Boronia vs Ferntree Gully

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Ferntree Gully, about half of households are couple families.

Boronia and Ferntree Gully are neighbouring suburbs with similar walkability (94 vs 91) and median age, but differ meaningfully on safety and income. Ferntree Gully has higher median household income at $92,040 compared to Boronia's $84,188, and sits in a higher socio-economic decile. However, Boronia scores notably better on liveability (65 vs 56) and carries significantly lower bushfire risk (33 vs 69) and flood risk (29 vs 47). House prices are modestly higher in Ferntree Gully at $924,000 versus $875,000. Boronia may suit buyers prioritising safety and affordability, while Ferntree Gully appeals to those seeking higher incomes and socio-economic standing.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

Ferntree Gully

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (11 vs 6)
  • has more childcare (23 vs 18)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (88% vs 72%)
  • But Boronia has more parks and reserves (30 vs 27)

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

First-home buyers

Boronia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($920,000 vs $1,340,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Boronia

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (28% vs 12%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Boronia Ferntree Gully
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.

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Walkability 94 / 91
Boronia — Walkability: 94/100 Ferntree Gully — Walkability: 91/100
Safety 29 / 36
Boronia — Safety: 29/100 Ferntree Gully — Safety: 36/100
Low fire risk 100 / 29
Boronia — Low fire risk: 100/100 Ferntree Gully — Low fire risk: 29/100
Low flood risk 71 / 54
Boronia — Low flood risk: 71/100 Ferntree Gully — Low flood risk: 54/100

Demographics

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Population 23,607 27,398
+16% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.4% +3.7%
Median age 39 40
Median household income $84,188/yr $92,040/yr
+9% vs other
Median weekly rent $376/wk $386/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Boronia Ferntree Gully
0-4 6.1% / 5.9%
Boronia — 0-4: 6.1% Ferntree Gully — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 11.0% / 11.6%
Boronia — 5-14: 11.0% Ferntree Gully — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 4.7% / 5.8%
Boronia — 15-19: 4.7% Ferntree Gully — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 5.4% / 5.5%
Boronia — 20-24: 5.4% Ferntree Gully — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 15.8% / 13.3%
Boronia — 25-34: 15.8% Ferntree Gully — 25-34: 13.3%
35-44 15.3% / 14.7%
Boronia — 35-44: 15.3% Ferntree Gully — 35-44: 14.7%
45-54 12.6% / 13.6%
Boronia — 45-54: 12.6% Ferntree Gully — 45-54: 13.6%
55-64 11.2% / 12.1%
Boronia — 55-64: 11.2% Ferntree Gully — 55-64: 12.1%
65-74 10.0% / 9.8%
Boronia — 65-74: 10.0% Ferntree Gully — 65-74: 9.8%
75-84 5.8% / 5.7%
Boronia — 75-84: 5.8% Ferntree Gully — 75-84: 5.7%
85+ 2.2% / 1.9%
Boronia — 85+: 2.2% Ferntree Gully — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Boronia 38.8% couple families
Boronia — Couple Families: 38.8% Boronia — Lone Person: 37.7% Boronia — One Parent Families: 17.3% Boronia — Group Household: 4.5% Boronia — Other Families: 1.7%
Ferntree Gully 45.7% couple families
Ferntree Gully — Couple Families: 45.7% Ferntree Gully — Lone Person: 31.7% Ferntree Gully — One Parent Families: 17.5% Ferntree Gully — Group Household: 3.6% Ferntree Gully — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Boronia 28.7% renting
Boronia — Owned Outright: 30.7% Boronia — Mortgage: 40.6% Boronia — Renting: 28.7%
Ferntree Gully 21.7% renting
Ferntree Gully — Owned Outright: 34.5% Ferntree Gully — Mortgage: 43.7% Ferntree Gully — Renting: 21.7%
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.

Boronia Ferntree Gully
England 3.9% / 3.8%
Boronia — England: 3.9% Ferntree Gully — England: 3.8%
China 3.4% / 2.7%
Boronia — China: 3.4% Ferntree Gully — China: 2.7%
India 2.8% / 2.3%
Boronia — India: 2.8% Ferntree Gully — India: 2.3%
Sri Lanka 1.6% / 1.5%
Boronia — Sri Lanka: 1.6% Ferntree Gully — Sri Lanka: 1.5%
Malaysia 1.4% / 1.3%
Boronia — Malaysia: 1.4% Ferntree Gully — Malaysia: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.9%).

Qualifications

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

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Certificate III & IV 15.4% / 15.5%
Boronia — Certificate III & IV: 15.4% Ferntree Gully — Certificate III & IV: 15.5%
Bachelor Degree 13.6% / 13.2%
Boronia — Bachelor Degree: 13.6% Ferntree Gully — Bachelor Degree: 13.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 9.1%
Boronia — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Ferntree Gully — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 4.6% / 4.3%
Boronia — Postgraduate Degree: 4.6% Ferntree Gully — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 2.0%
Boronia — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Ferntree Gully — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Boronia 71.6% houses
Boronia — Houses: 71.6% Boronia — Townhouses: 24.8% Boronia — Flats / Apartments: 3.5%
Ferntree Gully 88.0% houses
Ferntree Gully — Houses: 88.0% Ferntree Gully — Townhouses: 9.8% Ferntree Gully — Flats / Apartments: 2.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Median house price $880,000 $933,000
Median unit price $659,000 $685,000
Median land price $920,000 $1,340,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 254 sales
 23 days
from 287 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Boronia Ferntree Gully
2 bed $620K / $622K
Boronia — 2 bed: $620K (135 sales) Ferntree Gully — 2 bed: $622K (71 sales)

135 vs 71 sales

3 bed $745K / $737K
Boronia — 3 bed: $745K (93 sales) Ferntree Gully — 3 bed: $737K (67 sales)

93 vs 67 sales

4 bed $865K / $845K
Boronia — 4 bed: $865K (6 sales) Ferntree Gully — 4 bed: $845K (6 sales)

6 vs 6 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Boronia Ferntree Gully
2 bed $694K / $769K
Boronia — 2 bed: $694K (22 sales) Ferntree Gully — 2 bed: $769K (23 sales)

22 vs 23 sales

3 bed $848K / $880K
Boronia — 3 bed: $848K (210 sales) Ferntree Gully — 3 bed: $880K (244 sales)

210 vs 244 sales

4 bed $950K / $1.03M
Boronia — 4 bed: $950K (105 sales) Ferntree Gully — 4 bed: $1.03M (151 sales)

105 vs 151 sales

5 bed $1.04M / $1.17M
Boronia — 5 bed: $1.04M (18 sales) Ferntree Gully — 5 bed: $1.17M (23 sales)

18 vs 23 sales

Zoning mix

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Residential 76% 72%
Infrastructure and transport 11%
same for both
Parks and recreation 4% 5%
Industrial 5% 3%
Other and special use 2% 4%
Commercial 2% 4%
Rural and farming 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

Boronia Ferntree Gully
New dwellings approved 577
across Knox
same for both
Approvals change year on year -14%
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.

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Houses 4.0%
$630/wk on $815K
 3.8%
$660/wk on $892K
Units 4.7%
$575/wk on $630K
 4.4%
$572/wk on $682K

Ranking within VIC

Boronia Ferntree Gully
House price Higher than 60% of VIC Higher than 64% of VIC
Income Higher than 51% of VIC Higher than 61% of VIC
Schools Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 77% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 98% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 40% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 81% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 88% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 69% of VIC Higher than 58% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 48% of VIC Higher than 25% of VIC

Liveability

Boronia scores higher overall (72 vs 55).

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Grade A B
Score 72/100 55/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Ferntree Gully carries more bushfire risk (71 vs 0); Ferntree Gully carries more flood risk (46 vs 29).

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Bushfire None
0/100
 High
71/100
Crime High
71/100
 Moderate
64/100
Flood Low
29/100
 Moderate
46/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 12
within 5 km
 7
within 5 km

Schools

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Inside the suburb 6 11
Rated above peers 3 4
Rated at peers 2 4
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Boronia

  • Boronia K-12 College Government · Combined above peers
  • Dillbadin Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Boronia Heights Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Knox Central Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Urban College Independent · Secondary

Schools in Ferntree Gully

  • Fairhills High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Heritage College Knox Independent · Combined above peers
  • Kent Park Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mountain Gate Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Fairhills Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St John the Baptist School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Supermarkets 5 8
Cafes & restaurants 21 35
Parks & reserves 30 27
Childcare 18 23
GPs 6
same for both
Pharmacies 6 4
Hospitals 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3
same for both
Fuel stations 1 6
Waterways 17 22

Mobility

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Walkability score 94/100 91/100
Distance to Melbourne 36.8 km 38.1 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 40 min
same for both
Public transport score 93/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 298.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 462.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 3155
 1.2%
postcode 3156
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 3155
 37
postcode 3156

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.

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Car (driver) 62.7% / 64.8%
Boronia — Car (driver): 62.7% Ferntree Gully — Car (driver): 64.8%
Worked from Home 28.2% / 26.6%
Boronia — Worked from Home: 28.2% Ferntree Gully — Worked from Home: 26.6%
Car (passenger) 3.7% / 4.0%
Boronia — Car (passenger): 3.7% Ferntree Gully — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Train 2.8% / 2.4%
Boronia — Train: 2.8% Ferntree Gully — Train: 2.4%
Walked Only 1.2% / 0.7%
Boronia — Walked Only: 1.2% Ferntree Gully — Walked Only: 0.7%
Bus 0.9% / 0.9%
Boronia — Bus: 0.9% Ferntree Gully — Bus: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.8%).

Setting

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Elevation 122 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 108 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 24.5 km 22.1 km

NBN connectivity

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Connectivity score 85/100 77/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 33%
11,692 premises
 11%
12,673 premises

Climate

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Annual rainfall 777 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.3°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Boronia Ferntree Gully
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Average residential rate $1,732/yr
same for both
Council Knox
same for both

Federal electorate

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Division Aston
same for both
Member Mary Doyle
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Boronia Ferntree Gully
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Boronia

Easy Commute Outer Parks Townhouses Transport Hub

Ferntree Gully

Easy Commute Outer Parks Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Boronia

Boronia vs Wantirna South Boronia vs Bayswater Boronia vs Kilsyth Boronia vs Bayswater North Boronia vs Knoxfield Boronia vs The Basin

Other comparisons with Ferntree Gully

Ferntree Gully vs Rowville Ferntree Gully vs Knoxfield Ferntree Gully vs Lysterfield Ferntree Gully vs Upper Ferntree Gully Ferntree Gully vs Tremont
Full data on Boronia Full data on Ferntree Gully
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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