Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Foster
114 km²
A far older population than most of the state defines Foster, where nearly 40% of residents are seniors. This aging profile is reflected in a community where many people live alone and the typical resident is 59. While it is a small town of about 2,000 people, it stands out for its high rates of volunteering and home ownership. It is a quiet, residential area with a strong English and Australian heritage, situated far from the city.
Foster is well supplied with schools for its relatively small share of children.
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The typical resident is 59, making the area far older than the national figure. Children under 15 make up only 11.6% of the population, which is well below the Victorian average.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those with an overseas birthplace make up 13.4%, which is far below the figures for Victoria and Australia. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 86.3% of the community. Only 4.6% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national and state figures.
A high proportion of residents report no religion at 47.8%, a figure well above the national average. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 38.4%.
The area has a lower rate of Year 12 completion than most, at 40.4%. While 17.0% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, this is well below the state and national averages.
Incomes are much lower than most areas, with the typical household earning $975 a week. Only 9.8% of households earn $3,000 or more per week, which is far below the national figure.
Long-term health conditions are very common here, affecting 42.0% of people. This is far above the national average, and 8.6% of residents need help with daily activities.
Volunteering is very high at 27.2%, far above the state and national figures. A higher than usual 27.4% of people also spend 15 or more hours a week on unpaid housework.
There are 22 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the area. This group is noticeably younger than the state average, with a typical age of 17.
People living alone are very common at 40.6%, which is far above the national figure. This contributes to a typical home size of just 2.0 people.
Home ownership is very high, with 55.5% of homes owned outright. This is far above the national average, and typical weekly rents are much lower than in the rest of the state.
The area is very remote, with a typical drive time to the city of 119 minutes. Most people use a car for work, and 0% of residents commute using public transport.
About 36.9% of residents moved in the last five years. This includes recent arrivals from overseas, who make up 9.2% of the population.
Only 42.6% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national average. Many of those employed work in health care or agriculture.
The area is considered somewhat walkable, though far fewer homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park or school compared to the state average.