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Foster vs Fish Creek

Urban Centre comparison ≈ 11 km apart · Foster profile · Fish Creek profile

Foster Fish Creek

Foster and Fish Creek (L) are nearby Victorian towns with very different profiles. Foster is far older, with a typical resident aged 62 and 45.5% of the population aged 65 and over. It also has much higher rates of long-term health conditions (46.4%) and people living alone (48.2%). In contrast, Fish Creek (L) has a more qualified workforce, with 24.7% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher compared to 14.1% in Foster. Housing also differs, as every home in Fish Creek (L) is a separate house, while Foster has a higher share of renters (26.3%) and more apartments.

Both areas are very similar in a few key ways, such as the typical monthly home-loan payment and the share of people earning $2,000 or more a week. However, several gaps have widened since 2011. The age gap has grown to 11 years, and the difference in university qualifications has increased. While both are more walkable than the national figure, Foster is very walkable and is far more likely to have groceries and health services within a 15-minute walk.

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Where they differ most

Separate houses: 17.3 pts higher in Fish Creek Population: 1,101 larger in Foster No car: 6.8 pts higher in Foster Median age: 11 yrs older in Foster De facto: 8.4 pts higher in Fish Creek

Demographics & Identity

Population in Fosterin Fish Creek +1,101 larger in Foster gap steady
1,308 62nd pct 207 11th pct
Median age in Fosterin Fish Creek +11 yrs older in Foster gap widening
62 yrs 98th pct 51 yrs 71st pct
First Nations in Fosterin Fish Creek +1.7 pts higher in Fish Creek gap narrowing
1.2% 12th pct 2.9% 34th pct
Aged 65+ in Fosterin Fish Creek +13.1 pts higher in Foster gap widening
45.5% 100th pct 32.4% 82nd pct
Under 15 in Fosterin Fish Creek +2.3 pts higher in Fish Creek gap narrowing
10.2% 10th pct 12.6% 16th pct
De facto in Fosterin Fish Creek +8.4 pts higher in Fish Creek gap widening
9.3% 13th pct 17.8% 85th pct

Age structure

45.5% Seniors (65+) ◂ +13.1 pts 32.4%
23.9% Older adults (45–64) +4.1 pts ▸ 28.0%
13.2% Young adults (25–44) +5.1 pts ▸ 18.4%
10.2% Children (0–14) +2.3 pts ▸ 12.6%
7.0% Youth (15–24) +0.8 pts ▸ 7.7%

Marital status

43.2% Married +1.5 pts ▸ 44.7%
26.0% Never married +7.6 pts ▸ 33.5%
14.5% Widowed ◂ +6.9 pts 7.6%
12.3% Divorced +1.8 pts ▸ 14.1%
4.2% Separated +0.5 pts ▸ 4.7%

Age & sex structure

Foster Fish Creek

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

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Fosterin Fish Creek +5.0 pts higher in Foster gap widening
14.1% 71st pct 9.2% 38th pct

Country of birth

75.5% Australia +4.2 pts ▸ 79.7%
4.6% England ◂ +0.7 pts 3.9%
0.5% South Africa +1.5 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.2% New Zealand ◂ +1.2 pts 0.0%
0.9% Italy ◂ +0.9 pts 0.0%
0.5% India ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.5% Philippines ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.3% Vietnam ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.2% China ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.0% Nepal even 0.0%

Ancestry

41.5% English +6.8 pts ▸ 48.3%
38.8% Australian ◂ +7.4 pts 31.4%
13.2% Irish +6.1 pts ▸ 19.3%
12.4% Scottish +1.6 pts ▸ 14.0%
3.1% Dutch +6.5 pts ▸ 9.7%
3.3% Italian +2.0 pts ▸ 5.3%
2.9% German +2.4 pts ▸ 5.3%
0.6% Chinese +1.3 pts ▸ 1.9%
1.1% Filipino ◂ +1.1 pts 0.0%
0.3% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.0% Indian even 0.0%
0.0% Vietnamese even 0.0%

Language

Other language in Fosterin Fish Creek +1.4 pts higher in Foster gap steady
4.7% 64th pct 3.4% 45th pct
Limited English in Fosterin Fish Creek +0.6 pts higher in Foster gap steady
0.6% 71st pct 0.0% 0th pct

Language used at home

86.2% English only +1.8 pts ▸ 87.9%
0.8% Italian ◂ +0.8 pts 0.0%
0.5% Mandarin ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.5% Punjabi ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%
0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%
0.2% Tagalog ◂ +0.2 pts 0.0%
0.0% Arabic even 0.0%
0.0% Cantonese even 0.0%
0.0% Greek even 0.0%
0.0% Hindi even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Fosterin Fish Creek +3.2 pts higher in Fish Creek gap narrowing
45.6% 61st pct 48.8% 73rd pct

Religious affiliation

45.6% No religion +3.2 pts ▸ 48.8%
40.6% Christianity ◂ +7.7 pts 32.9%
11.4% Not stated +3.6 pts ▸ 15.0%
0.8% Buddhism +1.7 pts ▸ 2.4%
1.2% Other religions ◂ +1.2 pts 0.0%
0.6% Hinduism ◂ +0.6 pts 0.0%
0.0% Islam even 0.0%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Fosterin Fish Creek +9.3 pts higher in Fish Creek gap narrowing
37.4% 46th pct 46.7% 73rd pct
Bachelor+ in Fosterin Fish Creek +10.6 pts higher in Fish Creek gap widening
14.1% 64th pct 24.7% 89th pct

Highest year of school

37.4% Year 12 +9.3 pts ▸ 46.7%
18.6% Year 10 ◂ +5.4 pts 13.2%
16.7% Year 9 or below +1.2 pts ▸ 18.0%
16.5% Year 11 ◂ +5.1 pts 11.4%

Highest qualification level

28.4% Certificate III / IV ◂ +2.9 pts 25.4%
18.3% Bachelor degree ◂ +1.3 pts 16.9%
17.2% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +5.4 pts 11.9%
2.3% Graduate diploma / certificate +9.6 pts ▸ 11.9%
4.6% Postgraduate degree +2.2 pts ▸ 6.8%
2.3% Certificate I / II +2.0 pts ▸ 4.2%

Field of qualification

12.7% Education +4.3 pts ▸ 16.9%
13.7% Engineering & related ◂ +5.2 pts 8.5%
13.3% Health ◂ +3.1 pts 10.2%
2.7% Agriculture & environment +8.3 pts ▸ 11.0%
3.7% Architecture & building +5.7 pts ▸ 9.3%
9.1% Management & commerce +0.2 pts ▸ 9.3%
8.8% Society & culture ◂ +0.4 pts 8.5%
5.0% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.7 pts ▸ 6.8%
3.0% Creative arts +2.0 pts ▸ 5.1%
2.3% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +2.3 pts 0.0%
1.2% Information technology ◂ +1.2 pts 0.0%

Income

Personal income in Fosterin Fish Creek +$97 higher in Fish Creek gap narrowing
$529 22nd pct $626 42nd pct
Household income in Fosterin Fish Creek +$109 higher in Fish Creek gap narrowing
$846 9th pct $955 19th pct
Family income in Fosterin Fish Creek +$235 higher in Fish Creek gap narrowing
$1,327 27th pct $1,562 49th pct
High earners in Fosterin Fish Creek +0.2 pts higher in Foster gap narrowing
4.3% 28th pct 4.1% 27th pct
High-income homes in Fosterin Fish Creek +2.8 pts higher in Foster gap steady
7.4% 30th pct 4.6% 15th pct

Household income distribution

34.3% $650–$1,499 +10.5 pts ▸ 44.8%
35.5% Under $650 ◂ +16.0 pts 19.5%
17.8% $1,500–$2,999 +5.2 pts ▸ 23.0%
4.0% $3,000–$3,999 +0.6 pts ▸ 4.6%
3.4% $4,000 or more ◂ +3.4 pts 0.0%

Personal income distribution

52.1% Under $650 ◂ +5.6 pts 46.5%
28.0% $650–$1,499 +8.5 pts ▸ 36.5%
6.7% $1,500–$2,999 +4.4 pts ▸ 11.2%
1.5% $3,000 or more ◂ +1.5 pts 0.0%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Fosterin Fish Creek +18.4 pts higher in Foster
46.4% 98th pct 28.0% 26th pct
Mental health in Fosterin Fish Creek +5.2 pts higher in Foster
11.9% 76th pct 6.8% 18th pct
Needs assistance in Fosterin Fish Creek +3.1 pts higher in Foster gap narrowing
10.9% 89th pct 7.7% 67th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

21.6% Arthritis ◂ +15.3 pts 6.3%
11.9% Mental health ◂ +5.2 pts 6.8%
11.4% Asthma ◂ +5.1 pts 6.3%
11.0% Other condition ◂ +4.7 pts 6.3%
10.3% Heart disease ◂ +2.6 pts 7.7%
6.8% Cancer ◂ +1.5 pts 5.3%
6.8% Diabetes ◂ +4.4 pts 2.4%
3.1% Lung condition ◂ +3.1 pts 0.0%
2.9% Stroke ◂ +1.5 pts 1.4%
1.3% Dementia ◂ +1.3 pts 0.0%

Number of long-term health conditions

41.1% None +18.3 pts ▸ 59.4%
26.3% One condition ◂ +8.4 pts 17.9%
13.1% Two conditions ◂ +8.7 pts 4.3%
7.2% Three or more ◂ +2.4 pts 4.8%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Fosterin Fish Creek +3.7 pts higher in Fish Creek gap narrowing
26.9% 90th pct 30.6% 96th pct
Unpaid carers in Fosterin Fish Creek +1.1 pts higher in Fish Creek gap steady
13.0% 47th pct 14.1% 65th pct
Unpaid child care in Fosterin Fish Creek +11.3 pts higher in Fish Creek gap widening
12.8% 6th pct 24.1% 49th pct
Defence service in Fosterin Fish Creek +1.1 pts higher in Foster
3.3% 43rd pct 2.3% 18th pct
Housework 15h+ in Fosterin Fish Creek +5.1 pts higher in Fish Creek gap narrowing
23.7% 47th pct 28.8% 86th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Fosterin Fish Creek +0.3 larger in Fish Creek gap widening
1.8 0th pct 2.1 29th pct
One-parent in Fosterin Fish Creek +5.1 pts higher in Foster gap narrowing
15.5% 52nd pct 10.4% 22nd pct
Living alone in Fosterin Fish Creek +10.3 pts higher in Foster gap steady
48.2% 100th pct 37.9% 82nd pct

Family composition

36.2% Couples with children +15.9 pts ▸ 52.1%
47.7% Couples without children ◂ +12.3 pts 35.4%
15.5% One-parent families ◂ +5.1 pts 10.4%
0.8% Other families +1.3 pts ▸ 2.1%

Household size

48.2% 1 person ◂ +10.3 pts 37.9%
36.2% 2 people +7.5 pts ▸ 43.7%
7.0% 3 people +5.6 pts ▸ 12.6%
6.0% 4 people +5.5 pts ▸ 11.5%
1.0% 5 people +2.4 pts ▸ 3.4%
1.8% 6 or more ◂ +1.8 pts 0.0%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Fosterin Fish Creek +$10 higher in Fish Creek gap narrowing
$240 38th pct $250 43rd pct
Mortgage in Fosterin Fish Creek +$21 higher in Foster gap narrowing
$1,213 37th pct $1,192 36th pct
People / bedroom in Fosterin Fish Creek even gap steady
0.70 14th pct 0.70 14th pct
Renting in Fosterin Fish Creek +16.0 pts higher in Foster gap widening
26.3% 64th pct 10.3% 14th pct
Owned outright in Fosterin Fish Creek +2.7 pts higher in Foster gap narrowing
52.1% 87th pct 49.4% 81st pct
Separate houses in Fosterin Fish Creek +17.3 pts higher in Fish Creek gap widening
82.7% 14th pct 100.0% 100th pct
3+ bedrooms in Fosterin Fish Creek +14.5 pts higher in Fish Creek gap widening
64.8% 13th pct 79.3% 58th pct

How homes are owned or rented

52.1% Owned outright ◂ +2.7 pts 49.4%
15.4% Owned with a mortgage +13.3 pts ▸ 28.7%
26.3% Rented ◂ +16.0 pts 10.3%
3.0% Not stated +2.7 pts ▸ 5.7%
3.5% Other tenure ◂ +3.5 pts 0.0%

Types of homes

82.7% Separate house +17.3 pts ▸ 100.0%
10.2% Flat or apartment ◂ +10.2 pts 0.0%
5.0% Townhouse / semi-detached ◂ +5.0 pts 0.0%
1.7% Other dwelling ◂ +1.7 pts 0.0%

Bedrooms per home

49.7% 3 bedrooms +13.5 pts ▸ 63.2%
24.8% 2 bedrooms ◂ +4.1 pts 20.7%
13.7% 4 bedrooms ◂ +2.2 pts 11.5%
6.9% 1 bedroom ◂ +6.9 pts 0.0%
1.3% 5 or more +3.3 pts ▸ 4.6%
0.5% Studio / none ◂ +0.5 pts 0.0%

Weekly rent distribution

65.0% $200–$349 ◂ +31.6 pts 33.3%
32.5% Under $200 ◂ +32.5 pts 0.0%
5.1% $350–$549 ◂ +5.1 pts 0.0%
0.0% $550–$749 even 0.0%
0.0% $750 or more even 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

47.8% $1,000–$1,799 +0.2 pts ▸ 48.0%
26.1% Under $1,000 +9.9 pts ▸ 36.0%
9.8% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +9.8 pts 0.0%
3.3% $3,000 or more ◂ +3.3 pts 0.0%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Fosterin Fish Creek +6.8 pts higher in Foster gap widening
6.8% 74th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Work from home in Fosterin Fish Creek +6.6 pts higher in Fish Creek gap widening
8.7% 55th pct 15.3% 81st pct
PT commute in Fosterin Fish Creek even gap steady
0.0% 0th pct 0.0% 0th pct

How people get to work

59.5% Car (driver) +0.5 pts ▸ 60.0%
8.7% Worked at home +6.6 pts ▸ 15.3%
11.1% Walked ◂ +6.4 pts 4.7%
3.9% Car (passenger) ◂ +3.9 pts 0.0%
0.7% Bicycle ◂ +0.7 pts 0.0%
0.0% Train even 0.0%
0.0% Bus even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

52.6% 1 vehicle ◂ +7.9 pts 44.7%
27.7% 2 vehicles +11.1 pts ▸ 38.8%
8.9% 3 vehicles +4.1 pts ▸ 12.9%
6.8% No vehicle ◂ +6.8 pts 0.0%
3.9% 4 or more ◂ +0.4 pts 3.5%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Fosterin Fish Creek +14.9 pts higher in Foster gap widening
40.0% 73rd pct 25.1% 13th pct
Recent arrivals in Fosterin Fish Creek
9.2% 68th pct —

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Fosterin Fish Creek +4.1 pts higher in Foster gap widening
4.1% 41st pct 0.0% 0th pct
Participation in Fosterin Fish Creek +13.9 pts higher in Fish Creek gap narrowing
37.2% 12th pct 51.2% 44th pct
Full-time in Fosterin Fish Creek +1.7 pts higher in Fish Creek gap steady
46.5% 11th pct 48.2% 14th pct

Industries people work in

20.0% Health care & social assistance ◂ +4.7 pts 15.3%
8.0% Agriculture, forestry & fishing +8.5 pts ▸ 16.5%
11.1% Retail trade +4.2 pts ▸ 15.3%
6.3% Construction +6.7 pts ▸ 12.9%
6.3% Education & training +6.7 pts ▸ 12.9%
9.4% Accommodation & food +2.4 pts ▸ 11.8%
4.3% Arts & recreation +5.1 pts ▸ 9.4%
5.8% Manufacturing ◂ +5.8 pts 0.0%
4.3% Electricity, gas & water ◂ +4.3 pts 0.0%
4.3% Transport & warehousing ◂ +4.3 pts 0.0%
4.1% Other services ◂ +4.1 pts 0.0%
3.9% Administrative & support ◂ +3.9 pts 0.0%

Occupations people work in

15.4% Labourers +5.8 pts ▸ 21.2%
12.0% Managers +8.0 pts ▸ 20.0%
17.6% Professionals +1.2 pts ▸ 18.8%
15.7% Community & personal service ◂ +1.5 pts 14.1%
12.5% Technicians & trades ◂ +6.6 pts 5.9%
12.0% Sales workers ◂ +1.5 pts 10.6%
10.1% Clerical & administrative ◂ +5.4 pts 4.7%
5.3% Machinery operators & drivers ◂ +1.8 pts 3.5%

Walkability

Walk score in Fosterin Fish Creek +2.1 higher in Foster
7.0 98th pct 4.9 61st pct
Types ≤15 min in Fosterin Fish Creek +1.8 more in Foster
7.6 99th pct 5.9 73rd pct
15-min city in Fosterin Fish Creek +0.8 pts higher in Fish Creek
96.3% 93rd pct 97.2% 94th pct
Walk to shops in Fosterin Fish Creek +95.8 pts higher in Foster
95.8% 90th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Walk to transit in Fosterin Fish Creek +18.0 pts higher in Fish Creek
62.1% 57th pct 80.1% 71st pct
Walk to school in Fosterin Fish Creek +4.8 pts higher in Fish Creek
94.0% 84th pct 98.9% 97th pct
Walk to a park in Fosterin Fish Creek +1.6 pts higher in Foster
99.9% 97th pct 98.3% 74th pct
Walk to health in Fosterin Fish Creek +96.6 pts higher in Foster
96.6% 97th pct 0.0% 0th pct
Amenities/1k in Fosterin Fish Creek +42.6 more in Fish Creek
29.8 73rd pct 72.5 96th pct
Intersections/km² in Fosterin Fish Creek +50 higher in Foster
87 89th pct 37 58th pct
Mean slope in Fosterin Fish Creek +1.7 pts higher in Fish Creek
5.5% 61st pct 7.2% 78th pct

Compare Foster with nearby areas

Toora Fish Creek Sandy Point Meeniyan Mirboo North Boolarra Leongatha Yinnar

Compare Fish Creek with nearby areas

Foster Meeniyan Sandy Point Toora Leongatha Venus Bay Mirboo North Boolarra

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Foster vs Fish Creek [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL215034/foster/vs/UCL222025/fish-creek