Suburb comparison
Parramatta
Sydney, NSW
Footscray
Melbourne, VIC
Rent and affordability comparison
Key differences
Data-driven deltas between these two suburbs
- Footscray is $155/wk cheaper ($8,060/yr)
- Median household income $17,108/yr higher in Parramatta
- Rental stress ratio lower in Footscray by 2.7 percentage points
Winner
Footscray is $155/wk cheaper
Better for
Rule-based picks from the data — not editorial opinion
Single on $60–80k
Footscray
1BR rent $450/wk
Couple on $130k+
Either
Footscray cheaper rent; Parramatta higher median income
Family on $180k+
Footscray
3BR rent $698/wk
Side by side
Lower is better for costs, higher is better for income
Parramatta
Footscray
Rent
Weekly rent
$680/wk
$525/wk
Monthly rent
$2,947/mo
$2,275/mo
Salary needed
$117,867/yr
$91,000/yr
Annual change
+4.6%
—
Rent by type
House
$650/wk
$573/wk
Unit
$680/wk
$450/wk
Rent by bedrooms
1 bedroom
$618/wk
$450/wk
2 bedroom
$690/wk
$560/wk
3 bedroom
$900/wk
$698/wk
Demographics
Median household income
$2,092/wk
$1,763/wk
Median age
32
34
Avg household size
2.4
2.1
Activity
Bonds lodged
888
—
Schools
Primary schools (3km)
11
12
Secondary schools (3km)
4
3
Avg ICSEA
1080
—
Transport
Transit score
—
55/100
Train/tram stops (800m)
—
35
Bus stops (800m)
—
56
Parramatta — weekly budget
$1,042/week total
Rent
$618/wk
Groceries
$180/wk
Transport
$55/wk
Utilities
$55/wk
Insurance
$45/wk
Other
$89/wk
Footscray — weekly budget
$874/week total
Rent
$450/wk
Groceries
$180/wk
Transport
$55/wk
Utilities
$55/wk
Insurance
$45/wk
Other
$89/wk
More comparisons
Common questions
Is Parramatta or Footscray cheaper to rent in?
Footscray is cheaper at $525/wk vs $680/wk in Parramatta — a gap of $155/wk or $8,060/yr.
What income do you need to live in Parramatta vs Footscray?
Based on the 30% affordability threshold, you need $117,867/yr for Parramatta and $91,000/yr for Footscray.
How does bond activity in Parramatta compare to Footscray?
Bond lodgement data is not available for this pair. Median weekly rents are $680 in Parramatta and $525 in Footscray.