Williamstown vs Altona

Altona is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 45 in Williamstown. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Williamstown, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Williamstown: a median of $1.52 million, against $1.15 million in Altona, and rent is higher there too. Williamstown is closer to the city centre: 13.9 km, against 19.3 km. On these figures, Williamstown tends to suit couples, while Altona suits people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Williamstown

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (7 vs 4)
  • has more parks and reserves (23 vs 18)
  • is already more of a family suburb (62% vs 52%)
  • But Altona has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Altona

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,150,000 vs $1,517,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Altona

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($385/wk vs $450/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Williamstown

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (13.9 km vs 19.3 km)
  • is more walkable (90/100 vs 68/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Williamstown is more walkable (90/100 vs 68/100)
  • Altona has more GPs (5 vs 3)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Williamstown Altona
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.

Williamstown Altona
Walkability 90 / 68
Williamstown — Walkability: 90/100 Altona — Walkability: 68/100
Safety 28 / 27
Williamstown — Safety: 28/100 Altona — Safety: 27/100
Low fire risk 100 / 80
Williamstown — Low fire risk: 100/100 Altona — Low fire risk: 80/100
Low flood risk 57 / 23
Williamstown — Low flood risk: 57/100 Altona — Low flood risk: 23/100

Demographics

Williamstown has higher household incomes ($125,372 vs $94,952); Williamstown has more residents (14,407 vs 11,490).

Williamstown Altona
Population 14,407
+20% vs other
 11,490
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.1% +6.8%
Median age 45 42
Median household income $125,372/yr
+24% vs other
 $94,952/yr
Median weekly rent $450/wk
+14% vs other
 $385/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Williamstown Altona
0-4 3.9% / 5.9%
Williamstown — 0-4: 3.9% Altona — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 14.1% / 11.6%
Williamstown — 5-14: 14.1% Altona — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 6.5% / 4.1%
Williamstown — 15-19: 6.5% Altona — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 5.3% / 3.9%
Williamstown — 20-24: 5.3% Altona — 20-24: 3.9%
25-34 7.5% / 12.0%
Williamstown — 25-34: 7.5% Altona — 25-34: 12.0%
35-44 11.9% / 16.7%
Williamstown — 35-44: 11.9% Altona — 35-44: 16.7%
45-54 16.7% / 14.6%
Williamstown — 45-54: 16.7% Altona — 45-54: 14.6%
55-64 16.0% / 11.8%
Williamstown — 55-64: 16.0% Altona — 55-64: 11.8%
65-74 11.3% / 9.9%
Williamstown — 65-74: 11.3% Altona — 65-74: 9.9%
75-84 5.0% / 6.5%
Williamstown — 75-84: 5.0% Altona — 75-84: 6.5%
85+ 1.9% / 3.0%
Williamstown — 85+: 1.9% Altona — 85+: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Williamstown 49.4% couple families
Williamstown — Couple Families: 49.4% Williamstown — Lone Person: 35.0% Williamstown — One Parent Families: 12.3% Williamstown — Group Household: 2.0% Williamstown — Other Families: 1.3%
Altona 38.1% couple families
Altona — Couple Families: 38.1% Altona — Lone Person: 43.7% Altona — One Parent Families: 13.6% Altona — Group Household: 3.1% Altona — Other Families: 1.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Williamstown 25.0% renting
Williamstown — Owned Outright: 41.1% Williamstown — Mortgage: 34.0% Williamstown — Renting: 25.0%
Altona 31.8% renting
Altona — Owned Outright: 37.2% Altona — Mortgage: 30.9% Altona — Renting: 31.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Williamstown Altona
Bachelor Degree 21.6% / 17.0%
Williamstown — Bachelor Degree: 21.6% Altona — Bachelor Degree: 17.0%
Certificate III & IV 8.0% / 11.8%
Williamstown — Certificate III & IV: 8.0% Altona — Certificate III & IV: 11.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 8.2%
Williamstown — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Altona — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 9.2% / 6.3%
Williamstown — Postgraduate Degree: 9.2% Altona — Postgraduate Degree: 6.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.2% / 3.0%
Williamstown — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2% Altona — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

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.

Williamstown Altona
England 5.3% / 4.8%
Williamstown — England: 5.3% Altona — England: 4.8%
New Zealand 1.7% / 2.5%
Williamstown — New Zealand: 1.7% Altona — New Zealand: 2.5%
Italy 0.9% / 1.1%
Williamstown — Italy: 0.9% Altona — Italy: 1.1%
Vietnam 0.7% / 1.1%
Williamstown — Vietnam: 0.7% Altona — Vietnam: 1.1%
Scotland 0.8% / 0.9%
Williamstown — Scotland: 0.8% Altona — Scotland: 0.9%
China 0.5% / 1.2%
Williamstown — China: 0.5% Altona — China: 1.2%
India — / 1.4%
Williamstown — India: not among its largest Altona — India: 1.4%
Greece 0.8% / —
Williamstown — Greece: 0.8% Altona — Greece: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Williamstown 56.2% houses
Williamstown — Houses: 56.2% Williamstown — Townhouses: 30.2% Williamstown — Flats / Apartments: 13.5%
Altona 61.1% houses
Altona — Houses: 61.1% Altona — Townhouses: 30.1% Altona — Flats / Apartments: 8.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Williamstown Altona
Median house price $1,517,500 $1,150,000
Median unit price $600,000 $657,500
Median land price — $1,701,875
Typical days to sell (houses) 30 days
from 151 sales
 29 days
from 77 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.

Williamstown Altona
1 bed $446K / $358K
Williamstown — 1 bed: $446K (18 sales) Altona — 1 bed: $358K (12 sales)

18 vs 12 sales

2 bed $608K / $610K
Williamstown — 2 bed: $608K (52 sales) Altona — 2 bed: $610K (81 sales)

52 vs 81 sales

3 bed $915K / $870K
Williamstown — 3 bed: $915K (7 sales) Altona — 3 bed: $870K (29 sales)

7 vs 29 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.

Williamstown Altona
2 bed $1.1M / $812K
Williamstown — 2 bed: $1.1M (39 sales) Altona — 2 bed: $812K (16 sales)

39 vs 16 sales

3 bed $1.45M / $1.05M
Williamstown — 3 bed: $1.45M (144 sales) Altona — 3 bed: $1.05M (77 sales)

144 vs 77 sales

4 bed $1.9M / $1.41M
Williamstown — 4 bed: $1.9M (72 sales) Altona — 4 bed: $1.41M (46 sales)

72 vs 46 sales

5 bed $2.25M / $1.65M
Williamstown — 5 bed: $2.25M (9 sales) Altona — 5 bed: $1.65M (8 sales)

9 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Williamstown Altona
Residential 55% 20%
Other and special use 7% 39%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 27%
Parks and recreation 22% 10%
Commercial 4% 0%
Industrial 4%
same for both
Planning zones cover 99% of Williamstown and 100% of Altona. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Williamstown Altona
New dwellings approved 1,028
across Hobsons Bay
same for both
Approvals change year on year +206%
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.

Williamstown Altona
Houses 3.1%
$898/wk on $1.52M
 3.1%
$730/wk on $1.21M
Units 4.1%
$535/wk on $675K
 4.3%
$590/wk on $715K

Ranking within VIC

Williamstown Altona
House price Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 72% of VIC
Income Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
Schools Higher than 30% of VIC Higher than 59% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 20% of VIC Higher than 28% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 95% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 16% of VIC Higher than 19% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 14% of VIC Higher than 21% of VIC

Liveability

Williamstown is more walkable (90 vs 68); Williamstown scores higher overall (65 vs 55).

Williamstown Altona
Grade B
same for both
Score 65/100 55/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Altona carries more bushfire risk (20 vs 0); Altona carries more flood risk (77 vs 43).

Williamstown Altona
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
20/100
Crime High
72/100
 High
73/100
Flood Moderate
43/100
 High
77/100
Coastal erosion Low
29/100
 Moderate
59/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 17
within 5 km
 35
within 5 km

Schools

Williamstown Altona
Inside the suburb 7 4
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 5 2
Rated below peers 1
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Victoria University Footscray Park, 7.0 km
 None

Schools in Williamstown

  • Newmark Primary Independent · Primary at peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Williamstown High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Williamstown North Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Williamstown Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Bayside P-12 College Government · Combined below peers

Schools in Altona

  • Altona Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mount St Joseph Girls' College Catholic · Secondary at peers
  • St Mary's School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Altona College Government · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Williamstown Altona
Supermarkets 2
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 36 22
Parks & reserves 23 18
Childcare 10 9
GPs 3 5
Pharmacies 2
same for both
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 5 3
Fuel stations 1
same for both
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 1 13

Mobility

Altona sits further from the CBD (19.3 km vs 13.9 km).

Williamstown Altona
Walkability score 90/100 68/100
Distance to Melbourne 13.9 km 19.3 km
+39% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 24 min 27 min
Public transport score 94/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 240.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 259.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.9%
postcode 3016
 1.8%
postcode 3018
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 25
postcode 3016
 30
postcode 3018

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.

Williamstown Altona
Worked from Home 48.7% / 41.4%
Williamstown — Worked from Home: 48.7% Altona — Worked from Home: 41.4%
Car (driver) 40.0% / 47.8%
Williamstown — Car (driver): 40.0% Altona — Car (driver): 47.8%
Train 4.0% / 4.7%
Williamstown — Train: 4.0% Altona — Train: 4.7%
Car (passenger) 2.7% / 2.8%
Williamstown — Car (passenger): 2.7% Altona — Car (passenger): 2.8%
Walked Only 3.2% / 1.8%
Williamstown — Walked Only: 3.2% Altona — Walked Only: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (48.7%).

Setting

Williamstown Altona
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 7 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 693 m
699 m to a named beach
 1.5 km
1.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Williamstown Altona
Connectivity score 66/100 88/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 39%
7,665 premises
 47%
6,488 premises

Climate

Williamstown Altona
Annual rainfall 482 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.2°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Williamstown Altona
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ 0.81 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Williamstown Altona
Average residential rate $2,677/yr
same for both
Council Hobsons Bay
same for both

Federal electorate

Williamstown Altona
Division Gellibrand
same for both
Member Tim Watts
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Williamstown Altona
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Williamstown

Beach Coastal Easy Commute Middle-Ring Parks Premium Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub

Altona

Coastal Middle-Ring Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Williamstown

Williamstown vs Newport Williamstown vs Altona North Williamstown vs Williamstown North

Other comparisons with Altona

Altona vs Altona Meadows Altona vs Altona North Altona vs Laverton Altona vs Seaholme Altona vs Williamstown North Altona vs Laverton North
Full data on Williamstown Full data on Altona
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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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