Fish Creek vs Foster

Fish Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 59 in Foster. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Foster, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Fish Creek: a median of $653,000, against $542,000 in Foster. On these figures, Foster tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Fish Creek is already more of a family suburb (54% vs 35%)
  • Foster has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Foster

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($787,500 vs $1,075,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($542,500 vs $652,750)
  • But Fish Creek leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 32%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fish Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (18% vs 25%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Foster

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (40% vs 29%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Foster

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (11.0% vs 3.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Fish Creek and Foster drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Fish Creek Foster
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Fish Creek Foster
Walkability 0 / 4
Fish Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Foster — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 45 / 43
Fish Creek — Safety: 45/100 Foster — Safety: 43/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Fish Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100 Foster — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 77 / 48
Fish Creek — Low flood risk: 77/100 Foster — Low flood risk: 48/100

Demographics

Foster has more residents (2,044 vs 858); Fish Creek has higher household incomes ($66,612 vs $50,700).

Fish Creek Foster
Population 858 2,044
+138% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.7% +11.0%
Median age 51 59
Median household income $66,612/yr
+24% vs other
 $50,700/yr
Median weekly rent $235/wk $240/wk
+2% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Fish Creek Foster
0-4 2.9% / 2.9%
Fish Creek — 0-4: 2.9% Foster — 0-4: 2.9%
5-14 13.9% / 8.9%
Fish Creek — 5-14: 13.9% Foster — 5-14: 8.9%
15-19 5.5% / 4.3%
Fish Creek — 15-19: 5.5% Foster — 15-19: 4.3%
20-24 4.4% / 3.0%
Fish Creek — 20-24: 4.4% Foster — 20-24: 3.0%
25-34 5.6% / 6.1%
Fish Creek — 25-34: 5.6% Foster — 25-34: 6.1%
35-44 10.8% / 7.6%
Fish Creek — 35-44: 10.8% Foster — 35-44: 7.6%
45-54 13.2% / 10.3%
Fish Creek — 45-54: 13.2% Foster — 45-54: 10.3%
55-64 15.3% / 17.1%
Fish Creek — 55-64: 15.3% Foster — 55-64: 17.1%
65-74 17.6% / 19.9%
Fish Creek — 65-74: 17.6% Foster — 65-74: 19.9%
75-84 9.7% / 13.4%
Fish Creek — 75-84: 9.7% Foster — 75-84: 13.4%
85+ 1.5% / 6.5%
Fish Creek — 85+: 1.5% Foster — 85+: 6.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Fish Creek 40.9% lone person
Fish Creek — Lone Person: 40.9% Fish Creek — Couple Families: 41.9% Fish Creek — One Parent Families: 12.1% Fish Creek — Group Household: 3.3% Fish Creek — Other Families: 1.9%
Foster 61.7% lone person
Foster — Lone Person: 61.7% Foster — Couple Families: 23.9% Foster — One Parent Families: 10.8% Foster — Group Household: 3.1% Foster — Other Families: 0.5%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Fish Creek 12.2% renting
Fish Creek — Owned Outright: 60.5% Fish Creek — Mortgage: 27.3% Fish Creek — Renting: 12.2%
Foster 20.9% renting
Foster — Owned Outright: 58.5% Foster — Mortgage: 20.6% Foster — Renting: 20.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Fish Creek Foster
Certificate III & IV 15.5% / 15.4%
Fish Creek — Certificate III & IV: 15.5% Foster — Certificate III & IV: 15.4%
Bachelor Degree 11.0% / 9.9%
Fish Creek — Bachelor Degree: 11.0% Foster — Bachelor Degree: 9.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 9.1%
Fish Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Foster — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 5.2% / 3.1%
Fish Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 5.2% Foster — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.9% / 2.1%
Fish Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.9% Foster — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.5%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Fish Creek Foster
England 3.0% / 4.3%
Fish Creek — England: 3.0% Foster — England: 4.3%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.1%
Fish Creek — New Zealand: 1.2% Foster — New Zealand: 1.1%
Scotland 1.2% / 0.7%
Fish Creek — Scotland: 1.2% Foster — Scotland: 0.7%
Italy 0.8% / 0.8%
Fish Creek — Italy: 0.8% Foster — Italy: 0.8%
South Africa 0.7% / 0.5%
Fish Creek — South Africa: 0.7% Foster — South Africa: 0.5%
Philippines 0.5% / 0.7%
Fish Creek — Philippines: 0.5% Foster — Philippines: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Fish Creek 100.3% houses
Fish Creek — Houses: 100.3% Fish Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Fish Creek — Townhouses: 0.0%
Foster 88.2% houses
Foster — Houses: 88.2% Foster — Flats / Apartments: 8.4% Foster — Townhouses: 3.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Fish Creek Foster
Median house price $652,750 $542,500
Median unit price — $485,000
Median land price $1,075,000 $787,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 82 days
from 34 sales

Zoning mix

Fish Creek Foster
Rural and farming 96% 91%
Parks and recreation 3% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 2%
Residential 0% 1%
Planning zones cover 100% of Fish Creek and 99% of Foster. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Fish Creek Foster
New dwellings approved 170
across South Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +21%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Fish Creek Foster
Houses — 2.7%
$406/wk on $795K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Fish Creek Foster
House price — Higher than 34% of VIC
Income Higher than 27% of VIC Higher than 10% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 70% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 17% of VIC Higher than 65% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 19% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 53% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 6% of VIC

Liveability

Fish Creek scores higher overall (52 vs 46).

Fish Creek Foster
Grade B C
Score 52/100 46/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Foster carries more flood risk (52 vs 23).

Fish Creek Foster
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
55/100
 Moderate
57/100
Flood Low
23/100
 Moderate
52/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
81/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Fish Creek Foster
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Fish Creek

  • Fish Creek and District Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Foster

  • Foster Secondary College Government · Secondary above peers
  • Foster Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Corner Inlet College Independent · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Fish Creek Foster
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 2
same for both
Parks & reserves 2 6
Childcare 1 2
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 3
Fuel stations 1
same for both
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 4 11

Mobility

Fish Creek Foster
Walkability score 0/100 4/100
Distance to Melbourne 173.6 km 175.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 137 min 138 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 3959
 0.5%
postcode 3960
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 42
postcode 3959
 54
postcode 3960

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Fish Creek Foster
Car (driver) 57.4% / 67.0%
Fish Creek — Car (driver): 57.4% Foster — Car (driver): 67.0%
Worked from Home 33.2% / 17.6%
Fish Creek — Worked from Home: 33.2% Foster — Worked from Home: 17.6%
Walked Only 6.6% / 10.3%
Fish Creek — Walked Only: 6.6% Foster — Walked Only: 10.3%
Car (passenger) 1.5% / 4.1%
Fish Creek — Car (passenger): 1.5% Foster — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Train 1.2% / —
Fish Creek — Train: 1.2% Foster — Train: not among its largest
Bicycle — / 1.0%
Fish Creek — Bicycle: not among its largest Foster — Bicycle: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.0%).

Setting

Fish Creek Foster
Elevation 77 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 41 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.3 km 3.5 km

NBN connectivity

Fish Creek Foster
Connectivity score 29/100 55/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
492 premises
 28%
1,292 premises

Council rates

Fish Creek Foster
Average residential rate $2,282/yr
same for both
Council South Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Fish Creek Foster
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Fish Creek Foster
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Fish Creek

Retirees Rural

Foster

Affordable Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Fish Creek

Fish Creek vs Tarwin Lower Fish Creek vs Sandy Point Fish Creek vs Buffalo Fish Creek vs Yanakie Fish Creek vs Walkerville

Other comparisons with Foster

Foster vs Toora Foster vs Buffalo Foster vs Yanakie Foster vs Port Franklin Foster vs Foster North
Full data on Fish Creek Full data on Foster
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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