Ferntree Gully vs Upper Ferntree Gully

Comparing Ferntree Gully and Upper Ferntree Gully, VIC: Ferntree Gully has more residents (27,398 vs 3,417); Ferntree Gully is more walkable (91 vs 73); and Upper Ferntree Gully carries more bushfire risk (85 vs 71).

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

Ferntree Gully

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (23 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (11 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (27 vs 4)

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

First-home buyers

Upper Ferntree Gully

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($697,500 vs $1,340,000)
  • has cheaper units ($523,000 vs $685,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land 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

Ferntree Gully

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (91/100 vs 73/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (38.1 km vs 41.5 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Ferntree Gully

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (6 vs 2)
  • is more walkable (91/100 vs 73/100)

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

Investors

Upper Ferntree Gully

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.3% vs 3.8%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Ferntree Gully and Upper Ferntree Gully 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 Upper Ferntree Gully
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 Upper Ferntree Gully
Walkability 91 / 73
Ferntree Gully — Walkability: 91/100 Upper Ferntree Gully — Walkability: 73/100
Safety 36 / 32
Ferntree Gully — Safety: 36/100 Upper Ferntree Gully — Safety: 32/100
Low fire risk 29 / 15
Ferntree Gully — Low fire risk: 29/100 Upper Ferntree Gully — Low fire risk: 15/100
Low flood risk 54 / 59
Ferntree Gully — Low flood risk: 54/100 Upper Ferntree Gully — Low flood risk: 59/100

Demographics

Ferntree Gully has more residents (27,398 vs 3,417); Upper Ferntree Gully has higher household incomes ($106,028 vs $92,040).

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Population 27,398
+88% vs other
 3,417
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.7% +0.0%
Median age 40 41
Median household income $92,040/yr $106,028/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $386/wk
+4% vs other
 $369/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
0-4 5.9% / 5.5%
Ferntree Gully — 0-4: 5.9% Upper Ferntree Gully — 0-4: 5.5%
5-14 11.6% / 11.6%
Ferntree Gully — 5-14: 11.6% Upper Ferntree Gully — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 5.8% / 5.9%
Ferntree Gully — 15-19: 5.8% Upper Ferntree Gully — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 5.5% / 5.4%
Ferntree Gully — 20-24: 5.5% Upper Ferntree Gully — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 13.3% / 12.0%
Ferntree Gully — 25-34: 13.3% Upper Ferntree Gully — 25-34: 12.0%
35-44 14.7% / 12.8%
Ferntree Gully — 35-44: 14.7% Upper Ferntree Gully — 35-44: 12.8%
45-54 13.6% / 14.0%
Ferntree Gully — 45-54: 13.6% Upper Ferntree Gully — 45-54: 14.0%
55-64 12.1% / 14.2%
Ferntree Gully — 55-64: 12.1% Upper Ferntree Gully — 55-64: 14.2%
65-74 9.8% / 10.1%
Ferntree Gully — 65-74: 9.8% Upper Ferntree Gully — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 5.7% / 5.4%
Ferntree Gully — 75-84: 5.7% Upper Ferntree Gully — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 1.9% / 2.8%
Ferntree Gully — 85+: 1.9% Upper Ferntree Gully — 85+: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.7%).

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%
Upper Ferntree Gully 48.8% couple families
Upper Ferntree Gully — Couple Families: 48.8% Upper Ferntree Gully — Lone Person: 31.0% Upper Ferntree Gully — One Parent Families: 15.7% Upper Ferntree Gully — Group Household: 3.0% Upper Ferntree Gully — Other Families: 1.5%
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%
Upper Ferntree Gully 14.3% renting
Upper Ferntree Gully — Owned Outright: 37.1% Upper Ferntree Gully — Mortgage: 48.6% Upper Ferntree Gully — Renting: 14.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Certificate III & IV 15.5% / 15.9%
Ferntree Gully — Certificate III & IV: 15.5% Upper Ferntree Gully — Certificate III & IV: 15.9%
Bachelor Degree 13.2% / 13.8%
Ferntree Gully — Bachelor Degree: 13.2% Upper Ferntree Gully — Bachelor Degree: 13.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 9.2%
Ferntree Gully — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% Upper Ferntree Gully — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Postgraduate Degree 4.3% / 5.0%
Ferntree Gully — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3% Upper Ferntree Gully — Postgraduate Degree: 5.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 3.0%
Ferntree Gully — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Upper Ferntree Gully — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0%

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 Upper Ferntree Gully
England 3.8% / 5.0%
Ferntree Gully — England: 3.8% Upper Ferntree Gully — England: 5.0%
China 2.7% / 0.6%
Ferntree Gully — China: 2.7% Upper Ferntree Gully — China: 0.6%
India 2.3% / 1.0%
Ferntree Gully — India: 2.3% Upper Ferntree Gully — India: 1.0%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.3%
Ferntree Gully — New Zealand: 1.2% Upper Ferntree Gully — New Zealand: 1.3%
Sri Lanka 1.5% / —
Ferntree Gully — Sri Lanka: 1.5% Upper Ferntree Gully — Sri Lanka: not among its largest
South Africa 0.7% / 0.7%
Ferntree Gully — South Africa: 0.7% Upper Ferntree Gully — South Africa: 0.7%
Malaysia 1.3% / —
Ferntree Gully — Malaysia: 1.3% Upper Ferntree Gully — Malaysia: not among its largest
Germany — / 1.0%
Ferntree Gully — Germany: not among its largest Upper Ferntree Gully — Germany: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.0%).

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%
Upper Ferntree Gully 96.1% houses
Upper Ferntree Gully — Houses: 96.1% Upper Ferntree Gully — Townhouses: 1.5% Upper Ferntree Gully — Flats / Apartments: 2.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Median house price $933,000 $905,000
Median unit price $685,000 $523,000
Median land price $1,340,000 $697,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 287 sales
 24 days
from 32 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 Upper Ferntree Gully
3 bed $880K / $848K
Ferntree Gully — 3 bed: $880K (244 sales) Upper Ferntree Gully — 3 bed: $848K (38 sales)

244 vs 38 sales

4 bed $1.03M / $942K
Ferntree Gully — 4 bed: $1.03M (151 sales) Upper Ferntree Gully — 4 bed: $942K (40 sales)

151 vs 40 sales

5 bed $1.17M / $1.26M
Ferntree Gully — 5 bed: $1.17M (23 sales) Upper Ferntree Gully — 5 bed: $1.26M (8 sales)

23 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Upper Ferntree Gully has more rural and farming land (13% vs 1%).

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Residential 72% 60%
Rural and farming 1% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 11% 13%
Parks and recreation 5% 11%
Other and special use 4% 0%
Commercial 4% 3%
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 Upper Ferntree Gully
New dwellings approved 577
across Knox
same for both
Approvals change year on year -14%
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.

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Houses 3.8%
$660/wk on $892K
 4.3%
$750/wk on $910K
Units 4.4%
$572/wk on $682K
 —

Ranking within VIC

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
House price Higher than 64% of VIC Higher than 55% of VIC
Income Higher than 61% of VIC Higher than 78% of VIC
Schools Higher than 77% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 97% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 42% of VIC Higher than 73% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 81% of VIC
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 58% of VIC Higher than 85% of VIC
Rental yield (units) Higher than 25% of VIC —

Liveability

Ferntree Gully is more walkable (91 vs 73); Ferntree Gully scores higher overall (55 vs 46).

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Grade B C
Score 55/100 46/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Upper Ferntree Gully carries more bushfire risk (85 vs 71).

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Bushfire High
71/100
 High
85/100
Crime Moderate
64/100
 Moderate
68/100
Flood Moderate
46/100
 Moderate
41/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 7
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

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

  • Upper Ferntree Gully Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Supermarkets 8 1
Cafes & restaurants 35 9
Parks & reserves 27 4
Childcare 23 2
GPs 6 2
Pharmacies 4 1
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 3 1
Fuel stations 6 0
Waterways 22 11

Mobility

Upper Ferntree Gully sits further from the CBD (41.5 km vs 38.1 km).

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Walkability score 91/100 73/100
Distance to Melbourne 38.1 km 41.5 km
+9% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 40 min 44 min
Public transport score 93/100
Rail · Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 462.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 53.5
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 Upper Ferntree Gully
Car (driver) 64.8% / 60.7%
Ferntree Gully — Car (driver): 64.8% Upper Ferntree Gully — Car (driver): 60.7%
Worked from Home 26.6% / 30.9%
Ferntree Gully — Worked from Home: 26.6% Upper Ferntree Gully — Worked from Home: 30.9%
Car (passenger) 4.0% / 3.2%
Ferntree Gully — Car (passenger): 4.0% Upper Ferntree Gully — Car (passenger): 3.2%
Train 2.4% / 3.0%
Ferntree Gully — Train: 2.4% Upper Ferntree Gully — Train: 3.0%
Walked Only 0.7% / 1.4%
Ferntree Gully — Walked Only: 0.7% Upper Ferntree Gully — Walked Only: 1.4%
Bus 0.9% / 0.9%
Ferntree Gully — Bus: 0.9% Upper Ferntree Gully — Bus: 0.9%

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

Setting

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Elevation 108 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 161 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 22.1 km 23.1 km

NBN connectivity

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Connectivity score 77/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 11%
12,673 premises
 2%
1,537 premises

Climate

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Annual rainfall 777 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.3°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

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

Council rates

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Average residential rate $1,732/yr
same for both
Council Knox
same for both

Federal electorate

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
Division Aston
same for both
Member Mary Doyle
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully
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

Upper Ferntree Gully

Easy Commute Large Blocks Outer River Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Ferntree Gully

Ferntree Gully vs Rowville Ferntree Gully vs Boronia Ferntree Gully vs Knoxfield Ferntree Gully vs Lysterfield Ferntree Gully vs Tremont

Other comparisons with Upper Ferntree Gully

Upper Ferntree Gully vs Upwey Upper Ferntree Gully vs Lysterfield Upper Ferntree Gully vs Tremont
Full data on Ferntree Gully Full data on Upper Ferntree Gully
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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