West Footscray, VIC: suburb profile

The population of West Footscray VIC is 11,729 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in West Footscray is $1,003 per week ($52,156 per year). Median rent in West Footscray is $351 per week ($1,521 per month). West Footscray has a median age of 35 years, younger than the national median of 38. West Footscray has a population density of 3,131 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in West Footscray is Vietnam. The most common religion is No religion (46.7% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Vietnamese. The median monthly mortgage repayment in West Footscray is $2,129.

There were 851 recorded offences in West Footscray in 2025-25, a rate of 73 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (496 offences).

Population
11,729
Census 2021
Median income
$1,003/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$351/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
35years
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.

West Footscray vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in West Footscray is $1,003 a week, 31% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 134th of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $351 a week, $35 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 17.6% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 35, 8 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.
MeasureWest FootscrayTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$1,003/wk$767/wk +31%$766/wk
Household income$1,989/wk$1,687/wk +18%$1,637/wk
Rent$351/wk$316/wk +11%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,129/mo$1,723/mo +24%$1,733/mo
Median age3543 −8 yrs42
Rent share of household income17.6%19.1% −1.4 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 West Footscray, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

West Footscray Population

11,729 residents at the 2021 Census.

West Footscray Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$1,003/wk
$52,156 per year
Ranked 1,216 of 14,663
Median Rent
$351/wk
$1,521 per month
Ranked 3,093 of 14,663
Median Age
35years
3 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$2,129/mo
Avg household size: 2.4 · 0.9 per bedroom

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

West Footscray Rent Prices & Affordability

18% of median household income goes on median rent

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

Household income $1,989/wk
Median rent $351/wk
Rent to income 17.6%

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

Median rent in West Footscray against your income

About $8,619 a month
Median rent $351/wk
Left after rent $1,638/wk
Rent share 17.6%

West Footscray Schools

33
schools nearby
20
government
1063
avg ICSEA score
12,039
total students
Yarraville West Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 651 students
1153
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
Footscray High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,326 students
1078
ICSEA
Annunciation School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 65 students
1068
ICSEA
Maribyrnong College Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,361 students
1064
ICSEA

Showing 15 of 33 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 West Footscray, with a map

West Footscray Map

West Footscray, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

West Footscray, Victoria: 37.8016°S, 144.8731°E

West Footscray Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (33)

People in West Footscray

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 50.8% (5,958) Female 49.2% (5,773)

Population Density

3,131
people per km²
11,729 people · 3.7 km²

Households

2.4
Avg household size
0.9
Persons per bedroom
$2,586
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
6.1%
India
3.7%
England
2.2%
New Zealand
1.9%
Philippines
1.7%
Italy
1.3%
China
1.1%

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

Most common languages at home other than English

Vietnamese
8.2%
Italian
1.8%
Cantonese
1.6%
Mandarin
1.5%
Spanish
1.4%
Greek
1.4%
Arabic
1.0%

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

Ancestry

English
25.9%
Australian
24.6%
Irish
11.0%
Scottish
8.3%
Vietnamese
8.1%
Chinese
6.1%
Italian
6.0%
Indian
3.6%
German
3.0%
Greek
2.7%
Filipino
2.4%

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
46.7%
Catholic
18.3%
Not stated
7.8%
Buddhism
5.8%
Islam
3.8%
Hinduism
3.5%
Eastern Orthodox
3.2%
Anglican
2.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.0%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
37.8% 3,674
Separated
3.1% 300
Divorced
7.8% 761
Widowed
3.4% 328
Never married
47.9% 4,654

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
46.1%
Couple: no children
28.1%
Couple: no children under 15
12.7%
One parent: no children under 15
6.5%
One parent: children under 15
6.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
29.0%
2 persons
33.0%
3 persons
16.8%
4 persons
15.6%
5 persons
3.8%
6+ persons
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in West Footscray

Housing Tenure

Of the 4,597 occupied private dwellings in West Footscray at the 2021 Census, 40.4% were rented, 21.7% owned outright and 35.0% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.2% 55 dwellings
Owned outright
21.7% 998 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
35.0% 1,608 dwellings
Rented
40.4% 1,858 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.5% 70 dwellings

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

Dwelling Types

Separate house
75.5%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
12.6%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
12.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
9.7%
2 bedrooms
36.7%
3 bedrooms
40.3%
4 bedrooms
11.4%
5 bedrooms
1.4%
6+ bedrooms
0.5%

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

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
5.0%
$300-$449/mo
1.4%
$450-$599/mo
0.8%
$600-$799/mo
3.6%
$800-$999/mo
4.0%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
12.7%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
13.7%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
25.0%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
17.2%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
16.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
11.8%
1 vehicle
49.1%
2 vehicles
30.4%
3 vehicles
6.3%
4+ vehicles
2.5%

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

Work, income and education in West Footscray

Employment

Employed full-time
45.9% 3,971 people
Employed part-time
22.9% 1,981 people
Unemployed
4.4% 381 people
Not in labour force
26.8% 2,313 people

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

Occupation

Professionals
40.0%
Managers
16.4%
Clerical & Administrative
11.3%
Technicians & Trade Workers
10.2%
Community & Personal Service
9.2%
Labourers
4.8%
Sales Workers
4.7%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
3.4%

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

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.9%
$1-$149/wk
0.7%
$150-$299/wk
1.0%
$300-$399/wk
2.5%
$400-$499/wk
4.6%
$500-$649/wk
3.8%
$650-$799/wk
5.2%
$800-$999/wk
5.0%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.7%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.8%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.2%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.8%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
11.7%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
8.0%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
9.2%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
5.4%
$4,000+/wk
15.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
9.0%
$1-$149/wk
3.1%
$150-$299/wk
4.7%
$300-$399/wk
3.6%
$400-$499/wk
3.0%
$500-$649/wk
3.5%
$650-$799/wk
7.6%
$800-$999/wk
9.3%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.9%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.1%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
9.1%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
7.2%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
13.3%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
3.0%
$3,500+/wk
3.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
59.7%
Did not go to work
19.5%
Train
5.6%
Car (passenger)
4.4%
Walked only
3.1%
Bicycle
3.1%
Bus
2.1%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.7%
Other
0.6%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.6%
Truck
0.3%
Tram/Light Rail
0.1%
Ferry
0.1%

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

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
82.3%
Year 10 or equivalent
7.8%
Year 11 or equivalent
7.3%
Year 9 or equivalent
2.6%

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
41.1%
Postgraduate Degree
19.7%
Certificate III/IV
16.3%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
14.6%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
7.0%
Certificate I/II
1.2%

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

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
22.5%
Society & Culture
16.0%
Creative Arts
11.6%
Health
10.2%
Engineering
10.0%
Education
8.3%
Information Technology
6.2%
Architecture & Building
4.9%
Natural & Physical Sciences
4.6%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
4.5%
Agriculture & Environment
1.2%

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

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
34.7%
Secondary: Government
17.6%
Vocational Education
16.9%
Pre-school
14.8%
Primary: Catholic
7.6%
Secondary: Catholic
6.2%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
1.2%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
1.0%

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
88.4%
Has need for assistance
5.5%
Need for assistance not stated
6.1%

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

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
1,253
Asthma
480
Diabetes
252
Arthritis
226
Heart disease
156
Cancer
110
Kidney disease
106
Lung condition
103
Stroke
73
Dementia
18

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

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
12.6% 1,137
Did not provide
87.4% 7,887

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
12.8% 1,158
Not a volunteer
87.2% 7,894

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.0% 4
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 9
Previously served
1.1% 104
Never served
98.7% 8,976

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
49.4%
1 child
14.7%
2 children
23.9%
3 children
8.4%
4 children
2.4%
5+ children
1.1%

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

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
22
1951: 1960
97
1961: 1970
286
1971: 1980
325
1981: 1990
637
1991: 2000
482
2001: 2010
696
2011: 2015
539
2016
133
2017
165
2018
208
2019
215
2020
37
2021
11

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

Population Mobility

18.2%
moved in the last year
46.1%
moved in the last 5 years
5.6%
unemployment rate (Census)
69.8%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
8,955
Moved from VIC
1,503
Moved: same area (SA2)
315
Moved from overseas
65
Moved from NSW
32
Moved from QLD
18
Moved from TAS
8
Moved from WA
6
Moved from SA
4
Moved from NT
3

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

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
21.7%
5: 14 hours
32.8%
15: 29 hours
12.7%
30+ hours
6.9%
Did not do domestic work
25.8%

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

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
93.4%
Step family: no other children
4.2%
Blended family: no other children
1.8%
Other couple: children only
0.4%
Intact family: other children present
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

West Footscray Crime Statistics

851 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
496
Break & Enter
77
Assault
75
Property Damage
68
Justice Procedures
66
Drug Offences
22
Fraud
21
Public Order
13
Weapons
9
Robbery
3
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

Yallambie
Income: $1,021/wk Rent: $340/wk $11/wk less rent
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Income: $839/wk Rent: $350/wk $1/wk less rent
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Income: $870/wk Rent: $270/wk $81/wk less rent
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Flemington
Income: $890/wk Rent: $300/wk $51/wk less rent
Lang Lang
Income: $811/wk Rent: $310/wk $41/wk less rent
Koo Wee Rup
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Mount Helen
Income: $808/wk Rent: $345/wk $6/wk less rent

Suburbs near West Footscray

The closest suburb to West Footscray is Kingsville, 0.8 km away.

Kingsville
0.8 km away · income $1,202/wk · rent $355/wk
Seddon (Vic.)
1.8 km away · income $1,274/wk · rent $460/wk
Yarraville
2.0 km away · income $1,246/wk · rent $462/wk
Footscray
2.2 km away · income $916/wk · rent $355/wk
Maidstone
2.2 km away · income $851/wk · rent $381/wk
Braybrook
2.5 km away · income $622/wk · rent $312/wk

Compare West Footscray

Frequently Asked Questions About West Footscray

What is the population of West Footscray VIC?

The population of West Footscray VIC is 11,729 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 3,131 people per km². West Footscray is ranked #476 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in West Footscray?

The median personal income in West Footscray VIC is $1,003 per week, or $52,156 per year. The median household income is $1,989 per week. Family income is $2,586 per week. West Footscray is ranked #1,216 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in West Footscray?

Median rent in West Footscray VIC is $351 per week ($1,521 per month). Rent represents 17.6% of household income, which is considered affordable. West Footscray ranks #3,093 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in West Footscray?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in West Footscray VIC is $2,129. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in West Footscray?

The median age in West Footscray VIC is 35 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is West Footscray a good suburb to live in?

West Footscray is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 11,729. The median income is $1,003/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (17.6% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Melbourne Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 22756. All dollar figures in AUD.