Fairy Meadow vs Mount Ousley

Fairy Meadow is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 42 in Mount Ousley. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Mount Ousley, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Fairy Meadow: a median of $1.36 million, against $1.17 million in Mount Ousley, though rent is higher in Mount Ousley. On these figures, Fairy Meadow tends to suit young adults and people living alone, while Mount Ousley 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Fairy Meadow has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • Mount Ousley carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 77/100)

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

First-home buyers

Mount Ousley

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 36%)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,167,500 vs $1,360,000)
  • But Fairy Meadow has cheaper units ($600,000 vs $740,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fairy Meadow

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (42% vs 15%)
  • has cheaper rent ($390/wk vs $500/wk)
  • But Mount Ousley leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 28%)

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

Commuting to the city

Fairy Meadow

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 66/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Fairy Meadow

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (43% vs 6%)
  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 66/100)
  • But Mount Ousley carries lower crime risk (41/100 vs 77/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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

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

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
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.

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Walkability 89 / 66
Fairy Meadow — Walkability: 89/100 Mount Ousley — Walkability: 66/100
Safety 23 / 59
Fairy Meadow — Safety: 23/100 Mount Ousley — Safety: 59/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Fairy Meadow — Low fire risk: 100/100 Mount Ousley — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Fairy Meadow has more residents (7,512 vs 1,611); Mount Ousley has higher household incomes ($119,236 vs $73,164).

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Population 7,512
+79% vs other
 1,611
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.4% +0.6%
Median age 38 42
Median household income $73,164/yr $119,236/yr
+63% vs other
Median weekly rent $390/wk $500/wk
+28% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
0-4 4.6% / 5.3%
Fairy Meadow — 0-4: 4.6% Mount Ousley — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 10.4% / 12.5%
Fairy Meadow — 5-14: 10.4% Mount Ousley — 5-14: 12.5%
15-19 5.1% / 6.5%
Fairy Meadow — 15-19: 5.1% Mount Ousley — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 10.5% / 7.2%
Fairy Meadow — 20-24: 10.5% Mount Ousley — 20-24: 7.2%
25-34 14.8% / 10.0%
Fairy Meadow — 25-34: 14.8% Mount Ousley — 25-34: 10.0%
35-44 11.6% / 12.1%
Fairy Meadow — 35-44: 11.6% Mount Ousley — 35-44: 12.1%
45-54 12.0% / 13.4%
Fairy Meadow — 45-54: 12.0% Mount Ousley — 45-54: 13.4%
55-64 11.4% / 13.6%
Fairy Meadow — 55-64: 11.4% Mount Ousley — 55-64: 13.6%
65-74 9.4% / 8.9%
Fairy Meadow — 65-74: 9.4% Mount Ousley — 65-74: 8.9%
75-84 7.2% / 6.0%
Fairy Meadow — 75-84: 7.2% Mount Ousley — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 3.1% / 4.4%
Fairy Meadow — 85+: 3.1% Mount Ousley — 85+: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Fairy Meadow 31.3% couple families
Fairy Meadow — Couple Families: 31.3% Fairy Meadow — Lone Person: 39.9% Fairy Meadow — One Parent Families: 16.7% Fairy Meadow — Group Household: 10.3% Fairy Meadow — Other Families: 1.8%
Mount Ousley 53.1% couple families
Mount Ousley — Couple Families: 53.1% Mount Ousley — Lone Person: 26.1% Mount Ousley — One Parent Families: 14.3% Mount Ousley — Group Household: 4.8% Mount Ousley — Other Families: 1.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Fairy Meadow 42.3% renting
Fairy Meadow — Owned Outright: 35.3% Fairy Meadow — Mortgage: 22.4% Fairy Meadow — Renting: 42.3%
Mount Ousley 14.7% renting
Mount Ousley — Owned Outright: 48.8% Mount Ousley — Mortgage: 36.6% Mount Ousley — Renting: 14.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Bachelor Degree 13.1% / 16.0%
Fairy Meadow — Bachelor Degree: 13.1% Mount Ousley — Bachelor Degree: 16.0%
Certificate III & IV 15.7% / 13.1%
Fairy Meadow — Certificate III & IV: 15.7% Mount Ousley — Certificate III & IV: 13.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 8.4%
Fairy Meadow — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Mount Ousley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Postgraduate Degree 6.1% / 7.6%
Fairy Meadow — Postgraduate Degree: 6.1% Mount Ousley — Postgraduate Degree: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.6% / 3.2%
Fairy Meadow — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6% Mount Ousley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).

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.

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
England 3.0% / 2.4%
Fairy Meadow — England: 3.0% Mount Ousley — England: 2.4%
China 1.7% / 2.2%
Fairy Meadow — China: 1.7% Mount Ousley — China: 2.2%
Italy 2.4% / 1.4%
Fairy Meadow — Italy: 2.4% Mount Ousley — Italy: 1.4%
India 2.5% / 1.1%
Fairy Meadow — India: 2.5% Mount Ousley — India: 1.1%
Vietnam 1.7% / 0.7%
Fairy Meadow — Vietnam: 1.7% Mount Ousley — Vietnam: 0.7%
New Zealand 1.0% / 1.1%
Fairy Meadow — New Zealand: 1.0% Mount Ousley — New Zealand: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Fairy Meadow 57.4% houses
Fairy Meadow — Houses: 57.4% Fairy Meadow — Flats / Apartments: 23.1% Fairy Meadow — Townhouses: 19.5%
Mount Ousley 93.6% houses
Mount Ousley — Houses: 93.6% Mount Ousley — Flats / Apartments: 2.4% Mount Ousley — Townhouses: 4.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Median house price $1,360,000 $1,167,500
Median unit price $600,000 $740,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 38 sales
 21 days
from 7 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.

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
3 bed $1.25M / $1.06M
Fairy Meadow — 3 bed: $1.25M (38 sales) Mount Ousley — 3 bed: $1.06M (17 sales)

38 vs 17 sales

4 bed $1.5M / $1.4M
Fairy Meadow — 4 bed: $1.5M (28 sales) Mount Ousley — 4 bed: $1.4M (6 sales)

28 vs 6 sales

5 bed $1.45M / $1.26M
Fairy Meadow — 5 bed: $1.45M (9 sales) Mount Ousley — 5 bed: $1.26M (5 sales)

9 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Fairy Meadow has more industrially zoned land (11% vs 0%).

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Residential 52% 69%
Parks and recreation 20% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 17%
Industrial 11% 0%
Environmental 0% 2%
Commercial 2% 0%
Planning zones cover 99% of Fairy Meadow and 100% of Mount Ousley. The rest is unzoned land such as water or road reserve.
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

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
New dwellings approved 1,476
across Wollongong
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
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.

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Houses 2.9%
$765/wk on $1.35M
 —
Units 4.0%
$570/wk on $745K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
House price Higher than 66% of NSW Higher than 62% of NSW
Income Higher than 40% of NSW Higher than 83% of NSW
Schools Higher than 7% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 96% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 25% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 86% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 19% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 23% of NSW —

Liveability

Mount Ousley scores higher overall (74 vs 48); Fairy Meadow is more walkable (89 vs 66).

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Grade C A
Score 48/100 74/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Fairy Meadow carries more crime risk (77 vs 41).

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
77/100
 Moderate
41/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
17/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Inside the suburb 4 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 4 0
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
UOW Wollongong, 3.8 km
 1
UOW Wollongong, 3.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.7% 4.5%

Schools in Fairy Meadow

  • Fairy Meadow Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Good Samaritan Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Mount Ousley Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Towradgi Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Mount Ousley

  • Elonera Montessori School Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 5 0
Parks & reserves 8 5
Childcare 5 2
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 2 0
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 7 4

Mobility

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Walkability score 89/100 66/100
Distance to Sydney 83 km
+1% vs other
 82 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 79 min 77 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 24/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 256.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 4.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 2519
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 30
postcode 2519
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.

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Car (driver) 57.9% / 54.1%
Fairy Meadow — Car (driver): 57.9% Mount Ousley — Car (driver): 54.1%
Worked from Home 30.8% / 39.2%
Fairy Meadow — Worked from Home: 30.8% Mount Ousley — Worked from Home: 39.2%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 3.8%
Fairy Meadow — Car (passenger): 3.9% Mount Ousley — Car (passenger): 3.8%
Walked Only 3.0% / 1.3%
Fairy Meadow — Walked Only: 3.0% Mount Ousley — Walked Only: 1.3%
Bus 2.5% / 0.6%
Fairy Meadow — Bus: 2.5% Mount Ousley — Bus: 0.6%
Bicycle 0.7% / 1.0%
Fairy Meadow — Bicycle: 0.7% Mount Ousley — Bicycle: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (57.9%).

Setting

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Elevation 12 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 46 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.2 km
1.2 km to a named beach
 2.1 km
2.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Connectivity score 69/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 44%
3,773 premises
 56%
610 premises

Climate

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Annual rainfall 1,038 mm 974 mm
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
PM2.5 6.2 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.66 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Wollongong
same for both

Federal electorate

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Division Cunningham
same for both
Member Alison Byrnes
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Fairy Meadow Mount Ousley
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Fairy Meadow

Beach Coastal Parks River

Mount Ousley

Coastal Parks Professionals Quiet River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Fairy Meadow

Fairy Meadow vs Balgownie Fairy Meadow vs Towradgi Fairy Meadow vs North Wollongong Fairy Meadow vs Mount Pleasant Fairy Meadow vs Fernhill

Other comparisons with Mount Ousley

Mount Ousley vs Keiraville Mount Ousley vs North Wollongong Mount Ousley vs Mount Keira Mount Ousley vs Mount Pleasant
Full data on Fairy Meadow Full data on Mount Ousley
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or