Foster vs Yanakie

Yanakie 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. On these figures, Foster tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Yanakie suits families with children.

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

Yanakie

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 57/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (46% vs 35%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 88%)
  • But Foster has more parks and reserves (6 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Yanakie

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (22% vs 32%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Yanakie

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 25%)
  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $240/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Foster

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (138 min vs 149 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (175.2 km vs 186.6 km)

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 23%)
  • But Yanakie carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 57/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Foster Yanakie
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.

Foster Yanakie
Walkability 4 / 0
Foster — Walkability: 4/100 Yanakie — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 43 / 73
Foster — Safety: 43/100 Yanakie — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Foster — Low fire risk: 100/100 Yanakie — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 48 / 27
Foster — Low flood risk: 48/100 Yanakie — Low flood risk: 27/100

Demographics

Foster has more residents (2,044 vs 283); Yanakie has higher household incomes ($69,212 vs $50,700).

Foster Yanakie
Population 2,044
+86% vs other
 283
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.0% +12.7%
Median age 59 51
Median household income $50,700/yr $69,212/yr
+37% vs other
Median weekly rent $240/wk
+8% vs other
 $220/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Foster Yanakie
0-4 2.9% / 3.5%
Foster — 0-4: 2.9% Yanakie — 0-4: 3.5%
5-14 8.9% / 14.5%
Foster — 5-14: 8.9% Yanakie — 5-14: 14.5%
15-19 4.3% / 8.5%
Foster — 15-19: 4.3% Yanakie — 15-19: 8.5%
20-24 3.0% / 4.2%
Foster — 20-24: 3.0% Yanakie — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 6.1% / 7.4%
Foster — 25-34: 6.1% Yanakie — 25-34: 7.4%
35-44 7.6% / 7.4%
Foster — 35-44: 7.6% Yanakie — 35-44: 7.4%
45-54 10.3% / 16.3%
Foster — 45-54: 10.3% Yanakie — 45-54: 16.3%
55-64 17.1% / 19.8%
Foster — 55-64: 17.1% Yanakie — 55-64: 19.8%
65-74 19.9% / 18.0%
Foster — 65-74: 19.9% Yanakie — 65-74: 18.0%
75-84 13.4% / 4.9%
Foster — 75-84: 13.4% Yanakie — 75-84: 4.9%
85+ 6.5% / —
Foster — 85+: 6.5% Yanakie — 85+: not among its largest

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

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%
Yanakie 44.3% lone person
Yanakie — Lone Person: 44.3% Yanakie — Couple Families: 34.4% Yanakie — One Parent Families: 11.5% Yanakie — Group Household: 9.8% Yanakie — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Foster 20.9% renting
Foster — Owned Outright: 58.5% Foster — Mortgage: 20.6% Foster — Renting: 20.9%
Yanakie 24.2% renting
Yanakie — Owned Outright: 48.5% Yanakie — Mortgage: 27.3% Yanakie — Renting: 24.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Foster Yanakie
Certificate III & IV 15.4% / 18.0%
Foster — Certificate III & IV: 15.4% Yanakie — Certificate III & IV: 18.0%
Bachelor Degree 9.9% / 10.2%
Foster — Bachelor Degree: 9.9% Yanakie — Bachelor Degree: 10.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 7.1%
Foster — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Yanakie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1%
Postgraduate Degree 3.1% / 4.2%
Foster — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1% Yanakie — Postgraduate Degree: 4.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 1.8%
Foster — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Yanakie — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

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.

Foster Yanakie
England 4.3% / 3.9%
Foster — England: 4.3% Yanakie — England: 3.9%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.8%
Foster — New Zealand: 1.1% Yanakie — New Zealand: 1.8%
Scotland 0.7% / 1.4%
Foster — Scotland: 0.7% Yanakie — Scotland: 1.4%
Sri Lanka — / 1.4%
Foster — Sri Lanka: not among its largest Yanakie — Sri Lanka: 1.4%
Italy 0.8% / —
Foster — Italy: 0.8% Yanakie — Italy: not among its largest
Philippines 0.7% / —
Foster — Philippines: 0.7% Yanakie — Philippines: not among its largest

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Foster 88.2% houses
Foster — Houses: 88.2% Foster — Flats / Apartments: 8.4% Foster — Townhouses: 3.4%
Yanakie 100.0% houses
Yanakie — Houses: 100.0% Yanakie — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Yanakie — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Foster Yanakie
Median house price $542,500 $570,000
Median unit price $485,000 —
Median land price $787,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 82 days
from 34 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Foster Yanakie
Rural and farming 91% 93%
Parks and recreation 4%
same for both
Infrastructure and transport 2% 1%
Residential 1% 0%
Other and special use 0% 1%
Planning zones cover 99% of Foster and 100% of Yanakie. 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

Foster Yanakie
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.

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

Ranking within VIC

Foster Yanakie
House price Higher than 34% of VIC —
Income Higher than 10% of VIC Higher than 31% of VIC
Schools Higher than 70% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 65% of VIC Higher than 53% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 19% of VIC —
EV adoption Higher than 53% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of VIC Higher than 67% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 6% of VIC —

Liveability

Foster Yanakie
Grade C —
Score 46/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Foster carries more crime risk (57 vs 27); Yanakie carries more flood risk (73 vs 52).

Foster Yanakie
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
57/100
 Low
27/100
Flood Moderate
52/100
 High
73/100
Coastal erosion High
81/100
 Moderate
60/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Foster Yanakie
Inside the suburb 3 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Foster

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

Schools in Yanakie

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

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

Mobility

Yanakie sits further from the CBD (186.6 km vs 175.2 km).

Foster Yanakie
Walkability score 4/100 0/100
Distance to Melbourne 175.2 km 186.6 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 138 min 149 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 3960
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 54
postcode 3960
same for both

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.

Foster Yanakie
Car (driver) 67.0% / 54.4%
Foster — Car (driver): 67.0% Yanakie — Car (driver): 54.4%
Worked from Home 17.6% / 32.5%
Foster — Worked from Home: 17.6% Yanakie — Worked from Home: 32.5%
Walked Only 10.3% / 10.5%
Foster — Walked Only: 10.3% Yanakie — Walked Only: 10.5%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / —
Foster — Car (passenger): 4.1% Yanakie — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bicycle 1.0% / 2.6%
Foster — Bicycle: 1.0% Yanakie — Bicycle: 2.6%

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

Setting

Foster Yanakie
Elevation 41 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 16 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.5 km 2.5 km

NBN connectivity

Foster Yanakie
Connectivity score 55/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 28%
1,292 premises
 0%
203 premises

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Foster Yanakie
Division Monash
same for both
Member Mary Aldred
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Foster

Affordable Retirees Rural

Yanakie

Coastal Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Foster

Foster vs Fish Creek Foster vs Toora Foster vs Buffalo Foster vs Port Franklin Foster vs Foster North

Other comparisons with Yanakie

Yanakie vs Fish Creek Yanakie vs Sandy Point
Full data on Foster Full data on Yanakie
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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