Ashbourne vs Fern Hill

In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Ashbourne tends to suit families with children, while Fern Hill suits older residents.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Too close to call

Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Fern Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($231/wk vs $357/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Ashbourne

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (78.6 km vs 82.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Fern Hill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 14%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Ashbourne and Fern Hill drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Walkability 0 / 0
Ashbourne — Walkability: 0/100 Fern Hill — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 84 / 85
Ashbourne — Safety: 84/100 Fern Hill — Safety: 85/100
Low fire risk 17 / 13
Ashbourne — Low fire risk: 17/100 Fern Hill — Low fire risk: 13/100
Low flood risk 100 / 78
Ashbourne — Low flood risk: 100/100 Fern Hill — Low flood risk: 78/100

Demographics

Ashbourne has more residents (242 vs 125); Ashbourne rents higher ($357/wk vs $231/wk).

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Population 242
+48% vs other
 125
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +23.5% +20.2%
Median age 48 49
Median household income $128,648/yr
+17% vs other
 $107,224/yr
Median weekly rent $357/wk
+35% vs other
 $231/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ashbourne Fern Hill
0-4 2.9% / —
Ashbourne — 0-4: 2.9% Fern Hill — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 15.7% / 14.4%
Ashbourne — 5-14: 15.7% Fern Hill — 5-14: 14.4%
15-19 7.9% / 5.6%
Ashbourne — 15-19: 7.9% Fern Hill — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 — / 6.4%
Ashbourne — 20-24: not among its largest Fern Hill — 20-24: 6.4%
25-34 5.0% / 4.0%
Ashbourne — 25-34: 5.0% Fern Hill — 25-34: 4.0%
35-44 12.4% / 12.8%
Ashbourne — 35-44: 12.4% Fern Hill — 35-44: 12.8%
45-54 17.4% / 12.8%
Ashbourne — 45-54: 17.4% Fern Hill — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 18.2% / 22.4%
Ashbourne — 55-64: 18.2% Fern Hill — 55-64: 22.4%
65-74 12.0% / 11.2%
Ashbourne — 65-74: 12.0% Fern Hill — 65-74: 11.2%
75-84 2.5% / 12.8%
Ashbourne — 75-84: 2.5% Fern Hill — 75-84: 12.8%
85+ — / —
Ashbourne — 85+: not among its largest Fern Hill — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ashbourne 67.4% couple families
Ashbourne — Couple Families: 67.4% Ashbourne — Lone Person: 32.6%
Fern Hill 68.4% couple families
Fern Hill — Couple Families: 68.4% Fern Hill — Lone Person: 31.6%
Couple Families Lone Person

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ashbourne 7.8% renting
Ashbourne — Owned Outright: 49.4% Ashbourne — Mortgage: 42.9% Ashbourne — Renting: 7.8%
Fern Hill 0.0% renting
Fern Hill — Owned Outright: 53.8% Fern Hill — Mortgage: 46.2% Fern Hill — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Ashbourne Fern Hill
England 3.7% / 4.8%
Ashbourne — England: 3.7% Fern Hill — England: 4.8%
France 2.5% / —
Ashbourne — France: 2.5% Fern Hill — France: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.7% / —
Ashbourne — New Zealand: 1.7% Fern Hill — New Zealand: not among its largest
Germany 1.2% / —
Ashbourne — Germany: 1.2% Fern Hill — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Bachelor Degree 18.2% / 14.4%
Ashbourne — Bachelor Degree: 18.2% Fern Hill — Bachelor Degree: 14.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 8.0%
Ashbourne — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Fern Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0%
Postgraduate Degree 9.5% / 6.4%
Ashbourne — Postgraduate Degree: 9.5% Fern Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4%
Certificate III & IV 9.5% / 4.0%
Ashbourne — Certificate III & IV: 9.5% Fern Hill — Certificate III & IV: 4.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.0% / 2.4%
Ashbourne — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.0% Fern Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ashbourne 100.0% houses
Ashbourne — Houses: 100.0%
Fern Hill 100.0% houses
Fern Hill — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Zoning mix

Fern Hill has more rural and farming land (51% vs 0%); Ashbourne has more land zoned for conservation (67% vs 48%).

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Environmental 67% 48%
Rural and farming 0% 51%
Parks and recreation 32% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Ashbourne Fern Hill
New dwellings approved 331
across Macedon Ranges
 104
across Hepburn
Approvals change year on year +80% -6%

Ranking within VIC

Ashbourne Fern Hill
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 94% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 34% of VIC Higher than 41% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 89% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 24% of VIC Higher than 36% of VIC

Liveability

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Fern Hill carries more flood risk (22 vs 0).

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Bushfire High
83/100
 High
87/100
Crime Low
16/100
 Low
15/100
Flood None
0/100
 Low
22/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Waterways 4 3

Mobility

Fern Hill sits further from the CBD (82.4 km vs 78.6 km).

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 78.6 km 82.4 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 70 min 68 min
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 3442
 1.6%
postcode 3458
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 58
postcode 3442
 50
postcode 3458

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Car (driver) 48.5% / 58.0%
Ashbourne — Car (driver): 48.5% Fern Hill — Car (driver): 58.0%
Worked from Home 40.4% / 24.0%
Ashbourne — Worked from Home: 40.4% Fern Hill — Worked from Home: 24.0%
Walked Only 7.1% / 12.0%
Ashbourne — Walked Only: 7.1% Fern Hill — Walked Only: 12.0%
Car (passenger) 4.0% / 6.0%
Ashbourne — Car (passenger): 4.0% Fern Hill — Car (passenger): 6.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (58.0%).

Setting

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Elevation 639 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 650 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Connectivity score 24/100 28/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
114 premises
 0%
53 premises

Climate

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Annual rainfall 778 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Average residential rate $2,065/yr $1,748/yr
Council Macedon Ranges Hepburn

Federal electorate

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Division Mcewen Ballarat
Member Rob Mitchell Catherine King
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ashbourne Fern Hill
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ashbourne

River Rural

Fern Hill

Professionals Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ashbourne

Ashbourne vs Woodend Ashbourne vs Bullengarook Ashbourne vs Tylden Ashbourne vs Trentham East

Other comparisons with Fern Hill

Fern Hill vs Trentham Fern Hill vs Tylden Fern Hill vs Trentham East
Full data on Ashbourne Full data on Fern Hill
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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