Meerlieu vs Fernbank

Fernbank is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 54 in Meerlieu. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Meerlieu, about half of households are people living alone. In Fernbank, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Meerlieu tends to suit people living alone.

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

Fernbank

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (71/100 vs 92/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (64% vs 55%)

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

Meerlieu

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 10%)
  • has cheaper rent ($166/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Meerlieu

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (255.3 km vs 257.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Fernbank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (71/100 vs 92/100)

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

Investors

Fernbank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (27.6% vs 18.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Meerlieu Fernbank
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.

Meerlieu Fernbank
Walkability 0 / 0
Meerlieu — Walkability: 0/100 Fernbank — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 8 / 29
Meerlieu — Safety: 8/100 Fernbank — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 100 / 10
Meerlieu — Low fire risk: 100/100 Fernbank — Low fire risk: 10/100
Low flood risk 8 / 100
Meerlieu — Low flood risk: 8/100 Fernbank — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Fernbank has more residents (194 vs 90); Fernbank rents higher ($200/wk vs $166/wk).

Meerlieu Fernbank
Population 90 194
+116% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +18.4% +27.6%
Median age 54 47
Median household income $82,316/yr
+3% vs other
 $79,612/yr
Median weekly rent $166/wk $200/wk
+20% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Meerlieu Fernbank
0-4 — / 3.6%
Meerlieu — 0-4: not among its largest Fernbank — 0-4: 3.6%
5-14 13.3% / 10.8%
Meerlieu — 5-14: 13.3% Fernbank — 5-14: 10.8%
15-19 7.8% / 6.2%
Meerlieu — 15-19: 7.8% Fernbank — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 6.7% / 4.6%
Meerlieu — 20-24: 6.7% Fernbank — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 11.1% / 9.8%
Meerlieu — 25-34: 11.1% Fernbank — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 7.8% / 12.4%
Meerlieu — 35-44: 7.8% Fernbank — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 16.7% / 13.9%
Meerlieu — 45-54: 16.7% Fernbank — 45-54: 13.9%
55-64 17.8% / 18.0%
Meerlieu — 55-64: 17.8% Fernbank — 55-64: 18.0%
65-74 21.1% / 16.0%
Meerlieu — 65-74: 21.1% Fernbank — 65-74: 16.0%
75-84 — / 4.6%
Meerlieu — 75-84: not among its largest Fernbank — 75-84: 4.6%
85+ 3.3% / —
Meerlieu — 85+: 3.3% Fernbank — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

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.

Meerlieu Fernbank
England 3.3% / 3.6%
Meerlieu — England: 3.3% Fernbank — England: 3.6%
New Zealand — / 1.5%
Meerlieu — New Zealand: not among its largest Fernbank — New Zealand: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Meerlieu 55.0% couple families
Meerlieu — Couple Families: 55.0% Meerlieu — Lone Person: 45.0% Meerlieu — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Fernbank 50.0% couple families
Fernbank — Couple Families: 50.0% Fernbank — Lone Person: 35.7% Fernbank — One Parent Families: 14.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

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

Qualifications

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

Meerlieu Fernbank
Certificate III & IV 10.0% / 17.0%
Meerlieu — Certificate III & IV: 10.0% Fernbank — Certificate III & IV: 17.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.4% / 10.3%
Meerlieu — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.4% Fernbank — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3%
Bachelor Degree 4.4% / 2.6%
Meerlieu — Bachelor Degree: 4.4% Fernbank — Bachelor Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.1%
Meerlieu — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Fernbank — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.5%
Meerlieu — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Fernbank — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%

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

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Meerlieu 24.0% renting
Meerlieu — Owned Outright: 52.0% Meerlieu — Mortgage: 24.0% Meerlieu — Renting: 24.0%
Fernbank 9.9% renting
Fernbank — Owned Outright: 46.5% Fernbank — Mortgage: 43.7% Fernbank — Renting: 9.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Zoning mix

Meerlieu Fernbank
Rural and farming 83% 86%
Parks and recreation 17% 12%
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

Meerlieu Fernbank
New dwellings approved 209
across Wellington
 386
across East Gippsland
Approvals change year on year +17% +50%

Ranking within VIC

Meerlieu Fernbank
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 50% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 36% of VIC Higher than 23% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 9% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 7% of VIC Higher than 16% of VIC

Liveability

Meerlieu Fernbank
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Meerlieu carries more flood risk (92 vs 0); Fernbank carries more bushfire risk (90 vs 0).

Meerlieu Fernbank
Bushfire None
0/100
 High
90/100
Crime High
92/100
 High
71/100
Flood High
92/100
 None
0/100
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

Meerlieu Fernbank
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

Meerlieu Fernbank
Parks & reserves 6 5
Waterways 1 3

Mobility

Fernbank sits further from the CBD (257.9 km vs 255.3 km).

Meerlieu Fernbank
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 255.3 km 257.9 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 188 min 189 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 3862
 0.0%
postcode 3864
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 57
postcode 3862
 —

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.

Meerlieu Fernbank
Car (driver) 56.4% / 75.0%
Meerlieu — Car (driver): 56.4% Fernbank — Car (driver): 75.0%
Worked from Home 43.6% / 20.8%
Meerlieu — Worked from Home: 43.6% Fernbank — Worked from Home: 20.8%
Car (passenger) — / 4.2%
Meerlieu — Car (passenger): not among its largest Fernbank — Car (passenger): 4.2%

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

Setting

Meerlieu Fernbank
Elevation 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 83 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 15.9 km 33.1 km

NBN connectivity

Meerlieu Fernbank
Connectivity score 15/100 19/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
19 premises
 0%
49 premises

Climate

Meerlieu Fernbank
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

Meerlieu Fernbank
Average residential rate $1,960/yr $1,807/yr
Council Wellington East Gippsland

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Meerlieu

Rural

Fernbank

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Meerlieu

Meerlieu vs Bengworden Meerlieu vs Perry Bridge

Other comparisons with Fernbank

Fernbank vs Lindenow South Fernbank vs Munro Fernbank vs Walpa Fernbank vs Bengworden Fernbank vs Perry Bridge
Full data on Meerlieu Full data on Fernbank
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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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