Fosterville vs Muskerry
Muskerry is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 50 in Fosterville. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Fosterville, most households are couple families. In Muskerry, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Fosterville tends to suit couples and older residents, while Muskerry suits people living alone and 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
Fosterville
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
- is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 46%)
- But Muskerry carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 49/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Muskerry
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (34% vs 44%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Fosterville
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($240/wk vs $375/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 22%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Fosterville
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (114 min vs 123 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (154.9 km vs 162.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Fosterville has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 19%)
- Muskerry carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 49/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Muskerry
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (18.0% vs -9.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Fosterville and Muskerry drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Muskerry rents higher ($375/wk vs $240/wk); Fosterville skews older (50 vs 43).
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 57 | 59 +4% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -9.5% | +18.0% |
| Median age | 50 | 43 |
| Median household income | $80,600/yr | $87,724/yr +9% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $240/wk | $375/wk +56% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.6%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.8%).
Zoning mix
Muskerry has more rural and farming land (100% vs 52%).
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 52% | 100% |
| Parks and recreation | 48% | 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
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 885 across Greater Bendigo | 264 across Campaspe |
| Approvals change year on year | +28% | +63% |
Ranking within VIC
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 48% of VIC | Higher than 58% of VIC |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 15% of VIC | Higher than 45% of VIC |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 25% of VIC | Higher than 64% of VIC |
Liveability
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Muskerry carries more bushfire risk (27 vs 0); Muskerry carries more flood risk (58 vs 12).
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 27/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 49/100 | Low 24/100 |
| Flood | Low 12/100 | Moderate 58/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 1 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 4 | 1 |
| Waterways | 1 | 4 |
Mobility
Muskerry sits further from the CBD (162.5 km vs 154.9 km).
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Melbourne | 154.9 km | 162.5 km +5% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 114 min | 123 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 3557 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 53 postcode 3557 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.0%).
Setting
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 173 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 162 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 25/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 31 premises | 0% 28 premises |
Climate
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 553 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 29.6°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 3.1°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,949/yr | $2,035/yr |
| Council | Greater Bendigo | Campaspe |
Federal electorate
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Bendigo | Nicholls |
| Member | Lisa Chesters | Sam Birrell |
| Party | Australian Labor Party | The Nationals |
First Home Owner Grant
| Fosterville | Muskerry | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $10,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | $750,000 same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Fosterville
Other comparisons with Muskerry
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.