State Electorate · Area profile
Footscray (Western Metropolitan)
40 km²
Nearly half of all residents in Footscray were born overseas, making it one of the most culturally diverse areas in the region. It is a young and growing community where the typical resident is only 35. This diversity is reflected in the wide range of languages spoken at home and a strong presence of Vietnamese and Chinese ancestry. The area feels like a bustling urban hub, with a highly educated workforce and a very high proportion of people living in rental apartments and townhouses.
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Footscray is noticeably younger than the state and national figures, with a typical age of 35. It has a smaller proportion of children and seniors than most areas, while the number of people in de facto relationships has risen to 13.4%.
Migration strongly shapes the area, with 44.9% of people born overseas, far above the national figure of 27.7%. Vietnamese, Chinese, and Indian birthplaces are common, which is consistent with the high number of residents who use a language other than English at home.
About 48.9% of the community uses another language at home, which is far above the Victorian average. Vietnamese is the most common non-English language at 16.1%, and 10.8% of residents speak little or no English.
People with no religion make up 36.3% of the population, a figure that rose 7.2 points since 2016. This is lower than the national figure, while Buddhism (10.3%) and Islam (6.0%) are also prominent.
The area is well-qualified, with 34.1% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, which is well above the national figure. Year 12 completion is also much higher than most areas at 67.5%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,738, which is about the same as the state and national figures. High-earning households are becoming more common, with those earning $3,000 or more a week rising 10 points since 2016.
About 24.6% of residents have a long-term health condition, which is well below the national figure. However, those needing help with daily activities is higher than most areas at 6.4%.
Volunteer rates are much lower than most areas at 9.5%, having fallen 4.6 points since 2016. Similarly, the proportion of people providing unpaid care for children is well below the national figure.
One-parent families are much more common here than in most areas, at 16.6%. There are also more people living alone (28.8%) and fewer people per home compared to the national typical of 2.5.
Renters make up a huge portion of the community at 42.1%, far above the national figure. Separate houses are much less common than elsewhere, with only 51.3% of homes being detached dwellings.
Public transport use is much higher than in most areas, and 12.3% of homes have no car. Working from home has surged since 2016, now accounting for 29.7% of workers.
The population is quite mobile, with 42.9% of people having moved in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals make up 16.8% of the community, though this is lower than it was in 2016.
More adults are working or looking for work (64.0%) than in most areas. However, the unemployment rate is also higher than the state and national figures at 6.9%.
Footscray is a walker's paradise with a score of 8.1, and 98.6% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport. Almost all residents can reach groceries, parks, and schools within a 15-minute walk.