Footscray vs West Footscray

In Footscray, most households rent, about half of homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. In West Footscray, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in West Footscray: a median of $972,000, against $882,000 in Footscray. Footscray is closer to the city centre: 7 km, against 9 km. On these figures, Footscray tends to suit renters, young adults, and people living alone.

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

West Footscray

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (59% vs 32%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (49% vs 32%)
  • But Footscray has more schools inside the suburb (10 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Footscray has cheaper houses ($882,500 vs $972,500)
  • West Footscray has cheaper units ($392,500 vs $455,900)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Footscray

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (58% vs 42%)

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

Commuting to the city

Footscray

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (12% vs 6%)
  • sits closer to the CBD (7 km vs 9 km)
  • is more walkable (100/100 vs 90/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Footscray

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (18 vs 4)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (68% vs 41%)
  • is more walkable (100/100 vs 90/100)
  • But West Footscray carries lower crime risk (74/100 vs 95/100)

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

Investors

Footscray

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (6.0% vs 5.4%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Footscray West Footscray
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.

Footscray West Footscray
Walkability 100 / 90
Footscray — Walkability: 100/100 West Footscray — Walkability: 90/100
Safety 5 / 26
Footscray — Safety: 5/100 West Footscray — Safety: 26/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Footscray — Low fire risk: 100/100 West Footscray — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 36 / 59
Footscray — Low flood risk: 36/100 West Footscray — Low flood risk: 59/100

Demographics

Footscray has more residents (17,131 vs 11,729); West Footscray has higher household incomes ($103,428 vs $91,676).

Footscray West Footscray
Population 17,131
+32% vs other
 11,729
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.8% +2.4%
Median age 34 35
Median household income $91,676/yr $103,428/yr
+13% vs other
Median weekly rent $355/wk
+1% vs other
 $351/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Footscray West Footscray
0-4 4.7% / 6.5%
Footscray — 0-4: 4.7% West Footscray — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 5.9% / 10.7%
Footscray — 5-14: 5.9% West Footscray — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 2.7% / 3.6%
Footscray — 15-19: 2.7% West Footscray — 15-19: 3.6%
20-24 8.3% / 5.3%
Footscray — 20-24: 8.3% West Footscray — 20-24: 5.3%
25-34 30.3% / 22.5%
Footscray — 25-34: 30.3% West Footscray — 25-34: 22.5%
35-44 18.4% / 19.0%
Footscray — 35-44: 18.4% West Footscray — 35-44: 19.0%
45-54 10.3% / 13.1%
Footscray — 45-54: 10.3% West Footscray — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 8.4% / 9.4%
Footscray — 55-64: 8.4% West Footscray — 55-64: 9.4%
65-74 5.7% / 5.5%
Footscray — 65-74: 5.7% West Footscray — 65-74: 5.5%
75-84 3.3% / 3.0%
Footscray — 75-84: 3.3% West Footscray — 75-84: 3.0%
85+ 1.9% / 1.4%
Footscray — 85+: 1.9% West Footscray — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Footscray 50.7% lone person
Footscray — Lone Person: 50.7% Footscray — Couple Families: 21.5% Footscray — Group Household: 13.9% Footscray — One Parent Families: 10.9% Footscray — Other Families: 3.0%
West Footscray 38.1% lone person
West Footscray — Lone Person: 38.1% West Footscray — Couple Families: 37.0% West Footscray — Group Household: 10.6% West Footscray — One Parent Families: 12.4% West Footscray — Other Families: 1.9%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Footscray 57.5% renting
Footscray — Owned Outright: 14.7% Footscray — Mortgage: 27.7% Footscray — Renting: 57.5%
West Footscray 41.6% renting
West Footscray — Owned Outright: 22.4% West Footscray — Mortgage: 36.0% West Footscray — Renting: 41.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Footscray West Footscray
Bachelor Degree 23.5% / 20.6%
Footscray — Bachelor Degree: 23.5% West Footscray — Bachelor Degree: 20.6%
Postgraduate Degree 11.6% / 9.8%
Footscray — Postgraduate Degree: 11.6% West Footscray — Postgraduate Degree: 9.8%
Certificate III & IV 7.3% / 8.2%
Footscray — Certificate III & IV: 7.3% West Footscray — Certificate III & IV: 8.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 7.3%
Footscray — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% West Footscray — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.5% / 3.5%
Footscray — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5% West Footscray — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.5%).

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.

Footscray West Footscray
Vietnam 8.5% / 6.1%
Footscray — Vietnam: 8.5% West Footscray — Vietnam: 6.1%
India 4.7% / 3.7%
Footscray — India: 4.7% West Footscray — India: 3.7%
England 2.2% / 2.2%
Footscray — England: 2.2% West Footscray — England: 2.2%
New Zealand 2.0% / 1.9%
Footscray — New Zealand: 2.0% West Footscray — New Zealand: 1.9%
China 2.2% / 1.1%
Footscray — China: 2.2% West Footscray — China: 1.1%
Philippines 1.5% / 1.7%
Footscray — Philippines: 1.5% West Footscray — Philippines: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Footscray 31.5% houses
Footscray — Houses: 31.5% Footscray — Flats / Apartments: 53.2% Footscray — Townhouses: 15.3%
West Footscray 58.9% houses
West Footscray — Houses: 58.9% West Footscray — Flats / Apartments: 22.0% West Footscray — Townhouses: 19.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Footscray West Footscray
Median house price $882,500 $972,500
Median unit price $455,900 $392,500
Median land price $551,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 25 days
from 83 sales
 26 days
from 94 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Footscray West Footscray
2 bed $819K / $805K
Footscray — 2 bed: $819K (78 sales) West Footscray — 2 bed: $805K (48 sales)

78 vs 48 sales

3 bed $961K / $985K
Footscray — 3 bed: $961K (83 sales) West Footscray — 3 bed: $985K (91 sales)

83 vs 91 sales

4 bed $1.07M / $1.36M
Footscray — 4 bed: $1.07M (26 sales) West Footscray — 4 bed: $1.36M (23 sales)

26 vs 23 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Footscray West Footscray
1 bed $346K / $290K
Footscray — 1 bed: $346K (174 sales) West Footscray — 1 bed: $290K (39 sales)

174 vs 39 sales

2 bed $485K / $420K
Footscray — 2 bed: $485K (319 sales) West Footscray — 2 bed: $420K (87 sales)

319 vs 87 sales

3 bed $682K / $620K
Footscray — 3 bed: $682K (54 sales) West Footscray — 3 bed: $620K (7 sales)

54 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Footscray has more commercially zoned land (22% vs 2%); West Footscray has more industrially zoned land (23% vs 7%).

Footscray West Footscray
Residential 34% 56%
Industrial 7% 23%
Commercial 22% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 20% 13%
Parks and recreation 13% 6%
Other and special use 4% 0%
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

Footscray West Footscray
New dwellings approved 774
across Maribyrnong
same for both
Approvals change year on year +198%
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.

Footscray West Footscray
Houses 3.8%
$650/wk on $892K
 4.2%
$690/wk on $852K
Units 6.0%
$560/wk on $482K
 5.4%
$482/wk on $462K

Ranking within VIC

Footscray West Footscray
House price Higher than 68% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
Income Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Schools Higher than 1% of VIC Higher than 64% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 100% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 49% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 95% of VIC Higher than 96% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 54% of VIC Higher than 80% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC

Liveability

West Footscray scores higher overall (73 vs 52); Footscray is more walkable (100 vs 90).

Footscray West Footscray
Grade B A
Score 52/100 73/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Footscray carries more flood risk (64 vs 41); Footscray carries more crime risk (95 vs 74).

Footscray West Footscray
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
95/100
 High
74/100
Flood Moderate
64/100
 Moderate
41/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 42
within 5 km
 40
within 5 km

Schools

Footscray West Footscray
Inside the suburb 10 3
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 3 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Victoria University Footscray Park, 0.0 km
 3
Victoria University Footscray Park, 2.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.6% 2.1%

Schools in Footscray

  • Footscray City Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Footscray High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Footscray North Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Footscray Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • St John's School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • St Monica's School Catholic · Primary below peers

Schools in West Footscray

  • Footscray West Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Corpus Christi School Catholic · Primary below peers
  • OakTree College Independent · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Footscray West Footscray
Supermarkets 11 1
Cafes & restaurants 117 9
Parks & reserves 28 11
Childcare 16 6
GPs 18 4
Pharmacies 10 1
Hospitals 3 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 2
Fuel stations 3 1
Waterways 2
same for both

Mobility

West Footscray sits further from the CBD (9 km vs 7 km).

Footscray West Footscray
Walkability score 100/100 90/100
Distance to Melbourne 7 km 9 km
+29% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 17 min
same for both
Public transport score 95/100
Rail · Tram · Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 853.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 251.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 3011
 1.5%
postcode 3012
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 11
postcode 3011
 18
postcode 3012

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.

Footscray West Footscray
Worked from Home 42.7% / 44.0%
Footscray — Worked from Home: 42.7% West Footscray — Worked from Home: 44.0%
Car (driver) 34.5% / 40.7%
Footscray — Car (driver): 34.5% West Footscray — Car (driver): 40.7%
Train 11.4% / 6.2%
Footscray — Train: 11.4% West Footscray — Train: 6.2%
Walked Only 3.7% / 2.1%
Footscray — Walked Only: 3.7% West Footscray — Walked Only: 2.1%
Car (passenger) 2.2% / 3.0%
Footscray — Car (passenger): 2.2% West Footscray — Car (passenger): 3.0%
Bus 2.9% / 1.8%
Footscray — Bus: 2.9% West Footscray — Bus: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (44.0%).

Setting

Footscray West Footscray
Elevation 27 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 36 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.0 km 5.5 km

NBN connectivity

Footscray West Footscray
Connectivity score 89/100 90/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 60%
13,147 premises
 60%
6,134 premises

Climate

Footscray West Footscray
Annual rainfall 534 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Footscray West Footscray
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 18.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Footscray West Footscray
Average residential rate $2,450/yr
same for both
Council Maribyrnong
same for both

Federal electorate

Footscray West Footscray
Division Fraser
same for both
Member Daniel Mulino
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Footscray West Footscray
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Footscray

Affordable Apartments Cafe Culture Easy Commute Gentrifying Inner Multicultural Nightlife Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub Urban

West Footscray

Gentrifying Middle-Ring Parks Professionals Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Footscray

Footscray vs Yarraville Footscray vs Ascot Vale Footscray vs Maribyrnong Footscray vs Kensington Footscray vs Maidstone Footscray vs West Melbourne

Other comparisons with West Footscray

West Footscray vs Yarraville West Footscray vs Braybrook West Footscray vs Maidstone West Footscray vs Seddon West Footscray vs Kingsville
Full data on Footscray Full data on West Footscray
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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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