other comparisons with Cairnlea

Cairnlea vs St Albans Cairnlea vs Deer Park Cairnlea vs Albanvale Cairnlea vs Ardeer
Full data on Albion Full data on Cairnlea
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or