Airport West VIC 3042
Located in Victoria, Airport West sits 15 km from Melbourne CBD, around 21 minutes by car. The suburb has 8,173 residents, a median age of 39, and a median household income of $91,572 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The suburb grew 8.1% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $401 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,085. Airport West is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 3 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Airport West a good suburb?
Airport West scores a B (68/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools, transit, and community, weaker on prices and safety.
Above the state average
3 schools · 1 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 85/100 · 15.1 km · 21 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $1.04M · Less affordable than 77% of VIC
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 86/100 · Flood 35/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 7/10 · median age 39 · 8,173 residents
Liveability Rating
68 / 100 · Ranked #179 in VICEach bar is Airport West's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Airport West?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
68 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataAirport West's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.04 million, about 9% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,040,000
7% below its 6 neighbours (median $1,115,000)
Based on 170 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 23 days — median across 84 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 19 sales $826K
- 3 bed 104 sales $978K
- 4 bed 39 sales $1.2M
Units
$655,000
21% above its 4 neighbours (median $540,000)
Based on 80 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 25 days — median across 39 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 46 sales $632K
- 3 bed 27 sales $755K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Airport West are currently listed at around $910,000 on average. Based on 85 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$910K
85 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$612K
18 units listed in the last 6 months.
103 of the suburb's 3,438 dwellings (3.0%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Airport West rent for around $700 a week on average, based on 51 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$700/wk
7% below its 3 neighbours (median $750/wk)
51 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$572/wk
16 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
67 rentals advertised against an estimated 983 rented homes (6.8%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025112 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 27% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3042.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$700/week ($36,000 a year) on a $910,000 median
$572/week ($30,000 a year) on a $612,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
13 active Airbnb listings: 10 whole homes and 3 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.3% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Airport West safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Airport West sits in the high band, with 958 incidents recorded in 2026 — up about 7% on the prior year.
958 offences
6.6% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202533 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Three schools serve Airport West, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Niddrie Primary School leads the pack.
- • 1,026 students across 2 schools (avg 513)
- • Sectors: 2 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1052-1083, median 1068 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Christopher's School (727 students)
Primary
Secondary
Universities nearby
- 8.4 kmVictoria University Footscray ParkVictoria University · 138 courses
- 9.3 kmThe University of MelbourneThe University of Melbourne · 404 courses
1.8% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Airport West is very walkable on foot — at 85/100, most daily errands can be done on foot.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Airport West.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 265.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 185.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 139.3 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.9 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 1 min wait
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Airport West.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 96%
- Premises covered
- 4,996
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Moonee Valley: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 16 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Airport West is home to about 8,200 residents, with a median age of 39, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $92,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
8,173
Median Age
39
Median Household Income
$91,572/yr
Census Median Rent
$401/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,085/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$45,916/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
10.1%
Total Dwellings
3,438
Owner-Occupier Rate
71.4%
Houses
62.5%
Rental Stress
22.8%
Mortgage Stress
27.3%
Work From Home
31.7%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
11 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 0 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 962 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 72.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 71.0%
- Employment Rate
- 61.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 49.1%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
215 residents (2.6%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 7,636 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
21% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (878 of 4,189).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 4,951 people work here; 4,189 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.2 per resident). At least 15% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,027 a year through Moonee Valley based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 61%
- Commercial 24%
- Infrastructure and transport 7%
- Parks and recreation 7%
- Industrial 2%
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Moonee Valley
In the year to August 2026, 702 new dwellings were approved across Moonee Valley. That mix is 274 houses and 428 units. Approvals are up 81.5% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 133 homes
- Projects firmly planned 84 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 18 homes
- Projects possible in the longer term 31 homes
From the Victorian Government's Urban Development Program: growth-area land and approved lots (metropolitan 2025, regional June 2024) and projects of 10 or more homes in Melbourne (2025), by stage. Lots and homes are counted as published; a lot usually becomes one home.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2008).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Air Quality
This station does not measure fine particles (PM2.5).
PM10 averaged 18.9 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0.
From the Footscray monitoring station, 8.8 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Essendon Airport, 2.2 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 79 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 13.3 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 0.2% of addresses
- 10 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 534 mm
- 85 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.7°C
- 13 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.5°C
- 2 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
5 facilities within 5 km- 1.3 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers)
- 1.4 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Cyclohexane
- 1.8 kmSoft Drink, Cordial and Syrup ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 3.8 kmBasic Organic Chemical ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Toluene (methylbenzene) · Acetone
- 4.8 kmWaste Remediation and Materials Recovery ServicesTop reported: Zinc and compounds · Lead & compounds · Chromium (III) compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 3042, 146 of 15,558 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.7% (578 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3042, 1,500 rooftop-solar systems totalling 10.8 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,252 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 77 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3042 in 2025-26. The most was 98, in 2009-10.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
3 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 28 across postcode 3042.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $1,040,000 this is $290,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Jo Briskey Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jo Briskey | 62.6% | 37.4% | -0.4 |
| 2022 | Bill Shorten | 62.5% | 37.5% | -2.1 |
| 2019 | Bill Shorten | 61.2% | 38.8% | -0.8 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Ben Carroll Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ben Carroll ALP | 56.7% | 56.7% | 43.3% |
| 2018 | Ben Carroll ALP | 54.8% | 62.6% | 37.4% |
| 2014 | Ben Carroll ALP | 57.7% | 57.7% | 42.3% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Airport West?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 8,173 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
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Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Melbourne There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Melbourne suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Keilor East VIC 3033
Tullamarine VIC 3043
Niddrie VIC 3042
Essendon North VIC 3041
Keilor Park VIC 3042
Strathmore Heights VIC 3041
Compare Airport West to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Airport West
Is Airport West a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Airport West is high (86/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Airport West?
Airport West has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a low share of it (35/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Airport West a good place to live?
Airport West has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (68/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Airport West?
Airport West, VIC had a population of 8,173 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Airport West, VIC?
The postcode for Airport West, VIC is 3042.
How far is Airport West from Melbourne?
Airport West is 15 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 21 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Airport West?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Airport West was $91,572 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Airport West?
The median advertised rent in Airport West is $700 a week for houses (51 listings) and $572 a week for units (16 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Airport West?
The median age of residents in Airport West was 39 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Airport West?
There are 3 schools inside the Airport West boundary: 1 above and 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Airport West walkable?
Airport West scores 85/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Airport West?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Airport West, Essendon Airport (2.2 km away), summer days average 26.7°C, winter nights 6.5°C, 534 mm of rain a year over 85 rainy days, and 13 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Airport West?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Airport West belong to?
Airport West sits within the Moonee Valley local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Airport West?
The average residential rates bill through Moonee Valley is $2,027 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Airport West?
Across Moonee Valley, 702 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 81.5% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Airport West in?
Airport West sits within the federal Division of Maribyrnong, currently held by Jo Briskey (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.