West Footscray - Tottenham

Population growth drivers in West Footscray - Tottenham are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

West Footscray - Tottenham's population was around 13,044 as of Nov 2025. This showed an increase of 1,309 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,735. The change was inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 12,953 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 2,181 persons per square kilometer. West Footscray - Tottenham's growth rate of 11.2% since the 2021 census exceeded the national average (8.9%). Overseas migration contributed approximately 72.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilised VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group were applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future trends forecast a significant population increase in the area, with an expected growth of 3,538 persons by 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 26.4% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within West Footscray - Tottenham when compared nationally

West Footscray-Tottenham has seen approximately 53 dwellings granted development approval annually over the past five financial years, totalling 267 homes. As of FY26, three approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.9 new residents per year have moved into new homes between FY21 and FY25, indicating a balanced supply and demand. However, this has increased to 9.4 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, suggesting growing popularity and potential undersupply. New homes are being built at an average cost of $299,000, in line with broader regional development.

This year, $53.5 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Melbourne, West Footscray-Tottenham has significantly less development activity, 63.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings. The current building activity shows 24.0% standalone homes and 76.0% townhouses or apartments, indicating a shift towards higher-density living to provide more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This represents a notable change from the area's existing housing composition, currently 59.0% houses. At around 324 people per approval, West Footscray-Tottenham reflects a transitioning market with an expected population growth of 3,447 residents by 2041.

If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

West Footscray - Tottenham has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

AreaSearch has identified a total of 31 projects that are expected to impact the area significantly due to changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. Among these key projects are the West Footscray Community Facilities Plan, Barkly Village, Perri Melbourne Data Centre (WEFO Woolstores), and the development at 590-596 Barkly Street. The following list details those projects that are likely to be most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The employment environment in West Footscray - Tottenham shows above-average strength when compared nationally

West Footscray - Tottenham has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 3.8% as of September 2025.

The area experienced an estimated employment growth of 5.2% over the past year. As of September 2025, 8,275 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.8% below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation in West Footscray - Tottenham was 69.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services.

The area specializes in public administration & safety, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level. However, construction shows lower representation at 7.2% compared to the regional average of 9.7%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis. Between September 2024 and 2025, employment increased by 5.2%, labour force grew by 5.7%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 0.5 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 3.3%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. As of 25-November 2025, Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to West Footscray - Tottenham's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows West Footscray - Tottenham SA2 had a median income of $59,588 and an average income of $71,176 among taxpayers. This is higher than the national average. Greater Melbourne's median income was $54,892 with an average of $73,761 in the same period. Based on a 12.16% increase since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $66,834 (median) and $79,831 (average). Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in West Footscray - Tottenham are around the 71st percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 31.7% of individuals (4,134 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to regional levels at 32.8%. High housing costs consume 16.3% of income. Despite this, disposable income ranks at the 64th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

West Footscray - Tottenham displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In West Footscray-Tottenham, as per the latest Census, 59.0% of dwellings were houses while 41.0% were other types such as semi-detached and apartments. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's 49.7% houses and 50.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Footscray-Tottenham was 22.2%, similar to Melbourne metro, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.1% and rented ones at 41.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,129, higher than Melbourne metro's $2,100. The median weekly rent was $351, lower than Melbourne metro's $376. Nationally, West Footscray-Tottenham's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,129 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were lower at $351 against the national figure of $375.

West Footscray - Tottenham features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 62.9% of all households, including 28.0% couples with children, 24.3% couples without children, and 9.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 37.1%, with lone person households at 28.9% and group households comprising 8.1%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

Educational achievement in West Footscray - Tottenham places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in West Footscray - Tottenham shows a significant advantage with 46.4% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to the Australian average of 30.4% and the SA4 region average of 32.0%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 28.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 13.5% and graduate diplomas at 4.7%. Vocational pathways account for 23.2% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 10.0% and certificates at 13.2%. Educational participation is high, with 30.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 9.4% in primary education, 7.6% in tertiary education, and 5.4% pursuing secondary education.

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

West Footscray-Tottenham has 60 active public transport stops, serving a mix of train and bus routes. These stops are serviced by 8 individual routes, facilitating 5,391 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 158 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 770 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 89 weekly trips per stop.

The level of general health in West Footscray - Tottenham is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

West Footscray - Tottenham shows above-average health outcomes with low prevalence of common health conditions among its general population, but higher than the national average among older and at-risk cohorts.

Approximately 55% (~7,174 people) of the total population has private health cover, which is very high compared to other areas. Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions in the area, affecting 10.1% and 8.5% of residents respectively. 71.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 72.7% across Greater Melbourne. The area has a lower percentage of residents aged 65 and over (10.3%, or 1,342 people) than Greater Melbourne (11.4%).

West Footscray - Tottenham was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

West Footscray-Tottenham ranks high in cultural diversity, with 35.4% of its residents born overseas and 34.0% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in West Footscray-Tottenham, comprising 33.8% of the population. Notably, Buddhism is overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, making up 6.4% versus 2.7%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (19.6%), Australian (18.6%), and Other (12.6%). There are also significant differences in the representation of Vietnamese (6.2% vs regional 8.9%), Croatian (1.2% vs 1.0%), and Macedonian (0.9% vs 1.0%) ethnic groups.

West Footscray - Tottenham's population is younger than the national pattern

West Footscray's median age is 35 years, which is younger than Greater Melbourne's 37 and Australia's national average of 38. The 35-44 age group comprises 19.9%, compared to Greater Melbourne's percentage. The 15-24 cohort stands at 10.1%, lower than Greater Melbourne's figure. Nationally, the 35-44 age group makes up 14.2%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 8.9% to 10.1%. Conversely, the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 22.5% to 20.4%. By 2041, projections indicate significant demographic shifts in West Footscray-Tottenham. The 45-54 age group is expected to grow by 679 people (40%), rising from 1,707 to 2,387. Meanwhile, the 5-14 cohort is projected to increase modestly by 6% (79 people).