Footscray VIC 3011
Located in Victoria, Footscray sits 7 km from Melbourne CBD, around 17 minutes by car. The suburb has 17,131 residents, a median age of 34, and a median household income of $91,676 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The suburb grew 4.8% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $355 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,940. Footscray is characterised by high crime risk and high flood risk. 10 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.
Is Footscray a good suburb?
Footscray scores a B (52/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on schools and safety.
Below the state average
10 schools · Bottom 1% in VIC
Walkable and central
Walkability 100/100 · 7 km · 17 min drive to Melbourne
Around the state median
Median $882K
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 95/100 · Flood 64/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 8/10 · median age 34 · 17,131 residents
Liveability Rating
52 / 100 · Ranked #392 in VICEach bar is Footscray's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Footscray?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
52 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Unit Price
Public listings dataFootscray's unit market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $456,000, about 4% above where it sat a year earlier.
Units
$455,900
6% below its 9 neighbours (median $485,000)
Based on 555 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 35 days — median across 229 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 174 sales $346K
- 2 bed 319 sales $485K
- 3 bed 54 sales $682K
- 4 bed 5 sales $850K
Houses
$882,500
26% below its 9 neighbours (median $1,200,000)
Based on 208 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 25 days — median across 83 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 14 sales $760K
- 2 bed 78 sales $819K
- 3 bed 83 sales $961K
- 4 bed 26 sales $1.07M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Footscray are currently listed at around $892,000 on average. Based on 111 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$892K
111 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$482K
219 units listed in the last 6 months.
330 of the suburb's 7,370 dwellings (4.5%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Footscray rent for around $650 a week on average, based on 78 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$650/wk
13% below its 9 neighbours (median $750/wk)
78 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$560/wk
16% below its 8 neighbours (median $670/wk)
269 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
347 rentals advertised against an estimated 4,238 rented homes (8.2%) in the last 6 months.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025121 Acceptable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 25% of its income on the median rent in postcode 3011.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$650/week ($34,000 a year) on a $892,000 median
$560/week ($29,000 a year) on a $482,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
153 active Airbnb listings: 97 whole homes and 56 rooms. Whole homes are about 1.0% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Footscray safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Footscray sits in the high band, with 3,915 incidents recorded in 2026 — down about 4% on the prior year.
3,915 offences
3.5% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025111 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 3 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Ten schools serve Footscray, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 3,063 students across 6 schools (avg 510)
- • Sectors: 7 Government, 2 Catholic, 1 Independent
- • ICSEA 1051-1136, median 1098 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Footscray High School (1,326 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 0.0 kmVictoria University Footscray ParkVictoria University · 138 courses
- 4.9 kmThe University of MelbourneThe University of Melbourne · 404 courses
- 7.2 kmAustralian Catholic University-Melbourne CampusAustralian Catholic University · 137 courses
3.6% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Footscray is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 100/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 11 supermarkets, 28 parks and 117 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Footscray.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 853.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 643.9 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 543.5 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 20.8 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 2 min wait
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Footscray.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 60%
- Premises covered
- 13,147
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Maribyrnong: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 40 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 10 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Footscray is home to about 17,100 residents, with a median age of 34, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $92,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.6%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
17,131
Median Age
34
Median Household Income
$91,676/yr
Census Median Rent
$355/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,940/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$47,632/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.6%
Unoccupied Dwellings
26.7%
Total Dwellings
7,370
Owner-Occupier Rate
42.5%
Houses
31.5%
Rental Stress
20.1%
Mortgage Stress
25.4%
Work From Home
42.7%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
404 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 114 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 4,123 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 50.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 53.3%
- Employment Rate
- 64.3%
- Completed Year 12
- 64.3%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
1,998 residents (11.7%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 16,330 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
34% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (3,384 of 9,841).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 16,082 people work here; 9,841 employed residents live here.
A jobs hub: 1.6 jobs for every working resident. At least 39% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,450 a year through Maribyrnong based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 34%
- Commercial 22%
- Infrastructure and transport 20%
- Parks and recreation 13%
- Industrial 7%
- Other and special use 4%
Rezoned since Oct 2025
- General Residential Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC270, Mar 2026 58.2 ha
- Neighbourhood Residential Zone → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC270, Mar 2026 14.6 ha
- Transport Zone 3 → Housing Choice and Transport Zone · GC270, Mar 2026 0.5 ha
and 1 smaller change
Land in this suburb moved from one zone to another by a planning scheme amendment (Vicmap Planning, CC BY 4.0). Exhibited amendments are proposals and can change or lapse.
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Maribyrnong
In the year to August 2026, 774 new dwellings were approved across Maribyrnong. That mix is 131 houses and 643 units. Approvals are up 197.5% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this suburb: 5,191 homes
- Apartment and townhouse projects under construction 1,234 homes
- Projects firmly planned 852 homes
- Projects likely to go ahead 2,121 homes
- Projects possible in the longer term 984 homes
From the Victorian Government's Urban Development Program: growth-area land and approved lots (metropolitan 2025, regional June 2024) and projects of 10 or more homes in Melbourne (2025), by stage. Lots and homes are counted as published; a lot usually becomes one home.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2008).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Air Quality
This station does not measure fine particles (PM2.5).
PM10 averaged 18.9 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0.
From the Footscray monitoring station, 1.8 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Essendon Airport, 7.9 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 27 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 5.0 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 0.4% of addresses
- 65 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 534 mm
- 85 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 26.7°C
- 13 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.5°C
- 2 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
42 facilities within 5 km- 0.8 kmHospitals (Except Psychiatric Hospitals)Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 1.6 kmPaint and Coatings ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethyl acetate · Zinc and compounds
- 1.7 kmOther Food Product Manufacturing n.e.c.Top reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 1.8 kmLaundry and Dry-Cleaning ServicesTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
- 1.8 kmStevedoring ServicesTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
EV adoption
In postcode 3011, 240 of 14,551 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 7.0% (1,023 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 8.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3011, 1,333 rooftop-solar systems totalling 9.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 11,685 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 80 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
17 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3011 in 2025-26, rank 58 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 192, in 2006-07.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
19 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 22 across postcode 3011.
Land transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office Victoria
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with State Revenue Office Victoria.
At $455,900 this is under the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with State Revenue Office Victoria.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Daniel Mulino Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Daniel Mulino | 72.0% | 28.0% | +5.5 |
| 2022 | Daniel Mulino | 66.5% | 33.5% | +1.6 |
| 2019 | Daniel Mulino | 64.2% | 35.8% | +5.6 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Katie Hall Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Katie Hall ALP | 54.2% | 75.7% | 24.3% |
| 2018 | Katie Hall ALP | 57.1% | 78.1% | 21.9% |
| 2014 | Marsha Thomson ALP | 64.5% | 64.5% | 35.5% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Footscray?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 17,131 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
- #2 in Best Melbourne suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #4 in Most walkable suburbs in Melbourne
- #5 in Best Melbourne suburbs to rent in
- #9 in Where the Bangladeshi community lives in Melbourne
- #10 in Best Melbourne suburbs for first-home buyers (houses)
- #10 in Melbourne suburbs with the deepest rental markets
- #10 in Melbourne suburbs where the most Spanish is spoken at home
- #14 in Where the Nepali community lives in Melbourne
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Melbourne There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Melbourne suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Yarraville VIC 3013
Ascot Vale VIC 3032
Maribyrnong VIC 3032
West Footscray VIC 3012
Kensington VIC 3031
Maidstone VIC 3012
Compare Footscray to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Footscray
Is Footscray a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Footscray is high (95/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Footscray?
Footscray has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (64/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Footscray a good place to live?
Footscray has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (52/100), ranked against other VIC suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Footscray?
Footscray, VIC had a population of 17,131 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Footscray, VIC?
The postcode for Footscray, VIC is 3011.
How far is Footscray from Melbourne?
Footscray is 7 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 17 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Footscray?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Footscray was $91,676 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Footscray?
The median advertised rent in Footscray is $650 a week for houses (78 listings) and $560 a week for units (269 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Footscray?
The median age of residents in Footscray was 34 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Footscray?
There are 10 schools inside the Footscray boundary: 3 at and 3 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Footscray walkable?
Footscray scores 100/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it exceptionally walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Footscray?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Footscray, Essendon Airport (7.9 km away), summer days average 26.7°C, winter nights 6.5°C, 534 mm of rain a year over 85 rainy days, and 13 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Footscray?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Footscray belong to?
Footscray sits within the Maribyrnong local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Footscray?
The average residential rates bill through Maribyrnong is $2,450 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Footscray?
Across Maribyrnong, 774 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 197.5% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Footscray in?
Footscray sits within the federal Division of Fraser, currently held by Daniel Mulino (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.