Altona VIC 3018
Altona is a suburb in Victoria, 19 km from Melbourne CBD, around 27 minutes by car. Population is 11,490; the median age is 42 and the median household income is $94,952 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The suburb grew 6.8% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $385 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,197. Altona is characterised by high flood risk and high crime risk. Of 4 schools within the suburb boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is moderate.
Is Altona a good suburb?
Altona scores a B (55/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on prices and safety.
Mixed results
4 schools · 1 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 68/100 · 19.3 km · 27 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $1.15M
High crime risk
Fire 20/100 · Crime 73/100 · Flood 77/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 9/10 · median age 42 · 11,490 residents
Liveability Rating
55 / 100 · Ranked #357 in VICEach bar is Altona's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Altona?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
55 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataAltona's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.15 million, roughly 29% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,150,000
21% above its 7 neighbours (median $950,000)
Based on 157 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 29 days — median across 77 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 16 sales $812K
- 3 bed 77 sales $1.05M
- 4 bed 46 sales $1.41M
- 5 bed 8 sales $1.65M
Units
$657,500
10% above its 5 neighbours (median $600,000)
Based on 126 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 29 days — median across 45 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 12 sales $358K
- 2 bed 81 sales $610K
- 3 bed 29 sales $870K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Altona are currently listed at around $1.21 million on average. Based on 116 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.21M
116 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$715K
49 units listed in the last 6 months.
165 of the suburb's 4,803 dwellings (3.4%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Altona rent for around $730 a week on average, based on 53 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$730/wk
33% above its 5 neighbours (median $550/wk)
53 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$590/wk
26% above its 4 neighbours (median $470/wk)
30 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
83 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,527 rented homes (5.4%) 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 3018.
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$730/week ($38,000 a year) on a $1.21 million median
$590/week ($31,000 a year) on a $715,000 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
23 active Airbnb listings: 17 whole homes and 6 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 Altona safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Altona sits in the high band, with 805 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 25% on the prior year.
805 offences
25.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202557 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 4 of them fatal
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.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 2.4 km
- Rate
- -0.74 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -22.9 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Four schools serve Altona, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Altona Primary School leads the pack.
- • 2,783 students across 4 schools (avg 696)
- • Sectors: 2 Government, 2 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1044-1111, median 1080 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Mount St Joseph Girls' College (1,216 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Walkability
Altona is somewhat walkable on foot — at 68/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car. Within the suburb there are 2 supermarkets, 18 parks and 22 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Altona.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 259.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 205.8 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 111.9 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 20.0 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 2 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 Altona.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 47%
- Premises covered
- 6,488
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
Hobsons Bay: 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 26 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 6 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Altona is home to about 11,500 residents, with a median age of 42, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $95,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.1%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
11,490
Median Age
42
Median Household Income
$94,952/yr
Census Median Rent
$385/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,197/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$49,244/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.1%
Unoccupied Dwellings
9.4%
Total Dwellings
4,803
Owner-Occupier Rate
68.2%
Houses
61.1%
Rental Stress
21.1%
Mortgage Stress
27.8%
Work From Home
41.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
60 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 45 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,489 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 67.3%
- English Spoken at Home
- 75.8%
- Employment Rate
- 60.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 49.4%
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.
453 residents (3.9%) 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 10,811 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
25% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (1,425 of 5,699).
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 7,930 people work here; 5,699 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.4 per resident). At least 28% 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 $2,677 a year through Hobsons Bay based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Other and special use 39%
- Infrastructure and transport 27%
- Residential 20%
- Parks and recreation 10%
- Industrial 4%
- Zones under 1% 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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Hobsons Bay
In the year to August 2026, 1,028 new dwellings were approved across Hobsons Bay. That mix is 200 houses and 828 units. Approvals are up 205.6% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 145 homes
- Apartment and townhouse projects under construction 114 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 Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2017).
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).
NO₂ averaged 0.81 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: NO₂ 0.
From the Altona North monitoring station, 4.6 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Laverton RAAF, 5.0 kmDry climate — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 7 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 1.5 km
- 1.8 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 482 mm
- 76 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.9°C
- 11 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.2°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
35 facilities within 5 km- 1.0 kmSynthetic Resin and Synthetic Rubber ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 1.3 kmFossil Fuel Electricity GenerationTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 1.3 kmPlaster Product ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 1.3 km
- 1.7 kmIndustrial and Agricultural Chemical Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Methyl ethyl ketone · Toluene (methylbenzene)
EV adoption
In postcode 3018, 186 of 10,299 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.7% (276 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3018, 1,807 rooftop-solar systems totalling 13.2 MW have been installed since 2001, against 6,090 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 112 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.
4 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3018 in 2025-26, rank 143 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 76, in 2005-06.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
13 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 14 across postcode 3018.
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 $1,150,000 this is $400,000 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 2026-10-26 — 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 Tim Watts Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tim Watts | 65.1% | 34.9% | +3.9 |
| 2022 | Tim Watts | 61.5% | 38.5% | +1.5 |
| 2019 | Tim Watts | 64.8% | 35.2% | +0.3 |
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 Melissa Horne Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Melissa Horne ALP | 63.4% | 63.4% | 36.6% |
| 2018 | Melissa Horne ALP | 50.4% | 72.1% | 27.9% |
| 2014 | Wade Noonan ALP | 66.5% | 66.5% | 33.5% |
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 Altona?
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 11,490 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.
Featured in
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
Altona Meadows VIC 3028
Williamstown VIC 3016
Altona North VIC 3025
Laverton VIC 3028
Seaholme VIC 3018
Williamstown North VIC 3016
Compare Altona 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 Altona
Is Altona a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Altona is high (73/100, 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 Altona?
Altona has a low recorded bushfire history (20/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a high share of it (77/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Altona a good place to live?
Altona has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (55/100), 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 Altona?
Altona, VIC had a population of 11,490 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Altona, VIC?
The postcode for Altona, VIC is 3018.
How far is Altona from Melbourne?
Altona is 19 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 27 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Altona?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Altona was $94,952 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 Altona?
The median advertised rent in Altona is $730 a week for houses (53 listings) and $590 a week for units (30 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Altona?
The median age of residents in Altona was 42 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Altona at risk of bushfire?
Altona has a low recorded bushfire history (20/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Altona?
There are 4 schools inside the Altona boundary: 1 above, 2 at, and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Altona walkable?
Altona scores 68/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat 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 Altona?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Altona, Laverton RAAF (5 km away), summer days average 25.9°C, winter nights 6.2°C, 482 mm of rain a year over 76 rainy days, and 11 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Altona?
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 Altona belong to?
Altona sits within the Hobsons Bay local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Altona?
The average residential rates bill through Hobsons Bay is $2,677 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Altona?
Across Hobsons Bay, 1,028 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 205.6% 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 Altona in?
Altona sits within the federal Division of Gellibrand, currently held by Tim Watts (Australian Labor Party).
Search another suburb or address
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.
Was the information on this page useful to you?
Thanks! Anything we could improve?
We hate spam as much as you do — we'll never use your email for marketing, and we might not be able to reply to everyone.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙏
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.