Ferntree Gully vs Lysterfield

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Ferntree Gully, about half of households are couple families. In Lysterfield, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Lysterfield: a median of $1.43 million, against $933,000 in Ferntree Gully, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Ferntree Gully tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Lysterfield 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

  • Ferntree Gully has more childcare (23 vs 2)
  • Lysterfield carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 64/100)

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

First-home buyers

Lysterfield

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 25%)
  • has cheaper land ($1,050,000 vs $1,340,000)
  • But Ferntree Gully has cheaper houses ($933,000 vs $1,431,250)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Ferntree Gully

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (22% vs 8%)
  • has cheaper rent ($386/wk vs $435/wk)
  • But Lysterfield leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 22%)

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

Commuting to the city

Ferntree Gully

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (91/100 vs 4/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Ferntree Gully

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (12% vs 0%)
  • is more walkable (91/100 vs 4/100)
  • has more GPs (6 vs 0)
  • But Lysterfield carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 64/100)

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

Investors

Ferntree Gully

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.8% vs 3.0%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
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.

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Walkability 91 / 4
Ferntree Gully — Walkability: 91/100 Lysterfield — Walkability: 4/100
Safety 36 / 66
Ferntree Gully — Safety: 36/100 Lysterfield — Safety: 66/100
Low fire risk 29 / 31
Ferntree Gully — Low fire risk: 29/100 Lysterfield — Low fire risk: 31/100
Low flood risk 54 / 47
Ferntree Gully — Low flood risk: 54/100 Lysterfield — Low flood risk: 47/100

Demographics

Ferntree Gully has more residents (27,398 vs 6,681); Lysterfield has higher household incomes ($143,208 vs $92,040).

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Population 27,398
+76% vs other
 6,681
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.7% +0.3%
Median age 40 41
Median household income $92,040/yr $143,208/yr
+56% vs other
Median weekly rent $386/wk $435/wk
+13% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
0-4 5.9% / 4.2%
Ferntree Gully — 0-4: 5.9% Lysterfield — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 11.6% / 13.0%
Ferntree Gully — 5-14: 11.6% Lysterfield — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 5.8% / 8.2%
Ferntree Gully — 15-19: 5.8% Lysterfield — 15-19: 8.2%
20-24 5.5% / 8.0%
Ferntree Gully — 20-24: 5.5% Lysterfield — 20-24: 8.0%
25-34 13.3% / 9.4%
Ferntree Gully — 25-34: 13.3% Lysterfield — 25-34: 9.4%
35-44 14.7% / 11.4%
Ferntree Gully — 35-44: 14.7% Lysterfield — 35-44: 11.4%
45-54 13.6% / 17.0%
Ferntree Gully — 45-54: 13.6% Lysterfield — 45-54: 17.0%
55-64 12.1% / 16.7%
Ferntree Gully — 55-64: 12.1% Lysterfield — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 9.8% / 8.1%
Ferntree Gully — 65-74: 9.8% Lysterfield — 65-74: 8.1%
75-84 5.7% / 3.2%
Ferntree Gully — 75-84: 5.7% Lysterfield — 75-84: 3.2%
85+ 1.9% / 0.8%
Ferntree Gully — 85+: 1.9% Lysterfield — 85+: 0.8%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Ferntree Gully 45.7% couple families
Ferntree Gully — Couple Families: 45.7% Ferntree Gully — Lone Person: 31.7% Ferntree Gully — One Parent Families: 17.5% Ferntree Gully — Group Household: 3.6% Ferntree Gully — Other Families: 1.5%
Lysterfield 73.3% couple families
Lysterfield — Couple Families: 73.3% Lysterfield — Lone Person: 13.7% Lysterfield — One Parent Families: 11.6% Lysterfield — Group Household: 1.0% Lysterfield — Other Families: 0.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Ferntree Gully 21.7% renting
Ferntree Gully — Owned Outright: 34.5% Ferntree Gully — Mortgage: 43.7% Ferntree Gully — Renting: 21.7%
Lysterfield 7.5% renting
Lysterfield — Owned Outright: 38.5% Lysterfield — Mortgage: 54.0% Lysterfield — Renting: 7.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Certificate III & IV 15.5% / 14.1%
Ferntree Gully — Certificate III & IV: 15.5% Lysterfield — Certificate III & IV: 14.1%
Bachelor Degree 13.2% / 15.9%
Ferntree Gully — Bachelor Degree: 13.2% Lysterfield — Bachelor Degree: 15.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 9.1%
Ferntree Gully — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Lysterfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 4.3% / 3.8%
Ferntree Gully — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3% Lysterfield — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 1.9%
Ferntree Gully — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Lysterfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).

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.

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
England 3.8% / 2.9%
Ferntree Gully — England: 3.8% Lysterfield — England: 2.9%
China 2.7% / 2.5%
Ferntree Gully — China: 2.7% Lysterfield — China: 2.5%
India 2.3% / 1.2%
Ferntree Gully — India: 2.3% Lysterfield — India: 1.2%
Sri Lanka 1.5% / 1.8%
Ferntree Gully — Sri Lanka: 1.5% Lysterfield — Sri Lanka: 1.8%
Malaysia 1.3% / 1.0%
Ferntree Gully — Malaysia: 1.3% Lysterfield — Malaysia: 1.0%
Italy — / 1.2%
Ferntree Gully — Italy: not among its largest Lysterfield — Italy: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Ferntree Gully 88.0% houses
Ferntree Gully — Houses: 88.0% Ferntree Gully — Townhouses: 9.8% Ferntree Gully — Flats / Apartments: 2.2%
Lysterfield 99.8% houses
Lysterfield — Houses: 99.8% Lysterfield — Townhouses: 0.0% Lysterfield — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Median house price $933,000 $1,431,250
Median unit price $685,000 $752,000
Median land price $1,340,000 $1,050,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 287 sales
 27 days
from 70 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.

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
3 bed $880K / $938K
Ferntree Gully — 3 bed: $880K (244 sales) Lysterfield — 3 bed: $938K (20 sales)

244 vs 20 sales

4 bed $1.03M / $1.3M
Ferntree Gully — 4 bed: $1.03M (151 sales) Lysterfield — 4 bed: $1.3M (55 sales)

151 vs 55 sales

5 bed $1.17M / $1.63M
Ferntree Gully — 5 bed: $1.17M (23 sales) Lysterfield — 5 bed: $1.63M (38 sales)

23 vs 38 sales

6 bed $1.18M / $2.48M
Ferntree Gully — 6 bed: $1.18M (6 sales) Lysterfield — 6 bed: $2.48M (7 sales)

6 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

Lysterfield has more rural and farming land (35% vs 1%).

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Residential 72% 9%
Parks and recreation 5% 43%
Rural and farming 1% 35%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 4%
Environmental 0% 5%
Other and special use 4%
same for both
Commercial 4% 0%
Industrial 3% 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

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
New dwellings approved 577
across Knox
 416
across Yarra Ranges
Approvals change year on year -14% -57%

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.

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Houses 3.8%
$660/wk on $892K
 3.0%
$798/wk on $1.38M
Units 4.4%
$572/wk on $682K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
House price Higher than 64% of VIC Higher than 76% of VIC
Income Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
Schools Higher than 77% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 66% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 81% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 92% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 58% of VIC Higher than 14% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 25% of VIC —

Liveability

Ferntree Gully is more walkable (91 vs 4).

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Grade B
same for both
Score 55/100 52/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Ferntree Gully carries more crime risk (64 vs 34).

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Bushfire High
71/100
 Moderate
69/100
Crime Moderate
64/100
 Low
34/100
Flood Moderate
46/100
 Moderate
53/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 7
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Inside the suburb 11 1
Rated above peers 4 0
Rated at peers 4 1
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Ferntree Gully

  • Fairhills High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Heritage College Knox Independent · Combined above peers
  • Kent Park Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mountain Gate Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Fairhills Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St John the Baptist School Catholic · Primary at peers

Schools in Lysterfield

  • Lysterfield Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Supermarkets 8 0
Cafes & restaurants 35 3
Parks & reserves 27 12
Childcare 23 2
GPs 6 0
Pharmacies 4 0
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 6 3
Waterways 22 3

Mobility

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Walkability score 91/100 4/100
Distance to Melbourne 38.1 km
+2% vs other
 37.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 40 min 41 min
Public transport score 93/100
Rail · Bus
 76/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 462.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 29.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 3156
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 37
postcode 3156
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.

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Car (driver) 64.8% / 64.5%
Ferntree Gully — Car (driver): 64.8% Lysterfield — Car (driver): 64.5%
Worked from Home 26.6% / 29.6%
Ferntree Gully — Worked from Home: 26.6% Lysterfield — Worked from Home: 29.6%
Car (passenger) 4.0% / 4.1%
Ferntree Gully — Car (passenger): 4.0% Lysterfield — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Train 2.4% / 0.9%
Ferntree Gully — Train: 2.4% Lysterfield — Train: 0.9%
Bus 0.9% / 0.4%
Ferntree Gully — Bus: 0.9% Lysterfield — Bus: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.8%).

Setting

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Elevation 108 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 151 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 22.1 km 20.4 km

NBN connectivity

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Connectivity score 77/100 82/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 11%
12,673 premises
 45%
2,331 premises

Climate

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Annual rainfall 777 mm 781 mm
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C —
Winter min (Jul) 6.3°C —

Air quality (annual mean)

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
PM2.5 — 6.3 µg/m³
PM10 15.5 µg/m³ 20.8 µg/m³
NO₂ — 0.98 pphm

Council rates

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Average residential rate $1,732/yr $2,161/yr
Council Knox Yarra Ranges

Federal electorate

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Division Aston Casey
Member Mary Doyle Aaron Violi
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

Ferntree Gully Lysterfield
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Ferntree Gully

Easy Commute Outer Parks Transport Hub

Lysterfield

Acreage Outer Premium

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ferntree Gully

Ferntree Gully vs Rowville Ferntree Gully vs Boronia Ferntree Gully vs Knoxfield Ferntree Gully vs Upper Ferntree Gully Ferntree Gully vs Tremont

Other comparisons with Lysterfield

Lysterfield vs Rowville Lysterfield vs Narre Warren North Lysterfield vs Upwey Lysterfield vs Upper Ferntree Gully Lysterfield vs Tecoma Lysterfield vs Belgrave South
Full data on Ferntree Gully Full data on Lysterfield
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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