Dunbible vs Fernvale

Fernvale is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 47 in Dunbible. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Fernvale: a median of $1.75 million, against $1.51 million in Dunbible, though rent is higher in Dunbible. On these figures, Dunbible tends to suit families with children.

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

Fernvale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 50/100)

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

First-home buyers

Dunbible

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,512,500 vs $1,752,500)

Weighs house 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

Fernvale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a shorter drive in (511 min vs 520 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Dunbible has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 18%)
  • Fernvale carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 50/100)

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

Investors

Dunbible

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.3% vs -1.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Dunbible Fernvale
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.

Dunbible Fernvale
Walkability 14 / 20
Dunbible — Walkability: 14/100 Fernvale — Walkability: 20/100
Safety 50 / 83
Dunbible — Safety: 50/100 Fernvale — Safety: 83/100
Low fire risk 48 / 57
Dunbible — Low fire risk: 48/100 Fernvale — Low fire risk: 57/100

Demographics

Dunbible has more residents (380 vs 261); Dunbible has higher household incomes ($101,348 vs $77,220).

Dunbible Fernvale
Population 380
+31% vs other
 261
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.3% -1.5%
Median age 47 44
Median household income $101,348/yr
+24% vs other
 $77,220/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+6% vs other
 $330/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dunbible Fernvale
0-4 5.5% / 5.4%
Dunbible — 0-4: 5.5% Fernvale — 0-4: 5.4%
5-14 15.5% / 9.6%
Dunbible — 5-14: 15.5% Fernvale — 5-14: 9.6%
15-19 3.2% / 8.8%
Dunbible — 15-19: 3.2% Fernvale — 15-19: 8.8%
20-24 3.7% / 4.2%
Dunbible — 20-24: 3.7% Fernvale — 20-24: 4.2%
25-34 7.6% / 8.0%
Dunbible — 25-34: 7.6% Fernvale — 25-34: 8.0%
35-44 11.8% / 16.9%
Dunbible — 35-44: 11.8% Fernvale — 35-44: 16.9%
45-54 12.1% / 14.6%
Dunbible — 45-54: 12.1% Fernvale — 45-54: 14.6%
55-64 15.0% / 15.3%
Dunbible — 55-64: 15.0% Fernvale — 55-64: 15.3%
65-74 15.5% / 13.8%
Dunbible — 65-74: 15.5% Fernvale — 65-74: 13.8%
75-84 4.5% / 3.8%
Dunbible — 75-84: 4.5% Fernvale — 75-84: 3.8%
85+ 3.2% / —
Dunbible — 85+: 3.2% Fernvale — 85+: not among its largest

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dunbible 48.8% couple families
Dunbible — Couple Families: 48.8% Dunbible — One Parent Families: 25.0% Dunbible — Lone Person: 21.2% Dunbible — Group Household: 5.0%
Fernvale 50.8% couple families
Fernvale — Couple Families: 50.8% Fernvale — One Parent Families: 25.4% Fernvale — Lone Person: 23.7% Fernvale — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families One Parent Families Lone Person Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dunbible 15.7% renting
Dunbible — Owned Outright: 50.4% Dunbible — Mortgage: 33.9% Dunbible — Renting: 15.7%
Fernvale 14.5% renting
Fernvale — Owned Outright: 42.2% Fernvale — Mortgage: 43.4% Fernvale — Renting: 14.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Dunbible Fernvale
Certificate III & IV 15.8% / 16.9%
Dunbible — Certificate III & IV: 15.8% Fernvale — Certificate III & IV: 16.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.9% / 11.9%
Dunbible — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9% Fernvale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.9%
Bachelor Degree 12.1% / 7.3%
Dunbible — Bachelor Degree: 12.1% Fernvale — Bachelor Degree: 7.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.2% / 1.5%
Dunbible — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2% Fernvale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / —
Dunbible — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Fernvale — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

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

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.

Dunbible Fernvale
England 3.9% / 3.8%
Dunbible — England: 3.9% Fernvale — England: 3.8%
New Zealand 3.4% / 1.5%
Dunbible — New Zealand: 3.4% Fernvale — New Zealand: 1.5%
Germany — / 1.9%
Dunbible — Germany: not among its largest Fernvale — Germany: 1.9%
India 1.8% / —
Dunbible — India: 1.8% Fernvale — India: not among its largest
South Africa 1.8% / —
Dunbible — South Africa: 1.8% Fernvale — South Africa: not among its largest
Sri Lanka — / 1.5%
Dunbible — Sri Lanka: not among its largest Fernvale — Sri Lanka: 1.5%
Thailand — / 1.5%
Dunbible — Thailand: not among its largest Fernvale — Thailand: 1.5%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dunbible 96.9% houses
Dunbible — Houses: 96.9% Dunbible — Flats / Apartments: 3.1%
Fernvale 100.0% houses
Fernvale — Houses: 100.0% Fernvale — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Dunbible Fernvale
Median house price $1,512,500 $1,752,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 191 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Fernvale has more rural and farming land (100% vs 84%).

Dunbible Fernvale
Rural and farming 84% 100%
Residential 9% 0%
Other and special use 5% 0%
Environmental 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

Dunbible Fernvale
New dwellings approved 331
across Tweed
same for both
Approvals change year on year -50%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Dunbible Fernvale
House price Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Income Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 45% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 64% of NSW Higher than 65% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 58% of NSW

Liveability

Dunbible Fernvale
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Dunbible carries more crime risk (50 vs 17).

Dunbible Fernvale
Bushfire Moderate
52/100
 Moderate
43/100
Crime Moderate
50/100
 Low
17/100
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 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Dunbible Fernvale
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

Dunbible Fernvale
Waterways 6 8

Mobility

Dunbible Fernvale
Walkability score 14/100 20/100
Distance to Sydney 792.3 km 790.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 520 min 511 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2484
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 76
postcode 2484
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.

Dunbible Fernvale
Car (driver) 65.9% / 82.0%
Dunbible — Car (driver): 65.9% Fernvale — Car (driver): 82.0%
Worked from Home 24.4% / 10.1%
Dunbible — Worked from Home: 24.4% Fernvale — Worked from Home: 10.1%
Car (passenger) 5.7% / 7.9%
Dunbible — Car (passenger): 5.7% Fernvale — Car (passenger): 7.9%
Walked Only 4.1% / —
Dunbible — Walked Only: 4.1% Fernvale — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.0%).

Setting

Dunbible Fernvale
Elevation 25 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 38 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.1 km 14.5 km

NBN connectivity

Dunbible Fernvale
Connectivity score 46/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 18%
137 premises
 0%
100 premises

Climate

Dunbible Fernvale
Annual rainfall 1,569 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 9.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Dunbible Fernvale
Average residential rate $1,745/yr
same for both
Council Tweed
same for both

Federal electorate

Dunbible Fernvale
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dunbible Fernvale
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dunbible

Acreage River

Fernvale

River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dunbible

Dunbible vs Murwillumbah Dunbible vs South Murwillumbah Dunbible vs Stokers Siding Dunbible vs Byangum Dunbible vs Dum Dum

Other comparisons with Fernvale

Fernvale vs South Murwillumbah Fernvale vs Stokers Siding Fernvale vs Wardrop Valley
Full data on Dunbible Full data on Fernvale
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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