Foster VIC 3960
Foster sits 175 km from Melbourne CBD in Victoria, around 2 hours 20 minutes by car. Census data records 2,044 residents with a median age of 59 and a median household income of $50,700 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The town grew 11.0% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $240 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,348. Foster is characterised by high coastal erosion risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Of 3 schools within the town boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is low.
Is Foster a good town?
Foster scores a C (46/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools, weaker on transit and prices.
Above the state average
3 schools · 1 above peer schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 4/100 · 175.2 km · 138 min drive to Melbourne
Above the state median
Median $542K · Less affordable than 81% of VIC
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 57/100 · Flood 52/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 3/10 · median age 59 · 2,044 residents
Liveability Rating
46 / 100 · Ranked #485 in VICEach bar is Foster's rank among VIC suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Foster?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
46 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataFoster's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $542,000, roughly 11% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$542,500
Based on 70 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 82 days — median across 34 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 9 sales $395K
- 3 bed 40 sales $542K
- 4 bed 18 sales $698K
Units
$485,000
Based on 19 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 37 days — median across 7 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 10 sales $484K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Foster are currently listed at around $795,000 on average. Based on 36 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$795K
36 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$445K
5 units listed in the last 6 months.
41 of the suburb's 889 dwellings (4.6%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Foster rent for around $406 a week on average, based on 8 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$406/wk
8 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
10 rentals advertised against an estimated 186 rented homes (5.4%) in the last 6 months.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$406/week ($21,000 a year) on a $795,000 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.
Is Foster safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Foster sits in the moderate band, with 86 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 62% on the prior year.
86 offences
61.8% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20259 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 3.7 km
- Rate
- -0.06 m/yr
- Net Movement
- 6.8 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Three schools serve Foster, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Foster Secondary College leads the pack.
- • 411 students across 3 schools (avg 137)
- • Sectors: 2 Government, 1 Independent
- • ICSEA 973-1006, median 985 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Foster Secondary College (260 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Foster is very car-dependent on foot — at 4/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Foster.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 28%
- Premises covered
- 1,292
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
South Gippsland: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 7 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Foster is home to about 2,000 residents, with a median age of 59 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $51,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.8%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
2,044
Median Age
59
Median Household Income
$50,700/yr
Census Median Rent
$240/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,348/mo
Avg Household Size
2.0
Median Personal Income
$29,432/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.8%
Unoccupied Dwellings
14.2%
Total Dwellings
889
Owner-Occupier Rate
79.1%
Houses
88.2%
Rental Stress
24.6%
Mortgage Stress
31.9%
Work From Home
17.6%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
20 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 15 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 176 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 76.1%
- English Spoken at Home
- 86.3%
- Employment Rate
- 41.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 34.9%
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.
31 residents (1.5%) 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.
10.4% of residents (207) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Melbourne (190).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,985 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
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (7 of 742).
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 town against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 962 people work here; 742 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.3 per resident). At least 18% 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 $2,282 a year through South Gippsland based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 91%
- Parks and recreation 4%
- Infrastructure and transport 2%
- Residential 1%
- Not zoned 1%
Planning zones cover 99% of the town's area. 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 town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: South Gippsland
In the year to August 2026, 170 new dwellings were approved across South Gippsland. That mix is 154 houses and 16 units. Approvals are up 21.1% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
No Registered Aboriginal Party is appointed for this area. About an eighth of Victoria, mostly in the north-east, has no appointment; that is a fact about the register rather than about the Country.
Setting
- Elevation
- 41 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 3.5 km
Elevation is the ground at the town 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.
EV adoption
In postcode 3960, 15 of 2,762 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.7% (48 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.3%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3960, 786 rooftop-solar systems totalling 5.0 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,470 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 38 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.
1 first-home grant was paid in postcode 3960 in 2025-26, rank 213 of 298 Victorian postcodes. The most was 21, in 2000-01.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Mortgage repayments
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 $542,500 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 2026-10-27 — 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 Mary Aldred Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mary Aldred | 45.9% | 54.1% | -1.2 |
| 2022 | Russell Broadbent | 47.1% | 52.9% | -4.0 |
| 2019 | Russell Broadbent | 42.6% | 57.4% | -0.1 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Danny O'Brien The Nationals
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Danny O'Brien NP | 53.3% | 34.8% | 65.2% |
| 2018 | Danny O'Brien NP | 61.9% | 34.7% | 65.3% |
| 2014 | Peter Ryan NP | 57.3% | 34.3% | 65.7% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Foster?
Every figure above is a town 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 2,044 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.
Nearby suburbs
Fish Creek VIC 3959
Toora VIC 3962
Buffalo VIC 3958
Yanakie VIC 3960
Port Franklin VIC 3964
Foster North VIC 3960
Compare Foster 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 Foster
Is Foster a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Foster is moderate (57/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Foster?
Foster has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (52/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Foster a good place to live?
Foster has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (46/100), 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 Foster?
Foster, VIC had a population of 2,044 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Foster, VIC?
The postcode for Foster, VIC is 3960.
How far is Foster from Melbourne?
Foster is 175 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 138 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Foster?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Foster was $50,700 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 Foster?
The median advertised rent in Foster is $406 a week for houses (8 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Foster?
The median age of residents in Foster was 59 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Foster?
There are 3 schools inside the Foster boundary: 1 above, 1 at, and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Foster walkable?
Foster scores 4/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Foster?
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 Foster belong to?
Foster sits within the South Gippsland local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Foster?
The average residential rates bill through South Gippsland is $2,282 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Foster?
Across South Gippsland, 170 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 21.1% 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 Foster in?
Foster sits within the federal Division of Monash, currently held by Mary Aldred (Liberal).
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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
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- 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.