The numbers, in plain English
To rent in St Albans without housing stress, a household income of about $81,000/year keeps the rent of $470/week at or below 30% of gross income — the standard affordability benchmark. That rent is the official median for a 3-bedroom house — the most common new lease here (679 bonds lodged). Check your income →
To buy the median home ($680,000) with a 20% deposit of $136k, repayments at 6.2% over 30 years come to about $3,332/month — comfortable on roughly $133,000/year under the same 30% rule. Saving that deposit at $1,500/month takes about 7.6 years, before stamp duty of $36k ($19k for eligible first home buyers). Run your own loan →
That price is the real median of 433 house sales in St Albans, published by the state land authority — not an estimate.
Compared to the rest of Victoria, St Albans is more expensive to buy than 86% of the state's suburbs (state median $330k) and pricier to rent than 53% (state median $445/week). It sits roughly 16 km from the Melbourne CBD as the crow flies.
For investors, the median rent against the median price gives a gross rental yield of about 3.5% before costs. Net yield calculator →
Modelled medians, not valuations — every formula above is documented on our methodology page.
Actual rents lodged here
Bonds lodged, September 2025Unlike the modelled figures above, these are the real median rents from every rental bond lodged with the Victorian RTBA in St Albans — a typical 3-bedroom house rents for $470/week.
| Bedrooms | Type | Median rent | Bonds lodged |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | unit | $420/wk | 272 |
| 3 | house | $470/wk | 679 |
Source: Victoria DFFH Rental Report (CC BY 4.0), moving-annual by suburb with at least 5 lodgements per figure. Updated quarterly — see data sources.
Affordability by income
$60k income
Rent (455/wk)
Over budget
Budget: $346/wk
Buy ($680k)
Repayments are a stretch
$3,262/mo · deposit in ~15.2yr
$90k income
Rent (455/wk)
Affordable
Budget: $519/wk
Buy ($680k)
Repayments are a stretch
$3,262/mo · deposit in ~10.1yr
$120k income
Rent (455/wk)
Affordable
Budget: $692/wk
Buy ($680k)
Repayments are a stretch
$3,262/mo · deposit in ~7.6yr
Based on 30% gross income rule for rent; 6% p.a. / 30-year P&I loan at 20% deposit for purchase; 15% savings rate for deposit timeline.
Upfront buying costs
| Purchase price | $680k |
| 20% deposit (no LMI) | $136k |
| Stamp duty (Victoria) | $36k |
| Stamp duty (first home buyer) | $19k |
| Conveyancing (est.) | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Building inspection (est.) | $400 – $700 |
| Total upfront (est.) | $174k |
Who lives here & what's nearby
Real figures for St Albans — measured, not modelled.
How St Albans compares
- Households here earn about 10% less than the typical Victoria suburb.
- Renter-heavy — 36% rent, against 21% across Victoria.
- Younger than average — a median age of 37 vs 46 statewide.
Demographics from the ABS 2021 Census; distances and school counts from OpenStreetMap. Comparisons are against the median suburb in Victoria. Suburb-level price trends aren't shown because no open source publishes them reliably yet — see our data sources.
Neighbourhood at a Glance
Indicative scores based on ABS Census data modelling. Always conduct your own research.
Government schemes that may apply
First Home Guarantee (FHBG)
Buy with as little as 5% deposit, no LMI. Up to 35,000 places/year nationwide.
Learn more →First Home Owner Grant (FHOG)
Victoria offers a grant for eligible first home buyers purchasing new builds. Amounts vary.
Learn more →First Home Super Saver (FHSS)
Save up to $50k inside super (taxed at 15% instead of marginal rate), then withdraw for a deposit.
Learn more →Stamp duty concessions
Most states offer full or partial stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers. VIC has its own thresholds.
Learn more →Similar suburbs in Victoria
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Rent data for St Albans sourced from the ABS 2021 Census, scaled by rental CPI to current values. Calculations use 30% gross income rule, 20% deposit, 6% p.a. loan rate over 30 years. Not financial advice.