Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Altona Meadows
11 km²
A high proportion of detached houses defines Altona Meadows, where 85.0% of homes are separate houses compared to 72.3% nationally. The community is noticeably older than the state and national average, with a typical resident aged 41. It is a diverse area where many people were born overseas, and a high number of households are led by single parents. These residential streets are very walkable, with almost every home within a short stroll of a park.
Altona Meadows's schools draw a more advantaged community than local incomes would suggest.
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The typical resident is 41, which is noticeably older than the national figure of 38. While children under 15 make up 16.4% of the population, the number of seniors aged 65 and over rose 7.2 percentage points since 2011 to reach 18.0%.
Overseas birth is common here, with 33.3% of people born outside Australia, which is well above the national figure of 27.7%. The most common ancestries are Australian (24.0%) and English (23.9%).
Language diversity is high, and 31.7% of residents use a language other than English at home, well above the 22.3% national average. About 5.1% of the community speak little or no English.
Religious affiliation is higher than in many other areas, as the 31.5% who report no religion is well below the national figure of 38.9%. Over half of the population (51.5%) identify as Christian.
Education levels have risen, with the share of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher climbing 6.5 percentage points since 2011 to 21.0%. However, this remains well below the national average of 26.3%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,573, which is a little below the national figure of $1,746. The number of households earning $3,000 or more a week rose 10 percentage points since 2011 to 16.7%.
A higher number of people here need help with daily activities (8.4%) compared to the national average of 5.8%. Long-term health conditions are also more common, affecting 29.7% of residents.
Unpaid care is a significant part of local life, with 14.5% of people providing unpaid care, which is a little above the national figure. Conversely, only 8.6% of people volunteer, which is well below the national average.
First Nations people in the area are far older than those in the state or nation, with a typical age of 33. The unemployment rate for this group is 14.3%, which is a little above the national average.
Single-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, making up 16.9% of households. About 27.0% of people live alone, a figure that rose 5.1 percentage points since 2011.
Home ownership is strong, with 37.5% of homes owned outright, well above the national figure of 31.0%. Most homes are large, with 80.3% having three or more bedrooms.
Working from home is popular, with 23.4% of the workforce doing so, a figure that rose 21 percentage points since 2011. Most people rely on cars, as only 2.6% of commuters use public transport.
The community is relatively stable, as the 27.7% of people who moved in the last five years is far below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent overseas arrivals also fell 8.6 percentage points since 2011.
Full-time employment is slightly higher than the national average at 61.6%. However, the unemployment rate of 6.2% is a little above the national figure of 5.1%.
The area has a general advantage score of 4 out of 10, which is lower than about 60% of similar areas. Population growth since 2021 has been very low at 0.7%.
The area receives an average annual rainfall of 565mm, which is a little above the Victorian average of 510mm. Minimum temperatures are also slightly higher than the state average.
The area is very walkable, with a score of 6.7. Most residents have excellent access to essentials, with 93.4% within a 15-minute walk of groceries and 100% within a 15-minute walk of a park.