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Footscray vs West Melbourne

Name: Footscray vs West Melbourne — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Suburb / Locality comparison ≈ 2.5 km apart · Footscray profile · West Melbourne profile

Footscray West Melbourne

Footscray and West Melbourne are neighbouring inner-city areas with distinct profiles. West Melbourne is more transient and highly educated, with 56.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and a far higher share of people born overseas (53.5%). Footscray has a more established feel, with far more separate houses (31.5% compared to 1.2%) and a larger proportion of families with children. Footscray also shows a stronger connection to First Nations culture, with 12.9% of people speaking a First Nations language, while West Melbourne has none.

Both areas are a walker's paradise with very similar walkability scores. They share a nearly identical typical weekly household income, sitting just under $1,800. Life in both places is characterised by a high proportion of people using languages other than English at home, which is far above the national figure. While both are welcoming to new arrivals, West Melbourne has seen a far higher influx of recent overseas arrivals than Footscray.

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Where they differ most

Separate houses: 30.4 pts higher in Footscray Recent movers: 18.8 pts higher in West Melbourne 3+ bedrooms: 16.1 pts higher in Footscray No car: 15.1 pts higher in West Melbourne Recent arrivals: 14.9 pts higher in West Melbourne

Demographics & Identity

Population in Footscray in West Melbourne +9,106 larger in Footscray gap steady

17,131 89th pct 8,025 87th pct

Median age in Footscray in West Melbourne +3 yrs older in Footscray gap widening

34 yrs 13th pct 31 yrs 7th pct

Age structure

48.7% Young adults (25–44) +8.9 pts ▸ 57.6%

18.8% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +4.6 pts 14.2%

11.0% Youth (15–24) +5.5 pts ▸ 16.5%

10.9% Seniors (65+) ◂ +6.5 pts 4.4%

10.6% Children (0–14) ◂ +3.3 pts 7.3%

Marital status

56.5% Never married +8.1 pts ▸ 64.6%

28.7% Married ◂ +2.2 pts 26.6%

8.0% Divorced ◂ +2.6 pts 5.4%

3.5% Widowed ◂ +2.7 pts 0.9%

3.2% Separated ◂ +0.7 pts 2.5%

Age & sex structure

Footscray West Melbourne

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

50.9% Australia ◂ +9.3 pts 41.6%

2.2% China +8.5 pts ▸ 10.6%

8.5% Vietnam ◂ +6.8 pts 1.8%

4.7% India +2.2 pts ▸ 6.9%

2.2% England +0.3 pts ▸ 2.4%

2.0% New Zealand ◂ +0.1 pts 2.0%

1.5% Philippines +0.3 pts ▸ 1.7%

1.5% Nepal ◂ +0.9 pts 0.6%

0.7% Italy +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.3% South Africa ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Ancestry

22.5% English ◂ +3.9 pts 18.6%

9.3% Chinese +11.9 pts ▸ 21.2%

18.5% Australian ◂ +4.2 pts 14.3%

10.1% Irish ◂ +1.9 pts 8.2%

10.0% Vietnamese ◂ +7.4 pts 2.6%

7.3% Scottish ◂ +1.4 pts 5.8%

4.2% Indian +2.4 pts ▸ 6.6%

4.2% Italian +0.5 pts ▸ 4.7%

2.8% German even 2.8%

2.1% Filipino +0.2 pts ▸ 2.3%

2.3% Greek ◂ +1.1 pts 1.2%

1.2% Dutch +0.1 pts ▸ 1.3%

Language

Language used at home

53.3% English only ◂ +5.6 pts 47.7%

2.8% Mandarin +10.8 pts ▸ 13.6%

10.5% Vietnamese ◂ +8.4 pts 2.1%

2.3% Cantonese +1.0 pts ▸ 3.4%

1.0% Hindi +1.4 pts ▸ 2.4%

1.3% Greek ◂ +0.8 pts 0.5%

1.1% Italian ◂ +0.1 pts 1.1%

0.6% Arabic +0.4 pts ▸ 1.0%

0.6% Tagalog even 0.6%

0.4% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.3%

Religion

Religious affiliation

47.8% No religion +6.1 pts ▸ 53.8%

24.3% Christianity ◂ +2.0 pts 22.3%

9.6% Not stated ◂ +0.8 pts 8.8%

8.2% Buddhism ◂ +3.0 pts 5.2%

4.7% Hinduism +1.1 pts ▸ 5.8%

4.5% Islam ◂ +1.5 pts 3.0%

0.7% Other religions +0.1 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.1% Judaism +0.2 pts ▸ 0.3%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Footscray in West Melbourne +1.60 more in Footscray

3.31 46th pct 1.71 23rd pct

Schools ≤3 km in Footscray in West Melbourne +20 more in West Melbourne

40 90th pct 60 94th pct

Avg size in Footscray in West Melbourne +21 larger in West Melbourne

414 61st pct 435 64th pct

ICSEA in Footscray in West Melbourne +10 higher in West Melbourne

1,086 88th pct 1,096 90th pct

Highest year of school

72.9% Year 12 +9.4 pts ▸ 82.3%

7.5% Year 9 or below ◂ +5.4 pts 2.1%

5.3% Year 10 ◂ +0.7 pts 4.6%

4.8% Year 11 even 4.8%

Highest qualification level

36.3% Bachelor degree +6.6 pts ▸ 42.9%

18.0% Postgraduate degree +5.8 pts ▸ 23.8%

11.8% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +1.4 pts 10.3%

11.3% Certificate III / IV ◂ +4.0 pts 7.4%

5.5% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +1.3 pts 4.1%

1.1% Certificate I / II ◂ +0.5 pts 0.6%

Field of qualification

18.7% Management & commerce +3.9 pts ▸ 22.5%

14.7% Society & culture ◂ +1.1 pts 13.6%

8.1% Engineering & related +2.5 pts ▸ 10.6%

9.3% Creative arts ◂ +0.6 pts 8.6%

6.1% Information technology +1.7 pts ▸ 7.8%

7.7% Health ◂ +0.9 pts 6.9%

5.7% Education ◂ +1.9 pts 3.8%

4.1% Natural & physical sciences +1.4 pts ▸ 5.5%

3.9% Food, hospitality & personal services +0.4 pts ▸ 4.4%

3.8% Architecture & building +0.3 pts ▸ 4.2%

1.1% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.3 pts 0.8%

Income

Personal income in Footscray in West Melbourne +$142 higher in West Melbourne gap narrowing

$916 74th pct $1,058 86th pct

Household income in Footscray in West Melbourne +$25 higher in West Melbourne gap narrowing

$1,763 63rd pct $1,788 65th pct

Family income in Footscray in West Melbourne +$110 higher in West Melbourne gap narrowing

$2,296 73rd pct $2,406 78th pct

Household income distribution

32.6% $1,500–$2,999 +1.2 pts ▸ 33.8%

25.1% $650–$1,499 +0.3 pts ▸ 25.4%

15.8% Under $650 ◂ +2.0 pts 13.8%

10.8% $4,000 or more +2.2 pts ▸ 13.0%

10.8% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +1.2 pts 9.6%

Personal income distribution

34.1% Under $650 ◂ +5.1 pts 28.9%

30.9% $650–$1,499 +1.3 pts ▸ 32.2%

21.7% $1,500–$2,999 +2.2 pts ▸ 23.9%

4.3% $3,000 or more +2.4 pts ▸ 6.7%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

12.9% Mental health ◂ +4.4 pts 8.5%

9.2% Other condition ◂ +3.1 pts 6.1%

8.6% Asthma ◂ +2.0 pts 6.6%

5.1% Arthritis ◂ +2.9 pts 2.2%

3.6% Diabetes ◂ +2.1 pts 1.6%

2.2% Heart disease ◂ +0.9 pts 1.3%

1.5% Cancer ◂ +0.3 pts 1.1%

1.1% Dementia ◂ +1.0 pts 0.1%

1.0% Lung condition ◂ +0.6 pts 0.3%

0.6% Stroke ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

Number of long-term health conditions

63.4% None +10.2 pts ▸ 73.6%

19.8% One condition ◂ +5.6 pts 14.2%

5.5% Two conditions ◂ +2.5 pts 3.0%

1.9% Three or more ◂ +1.2 pts 0.7%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Footscray in West Melbourne +55 larger in Footscray

124 86th pct 69 81st pct

Median age in Footscray in West Melbourne +2 yrs older in West Melbourne

29 yrs 60th pct 31 yrs 66th pct

Median income in Footscray in West Melbourne +$87 higher in West Melbourne

$812 66th pct $899 73rd pct

Household income in Footscray in West Melbourne +$337 higher in Footscray

$1,800 54th pct $1,463 40th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Footscray in West Melbourne +0.2 larger in Footscray gap widening

2.1 19th pct 1.9 11th pct

Family composition

39.3% Couples without children +15.0 pts ▸ 54.4%

42.9% Couples with children ◂ +8.5 pts 34.3%

14.2% One-parent families ◂ +6.3 pts 7.9%

3.5% Other families ◂ +0.1 pts 3.4%

Household size

35.8% 2 people +5.5 pts ▸ 41.3%

37.6% 1 person +1.4 pts ▸ 39.0%

14.5% 3 people ◂ +2.1 pts 12.4%

8.8% 4 people ◂ +3.0 pts 5.8%

2.3% 5 people ◂ +1.3 pts 1.0%

0.9% 6 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 0.4%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Footscray in West Melbourne +$33 higher in West Melbourne gap narrowing

$355 72nd pct $388 79th pct

Mortgage in Footscray in West Melbourne +$166 higher in West Melbourne gap narrowing

$1,940 68th pct $2,106 77th pct

People / bedroom in Footscray in West Melbourne +0.10 higher in West Melbourne gap steady

1.00 89th pct 1.10 93rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

55.9% Rented +9.2 pts ▸ 65.2%

27.0% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +6.3 pts 20.6%

14.3% Owned outright ◂ +2.5 pts 11.8%

1.6% Not stated ◂ +0.5 pts 1.0%

1.2% Other tenure +0.3 pts ▸ 1.5%

Types of homes

52.3% Flat or apartment +27.3 pts ▸ 79.6%

31.5% Separate house ◂ +30.4 pts 1.2%

15.3% Townhouse / semi-detached +3.3 pts ▸ 18.6%

0.7% Other dwelling ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%

Bedrooms per home

44.3% 2 bedrooms +4.7 pts ▸ 49.0%

19.4% 1 bedroom +12.7 pts ▸ 32.1%

26.2% 3 bedrooms ◂ +12.4 pts 13.8%

5.9% 4 bedrooms ◂ +3.3 pts 2.6%

1.4% Studio / none ◂ +0.7 pts 0.6%

1.2% 5 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 0.8%

Weekly rent distribution

44.8% $350–$549 +9.4 pts ▸ 54.2%

32.6% $200–$349 ◂ +6.2 pts 26.5%

11.7% Under $200 ◂ +8.3 pts 3.5%

6.7% $550–$749 +2.7 pts ▸ 9.4%

1.3% $750 or more +3.1 pts ▸ 4.4%

Monthly mortgage distribution

34.4% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +1.8 pts 32.6%

31.5% $1,000–$1,799 ◂ +4.8 pts 26.7%

17.4% $3,000 or more +10.0 pts ▸ 27.4%

11.7% Under $1,000 ◂ +3.6 pts 8.1%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Footscray in West Melbourne +72 more in Footscray

121 90th pct 49 87th pct

Stops/1k in Footscray in West Melbourne +0.96 more in Footscray

7.06 86th pct 6.11 82nd pct

Departures/1k in Footscray in West Melbourne +925.6 more in Footscray

4,522.0 100th pct 3,596.4 100th pct

PT routes in Footscray in West Melbourne +5 more in Footscray

25 87th pct 20 86th pct

Stop walk in Footscray in West Melbourne +10 longer in West Melbourne

0 0th pct 10 46th pct

Drive to city in Footscray in West Melbourne +2 longer in Footscray

9 4th pct 7 1st pct

Reach 30 min in Footscray in West Melbourne +80,796 more in Footscray

80,796 88th pct 0 0th pct

Reach 45 min in Footscray in West Melbourne +333,926 more in Footscray

373,735 90th pct 39,809 60th pct

Transit to city in Footscray in West Melbourne +11 longer in West Melbourne

36 13th pct 47 30th pct

How people get to work

36.2% Worked at home +2.2 pts ▸ 38.4%

29.3% Car (driver) ◂ +12.9 pts 16.3%

3.2% Walked +8.4 pts ▸ 11.6%

6.5% Train ◂ +1.3 pts 5.1%

1.8% Bicycle +0.5 pts ▸ 2.4%

2.1% Bus ◂ +1.4 pts 0.7%

1.8% Car (passenger) even 1.8%

Motor vehicles per home

55.0% 1 vehicle ◂ +3.9 pts 51.1%

21.3% No vehicle +15.1 pts ▸ 36.4%

18.8% 2 vehicles ◂ +8.2 pts 10.6%

3.5% 3 vehicles ◂ +2.0 pts 1.4%

1.4% 4 or more ◂ +0.9 pts 0.5%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

11.6% Professional & technical +6.4 pts ▸ 18.0%

12.8% Health care & social assistance ◂ +3.0 pts 9.8%

9.0% Accommodation & food +2.3 pts ▸ 11.3%

9.6% Education & training ◂ +1.7 pts 7.8%

8.4% Retail trade ◂ +0.6 pts 7.8%

7.8% Public administration & safety ◂ +2.3 pts 5.5%

5.4% Finance & insurance +1.9 pts ▸ 7.3%

4.4% Administrative & support +0.6 pts ▸ 4.9%

4.8% Construction ◂ +0.5 pts 4.3%

4.7% Transport & warehousing ◂ +1.2 pts 3.5%

4.5% Manufacturing ◂ +1.3 pts 3.2%

3.0% Other services ◂ +0.4 pts 2.6%

Occupations people work in

33.4% Professionals +6.2 pts ▸ 39.7%

12.4% Managers +1.3 pts ▸ 13.7%

12.6% Clerical & administrative ◂ +1.2 pts 11.5%

10.6% Community & personal service ◂ +0.7 pts 9.9%

9.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +1.2 pts 8.3%

7.9% Labourers ◂ +1.3 pts 6.5%

6.8% Sales workers ◂ +0.6 pts 6.1%

4.8% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +2.1 pts 2.7%

Walkability

Walk score in Footscray in West Melbourne +0.1 higher in Footscray

9.4 100th pct 9.2 100th pct

Types ≤15 min in Footscray in West Melbourne +0.1 more in Footscray

8.0 100th pct 7.9 99th pct

15-min city in Footscray in West Melbourne +1.8 pts higher in Footscray

100.0% 100th pct 98.2% 99th pct

Walk to shops in Footscray in West Melbourne +1.8 pts higher in Footscray

100.0% 100th pct 98.2% 99th pct

Walk to transit in Footscray in West Melbourne +0.3 pts higher in Footscray

100.0% 100th pct 99.7% 99th pct

Walk to school in Footscray in West Melbourne +2.3 pts higher in Footscray

100.0% 100th pct 97.7% 98th pct

Walk to a park in Footscray in West Melbourne +1.6 pts higher in Footscray

100.0% 100th pct 98.4% 85th pct

Walk to health in Footscray in West Melbourne +2.1 pts higher in Footscray

99.8% 100th pct 97.8% 99th pct

Amenities/1k in Footscray in West Melbourne +9.3 more in Footscray

24.3 67th pct 15.0 53rd pct

Intersections/km² in Footscray in West Melbourne +345 higher in Footscray

573 100th pct 229 92nd pct

Mean slope in Footscray in West Melbourne +2.5 pts higher in West Melbourne

3.8% 26th pct 6.3% 57th pct

Compare Footscray with nearby areas

Seddon Flemington Ascot Vale Kingsville West Footscray Maidstone West Melbourne Maribyrnong

Compare West Melbourne with nearby areas

Kensington Port Melbourne Flemington Docklands North Melbourne Footscray Seddon Travancore

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Footscray vs West Melbourne [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL20935/footscray/vs/SAL22757/west-melbourne