Altona Meadows
VICAltona Meadows is a declining suburb in VIC with 18,479 residents.
- SAL code
- 20036
- SA2
- 213021342
- Population
- 18,479
- LGA
- Hobsons Bay
Altona Meadows, VIC had 18,479 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 3.7% decline over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 41. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,700 a month. Around 71.0% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 37.5%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 85.1% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 39 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Altona Meadows, VIC at a glance
Altona Meadows is an established bayside-adjacent suburb ~17 km south-west of Melbourne CBD in the City of Hobsons Bay. Built out from the 1970s onward, it's mostly single-storey family houses on standard lots wrapped around the Cheetham Wetlands and Sanctuary Lakes. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market + lifestyle context.
For homebuyers
Altona Meadows reads as quiet and family-oriented without being remote. The dwelling stock is dominated by 3- and 4-bedroom brick-veneer houses on standard lots, with the newer Sanctuary Lakes precinct sitting at the south-western edge around the lake and golf course. Cheetham Wetlands wraps the suburb's southern fringe — boardwalks, migratory birdlife, and a 5-minute drive to Altona Beach proper. Central Square is the local shopping anchor; Point Cook Town Centre and Williams Landing are a short hop west. Laverton Station (Werribee line, ~10 min walk from the western edge) and Aircraft Station serve the train commute, and the West Gate Freeway puts the CBD ~25 min off-peak. Schools include Altona Meadows Primary, Sanctuary Lakes South P-9, and Mount St Joseph Girls' College in nearby Altona. In short: a settled bayside-fringe suburb that trades waterfront postcodes for more house and yard at a lower entry price.
For investors
Altona Meadows is a steady west-Melbourne hold rather than a yield play. Median house sale $761,000 against $530/week rent gives a ~3.78% gross yield, with units at $562,500 / $460/wk for ~4.58% (Your Investment Property May 2026). 12-month house growth +4.25%; unit growth +6.13%. Volume is healthy at 282 house sales and 72 unit sales over 12 months, and houses spend ~22 days on market — units ~28 (HTAG April 2026).
Strengths
- Liquid market — 282 house sales + 72 unit sales in 12 months gives real exit optionality (HTAG April 2026).
- Units carry the better yield at ~4.58% with +6.13% YoY growth, useful for a cashflow tilt (YIP May 2026).
- Bayside-adjacent location with Cheetham Wetlands + Sanctuary Lakes anchoring lifestyle appeal for tenants.
- Two train stations (Laverton, Aircraft) plus West Gate Freeway access keep CBD-commuter demand intact.
Trade-offs
- House yield is thin at ~3.78% — negative gearing territory at current rates (YIP May 2026).
- House growth +4.25% YoY trails the broader Melbourne west — capital appreciation is steady, not stand-out (YIP May 2026).
- West Gate Tunnel opening will reshape commute patterns; competing growth-corridor suburbs (Point Cook, Williams Landing) draw similar tenant pool with newer stock.
- Wetlands + flood overlays apply to the southern + western fringes — check planning + insurance loading per address.
What's coming
Hobsons Bay Council's 2025/26 Capital Works program is $63.3m, with $12.4m in recreation + open space. The headline local project is Stage 1 of the Hobsons Bay Wetlands Centre at Altona Meadows (carried forward from 2024/25 — landscaping and gathering spaces). The West Gate Tunnel completion will also reshape Altona Meadows' CBD commute window.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a practical bayside-fringe family suburb with parks, wetlands, and a sub-30-minute CBD run. For investors: a steady-yield, steady-growth hold — units do the cashflow work better than houses.
Population
?18,479
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
-3.7%
3yr: +2.4% · 10yr: -5.2%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,573/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
41
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?4/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?5.0%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
3
3 primary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?12
6 long day, 5 OSHC
Parks & green space
?39
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?43
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?346
Hobsons Bay · Feb 2026
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Altona Meadows (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Altona Meadows suburb alone is ~18,479 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 19,168 to 18,783 over 24 years, averaging -0.1% per year.
Schools
3 in suburbSector
2 public · 1 private
Type
3 primary
Total enrolment
1,143
Avg per school
381
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for VIC.
Source when available: Victorian Department of Education / Vicmap School Zones.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 2.2%Almost entirely detached houses (85.1%), owner-occupied (71.0%), built for families (59% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: VIC DTP Designated Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Overlay (flood codes)
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
11 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRZ5 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 5Residential | 44.9% | 4.73 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 30.1% | 3.17 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 13.5% | 1.43 km² |
| GRZ3 | General Residential Zone Schedule 3Residential | 5.3% | 0.56 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 1.9% | 0.20 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 1.4% | 0.15 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 0.7% | 0.08 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 0.6% | 0.06 km² |
| SUZ4 | Special Use Zone Schedule 4Special use | 0.4% | 0.04 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 0.4% | 0.04 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 0.2% | 0.02 km² |
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Zones (ZONE_VIC/2026-04-29/08783d2926383881) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.