St Albans vs Cairnlea

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Cairnlea, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Cairnlea: a median of $959,000, against $712,000 in St Albans, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, St Albans tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Cairnlea suits 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • St Albans has more schools rated above their peers (8 vs 1)
  • Cairnlea carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 80/100)

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

First-home buyers

Cairnlea

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 29%)
  • has cheaper units ($407,500 vs $515,000)
  • But St Albans has cheaper houses ($711,500 vs $959,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

St Albans

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (38% vs 15%)
  • has cheaper rent ($325/wk vs $400/wk)
  • But Cairnlea leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 27%)

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

Commuting to the city

St Albans

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (10% vs 4%)
  • is more walkable (94/100 vs 82/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

St Albans

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (20 vs 3)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (26% vs 12%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (18% vs 10%)
  • But Cairnlea carries lower crime risk (50/100 vs 80/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

St Albans 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.

St Albans 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.

St Albans Cairnlea
Walkability 94 / 82
St Albans — Walkability: 94/100 Cairnlea — Walkability: 82/100
Safety 20 / 50
St Albans — Safety: 20/100 Cairnlea — Safety: 50/100
Low fire risk 100 / 68
St Albans — Low fire risk: 100/100 Cairnlea — Low fire risk: 68/100
Low flood risk 66 / 55
St Albans — Low flood risk: 66/100 Cairnlea — Low flood risk: 55/100

Demographics

St Albans has more residents (38,042 vs 10,038); Cairnlea has higher household incomes ($107,224 vs $62,660).

St Albans Cairnlea
Population 38,042
+74% vs other
 10,038
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.0% +3.9%
Median age 36
same for both
Median household income $62,660/yr $107,224/yr
+71% vs other
Median weekly rent $325/wk $400/wk
+23% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

St Albans Cairnlea
0-4 5.6% / 5.1%
St Albans — 0-4: 5.6% Cairnlea — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 10.7% / 14.2%
St Albans — 5-14: 10.7% Cairnlea — 5-14: 14.2%
15-19 5.3% / 7.8%
St Albans — 15-19: 5.3% Cairnlea — 15-19: 7.8%
20-24 7.6% / 7.6%
St Albans — 20-24: 7.6% Cairnlea — 20-24: 7.6%
25-34 17.8% / 13.1%
St Albans — 25-34: 17.8% Cairnlea — 25-34: 13.1%
35-44 12.9% / 14.3%
St Albans — 35-44: 12.9% Cairnlea — 35-44: 14.3%
45-54 11.3% / 15.5%
St Albans — 45-54: 11.3% Cairnlea — 45-54: 15.5%
55-64 10.9% / 12.2%
St Albans — 55-64: 10.9% Cairnlea — 55-64: 12.2%
65-74 9.6% / 7.2%
St Albans — 65-74: 9.6% Cairnlea — 65-74: 7.2%
75-84 5.8% / 2.2%
St Albans — 75-84: 5.8% Cairnlea — 75-84: 2.2%
85+ 2.4% / 0.9%
St Albans — 85+: 2.4% Cairnlea — 85+: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

St Albans 38.6% couple families
St Albans — Couple Families: 38.6% St Albans — One Parent Families: 23.0% St Albans — Lone Person: 28.7% St Albans — Group Household: 6.3% St Albans — Other Families: 3.3%
Cairnlea 63.7% couple families
Cairnlea — Couple Families: 63.7% Cairnlea — One Parent Families: 19.6% Cairnlea — Lone Person: 12.4% Cairnlea — Group Household: 2.5% Cairnlea — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

St Albans 38.0% renting
St Albans — Owned Outright: 36.3% St Albans — Mortgage: 25.7% St Albans — Renting: 38.0%
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.

St Albans Cairnlea
Bachelor Degree 9.6% / 14.6%
St Albans — Bachelor Degree: 9.6% Cairnlea — Bachelor Degree: 14.6%
Certificate III & IV 8.3% / 8.3%
St Albans — Certificate III & IV: 8.3% Cairnlea — Certificate III & IV: 8.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.2% / 6.7%
St Albans — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2% Cairnlea — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Postgraduate Degree 3.4% / 2.8%
St Albans — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4% Cairnlea — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.8% / 1.1%
St Albans — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.8% Cairnlea — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.6%).

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.

St Albans Cairnlea
Vietnam 21.5% / 21.0%
St Albans — Vietnam: 21.5% Cairnlea — Vietnam: 21.0%
India 5.8% / 2.6%
St Albans — India: 5.8% Cairnlea — India: 2.6%
Philippines 3.0% / 4.5%
St Albans — Philippines: 3.0% Cairnlea — Philippines: 4.5%
Pakistan 1.4% / 1.3%
St Albans — Pakistan: 1.4% Cairnlea — Pakistan: 1.3%
China 1.1% / 1.3%
St Albans — China: 1.1% Cairnlea — China: 1.3%
Iraq 1.4% / —
St Albans — Iraq: 1.4% Cairnlea — Iraq: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

St Albans 74.5% houses
St Albans — Houses: 74.5% St Albans — Townhouses: 15.9% St Albans — Flats / Apartments: 9.6%
Cairnlea 88.3% houses
Cairnlea — Houses: 88.3% Cairnlea — Townhouses: 7.5% Cairnlea — Flats / Apartments: 4.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

St Albans Cairnlea
Median house price $711,500 $959,000
Median unit price $515,000 $407,500
Median land price $700,000 $801,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 407 sales
 27 days
from 83 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.

St Albans Cairnlea
1 bed $385K / $328K
St Albans — 1 bed: $385K (7 sales) Cairnlea — 1 bed: $328K (10 sales)

7 vs 10 sales

2 bed $462K / $417K
St Albans — 2 bed: $462K (87 sales) Cairnlea — 2 bed: $417K (22 sales)

87 vs 22 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.

St Albans Cairnlea
3 bed $708K / $811K
St Albans — 3 bed: $708K (409 sales) Cairnlea — 3 bed: $811K (42 sales)

409 vs 42 sales

4 bed $750K / $1M
St Albans — 4 bed: $750K (124 sales) Cairnlea — 4 bed: $1M (62 sales)

124 vs 62 sales

5 bed $860K / $1.23M
St Albans — 5 bed: $860K (18 sales) Cairnlea — 5 bed: $1.23M (21 sales)

18 vs 21 sales

Zoning mix

St Albans Cairnlea
Residential 78% 66%
Parks and recreation 6% 26%
Infrastructure and transport 12% 4%
Industrial 2%
same for both
Commercial 2% 1%
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

St Albans 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.

St Albans Cairnlea
Houses 3.8%
$530/wk on $725K
 3.5%
$710/wk on $1.05M
Units 4.2%
$450/wk on $552K
 —

Ranking within VIC

St Albans Cairnlea
House price Higher than 43% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
Income Higher than 23% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Schools Higher than 87% of VIC Higher than 71% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 94% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 30% of VIC Higher than 56% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 54% of VIC Higher than 37% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 18% of VIC —

Liveability

St Albans is more walkable (94 vs 82).

St Albans Cairnlea
Grade B
same for both
Score 61/100 59/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Cairnlea carries more bushfire risk (32 vs 0); St Albans carries more crime risk (80 vs 50).

St Albans Cairnlea
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
32/100
Crime High
80/100
 Moderate
50/100
Flood Low
34/100
 Moderate
45/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 11
within 5 km
 13
within 5 km

Schools

St Albans Cairnlea
Inside the suburb 15 3
Rated above peers 8 1
Rated at peers 4 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Victoria University Footscray Park, 10.0 km
 None

Schools in St Albans

  • Catholic Regional College St Albans Catholic · Secondary above peers
  • Holy Eucharist School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Sacred Heart School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • St Albans East Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Albans Meadows Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Albans Primary School Government · 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

St Albans Cairnlea
Supermarkets 10 2
Cafes & restaurants 40 9
Parks & reserves 36 13
Childcare 28 6
GPs 20 3
Pharmacies 5 2
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 4 1
Fuel stations 5 0
Waterways 5 2

Mobility

St Albans Cairnlea
Walkability score 94/100 82/100
Distance to Melbourne 22.6 km 24.5 km
+8% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 28 min
same for both
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 421.5
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 0.5%
postcode 3021
 1.0%
postcode 3023
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 27
postcode 3021
 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.

St Albans Cairnlea
Car (driver) 67.4% / 66.8%
St Albans — Car (driver): 67.4% Cairnlea — Car (driver): 66.8%
Worked from Home 13.9% / 22.0%
St Albans — Worked from Home: 13.9% Cairnlea — Worked from Home: 22.0%
Train 9.5% / 4.0%
St Albans — Train: 9.5% Cairnlea — Train: 4.0%
Car (passenger) 6.8% / 5.9%
St Albans — Car (passenger): 6.8% Cairnlea — Car (passenger): 5.9%
Walked Only 1.1% / 0.7%
St Albans — Walked Only: 1.1% Cairnlea — Walked Only: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.4%).

Setting

St Albans Cairnlea
Elevation 67 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 60 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 13.7 km 12.9 km

NBN connectivity

St Albans Cairnlea
Connectivity score 76/100 74/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 7%
15,710 premises
 52%
2,878 premises

Climate

St Albans 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)

St Albans Cairnlea
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 18.9 µg/m³ 23.2 µg/m³
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

St Albans

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks

Cairnlea

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks

More comparisons

Other comparisons with St Albans

St Albans vs Sunshine North St Albans vs Keilor Downs St Albans vs Kings Park St Albans vs Delahey St Albans vs Albanvale St Albans vs Albion

Other comparisons with Cairnlea

Cairnlea vs Deer Park Cairnlea vs Albanvale Cairnlea vs Albion Cairnlea vs Ardeer
Full data on St Albans 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.

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