Haywards Bay vs Albion Park Rail.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $1,165,000 and $823,750. Albion Park Rail edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
Albion Park Rail (median $823,750) is roughly 41% cheaper to buy into than Haywards Bay ($1,165,000). Over the past year, Haywards Bay (+8.1%) ran 6.4 percentage points ahead of Albion Park Rail (+1.7%) on house-price growth.
Albion Park Rail scores higher on walkability (0/100 vs 14/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Albion Park Rail (972) sits above Haywards Bay (952). Haywards Bay skews owner-occupied (93%), Albion Park Rail runs more rental-dense (70% owner).
For buyers
Albion Park Rail is the lower entry point at $823,750 median, 41% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Investors face a yield-versus-growth split: Albion Park Rail delivers the better gross yield (5.05% vs 3.12%), but Haywards Bay has run faster on capital growth this year. The right pick depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow or capital appreciation.
For families
Albion Park Rail edges out on average school ICSEA (972 vs 952). Haywards Bay also has a higher family-household share (90% vs 72%), so the catchment community skews family-heavy.
Common questions
Is Haywards Bay or Albion Park Rail cheaper to buy in?
Albion Park Rail has the lower median house price at $823,750, roughly 41% below Haywards Bay ($1,165,000). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Haywards Bay or Albion Park Rail?
Over the past 12 months, Haywards Bay grew +8.1% vs +1.7% in Albion Park Rail, a gap of 6.4 percentage points. Twelve-month growth can swing year to year, so weight long-run trends from the individual suburb profiles before making a buy decision.
Does Haywards Bay or Albion Park Rail have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Albion Park Rail scores 972 vs 952 in Haywards Bay. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.
Which is more walkable, Haywards Bay or Albion Park Rail?
Albion Park Rail scores 14/100 on walkability vs 0/100. Above 70 is considered very walkable (most errands on foot), 50-69 is walkable for some errands, below 50 typically requires a car for daily life.
Which suburb has higher rental yield, Haywards Bay or Albion Park Rail?
Gross rental yield on houses is 5.05% in Albion Park Rail vs 3.12% in Haywards Bay. Gross yield equals annual rent divided by purchase price. Net yield (after strata, rates, insurance, agent fees and maintenance) typically runs 1.5-2 percentage points lower.
The numbers behind the take
Price & Market
Rental
Lifestyle & Demographics
Risk & Hazard
Schools
Climate
Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).
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