Footscray, VIC: suburb profile

The population of Footscray VIC is 17,131 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Footscray is $916 per week ($47,632 per year). Median rent in Footscray is $355 per week ($1,538 per month). Footscray has a median age of 34 years, younger than the national median of 38. Footscray has a population density of 3,392 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Footscray is Vietnam. The most common religion is No religion (46.8% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Vietnamese. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Footscray is $1,940.

There were 4,510 recorded offences in Footscray in 2025-25, a rate of 263 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (1,971 offences).

Population
17,131
Census 2021
Median income
$916/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$355/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
34years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au), 2025-25.

Footscray vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in Footscray is $916 a week, 19% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 245th of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $355 a week, $39 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 20.1% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 34, 9 years younger than in the typical VIC suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureFootscrayTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$916/wk$767/wk +19%$766/wk
Household income$1,763/wk$1,687/wk +5%$1,637/wk
Rent$355/wk$316/wk +12%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,940/mo$1,723/mo +13%$1,733/mo
Median age3443 −9 yrs42
Rent share of household income20.1%19.1% +1.0 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Footscray, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Footscray Population

17,131 residents at the 2021 Census.

Footscray Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$916/wk
$47,632 per year
Ranked 1,951 of 14,663
Median Rent
$355/wk
$1,538 per month
Ranked 3,058 of 14,663
Median Age
34years
4 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$1,940/mo
Avg household size: 2.1 · 1 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Footscray Rent Prices & Affordability

20% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $1,763/wk
Median rent $355/wk
Rent to income 20.1%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Footscray against your income

About $7,640 a month
Median rent $355/wk
Left after rent $1,408/wk
Rent share 20.1%

Footscray Schools

28
schools nearby
18
government
1100
avg ICSEA score
9,130
total students
Yarraville West Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 651 students
1153
ICSEA
Kensington Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 427 students
1153
ICSEA
St Mary's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 374 students
1144
ICSEA
Ascot Vale Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 265 students
1140
ICSEA
St John's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 227 students
1136
ICSEA
St Augustine's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 163 students
1125
ICSEA
Footscray City Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 455 students
1125
ICSEA
St Margaret Mary's School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 159 students
1122
ICSEA
Kingsville Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 426 students
1118
ICSEA
Spotswood Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 289 students
1117
ICSEA
Footscray West Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 672 students
1117
ICSEA
Footscray Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 336 students
1115
ICSEA
Wembley Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 626 students
1112
ICSEA
Corpus Christi School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 181 students
1105
ICSEA
Footscray North Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 630 students
1080
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 28 schools.

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Footscray, with a map

Footscray Map

Footscray, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Footscray, Victoria: 37.8008°S, 144.8979°E

Footscray Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (28)

People in Footscray

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 51.3% (8,787) Female 48.7% (8,347)

Population Density

3,392
people per km²
17,131 people · 5.0 km²

Households

2.1
Avg household size
1
Persons per bedroom
$2,296
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

Vietnam
8.5%
India
4.7%
England
2.2%
China
2.2%
New Zealand
2.0%
Nepal
1.5%
Philippines
1.5%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Vietnamese
10.5%
Mandarin
2.8%
Cantonese
2.3%
Spanish
2.0%
Nepali
1.5%
Greek
1.3%
Italian
1.1%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
22.5%
Australian
18.5%
Irish
10.1%
Vietnamese
10.0%
Chinese
9.3%
Scottish
7.3%
Italian
4.2%
Indian
4.2%
German
2.8%
Greek
2.3%
Filipino
2.1%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
46.8%
Catholic
13.6%
Not stated
9.6%
Buddhism
8.2%
Hinduism
4.7%
Islam
4.5%
Eastern Orthodox
2.7%
Anglican
2.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

0.7%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
28.7% 4,401
Separated
3.2% 484
Divorced
8.0% 1,229
Widowed
3.5% 543
Never married
56.5% 8,651

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: no children
40.8%
Couple: children under 15
34.8%
Couple: no children under 15
9.6%
One parent: no children under 15
8.2%
One parent: children under 15
6.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
37.6%
2 persons
35.8%
3 persons
14.5%
4 persons
8.8%
5 persons
2.3%
6+ persons
0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Footscray

Housing Tenure

Of the 7,370 occupied private dwellings in Footscray at the 2021 Census, 55.9% were rented, 14.3% owned outright and 27.0% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.2% 89 dwellings
Owned outright
14.3% 1,054 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
27.0% 1,988 dwellings
Rented
55.9% 4,123 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.6% 117 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
67.4%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
22.6%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
10.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
20.0%
2 bedrooms
45.6%
3 bedrooms
27.0%
4 bedrooms
6.1%
5 bedrooms
0.9%
6+ bedrooms
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
4.5%
$300-$449/mo
1.0%
$450-$599/mo
0.8%
$600-$799/mo
2.2%
$800-$999/mo
4.6%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
16.8%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
18.5%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
24.3%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
14.3%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
12.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
21.3%
1 vehicle
55.0%
2 vehicles
18.8%
3 vehicles
3.5%
4+ vehicles
1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Footscray

Employment

Employed full-time
43.8% 5,902 people
Employed part-time
24.3% 3,278 people
Unemployed
5.1% 691 people
Not in labour force
26.7% 3,594 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
40.5%
Managers
13.4%
Clerical & Administrative
12.4%
Community & Personal Service
10.0%
Technicians & Trade Workers
9.2%
Labourers
5.7%
Sales Workers
5.3%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
3.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
2.0%
$1-$149/wk
0.5%
$150-$299/wk
1.8%
$300-$399/wk
3.4%
$400-$499/wk
5.0%
$500-$649/wk
3.9%
$650-$799/wk
4.6%
$800-$999/wk
6.4%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
7.2%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.3%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.6%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.8%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
13.5%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
7.1%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.2%
$4,000+/wk
11.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
8.1%
$1-$149/wk
2.3%
$150-$299/wk
5.3%
$300-$399/wk
4.3%
$400-$499/wk
4.1%
$500-$649/wk
4.2%
$650-$799/wk
8.5%
$800-$999/wk
10.1%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
11.0%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.5%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
7.1%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
11.8%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
2.6%
$3,500+/wk
2.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
50.3%
Did not go to work
20.1%
Train
11.1%
Walked only
5.4%
Bus
3.6%
Car (passenger)
3.2%
Bicycle
3.1%
Motorbike/Scooter
1.0%
Other
0.8%
Tram/Light Rail
0.6%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.5%
Truck
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
85.9%
Year 10 or equivalent
6.2%
Year 11 or equivalent
5.7%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.2%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
43.4%
Postgraduate Degree
21.4%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
14.0%
Certificate III/IV
13.6%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
6.5%
Certificate I/II
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
22.9%
Society & Culture
17.6%
Creative Arts
11.2%
Health
9.7%
Engineering
9.3%
Information Technology
7.4%
Education
7.0%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.7%
Architecture & Building
4.5%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
4.4%
Agriculture & Environment
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Vocational Education
33.0%
Primary: Government
27.5%
Secondary: Government
16.3%
Pre-school
11.7%
Primary: Catholic
5.8%
Secondary: Catholic
2.8%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
1.7%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
85.9%
Has need for assistance
6.4%
Need for assistance not stated
7.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
2,214
Asthma
722
Diabetes
343
Arthritis
321
Heart disease
238
Lung condition
162
Kidney disease
125
Cancer
122
Stroke
109
Dementia
80

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
9.9% 1,374
Did not provide
90.1% 12,566

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
12.8% 1,798
Not a volunteer
87.2% 12,211

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 13
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 12
Previously served
1.0% 134
Never served
98.9% 13,935

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
63.5%
1 child
13.5%
2 children
14.5%
3 children
6.0%
4 children
1.9%
5+ children
0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
18
1951: 1960
118
1961: 1970
304
1971: 1980
402
1981: 1990
975
1991: 2000
745
2001: 2010
1,283
2011: 2015
1,077
2016
327
2017
382
2018
519
2019
563
2020
169
2021
38

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

27.0%
moved in the last year
60.0%
moved in the last 5 years
6.6%
unemployment rate (Census)
68.8%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
11,448
Moved from VIC
2,941
Moved: same area (SA2)
779
Moved from overseas
176
Moved from NSW
111
Moved from QLD
54
Moved from SA
29
Moved from TAS
25
Moved from WA
23
Moved from NT
12
Moved from ACT
11

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
22.9%
5: 14 hours
31.8%
15: 29 hours
9.7%
30+ hours
5.2%
Did not do domestic work
30.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
92.0%
Step family: no other children
5.0%
Blended family: no other children
1.4%
Intact family: other children present
0.8%
Step family: other children present
0.4%
Other couple: children only
0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Footscray Crime Statistics

4,510 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
1,971
Assault
554
Property Damage
379
Justice Procedures
377
Break & Enter
375
Drug Offences
366
Fraud
156
Weapons
143
Public Order
121
Robbery
62
Traffic
5
Other
1

Total offences by year

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Flemington
Income: $890/wk Rent: $300/wk $55/wk less rent
Lang Lang
Income: $811/wk Rent: $310/wk $45/wk less rent
Koo Wee Rup
Income: $809/wk Rent: $320/wk $35/wk less rent
Longwarry
Income: $733/wk Rent: $330/wk $25/wk less rent
Yallambie
Income: $1,021/wk Rent: $340/wk $15/wk less rent
Ascot (Greater Bendigo - Vic.)
Income: $839/wk Rent: $350/wk $5/wk less rent
Travancore
Income: $1,027/wk Rent: $351/wk $4/wk less rent
West Footscray
Income: $1,003/wk Rent: $351/wk $4/wk less rent

Suburbs near Footscray

The closest suburb to Footscray is Seddon (Vic.), 0.8 km away.

Seddon (Vic.)
0.8 km away · income $1,274/wk · rent $460/wk
Kingsville
2.0 km away · income $1,202/wk · rent $355/wk
West Footscray
2.2 km away · income $1,003/wk · rent $351/wk
Yarraville
2.4 km away · income $1,246/wk · rent $462/wk
Kensington (Vic.)
2.5 km away · income $1,246/wk · rent $416/wk
Flemington
2.6 km away · income $890/wk · rent $300/wk

Compare Footscray

Frequently Asked Questions About Footscray

What is the population of Footscray VIC?

The population of Footscray VIC is 17,131 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 3,392 people per km². Footscray is ranked #209 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Footscray?

The median personal income in Footscray VIC is $916 per week, or $47,632 per year. The median household income is $1,763 per week. Family income is $2,296 per week. Footscray is ranked #1,951 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Footscray?

Median rent in Footscray VIC is $355 per week ($1,538 per month). Rent represents 20.1% of household income, which is considered affordable. Footscray ranks #3,058 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Footscray?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Footscray VIC is $1,940. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Footscray?

The median age in Footscray VIC is 34 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Footscray a good suburb to live in?

Footscray is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 17,131. The median income is $916/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (20.1% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Melbourne Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 20935. All dollar figures in AUD.