Ferny Creek
One striking number defines Ferny Creek: every recorded dwelling is a separate house, 100% detached stock in a suburb of 1,524 people where the median age of 45 sits 5 years above the national figure. Household income reaches the 90.5th percentile nationally, yet the suburb is small enough that only 41 crimes were recorded, giving a rate of 26.9 per 1,000 residents. University qualifications stand at 46%, which is 15.9 percentage points above the national average. Long-term owners dominate, with 85.7% of residents having stayed put, signalling a stable, established community that turns over slowly compared to metro norms.
Local council: Yarra Ranges
Population
1,524
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,393/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$1.0M
October to December 2025
Only a handful of houses sold here in this period, so this median can jump sharply from one quarter to the next for reasons that have nothing to do with the market. Treat it as a rough guide, not a settled price.
With 100% of stock being separate houses, buyers have no apartment or semi-detached alternative, so supply is constrained by land availability. The bedroom mix skews large, with 44.5% of dwellings having 3 bedrooms and a further 44.1% having 4 or more. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.9%, which is below the 30% stress threshold even at current prices.
For Buyers
With 100% of stock being separate houses, buyers have no apartment or semi-detached alternative, so supply is constrained by land availability. The bedroom mix skews large, with 44.5% of dwellings having 3 bedrooms and a further 44.1% having 4 or more. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.9%, which is below the 30% stress threshold even at current prices.
For Investors
The rental market in Ferny Creek is thin. Only 5.8% of dwellings are rented, compared to the national average of roughly 32%, which means the tenant pool is very small and landlord competition for tenants can be acute. Weekly rent sits at $400, and the vacancy rate of 7.3% is elevated, suggesting rental properties do not fill quickly. Zero development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, so new supply is not a near-term risk.
Schools in Ferny Creek
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Ferny Creek Primary School
Demographics
Ferny Creek's median age of 45 is 5 years higher than the national figure, consistent with an established resident base that has largely stopped moving, given the 85.7% five-year stay rate. University qualifications reach 46% of residents, which is 15.9 percentage points above the national average, placing the suburb firmly in the upper tier of educational attainment. Overseas-born residents account for 18.5%, which is 3.1 percentage points below the national average, reflecting an Anglo-Celtic heritage with English (661), Irish (209) and Scottish (191) ancestry leading the census counts. Average household size is 2.7, marginally above the national 2.5, and 539 couples with children are recorded against 346 couples without.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing profile of Ferny Creek is unusually uniform: 100% of dwellings are separate houses, with no recorded apartments or semi-detached stock. This compares starkly to the national mix where apartments and semi-detached homes together make up roughly 30% of stock. Tenure splits toward ownership, with 37.2% owning outright and 57% carrying a mortgage, while only 5.8% rent. The owned-outright share of 37.2% is notable given the 45 median age, suggesting many long-term owners have paid down their debt.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$400
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$875
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.3%
Unoccupied
42
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
50.1%
Couples with children
40.5%
Couples, no children
7.1%
Single parent
439
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce leans toward service and knowledge industries. Education employs 17.3% of workers, Healthcare 16%, Construction 12.2%, Professional/Technical Services 9.1% and Manufacturing 7.9%. By occupation, Professionals (250) and Managers (169) together account for a large share of the employed base, consistent with the 46% university qualification rate that sits 15.9 points above national. Full-time employment runs at 62.8% and unemployment is 3.9%. Participation at 61.9% is moderate, partly because 368 residents are not in the labour force, which aligns with the older median age of 45. Volunteering is high at 22.5%, above national norms, reinforcing the picture of an engaged, settled resident population.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
842
Unemployed
30
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.6%
Part-time
34.1%
Participation
67.2%
Employed
812
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
46.0%
Postgraduate
13.3%
Born Overseas
18.5%
Dwellings
530
Transport to Work
Car dependency defines daily life in Ferny Creek: 89.5% of residents drive to work, compared to national averages where public transport captures a larger share in urban areas. Public transport is used by only 3.3% of commuters. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary, so families depend on institutions in surrounding areas. Crime is low, with 41 total incidents giving a rate of 26.9 per 1,000 residents, and the leading category was property and deception offences at 25 incidents. Mortgage-to-income sits at 20.9% and rent-to-income at 16.7%, both below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are relatively manageable for current residents compared to many parts of Melbourne.
Drive
53.7%
Public Transport
2.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.0%
Work from Home
40.0%
Growth Outlook
Ferny Creek shows limited recent development pressure. Zero development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, which is well below the activity levels seen in comparable outer-Melbourne suburbs. The population of 1,524 is small, and the 14.3% turnover rate implies the suburb adds or loses only around 200 residents in a typical five-year period.
Population trend: Yarra Ranges council area
Ferny Creek sits in the Yarra Ranges council area. These are the council area's residents, not Ferny Creek's.
Residents 2025
160,906
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.2%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
41
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
26.9
Offence Categories
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Ferny Creek compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ferny Creek a good suburb to live in?
Ferny Creek suits households seeking a low-density, owner-occupied environment. Household income sits in the 90.5th percentile nationally, crime is low at 26.9 incidents per 1,000 residents, and 85.7% of residents have stayed for at least 5 years. The trade-off is strong car dependence at 89.5% and no recorded schools inside the suburb boundary.
What schools are in Ferny Creek?
No schools are recorded inside the Ferny Creek suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Despite this, 46% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 15.9 percentage points above the national figure, indicating a highly educated resident base.
Is Ferny Creek safe?
Ferny Creek recorded 41 total crimes in the reference period, giving a rate of 26.9 per 1,000 residents. The leading category was property and deception offences at 25 incidents, followed by crimes against the person at 12. Drug offences totalled just 1, and public order offences 2, consistent with a low-crime outer suburb.
Is Ferny Creek good for property investment?
The rental market is very small, with only 5.8% of dwellings rented, a 7.3% vacancy rate and weekly rent of $400.
How is Ferny Creek's population changing?
Ferny Creek has a stable population of 1,524 with a turnover rate of 14.3%, meaning 85.7% of residents stayed in the same location over five years. Zero development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, suggesting limited near-term expansion. The median age of 45 is 5 years above national, pointing to a gradually aging resident base.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), Valuer-General Victoria (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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