Fernbank vs Bengworden

Bengworden is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 47 in Fernbank. 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. On these figures, Fernbank tends to suit people living alone, while Bengworden suits 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

Bengworden

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 71/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 64%)
  • But Fernbank has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)

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

Fernbank

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Fernbank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (257.9 km vs 260.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bengworden

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (40/100 vs 71/100)

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

Investors

Bengworden

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (57.6% vs 27.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Fernbank Bengworden
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.

Fernbank Bengworden
Walkability 0 / 0
Fernbank — Walkability: 0/100 Bengworden — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 29 / 60
Fernbank — Safety: 29/100 Bengworden — Safety: 60/100
Low fire risk 10 / 100
Fernbank — Low fire risk: 10/100 Bengworden — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 50
Fernbank — Low flood risk: 100/100 Bengworden — Low flood risk: 50/100

Demographics

Fernbank has more residents (194 vs 93); Bengworden rents higher ($300/wk vs $200/wk).

Fernbank Bengworden
Population 194
+52% vs other
 93
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +27.6% +57.6%
Median age 47 44
Median household income $79,612/yr
+5% vs other
 $75,816/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk $300/wk
+50% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Fernbank Bengworden
0-4 3.6% / 6.5%
Fernbank — 0-4: 3.6% Bengworden — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 10.8% / 16.1%
Fernbank — 5-14: 10.8% Bengworden — 5-14: 16.1%
15-19 6.2% / 6.5%
Fernbank — 15-19: 6.2% Bengworden — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 4.6% / —
Fernbank — 20-24: 4.6% Bengworden — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 9.8% / 8.6%
Fernbank — 25-34: 9.8% Bengworden — 25-34: 8.6%
35-44 12.4% / 10.8%
Fernbank — 35-44: 12.4% Bengworden — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 13.9% / 10.8%
Fernbank — 45-54: 13.9% Bengworden — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 18.0% / 21.5%
Fernbank — 55-64: 18.0% Bengworden — 55-64: 21.5%
65-74 16.0% / 15.1%
Fernbank — 65-74: 16.0% Bengworden — 65-74: 15.1%
75-84 4.6% / 4.3%
Fernbank — 75-84: 4.6% Bengworden — 75-84: 4.3%
85+ — / —
Fernbank — 85+: not among its largest Bengworden — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Fernbank 50.0% couple families
Fernbank — Couple Families: 50.0% Fernbank — Lone Person: 35.7% Fernbank — One Parent Families: 14.3%
Bengworden 52.9% couple families
Bengworden — Couple Families: 52.9% Bengworden — Lone Person: 23.5% Bengworden — One Parent Families: 23.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Fernbank 9.9% renting
Fernbank — Owned Outright: 46.5% Fernbank — Mortgage: 43.7% Fernbank — Renting: 9.9%
Bengworden 15.4% renting
Bengworden — Owned Outright: 42.3% Bengworden — Mortgage: 42.3% Bengworden — Renting: 15.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Fernbank 98.6% houses
Fernbank — Houses: 98.6% Fernbank — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Bengworden 100.0% houses
Bengworden — Houses: 100.0% Bengworden — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Fernbank Bengworden
Certificate III & IV 17.0% / 14.0%
Fernbank — Certificate III & IV: 17.0% Bengworden — Certificate III & IV: 14.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.3% / 10.8%
Fernbank — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3% Bengworden — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.8%
Bachelor Degree 2.6% / 6.5%
Fernbank — Bachelor Degree: 2.6% Bengworden — Bachelor Degree: 6.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 3.2%
Fernbank — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Bengworden — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%
Postgraduate Degree 1.5% / —
Fernbank — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5% Bengworden — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.0%).

Zoning mix

Fernbank Bengworden
Rural and farming 86% 95%
Parks and recreation 12% 5%
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

Fernbank Bengworden
New dwellings approved 386
across East Gippsland
same for both
Approvals change year on year +50%
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Fernbank Bengworden
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 46% of VIC Higher than 43% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 23% of VIC Higher than 10% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption — Higher than 47% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 16% of VIC Higher than 15% of VIC

Liveability

Fernbank Bengworden
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Fernbank carries more bushfire risk (90 vs 0); Bengworden carries more flood risk (50 vs 0).

Fernbank Bengworden
Bushfire High
90/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
71/100
 Moderate
40/100
Flood None
0/100
 Moderate
50/100
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

Fernbank Bengworden
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

Fernbank Bengworden
Parks & reserves 5 2
Waterways 3 1

Mobility

Bengworden sits further from the CBD (260.5 km vs 257.9 km).

Fernbank Bengworden
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 257.9 km 260.5 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 189 min
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 3864
 0.5%
postcode 3875
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings — 47
postcode 3875

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.

Fernbank Bengworden
Car (driver) 75.0% / 52.6%
Fernbank — Car (driver): 75.0% Bengworden — Car (driver): 52.6%
Worked from Home 20.8% / 31.6%
Fernbank — Worked from Home: 20.8% Bengworden — Worked from Home: 31.6%
Car (passenger) 4.2% / 15.8%
Fernbank — Car (passenger): 4.2% Bengworden — Car (passenger): 15.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.0%).

Setting

Fernbank Bengworden
Elevation 83 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 33.1 km 17.4 km

NBN connectivity

Fernbank Bengworden
Connectivity score 19/100 18/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
49 premises
 0%
25 premises

Climate

Fernbank Bengworden
Annual rainfall 620 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Fernbank Bengworden
Average residential rate $1,807/yr
same for both
Council East Gippsland
same for both

Federal electorate

Fernbank Bengworden
Division Gippsland
same for both
Member Darren Chester
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Fernbank Bengworden
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Fernbank

Rural

Bengworden

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Fernbank

Fernbank vs Lindenow South Fernbank vs Munro Fernbank vs Walpa Fernbank vs Meerlieu Fernbank vs Perry Bridge

Other comparisons with Bengworden

Bengworden vs Lindenow South Bengworden vs Goon Nure Bengworden vs Meerlieu
Full data on Fernbank Full data on Bengworden
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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