Ardeer - Albion
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Ardeer - Albion reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Ardeer - Albion's population is around 7,958 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 456 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,502 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,915 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 100 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,733 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Ardeer - Albion's growth of 6.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth of 2.6%, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 82.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, making adjustments using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends project an above median growth, with the area expected to grow by 1,785 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, reflecting an increase of 21.8% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Ardeer - Albion according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Albion has received approximately 47 dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, a total of 238 homes were approved, with an additional 4 approved in FY26 so far. Despite population decline, housing supply has been adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

The average construction value for new properties is $253,000, which is below regional levels, indicating more affordable housing options for buyers. This financial year has seen $15.1 million in commercial approvals, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Albion has 105% more construction activity per person, offering greater choice for buyers, although recent construction activity has eased. The new developments consist of 22% standalone homes and 78% attached dwellings, marking a shift from the current housing pattern of 64% houses, likely due to diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences. With around 225 people per dwelling approval, Albion is considered a low density area. Future projections indicate an addition of 1,735 residents by 2041, with development keeping pace with projected growth.

However, increasing competition among buyers is expected as the population expands.

Ardeer - Albion has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 20 projects that may impact the area. Notable projects include Vietnamese Museum Australia, Sunshine Mental Health and Wellbeing Centre, Sunshine Superhub and Albion Station Upgrade, and River Valley. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Ardeer - Albion recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Albion-Ardeer has an educated workforce with varied industry representation, a 7.1% unemployment rate, and estimated 5.3% employment growth in the past year (June 2024 - June 2025). As of June 2025, 4,358 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is higher than Greater Melbourne's by 2.4 percentage points.

Workforce participation lags behind Greater Melbourne at 58.1%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, transport, postal & warehousing, and construction. Albion-Ardeer specializes in transport, postal & warehousing with an employment share of 1.8 times the regional level. Professional & technical services have limited presence at 6.4% compared to the regional 10.1%.

The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities. Over June 2024 - June 2025, employment increased by 5.3%, labour force by 5.7%, leading to a 0.3 percentage point unemployment rise. Greater Melbourne recorded 3.5% employment growth and a 0.5 percentage point unemployment increase over the same period. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May 2025) project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying sector-specific growth rates. Applying these projections to Albion-Ardeer's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Ardeer - Albion's median taxpayer income was $47,951 and average income was $55,597 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is below the national average of $63,099 for that year. In Greater Melbourne, median income was $54,892 and average income was $73,761 in the same period. By September 2025, estimated median income in Ardeer - Albion would be approximately $53,782 and average income would be around $62,358, based on a 12.16% growth rate from the Wage Price Index since financial year 2022. Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Ardeer - Albion rank modestly, between the 25th and 29th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 30.0% of residents earn $1,500 to $2,999 weekly (2,387 residents), which is consistent with broader trends in the surrounding region where 32.8% fall into this category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 81.5% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 23rd percentile.

Ardeer - Albion displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Ardeer-Albion, as per the latest Census, 63.7% of dwellings were houses, with 36.4% being other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Melbourne metro's 81.3% houses and 18.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ardeer-Albion stood at 28.0%, with mortgaged properties at 29.9% and rented ones at 42.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,700, aligning with Melbourne metro's average, while the median weekly rent was $320 compared to Melbourne metro's $346. Nationally, Ardeer-Albion's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were significantly below the national figure of $375.

Ardeer - Albion features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 59.1% of all households, including 22.2% couples with children, 22.0% couples without children, and 12.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 40.9%, with lone person households at 34.6% and group households comprising 6.3%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.9.

The educational profile of Ardeer - Albion exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 31.2% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the SA3 area average of 23.9%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 19.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.6%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 29.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas comprise 11.5% and certificates make up 17.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 8.7% in primary, 6.6% in tertiary, and 5.4% pursuing secondary education. Ardeer-Albion has four schools combined enrolling 698 students, operating under typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1018) with balanced educational opportunities. All four schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas. School places per 100 residents stand at 8.8, lower than the regional average of 14.3, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Ardeer-Albion has 34 active public transport stops, served by a mix of trains and buses. These stops are connected by 8 routes, offering 3,938 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents have good access to transport, with an average distance of 208 meters to the nearest stop.

On average, there are 562 trips per day across all routes, which amounts to about 115 weekly trips per individual stop.

Ardeer - Albion's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Ardeer-Albion residents show relatively positive health outcomes, with low prevalence of common conditions among the general population, although higher than national averages for older and at-risk groups. Private health cover is very low, at approximately 48% (3788 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common conditions, affecting 8.1% and 7.3% respectively. 72.2% of residents report being clear of medical ailments, slightly lower than Greater Melbourne's 73.5%. The area has 16.6% (1324 people) aged 65 and over, compared to Greater Melbourne's 17.9%. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than the broader population.

Ardeer - Albion is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Ardeer-Albion has a diverse population with 51.3% speaking a language other than English at home and 50.1% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion, comprising 44.1%. Buddhism makes up 6.9%, lower than Greater Melbourne's average of 12.5%.

Top ancestry groups are Other (21.9%), English (15.1%) higher than regional average, and Australian (13.2%). Polish is overrepresented at 2.1% vs regional 1.1%, Vietnamese at 8.1% vs 15.7%, Maltese at 3.7% vs 4.6%.

Ardeer - Albion's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Ardeer-Albion's median age is nearly 37 years, close to Greater Melbourne's average of 37 and slightly below Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Ardeer-Albion has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (20.0%) but fewer residents aged 5-14 (8.9%). This proportion of 25-34 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 14.5%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the percentage of residents aged 35-44 has grown from 17.0% to 18.1%, while those aged 75-84 have increased from 4.8% to 5.9%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 21.4% to 20.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling indicates significant changes in Ardeer-Albion's age profile. The 45-54 cohort is projected to grow by 39%, adding 338 residents to reach a total of 1,218. Meanwhile, the 5-14 cohort is expected to grow by a modest 2%, with an increase of 16 people.