Moving to Foster VIC 3960
What the official numbers say about living in Foster — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Budget around $567,500 for a median house or $310,500 for a unit (based on 2024 sales). Sale prices moved up about 80% between 2014 and 2024.
Renting? The census median is $240 a week, against a median household income of $975 a week.
About 77% of homes are owner-occupied and 20% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Foster grew 22% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (1,677 → 2,044 people).
Around 57% of households are families, averaging 2.0 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, New Zealand, Italy; most spoken languages besides English: Italian, Tagalog, Spanish.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Foster scores below the national average (decile 3 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (71% of workers), while 18% work from home.
Nearest airport: Latrobe Valley Airport, 54.8 km north-east.
The Melbourne CBD is roughly 143 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 3 schools · 2 cafes & restaurants · 2 supermarkets — see them all on the Foster profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Foster Primary School 100 m · Foster Childcare 450 m · Foster Secondary College 700 m
Groceries: Foster IGA 600 m · Foodworks Foster 650 m
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Foster, most often seen first: Eurasian Blackbird · Australian Magpie · Superb Fairy-wren · Grey Fantail · Common Starling · Red Wattlebird.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Foster, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foster here | 2,044 | $567,500 | 3/10 | 16% |
| Toora | 713 | $395,000 | 2/10 | 9% |
| Fish Creek | 858 | — | 7/10 | 12% |
| Sandy Point | 312 | — | 7/10 | 8% |
| Meeniyan | 840 | — | 6/10 | 5% |
| Mirboo North | 2,263 | $494,000 | 4/10 | 24% |
| Boolarra | 1,023 | $444,000 | 3/10 | 35% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be South Gippsland — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Monash — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 3960 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Foster profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
A house in Foster has a median sale price of $567,500 (2024 sales), and a unit $310,500. Renters pay a median $240 a week, and about 20% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 22% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 1,677 people to 2,044. It sits about 143 km from the Melbourne CBD in a straight line. Local government is South Gippsland council, and the federal seat is Monash.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Foster vs Toora · Foster vs Fish Creek.
Nearby guides: Toora · Fish Creek · Sandy Point · Meeniyan · Mirboo North · Boolarra.
Keep an eye on Foster
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