Melbourne · Victoria

Footscray

A standing intelligence briefing: what the market is doing now, how that compares with its own five-year history, and the pipeline items that could change it.

Median house
$962,000
Median unit
$428,000
Annual growth
+3.4%
Median rent
$757
Gross yield
4.1%
Vacancy
1.9%

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APD View — Footscray

Footscray: conditions stable

Current data indicates conditions in Footscray are stable. 14 indicators across 5 analytical dimensions inform this reading, with 43% pointing the same way.

Direction

Stable

Confidence

Moderate

Evidence strength

Strong

Direction describes where underlying conditions are moving. It is not a rating, a recommendation or a signal to transact — a market can be improving while remaining expensive, low-yielding or supply-exposed.

Why this confidence — Based on 14 indicators, 60 months of history, 43% of indicators pointing the same way, latest data 29 days old.

Evidence basis — Based on 14 indicators, 1 independent source, 60 months of history. Latest data 29 days old.

What changed

IndicatorNow1 month1 quarter
Building approvals30.5831.1534.14
Vendor discounting-2.6%-2.6%-2.8%
Sales volume55.657.258.34
Auction clearance64.1%66.1%66.8%
Days on market38 days38 days40 days
Rental growth5.5%5.4%5.7%

What supports this view

  • Median house value — $963,916 against a historical average of $886,980. House values sit above the historical average for this market. Historical percentile: 98.
  • Median rent — $757 against a historical average of $660. Advertised rents sit above the historical average for this market. Historical percentile: 98.
  • Population growth — 1.1% against a historical average of 1.1%. Population growth is running above the longer-run average. Historical percentile: 92.
  • Price-to-rent multiple — 24.5 against a historical average of 25.93. Prices are low relative to rents compared with the historical average. Historical percentile: 3.
  • Building approvals — 30.58 against a historical average of 31.01. Dwelling approvals are running below the historical average, pointing to less future supply. Historical percentile: 40.
  • Sales volume — 55.6 against a historical average of 49.85. Transaction volumes are running above the historical average. Historical percentile: 65.

What works against it

  • Rental growth argues the other way — Rental growth reads 5.5% against a 6.0% historical average (15th percentile), which works against the current reading.
  • Advertised listings argues the other way — Advertised listings reads 122 against a 102 historical average (85th percentile), which works against the current reading.
  • Vacancy rate argues the other way — Vacancy rate reads 1.9% against a 1.6% historical average (80th percentile), which works against the current reading.
  • Days on market argues the other way — Days on market reads 38 days against a 33 days historical average (72th percentile), which works against the current reading.
  • Rental growth — 5.5%. Rental growth is running below its historical average. Historical percentile: 15.
  • Advertised listings — 122.32. Advertised stock is above the historical average. Historical percentile: 85.
  • Vacancy rate — 1.9%. Rental availability is looser than the historical norm. Historical percentile: 80.
  • Days on market — 38 days. Properties are taking longer to sell than the historical norm. Historical percentile: 72.

Market signals

Each signal compares the latest reading with the suburb's own five-year record

Demand

Weak▼ falling

Confidence: High

Selling times are 14.7% above the five-year norm. Latest reading 38.0 against a five-year average of 33.1.

Latest
38
12 months ago
34.9
5-year average
33.13
5-year range
24.2 – 40.0

Price Momentum

Neutral▲ rising

Confidence: Low

Annual price growth is 2.4% below the five-year average. Latest reading 3.3 against a five-year average of 3.4.

Latest
3.32
12 months ago
3.48
5-year average
3.4
5-year range
2.7 – 4.1

Rental Conditions

Weak— flat

Confidence: High

Vacancy is running 20.3% above the historical average. Latest reading 1.9 against a five-year average of 1.6.

Latest
1.9
12 months ago
1.6
5-year average
1.58
5-year range
1.1 – 2.0

Rental Pressure

Soft▼ falling

Confidence: Moderate

Rental growth is 8.3% below the five-year average. Latest reading 5.5 against a five-year average of 6.0.

Latest
5.52
12 months ago
6.32
5-year average
6.02
5-year range
5.4 – 6.7

Affordability

Firm— flat

Confidence: Moderate

The price-to-rent multiple sits 5.5% below its five-year average. Latest reading 24.5 against a five-year average of 25.9.

Latest
24.5
12 months ago
25.02
5-year average
25.93
5-year range
24.3 – 27.6

Supply

Weak— flat

Confidence: High

Advertised stock is 19.9% above the five-year average. Latest reading 122.3 against a five-year average of 102.1.

Latest
122.32
12 months ago
100.23
5-year average
102.05
5-year range
73.1 – 124.6

Liquidity

Firm▼ falling

Confidence: High

Transaction volumes are 11.5% above the five-year average. Latest reading 55.6 against a five-year average of 49.9.

Latest
55.6
12 months ago
53.06
5-year average
49.85
5-year range
35.7 – 60.2

Population Growth

Firm▲ rising

Confidence: Moderate

Population growth is 9.5% above the longer-run average. Latest reading 1.2 against a five-year average of 1.1.

Latest
1.15
12 months ago
1.01
5-year average
1.05
5-year range
.9 – 1.2

Development Risk

Neutral▼ falling

Confidence: Low

Dwelling approvals are in line with the five-year average. Latest reading 30.6 against a five-year average of 31.0.

Latest
30.58
12 months ago
36.48
5-year average
31.01
5-year range
21.6 – 37.4

Investor Activity

Neutral▼ falling

Confidence: Low

Gross yields are in line with the five-year average. Latest reading 4.1 against a five-year average of 4.1.

Latest
4.1
12 months ago
4.38
5-year average
4.12
5-year range
3.7 – 4.4

Indicators

Latest reading against one, three and five years ago

IndicatorLatest1yr3yr5yr5yr avg5yr range
Median house priceMiddle sale price for houses over the trailing twelve months.$963,916+3.3%+10.5%+18.3%$886,980$814,992 – $963,916
12-month price growthTwelve-month change in median house price.3.3%-4.6%-18.2%—3.4%2.7% – 4.1%
Median unit priceMiddle sale price for units and apartments over the trailing twelve months.$429,147+2.4%+7.5%+12.8%$404,154$380,496 – $429,147
Median weekly rentMiddle advertised weekly rent across all dwelling types.757+5.5%+18.6%+33.2%660568 – 757
Rental growthTwelve-month change in median advertised weekly rent.5.5%-12.7%-14.6%—6.0%5.4% – 6.7%
Gross rental yieldAnnual gross rent as a share of median dwelling value.4.1%-6.4%+4.9%+0.5%4.1%3.7% – 4.4%
Price-to-rent multipleMedian house price divided by annual median rent.25-2.1%-6.8%-11.2%2624 – 28
Vacancy rateShare of rental stock advertised and unlet.1.9%+18.7%+17.3%+47.3%1.6%1.1% – 2.0%
Sales volumeNumber of dwelling transactions settled in the month.56+4.8%+17.6%+28.3%5036 – 60
Total listingsDwellings advertised for sale at month end.122+22.0%+11.4%+54.3%10273 – 125
Days on marketMedian time from listing to sale.38 days+8.9%+12.8%+38.7%33 days24 days – 40 days
Vendor discountMedian gap between first asking price and sale price.-2.6%+5.1%-9.2%-0.4%-2.6%-2.9% – -2.3%
Auction clearanceShare of scheduled auctions reported sold.64.1%-4.3%+6.8%-0.1%64.4%57.6% – 68.8%
Population growthAnnual resident population change.1.1%+13.9%+3.6%+22.3%1.1%0.9% – 1.2%
Building approvalsDwellings approved for construction in the month.31-16.2%+18.3%-3.0%3122 – 37

Source: Australia Property Data derived series (anchored to current market metrics). Percentage columns show the change from that point to the latest observation.

History

Monthly observations, last five years

Median house priceSept 21 – Aug 26

Source: Australia Property Data derived series (anchored to current market metrics)

Median weekly rentSept 21 – Aug 26

Source: Australia Property Data derived series (anchored to current market metrics)

Vacancy rateSept 21 – Aug 26

Source: Australia Property Data derived series (anchored to current market metrics)

Total listingsSept 21 – Aug 26

Source: Australia Property Data derived series (anchored to current market metrics)

What could change this market?

  1. Transport

    Suburban Rail Loop East

    Under construction · 2035

    Reshapes access between middle-ring employment centres and lifts development capacity around six new stations.

    Tunnelling underway between Cheltenham and Box Hill; precinct structure planning continues alongside.

  2. Transport

    Metro Tunnel precinct uplift

    Operating · Now

    New CBD-fringe stations are already redirecting rental demand and apartment supply.

    Station catchments at Parkville, Anzac and Arden are the focus of rezoning activity.

  3. Planning reform

    Activity centre rezoning program

    Announced · 2026-2028

    Higher permitted densities across dozens of centres change the medium-term apartment pipeline.

    Watch approval volumes in nominated centres for early supply signals.

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