Foster
Statistical Area - sa2

Foster has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Foster's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 9,756 people. This represents an increase of 310 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,446. The growth is inferred from ABS estimates: 9,645 residents in June 2024 and 174 new addresses validated after the census date. This results in a density ratio of 6.5 persons per square kilometer. Foster's 3.3% population growth since the Census compares favorably with non-metro areas' average growth of 6.0%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 51.9% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For uncovers areas, it employs VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, Foster's population is projected to decrease by 1,223 persons. However, the 25 to 34 age group is expected to grow by 250 individuals during this period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Foster when compared nationally

Foster has experienced approximately 83 dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25415 homes were approved, with an additional 17 approved in FY26 so far. On average, each new dwelling constructed over these years accommodates about 1.2 new residents annually.

This suggests a balanced supply and demand dynamic, with stable market conditions. The average construction value of new properties is $322,000. In the current financial year, commercial approvals totaling $11.0 million have been registered, indicating steady commercial development activity.

Compared to other Victorian areas, Foster experiences about three-quarters the building activity per person, placing it within the 70th percentile nationally for assessed areas. New developments primarily consist of detached dwellings (96.0%) with a smaller proportion of townhouses or apartments (4.0%), maintaining the area's low-density character and attracting space-seeking buyers. Foster has approximately 193 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its low-density market. With population stability or decline expected, housing pressure is likely to remain relatively low, potentially presenting buying opportunities.

Foster has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 22ndth percentile nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified six projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable projects include Great Southern Rail Trail Leongatha Precinct Development, Parr Street Leongatha Rezoning and Subdivision, Leongatha Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), and Wyndham Garden Inverloch. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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While Foster retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.2%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Foster's workforce comprises skilled individuals with diverse industry representation. As of June 2025, Foster's unemployment rate is 3.2%.

In this month, 4,341 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.6% lower than Rest of Vic.'s rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in Foster stands at 50.7%, compared to Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Dominant employment sectors include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and construction. Foster shows strong specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing with an employment share of 2.9 times the regional level.

However, health care & social assistance has limited presence with 12.8% employment compared to 16.8% regionally. The area may offer limited local employment opportunities, as suggested by Census working population vs resident population counts. Between June 2024 and May 2025, Foster's labour force decreased by 0.8%, with a concurrent 1.2% employment decline, leading to an unemployment rise of 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Vic.'s employment contracted by 0.9%, labour force fell by 0.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase in employment over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Foster's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.7% over five years and 12.2% over ten years, though these figures are illustrative extrapolations not accounting for local population changes.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

Foster's median taxpayer income is $40,360, with an average of $53,806, based on latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This is lower than national averages, contrasting with Rest of Vic.'s median income of $48,741 and average income of $60,693. As of September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $45,268 (median) and $60,349 (average), accounting for Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Foster fall between the 8th and 14th percentiles nationally. The largest income segment comprises 27.5% earning $800 - $1,499 weekly (2,682 residents), differing from regional levels where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket leads at 30.3%. Despite modest housing costs with 88.8% of income retained, Foster's total disposable income ranks at just the 13th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

Foster is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Foster, as assessed in the most recent Census, 95.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 4.3% being semi-detached homes, apartments, or other types. This is compared to Non-Metro Vic., where 93.3% of dwellings were houses and 6.7% were other types. Home ownership in Foster stood at 56.1%, with mortgaged properties making up 28.9% and rented dwellings comprising 15.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,300, lower than Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,450. Weekly rent in Foster was recorded at $250, compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $295. Nationally, Foster's median monthly mortgage repayment is significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while weekly rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

Foster features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 63.9% of all households, including 19.9% couples with children, 36.1% couples without children, and 7.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 36.1%, with lone person households at 34.2% and group households comprising 1.9%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.3.

Educational outcomes in Foster fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 22.8%, significantly lower than Victoria's average of 33.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 14.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.8%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (27.6%). A total of 24.3% of the population is actively engaged in formal education.

This includes 10.0% in primary, 7.3% in secondary, and 2.1% in tertiary education. Foster has a network of seven schools educating approximately 854 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 985). The area has six primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents are lower at 8.8 compared to the regional average of 13.0, indicating some students may attend schools in nearby areas.

Transport servicing is very low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Public transport analysis reveals ten active transport stops operating within Foster. These stops service a mix of buses running along three individual routes. Collectively, these routes provide sixty-eight weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated as limited, with residents typically located 7923 meters from the nearest transport stop. Service frequency averages nine trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately six weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Foster is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data indicates significant challenges in Foster. Common health conditions are prevalent across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover is low at approximately 47% (around 4,585 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis (11.8%) and mental health issues (8.0%). About 61.3% of residents report no medical ailments, similar to the Rest of Vic's 61.6%. Foster has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 31.8% (around 3,103 people), compared to Rest of Vic's 28.6%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, outperforming general population health metrics.

Foster is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Foster's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 88.4% of its population being Australian citizens and 85.9% born in Australia. The majority spoke English only at home, accounting for 95.9%. Christianity was the predominant religion in Foster, practiced by 40.5% of the population.

Judaism, however, was slightly overrepresented compared to the rest of Victoria, with 0.1% of Foster's population identifying as such. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (32.1%), Australian (30.5%), and Irish (10.1%). Notably, Dutch ancestry was overrepresented at 3.1%, compared to 2.5% regionally, while Scottish ancestry was also slightly higher at 9.7% versus 9.3%. German ancestry was marginally overrepresented at 3.3%, compared to the regional average of 3.0%.

Foster ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Foster's median age is 53, which is higher than Rest of Vic.'s figure of 43 and substantially exceeds the national norm of 38. Compared to Rest of Vic., Foster has a higher concentration of residents aged 65-74 (18.1%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (7.8%). This 65-74 concentration is well above the national figure of 9.4%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 9.2% to 10.7%, while the 15 to 24 cohort has risen from 7.9% to 9.1%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 17.6% to 15.9%, and the 65 to 74 group has dropped from 19.4% to 18.1%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Foster's age structure. Notably, the 25 to 34 group is expected to grow by 24% (184 people), reaching 947 from 762. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 45 to 54 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.