Deer Vale vs Fernbrook

Deer Vale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 58 in Fernbrook. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Deer Vale tends to suit families with children, while Fernbrook 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

Deer Vale

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (51% vs 36%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 89%)
  • But Fernbrook carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 64/100)

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

First-home buyers

Fernbrook

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 25%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Deer Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($280/wk vs $330/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Fernbrook

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (384 min vs 394 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (557.2 km vs 569.4 km)
  • But Deer Vale is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Fernbrook

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 64/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 16%)
  • But Deer Vale is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Fernbrook

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (18.0% vs -21.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Deer Vale Fernbrook
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.

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Walkability 17 / 0
Deer Vale — Walkability: 17/100 Fernbrook — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 36 / 72
Deer Vale — Safety: 36/100 Fernbrook — Safety: 72/100
Low fire risk 16 / 86
Deer Vale — Low fire risk: 16/100 Fernbrook — Low fire risk: 86/100

Demographics

Fernbrook skews older (58 vs 47); Fernbrook rents higher ($330/wk vs $280/wk).

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Population 128 131
+2% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -21.5% +18.0%
Median age 47 58
Median household income $58,500/yr $66,092/yr
+13% vs other
Median weekly rent $280/wk $330/wk
+18% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Deer Vale Fernbrook
0-4 6.2% / 3.8%
Deer Vale — 0-4: 6.2% Fernbrook — 0-4: 3.8%
5-14 14.8% / 9.2%
Deer Vale — 5-14: 14.8% Fernbrook — 5-14: 9.2%
15-19 2.3% / —
Deer Vale — 15-19: 2.3% Fernbrook — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 2.3% / —
Deer Vale — 20-24: 2.3% Fernbrook — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 9.4% / 14.5%
Deer Vale — 25-34: 9.4% Fernbrook — 25-34: 14.5%
35-44 7.0% / 13.0%
Deer Vale — 35-44: 7.0% Fernbrook — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 11.7% / 3.1%
Deer Vale — 45-54: 11.7% Fernbrook — 45-54: 3.1%
55-64 14.8% / 28.2%
Deer Vale — 55-64: 14.8% Fernbrook — 55-64: 28.2%
65-74 11.7% / 26.0%
Deer Vale — 65-74: 11.7% Fernbrook — 65-74: 26.0%
75-84 2.3% / 5.3%
Deer Vale — 75-84: 2.3% Fernbrook — 75-84: 5.3%
85+ 2.3% / —
Deer Vale — 85+: 2.3% Fernbrook — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Deer Vale 48.8% lone person
Deer Vale — Lone Person: 48.8% Deer Vale — Couple Families: 31.7% Deer Vale — One Parent Families: 19.5% Deer Vale — Group Household: 0.0%
Fernbrook 53.6% lone person
Fernbrook — Lone Person: 53.6% Fernbrook — Couple Families: 21.4% Fernbrook — One Parent Families: 14.3% Fernbrook — Group Household: 10.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Deer Vale 10.6% renting
Deer Vale — Owned Outright: 57.4% Deer Vale — Mortgage: 31.9% Deer Vale — Renting: 10.6%
Fernbrook 18.0% renting
Fernbrook — Owned Outright: 58.0% Fernbrook — Mortgage: 24.0% Fernbrook — Renting: 18.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Deer Vale 100.0% houses
Deer Vale — Houses: 100.0% Deer Vale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Fernbrook 89.3% houses
Fernbrook — Houses: 89.3% Fernbrook — Flats / Apartments: 10.7%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Certificate III & IV 14.1% / 17.6%
Deer Vale — Certificate III & IV: 14.1% Fernbrook — Certificate III & IV: 17.6%
Bachelor Degree 10.9% / 10.7%
Deer Vale — Bachelor Degree: 10.9% Fernbrook — Bachelor Degree: 10.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 10.7%
Deer Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Fernbrook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.7%
Postgraduate Degree 3.1% / 3.1%
Deer Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1% Fernbrook — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

Property market

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Median house price — $4,100,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Rural and farming 74% 81%
Environmental 26% 19%
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

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

Ranking within NSW

Deer Vale Fernbrook
House price — Higher than 97% of NSW
Income Higher than 19% of NSW Higher than 28% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 10% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 1% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 37% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 33% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW

Liveability

Deer Vale is more walkable (17 vs 0).

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
same for both

Risk profile

Deer Vale carries more bushfire risk (84 vs 14); Deer Vale carries more crime risk (64 vs 28).

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Bushfire High
84/100
 Low
14/100
Crime Moderate
64/100
 Low
28/100
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

Deer Vale Fernbrook
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

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Parks & reserves 2 0
Waterways 27 12

Mobility

Deer Vale sits further from the CBD (569.4 km vs 557.2 km).

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Walkability score 17/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 569.4 km
+2% vs other
 557.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 394 min 384 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2453
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 2453
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.

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Car (driver) 50.0% / 55.8%
Deer Vale — Car (driver): 50.0% Fernbrook — Car (driver): 55.8%
Worked from Home 34.5% / 36.5%
Deer Vale — Worked from Home: 34.5% Fernbrook — Worked from Home: 36.5%
Walked Only 8.6% / 7.7%
Deer Vale — Walked Only: 8.6% Fernbrook — Walked Only: 7.7%
Car (passenger) 6.9% / —
Deer Vale — Car (passenger): 6.9% Fernbrook — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (55.8%).

Setting

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Elevation 1,174 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 822 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Connectivity score 23/100 28/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
52 premises
 0%
66 premises

Council rates

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Average residential rate $1,592/yr
same for both
Council Bellingen
same for both

Federal electorate

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Division Cowper
same for both
Member Pat Conaghan
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Deer Vale Fernbrook
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Deer Vale

River Rural

Fernbrook

Luxury Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Deer Vale

Deer Vale vs Darkwood Deer Vale vs Bostobrick Deer Vale vs Hernani Deer Vale vs Tyringham

Other comparisons with Fernbrook

Fernbrook vs Dorrigo Fernbrook vs Darkwood Fernbrook vs Bostobrick Fernbrook vs Bielsdown Hills
Full data on Deer Vale Full data on Fernbrook
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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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