You are pricing Airport West and the headline number is not enough. Houses sit around $762,947, units around $419,719, and the real question is whether that gap buys you space, rentability, or just a bigger stamp duty bill.
The Verdict
The best read on Airport West right now is the median 3-bedroom house at $762,947. That is the number to use if you are trying to understand the suburb properly, because it sits in the middle of the actual family-buyer market rather than the cheaper entry-level unit market or the stretched 4-bedroom upgrade bracket. It is also moving, but not irrationally: house prices are up 4.6% year on year, days on market are sitting at 28, and the auction clearance rate is 61%. That says competitive, not manic.
Units are the cleaner entry point at $419,719, with slightly stronger annual growth at 5.4% and the same 4.1% yield as houses. But the house median is still the decision point because Airport West is being bought by first-home buyers and upgrading families who care about land, bedrooms, and resale depth. A median house also means a serious cash plan: about $152,589 for a 20% deposit, plus roughly $41,962 in stamp duty, or $34,332 for eligible first-home buyers using concessions. Do not use the 1-bedroom unit number as your mental anchor unless you actually want a 1-bedroom unit. It makes the suburb look cheaper than the stock most buyers are fighting over.
Local Reality
Airport West is not a bargain-bin suburb anymore, but it is still more legible than many inner-north markets. The current data is based on settled sales reported through REIV, Domain, and CoreLogic, which matters because settled sales tell you what buyers actually paid, not what agents hoped to get on a listing page. The last 12 months show 270 settled sales, so this is not a thin market where one strange sale can distort the whole story.
The practical pressure point is quality. The current body of sales says buyers are competing at auction for quality properties on good streets, and that is where the 61% clearance rate becomes useful. If a place is clean, well-located within Airport West, and family-ready, assume you are not the only buyer who has noticed it. If it needs work, the median can mislead you in the other direction: the headline price may not include the money you will pour into condition, aspect, or layout after settlement.
The rental side is tight. A 3-bedroom house is sitting around $626 per week and a 2-bedroom unit around $322 per week, with both showing a 4.1% annual yield. The vacancy rate is 1.2%, which is landlord-favourable and gives investors some comfort, but it does not magically make every purchase good. Skip this if you are hoping for a sleepy market where you can lowball decent stock for weeks. If your budget cannot stretch near the 3-bedroom house median, the unit market is the honest alternative rather than pretending a compromised house will behave like a median one.
Who This Suits
If you are a first-home buyer, use the unit median of $419,719 as the realistic entry marker, then check whether the concession-adjusted stamp duty position makes the house jump remotely possible. If you are an upgrading family, the 3-bedroom house median of $762,947 is the number that matters most. If you need a larger family home, the 4-bedroom median at $991,831 is the warning sign: the jump from three to four bedrooms is material, not cosmetic. If you are an investor, compare the 4.1% yield across both houses and units, then look hard at vacancy risk, maintenance, and whether your rent assumptions match current medians.
Cost expectations need to be blunt. A median house deposit at 20% is about $152,589, before purchase costs. A median unit deposit is about $83,943. Stamp duty on the median house is listed at $41,962, or $34,332 for first-home buyers with concessions. Those numbers mean the real gap between house and unit buying is not just the $343,228 difference in median price; it is the cash you need ready before the bank even cares about your borrowing capacity.
Timing matters too. These figures represent the 12 months to March 2026, so they are useful as an early-2026 snapshot, not a promise about the next auction you attend. The five-year trend is steady: houses moved from $638,374 in 2022 to $762,947 in 2026 YTD, while units moved from $340,430 to $419,719. That is enough growth to punish waiting forever, but not enough to justify buying the wrong property just because the chart slopes up.
What to Do Next
Use the $762,947 house median as your main Airport West benchmark, then sanity-check the exact bedroom count before you inspect. For auction tactics and street-level buying context, read the Airport West property market guide.
Current Median Prices
| Property Type | Median Price | YoY Change | Rental Yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houses | $762,947 | +4.6% | 4.1% |
| Units/Apartments | $419,719 | +5.4% | 4.1% |
Market Indicators:
- Days on market (median): 28 days
- Auction clearance rate: 61%
- Total sales (last 12 months): 270 settled
Price Breakdown by Bedroom Count
Houses
| Bedrooms | Median Price | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| 2-bedroom | $534,062 | $457,768 - $610,357 |
| 3-bedroom | $762,947 | $648,504 - $877,389 |
| 4-bedroom | $991,831 | $877,389 - $1,144,420 |
| 5+ bedroom | $1,220,715 | $1,068,125 - $1,525,894 |
Units & Apartments
| Bedrooms | Median Price | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | $314,789 | $251,831 - $356,761 |
| 2-bedroom | $419,719 | $356,761 - $482,676 |
| 3-bedroom | $566,620 | $503,662 - $629,578 |
Growth Trend (5-Year View)
| Year | House Median | Unit Median |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $638,374 | $340,430 |
| 2023 | $667,467 | $358,724 |
| 2024 | $697,886 | $378,001 |
| 2025 | $729,692 | $398,314 |
| 2026 (YTD) | $762,947 | $419,719 |
Rental Market
| Property Type | Weekly Rent | Annual Yield |
|---|---|---|
| House (3br) | $626/wk | 4.1% |
| Unit (2br) | $322/wk | 4.1% |
Vacancy rate: 1.2% (tight market, landlord-favourable)
Data sources: REIV quarterly median reports, Domain suburb profiles, CoreLogic RP Data. Figures represent settled sales for the 12 months to March 2026. Individual sale prices vary significantly based on condition, aspect, and exact location.
