Bellingen vs Fernmount

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Fernmount, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Fernmount: a median of $1.12 million, against $858,000 in Bellingen, though rent is higher in Bellingen. On these figures, Bellingen tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Fernmount suits couples.

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

Bellingen

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (13 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (5 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • But Fernmount carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 78/100)

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

First-home buyers

Bellingen

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($485,000 vs $660,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($857,675 vs $1,120,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fernmount

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 31%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $390/wk)
  • But Bellingen has a bigger rental market to choose from (27% vs 11%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Fernmount

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (336 min vs 341 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (511.7 km vs 516.5 km)
  • But Bellingen is more walkable (76/100 vs 16/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bellingen

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (76/100 vs 16/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • But Fernmount carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 78/100)

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

Investors

Fernmount

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (20.3% vs 3.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bellingen Fernmount
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.

Bellingen Fernmount
Walkability 76 / 16
Bellingen — Walkability: 76/100 Fernmount — Walkability: 16/100
Safety 22 / 84
Bellingen — Safety: 22/100 Fernmount — Safety: 84/100
Low fire risk 71 / 100
Bellingen — Low fire risk: 71/100 Fernmount — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Bellingen has more residents (3,923 vs 444); Fernmount has higher household incomes ($92,768 vs $65,936).

Bellingen Fernmount
Population 3,923
+89% vs other
 444
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.8% +20.3%
Median age 44 46
Median household income $65,936/yr $92,768/yr
+41% vs other
Median weekly rent $390/wk
+10% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bellingen Fernmount
0-4 4.7% / 4.7%
Bellingen — 0-4: 4.7% Fernmount — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 16.4% / 13.1%
Bellingen — 5-14: 16.4% Fernmount — 5-14: 13.1%
15-19 7.0% / 5.2%
Bellingen — 15-19: 7.0% Fernmount — 15-19: 5.2%
20-24 2.9% / 3.8%
Bellingen — 20-24: 2.9% Fernmount — 20-24: 3.8%
25-34 7.5% / 7.9%
Bellingen — 25-34: 7.5% Fernmount — 25-34: 7.9%
35-44 11.4% / 11.9%
Bellingen — 35-44: 11.4% Fernmount — 35-44: 11.9%
45-54 14.4% / 16.7%
Bellingen — 45-54: 14.4% Fernmount — 45-54: 16.7%
55-64 13.8% / 16.9%
Bellingen — 55-64: 13.8% Fernmount — 55-64: 16.9%
65-74 12.4% / 13.7%
Bellingen — 65-74: 12.4% Fernmount — 65-74: 13.7%
75-84 6.9% / 4.3%
Bellingen — 75-84: 6.9% Fernmount — 75-84: 4.3%
85+ 2.5% / 0.7%
Bellingen — 85+: 2.5% Fernmount — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bellingen 32.6% couple families
Bellingen — Couple Families: 32.6% Bellingen — Lone Person: 38.1% Bellingen — One Parent Families: 22.2% Bellingen — Group Household: 5.8% Bellingen — Other Families: 1.2%
Fernmount 56.2% couple families
Fernmount — Couple Families: 56.2% Fernmount — Lone Person: 22.5% Fernmount — One Parent Families: 14.6% Fernmount — Group Household: 6.7% Fernmount — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bellingen 26.6% renting
Bellingen — Owned Outright: 40.0% Bellingen — Mortgage: 33.4% Bellingen — Renting: 26.6%
Fernmount 11.3% renting
Fernmount — Owned Outright: 52.5% Fernmount — Mortgage: 36.2% Fernmount — Renting: 11.3%
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.

Bellingen Fernmount
England 5.3% / 5.9%
Bellingen — England: 5.3% Fernmount — England: 5.9%
New Zealand 1.8% / 1.4%
Bellingen — New Zealand: 1.8% Fernmount — New Zealand: 1.4%
South Africa 0.8% / 0.7%
Bellingen — South Africa: 0.8% Fernmount — South Africa: 0.7%
Germany 0.9% / —
Bellingen — Germany: 0.9% Fernmount — Germany: not among its largest
Scotland 0.7% / —
Bellingen — Scotland: 0.7% Fernmount — Scotland: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.9%).

Qualifications

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

Bellingen Fernmount
Bachelor Degree 14.3% / 15.1%
Bellingen — Bachelor Degree: 14.3% Fernmount — Bachelor Degree: 15.1%
Certificate III & IV 13.5% / 14.9%
Bellingen — Certificate III & IV: 13.5% Fernmount — Certificate III & IV: 14.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 9.0%
Bellingen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Fernmount — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Postgraduate Degree 4.4% / 5.0%
Bellingen — Postgraduate Degree: 4.4% Fernmount — Postgraduate Degree: 5.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.1% / 3.2%
Bellingen — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1% Fernmount — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bellingen 93.2% houses
Bellingen — Houses: 93.2% Bellingen — Flats / Apartments: 1.4% Bellingen — Townhouses: 5.4%
Fernmount 96.0% houses
Fernmount — Houses: 96.0% Fernmount — Flats / Apartments: 4.0% Fernmount — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Bellingen Fernmount
Median house price $857,675 $1,120,000
Median unit price $855,000 —
Median land price $485,000 $660,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 58 days
from 37 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Bellingen has more rural and farming land (71% vs 54%); Fernmount has more land zoned for conservation (30% vs 13%).

Bellingen Fernmount
Rural and farming 71% 54%
Environmental 13% 30%
Residential 13% 16%
Parks and recreation 2% 0%
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

Bellingen Fernmount
New dwellings approved 40
across Bellingen
same for both
Approvals change year on year +12%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Bellingen Fernmount
Houses 3.0%
$678/wk on $1.18M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Bellingen Fernmount
House price Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW
Income Higher than 28% of NSW Higher than 60% of NSW
Schools Higher than 4% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 45% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 79% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of NSW Higher than 55% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 22% of NSW —

Liveability

Bellingen is more walkable (76 vs 16).

Bellingen Fernmount
Grade C —
Score 34/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Bellingen carries more bushfire risk (29 vs 0); Bellingen carries more crime risk (78 vs 16).

Bellingen Fernmount
Bushfire Low
29/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
78/100
 Low
16/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Bellingen Fernmount
Inside the suburb 5 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Bellingen

  • Bellingen High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Mary's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Bellingen Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Chrysalis School for Rudolf Steiner Education - Bellingen Campus Independent · Primary
  • Chrysalis School for Rudolf Steiner Education Stage 5 Campus Independent · Secondary

Schools in Fernmount

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Bellingen Fernmount
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 15 0
Parks & reserves 13 1
Childcare 3 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 2 0
Waterways 39 10

Mobility

Bellingen sits further from the CBD (516.5 km vs 511.7 km).

Bellingen Fernmount
Walkability score 76/100 16/100
Distance to Sydney 516.5 km 511.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 341 min 336 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 2454
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 70
postcode 2454
same for both

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.

Bellingen Fernmount
Car (driver) 62.6% / 73.2%
Bellingen — Car (driver): 62.6% Fernmount — Car (driver): 73.2%
Worked from Home 23.9% / 20.1%
Bellingen — Worked from Home: 23.9% Fernmount — Worked from Home: 20.1%
Walked Only 7.9% / 3.7%
Bellingen — Walked Only: 7.9% Fernmount — Walked Only: 3.7%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 3.0%
Bellingen — Car (passenger): 4.5% Fernmount — Car (passenger): 3.0%
Bicycle 1.1% / —
Bellingen — Bicycle: 1.1% Fernmount — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.2%).

Setting

Bellingen Fernmount
Elevation 53 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 16 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 14.4 km 8.4 km

NBN connectivity

Bellingen Fernmount
Connectivity score 74/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 39%
1,944 premises
 0%
174 premises

Climate

Bellingen Fernmount
Annual rainfall 1,827 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Bellingen Fernmount
PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 10.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.22 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Bellingen Fernmount
Average residential rate $1,592/yr
same for both
Council Bellingen
same for both

Federal electorate

Bellingen Fernmount
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bellingen Fernmount
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Bellingen

Acreage Parks Professionals Village Feel

Fernmount

Acreage Professionals

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with Fernmount

Fernmount vs Urunga Fernmount vs Raleigh Fernmount vs Brierfield
Full data on Bellingen Full data on Fernmount
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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