Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Altona
17 km²
Bordering the coast in Hobsons Bay, Altona is a well-off community with a highly educated population. It is a professional hub where many residents work from home and earn well above the national figure. While it has a high number of older adults, the area remains dynamic with a significant proportion of people moving in recently. Its character is a mix of established family homes and a growing number of people living alone in a very walkable urban setting.
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The typical resident is 42, making the area noticeably older than the Victorian and national average of 38. About 19.3% of the population are seniors, and children under 15 make up 17.4%.
Overseas birth is common here, with 28.3% of people born abroad, which is much higher than most similar areas. The most common ancestries are English, Australian, Irish, and Scottish.
A significant 19.6% of residents use a language other than English at home, though this is well below the Victorian average. Only 2.2% of the community speak little or no English.
Many residents identify as having no religion, at 43.0%, which is well above the national figure of 38.9%. Christianity is the most common faith at 45.9%.
This is a highly qualified community where 31.9% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, well above the national average. Most residents completed Year 12, and there are many large schools in the area.
Incomes are high here, with the typical family earning $2,440 a week, which is over $300 more than the national figure. About 18% of people earn $2,000 or more weekly.
About 28.8% of people live with a long-term health condition, which is slightly above the national average. Mental health, arthritis, and asthma are the most reported conditions.
Unpaid childcare is common, with 27.4% of people providing this care, but the area has a much lower rate of volunteering than most similar places.
The First Nations community is small but has a typical age of 36, which is far older than the state average. Unemployment for this group is 14.3%, well above the state rate.
A high number of people live alone here, at 32.0%, which is well above the national figure. This helps explain why the typical home size is smaller than in most areas, with only 2.3 people per home.
The area has fewer large homes, with 67% having three or more bedrooms, well below the national figure. Renting is common at 31%, and typical home loan payments are much higher than in other areas.
Working from home is very common at 35.7%, far above the national figure. The area is well served by public transport, with 70 stops and a high number of weekly departures.
The community is quite mobile, with 39.7% of people moving house in the last five years. About 11.2% of residents arrived from overseas recently.
Full-time employment is high at 63.9%, well above the national average. Many residents work as professionals or managers in health, education, and technical fields.
Altona is very walkable, with 90% of homes within a 15-minute walk of groceries and 81.4% near health services, both far above the Victorian average.