Fern Hill vs Trentham

Fern Hill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 56 in Trentham. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Fern Hill, most households are couple families. In Trentham, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Fern Hill tends to suit couples, while Trentham suits people living alone and 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

Fern Hill

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (15/100 vs 26/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 45%)
  • But Trentham has more parks and reserves (8 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Fern Hill

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($231/wk vs $386/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Fern Hill

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (82.4 km vs 94.7 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (68 min vs 75 min)
  • But Trentham is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Trentham

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 24%)
  • But Fern Hill carries lower crime risk (15/100 vs 26/100)

Weighs 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

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

Fern Hill Trentham
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.

Fern Hill Trentham
Walkability 0 / 28
Fern Hill — Walkability: 0/100 Trentham — Walkability: 28/100
Safety 85 / 74
Fern Hill — Safety: 85/100 Trentham — Safety: 74/100
Low fire risk 13 / 49
Fern Hill — Low fire risk: 13/100 Trentham — Low fire risk: 49/100
Low flood risk 78 / 100
Fern Hill — Low flood risk: 78/100 Trentham — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Trentham has more residents (1,382 vs 125); Trentham rents higher ($386/wk vs $231/wk).

Fern Hill Trentham
Population 125 1,382
+1006% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +20.2% +17.1%
Median age 49 56
Median household income $107,224/yr
+28% vs other
 $77,428/yr
Median weekly rent $231/wk $386/wk
+67% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Fern Hill Trentham
0-4 — / 4.2%
Fern Hill — 0-4: not among its largest Trentham — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 14.4% / 8.8%
Fern Hill — 5-14: 14.4% Trentham — 5-14: 8.8%
15-19 5.6% / 3.4%
Fern Hill — 15-19: 5.6% Trentham — 15-19: 3.4%
20-24 6.4% / 2.1%
Fern Hill — 20-24: 6.4% Trentham — 20-24: 2.1%
25-34 4.0% / 6.5%
Fern Hill — 25-34: 4.0% Trentham — 25-34: 6.5%
35-44 12.8% / 8.5%
Fern Hill — 35-44: 12.8% Trentham — 35-44: 8.5%
45-54 12.8% / 12.7%
Fern Hill — 45-54: 12.8% Trentham — 45-54: 12.7%
55-64 22.4% / 19.8%
Fern Hill — 55-64: 22.4% Trentham — 55-64: 19.8%
65-74 11.2% / 19.6%
Fern Hill — 65-74: 11.2% Trentham — 65-74: 19.6%
75-84 12.8% / 10.6%
Fern Hill — 75-84: 12.8% Trentham — 75-84: 10.6%
85+ — / 3.5%
Fern Hill — 85+: not among its largest Trentham — 85+: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Fern Hill 68.4% couple families
Fern Hill — Couple Families: 68.4% Fern Hill — Lone Person: 31.6% Fern Hill — One Parent Families: 0.0% Fern Hill — Group Household: 0.0% Fern Hill — Other Families: 0.0%
Trentham 33.3% couple families
Trentham — Couple Families: 33.3% Trentham — Lone Person: 50.5% Trentham — One Parent Families: 11.5% Trentham — Group Household: 3.7% Trentham — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Fern Hill 0.0% renting
Fern Hill — Owned Outright: 53.8% Fern Hill — Mortgage: 46.2% Fern Hill — Renting: 0.0%
Trentham 11.7% renting
Trentham — Owned Outright: 55.6% Trentham — Mortgage: 32.8% Trentham — Renting: 11.7%
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.

Fern Hill Trentham
England 4.8% / 7.2%
Fern Hill — England: 4.8% Trentham — England: 7.2%
New Zealand — / 1.7%
Fern Hill — New Zealand: not among its largest Trentham — New Zealand: 1.7%
Scotland — / 0.7%
Fern Hill — Scotland: not among its largest Trentham — Scotland: 0.7%
Germany — / 0.7%
Fern Hill — Germany: not among its largest Trentham — Germany: 0.7%
Netherlands — / 0.7%
Fern Hill — Netherlands: not among its largest Trentham — Netherlands: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.2%).

Qualifications

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

Fern Hill Trentham
Bachelor Degree 14.4% / 16.6%
Fern Hill — Bachelor Degree: 14.4% Trentham — Bachelor Degree: 16.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.0% / 10.1%
Fern Hill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.0% Trentham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.1%
Certificate III & IV 4.0% / 13.2%
Fern Hill — Certificate III & IV: 4.0% Trentham — Certificate III & IV: 13.2%
Postgraduate Degree 6.4% / 7.6%
Fern Hill — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4% Trentham — Postgraduate Degree: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 3.9%
Fern Hill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Trentham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Fern Hill 100.0% houses
Fern Hill — Houses: 100.0% Fern Hill — Townhouses: 0.0% Fern Hill — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Trentham 95.8% houses
Trentham — Houses: 95.8% Trentham — Townhouses: 3.4% Trentham — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Fern Hill Trentham
Median house price — $1,010,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $550,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 70 days
from 33 sales

Zoning mix

Fern Hill has more land zoned for conservation (48% vs 1%).

Fern Hill Trentham
Rural and farming 51% 58%
Environmental 48% 1%
Parks and recreation 0% 27%
Residential 0% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 3%
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

Fern Hill Trentham
New dwellings approved 104
across Hepburn
same for both
Approvals change year on year -6%
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.

Fern Hill Trentham
Houses — 2.6%
$580/wk on $1.14M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Fern Hill Trentham
House price — Higher than 56% of VIC
Income Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 45% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 41% of VIC Higher than 82% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 36% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 89% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 42% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 5% of VIC

Liveability

Trentham is more walkable (28 vs 0).

Fern Hill Trentham
Grade — B
Score — 66/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Fern Hill carries more flood risk (22 vs 0); Trentham carries more crime risk (26 vs 15).

Fern Hill Trentham
Bushfire High
87/100
 Moderate
51/100
Crime Low
15/100
 Low
26/100
Flood Low
22/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Fern Hill Trentham
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Fern Hill

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

Schools in Trentham

  • Trentham District Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Fern Hill Trentham
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 6
Parks & reserves 0 8
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 1
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 3 16

Mobility

Trentham sits further from the CBD (94.7 km vs 82.4 km).

Fern Hill Trentham
Walkability score 0/100 28/100
Distance to Melbourne 82.4 km 94.7 km
+15% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 68 min 75 min
Electric vehicle share 1.6%
postcode 3458
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 3458
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.

Fern Hill Trentham
Car (driver) 58.0% / 50.3%
Fern Hill — Car (driver): 58.0% Trentham — Car (driver): 50.3%
Worked from Home 24.0% / 43.1%
Fern Hill — Worked from Home: 24.0% Trentham — Worked from Home: 43.1%
Walked Only 12.0% / 4.9%
Fern Hill — Walked Only: 12.0% Trentham — Walked Only: 4.9%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / 1.6%
Fern Hill — Car (passenger): 6.0% Trentham — Car (passenger): 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (58.0%).

Setting

Fern Hill Trentham
Elevation 650 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 686 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Fern Hill Trentham
Connectivity score 28/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
53 premises
 0%
807 premises

Climate

Fern Hill Trentham
Annual rainfall 778 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Fern Hill Trentham
Average residential rate $1,748/yr
same for both
Council Hepburn
same for both

Federal electorate

Fern Hill Trentham
Division Ballarat
same for both
Member Catherine King
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Fern Hill Trentham
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Fern Hill

Professionals Rural

Trentham

Acreage Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Fern Hill

Fern Hill vs Tylden Fern Hill vs Ashbourne Fern Hill vs Trentham East

Other comparisons with Trentham

Trentham vs Tylden Trentham vs Spring Hill Trentham vs Lyonville Trentham vs Trentham East Trentham vs Newbury Trentham vs Little Hampton
Full data on Fern Hill Full data on Trentham
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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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