Munro vs Fernbank

Fernbank is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 53 in Munro. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Fernbank, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Fernbank tends to suit 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

Fernbank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Fernbank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 25%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Munro

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Munro

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (244.7 km vs 257.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (182 min vs 189 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Munro

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 21%)

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 16.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Munro 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.

Munro 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.

Munro Fernbank
Walkability 0 / 0
Munro — Walkability: 0/100 Fernbank — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 35 / 29
Munro — Safety: 35/100 Fernbank — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 10 / 10
Munro — Low fire risk: 10/100 Fernbank — Low fire risk: 10/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Munro — Low flood risk: 100/100 Fernbank — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Fernbank rents higher ($200/wk vs $150/wk); Fernbank has higher household incomes ($79,612 vs $70,564).

Munro Fernbank
Population 167 194
+16% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +16.8% +27.6%
Median age 53 47
Median household income $70,564/yr $79,612/yr
+13% vs other
Median weekly rent $150/wk $200/wk
+33% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Munro Fernbank
0-4 — / 3.6%
Munro — 0-4: not among its largest Fernbank — 0-4: 3.6%
5-14 9.0% / 10.8%
Munro — 5-14: 9.0% Fernbank — 5-14: 10.8%
15-19 3.0% / 6.2%
Munro — 15-19: 3.0% Fernbank — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 1.8% / 4.6%
Munro — 20-24: 1.8% Fernbank — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 10.8% / 9.8%
Munro — 25-34: 10.8% Fernbank — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 8.4% / 12.4%
Munro — 35-44: 8.4% Fernbank — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 11.4% / 13.9%
Munro — 45-54: 11.4% Fernbank — 45-54: 13.9%
55-64 22.2% / 18.0%
Munro — 55-64: 22.2% Fernbank — 55-64: 18.0%
65-74 18.6% / 16.0%
Munro — 65-74: 18.6% Fernbank — 65-74: 16.0%
75-84 7.2% / 4.6%
Munro — 75-84: 7.2% Fernbank — 75-84: 4.6%
85+ — / —
Munro — 85+: not among its largest Fernbank — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

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.

Munro Fernbank
England 1.8% / 3.6%
Munro — England: 1.8% Fernbank — England: 3.6%
New Zealand — / 1.5%
Munro — 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.

Munro 34.4% couple families
Munro — Couple Families: 34.4% Munro — Lone Person: 40.6% Munro — One Parent Families: 25.0%
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.

Munro 100.0% houses
Munro — Houses: 100.0% Munro — 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.

Munro Fernbank
Certificate III & IV 19.2% / 17.0%
Munro — Certificate III & IV: 19.2% Fernbank — Certificate III & IV: 17.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.8% / 10.3%
Munro — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.8% Fernbank — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3%
Bachelor Degree 4.2% / 2.6%
Munro — Bachelor Degree: 4.2% Fernbank — Bachelor Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 2.1%
Munro — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Fernbank — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.4% / 1.5%
Munro — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4% Fernbank — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Munro 5.6% renting
Munro — Owned Outright: 61.1% Munro — Mortgage: 33.3% Munro — Renting: 5.6%
Fernbank 9.9% renting
Fernbank — Owned Outright: 46.5% Fernbank — Mortgage: 43.7% Fernbank — Renting: 9.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Zoning mix

Munro has more rural and farming land (97% vs 86%).

Munro Fernbank
Rural and farming 97% 86%
Parks and recreation 1% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
same for both
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

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

Ranking within VIC

Munro Fernbank
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 32% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 8% of VIC Higher than 23% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 9% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 20% of VIC Higher than 16% of VIC

Liveability

Munro Fernbank
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Munro Fernbank
Bushfire High
90/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
65/100
 High
71/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
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

Munro 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

Munro Fernbank
Parks & reserves 2 5
Waterways 1 3

Mobility

Fernbank sits further from the CBD (257.9 km vs 244.7 km).

Munro Fernbank
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 244.7 km 257.9 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 182 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.

Munro Fernbank
Car (driver) 68.3% / 75.0%
Munro — Car (driver): 68.3% Fernbank — Car (driver): 75.0%
Worked from Home 16.7% / 20.8%
Munro — Worked from Home: 16.7% Fernbank — Worked from Home: 20.8%
Car (passenger) 8.3% / 4.2%
Munro — Car (passenger): 8.3% Fernbank — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Walked Only 6.7% / —
Munro — Walked Only: 6.7% Fernbank — Walked Only: not among its largest

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

Setting

Munro Fernbank
Elevation 76 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 83 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 35.4 km 33.1 km

NBN connectivity

Munro Fernbank
Connectivity score 22/100 19/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster)
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
36 premises
 0%
49 premises

Climate

Munro Fernbank
Annual rainfall 546 mm 620 mm
Summer max (Jan) 25.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.0°C 4.5°C

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Munro

Retirees Rural

Fernbank

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Munro

Munro vs Stratford Munro vs Perry Bridge

Other comparisons with Fernbank

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