Wellsford vs Fosterville

Wellsford is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 50 in Fosterville. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Wellsford, about half of households are couple families. In Fosterville, most households are couple families. On these figures, Fosterville tends to suit couples.

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

  • Wellsford carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 49/100)
  • Fosterville has more parks and reserves (4 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Wellsford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (28% vs 44%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Wellsford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $240/wk)

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 133 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (154.9 km vs 163 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wellsford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 49/100)

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

Investors

Wellsford

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (14.3% vs -9.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Wellsford Fosterville
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.

Wellsford Fosterville
Walkability 0 / 0
Wellsford — Walkability: 0/100 Fosterville — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 66 / 51
Wellsford — Safety: 66/100 Fosterville — Safety: 51/100
Low fire risk 78 / 100
Wellsford — Low fire risk: 78/100 Fosterville — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 83 / 88
Wellsford — Low flood risk: 83/100 Fosterville — Low flood risk: 88/100

Demographics

Wellsford has more residents (144 vs 57); Fosterville rents higher ($240/wk vs $200/wk).

Wellsford Fosterville
Population 144
+60% vs other
 57
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +14.3% -9.5%
Median age 47 50
Median household income $73,892/yr $80,600/yr
+9% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk $240/wk
+20% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Wellsford Fosterville
0-4 3.5% / —
Wellsford — 0-4: 3.5% Fosterville — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 9.0% / 10.5%
Wellsford — 5-14: 9.0% Fosterville — 5-14: 10.5%
15-19 4.2% / —
Wellsford — 15-19: 4.2% Fosterville — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 4.2% / —
Wellsford — 20-24: 4.2% Fosterville — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 9.0% / 15.8%
Wellsford — 25-34: 9.0% Fosterville — 25-34: 15.8%
35-44 18.1% / 7.0%
Wellsford — 35-44: 18.1% Fosterville — 35-44: 7.0%
45-54 6.9% / 24.6%
Wellsford — 45-54: 6.9% Fosterville — 45-54: 24.6%
55-64 19.4% / 17.5%
Wellsford — 55-64: 19.4% Fosterville — 55-64: 17.5%
65-74 13.2% / 14.0%
Wellsford — 65-74: 13.2% Fosterville — 65-74: 14.0%
75-84 10.4% / 14.0%
Wellsford — 75-84: 10.4% Fosterville — 75-84: 14.0%
85+ — / —
Wellsford — 85+: not among its largest Fosterville — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Wellsford 54.5% couple families
Wellsford — Couple Families: 54.5% Wellsford — Lone Person: 30.3% Wellsford — One Parent Families: 15.2%
Fosterville 72.7% couple families
Fosterville — Couple Families: 72.7% Fosterville — Lone Person: 27.3% Fosterville — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Wellsford 18.0% renting
Wellsford — Owned Outright: 50.0% Wellsford — Mortgage: 32.0% Wellsford — Renting: 18.0%
Fosterville 13.0% renting
Fosterville — Owned Outright: 52.2% Fosterville — Mortgage: 34.8% Fosterville — Renting: 13.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Wellsford 100.0% houses
Wellsford — Houses: 100.0%
Fosterville 100.0% houses
Fosterville — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Wellsford Fosterville
Certificate III & IV 26.4% / 7.0%
Wellsford — Certificate III & IV: 26.4% Fosterville — Certificate III & IV: 7.0%
Bachelor Degree 13.2% / 12.3%
Wellsford — Bachelor Degree: 13.2% Fosterville — Bachelor Degree: 12.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.0% / 8.8%
Wellsford — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0% Fosterville — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree — / 5.3%
Wellsford — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Fosterville — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.4%).

Zoning mix

Fosterville has more rural and farming land (52% vs 16%).

Wellsford Fosterville
Parks and recreation 72% 48%
Rural and farming 16% 52%
Other and special use 11% 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

Wellsford Fosterville
New dwellings approved 885
across Greater Bendigo
same for both
Approvals change year on year +28%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Wellsford Fosterville
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 39% of VIC Higher than 48% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 29% of VIC Higher than 15% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 56% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 24% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC

Liveability

Wellsford Fosterville
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Wellsford carries more bushfire risk (22 vs 0); Fosterville carries more crime risk (49 vs 34).

Wellsford Fosterville
Bushfire Low
22/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
34/100
 Moderate
49/100
Flood Low
17/100
 Low
12/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Wellsford Fosterville
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

Wellsford Fosterville
Parks & reserves 0 4
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Wellsford sits further from the CBD (163 km vs 154.9 km).

Wellsford Fosterville
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 163 km
+5% vs other
 154.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 133 min 114 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 3551
 0.0%
postcode 3557
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 3551
 53
postcode 3557

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.

Wellsford Fosterville
Car (driver) 87.5% / 80.0%
Wellsford — Car (driver): 87.5% Fosterville — Car (driver): 80.0%
Worked from Home 12.5% / 20.0%
Wellsford — Worked from Home: 12.5% Fosterville — Worked from Home: 20.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (87.5%).

Setting

Wellsford Fosterville
Elevation 188 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 173 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Wellsford Fosterville
Connectivity score 24/100 25/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
46 premises
 0%
31 premises

Climate

Wellsford Fosterville
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

Wellsford Fosterville
Average residential rate $1,949/yr
same for both
Council Greater Bendigo
same for both

Federal electorate

Wellsford Fosterville
Division Bendigo
same for both
Member Lisa Chesters
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Wellsford Fosterville
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Wellsford

Rural

Fosterville

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Wellsford

Wellsford vs Strathdale Wellsford vs Junortoun Wellsford vs Huntly Wellsford vs Ascot Wellsford vs East Bendigo Wellsford vs Goornong

Other comparisons with Fosterville

Fosterville vs Axedale Fosterville vs Goornong Fosterville vs Longlea Fosterville vs Bagshot Fosterville vs Muskerry
Full data on Wellsford Full data on Fosterville
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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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