Perry Bridge vs Fernbank

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

Fernbank

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (71/100 vs 97/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (64% vs 53%)
  • But Perry Bridge has more parks and reserves (8 vs 5)

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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Perry Bridge

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (251.2 km vs 257.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Perry Bridge has more residents already 65 and over (42% vs 21%)
  • Fernbank carries lower crime risk (71/100 vs 97/100)

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

Investors

Fernbank

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (27.6% vs -4.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Perry Bridge 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.

Perry Bridge 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.

Perry Bridge Fernbank
Walkability 0 / 0
Perry Bridge — Walkability: 0/100 Fernbank — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 3 / 29
Perry Bridge — Safety: 3/100 Fernbank — Safety: 29/100
Low fire risk 78 / 10
Perry Bridge — Low fire risk: 78/100 Fernbank — Low fire risk: 10/100
Low flood risk 30 / 100
Perry Bridge — Low flood risk: 30/100 Fernbank — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Fernbank has more residents (194 vs 72); Perry Bridge skews older (54 vs 47).

Perry Bridge Fernbank
Population 72 194
+169% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.0% +27.6%
Median age 54 47
Median household income $70,408/yr $79,612/yr
+13% vs other
Median weekly rent $215/wk
+7% vs other
 $200/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Perry Bridge Fernbank
0-4 — / 3.6%
Perry Bridge — 0-4: not among its largest Fernbank — 0-4: 3.6%
5-14 8.3% / 10.8%
Perry Bridge — 5-14: 8.3% Fernbank — 5-14: 10.8%
15-19 — / 6.2%
Perry Bridge — 15-19: not among its largest Fernbank — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 — / 4.6%
Perry Bridge — 20-24: not among its largest Fernbank — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 5.6% / 9.8%
Perry Bridge — 25-34: 5.6% Fernbank — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 4.2% / 12.4%
Perry Bridge — 35-44: 4.2% Fernbank — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 23.6% / 13.9%
Perry Bridge — 45-54: 23.6% Fernbank — 45-54: 13.9%
55-64 19.4% / 18.0%
Perry Bridge — 55-64: 19.4% Fernbank — 55-64: 18.0%
65-74 26.4% / 16.0%
Perry Bridge — 65-74: 26.4% Fernbank — 65-74: 16.0%
75-84 15.3% / 4.6%
Perry Bridge — 75-84: 15.3% Fernbank — 75-84: 4.6%
85+ — / —
Perry Bridge — 85+: not among its largest Fernbank — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Perry Bridge 46.7% lone person
Perry Bridge — Lone Person: 46.7% Perry Bridge — Couple Families: 26.7% Perry Bridge — One Parent Families: 26.7%
Fernbank 35.7% lone person
Fernbank — Lone Person: 35.7% Fernbank — Couple Families: 50.0% Fernbank — One Parent Families: 14.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Perry Bridge 0.0% renting
Perry Bridge — Owned Outright: 52.0% Perry Bridge — Mortgage: 48.0% Perry Bridge — Renting: 0.0%
Fernbank 9.9% renting
Fernbank — Owned Outright: 46.5% Fernbank — Mortgage: 43.7% Fernbank — Renting: 9.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Perry Bridge 96.6% houses
Perry Bridge — Houses: 96.6% Perry Bridge — Flats / Apartments: 3.4%
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.

Perry Bridge Fernbank
Certificate III & IV 16.7% / 17.0%
Perry Bridge — Certificate III & IV: 16.7% Fernbank — Certificate III & IV: 17.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 10.3%
Perry Bridge — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Fernbank — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3%
Postgraduate Degree 6.9% / 1.5%
Perry Bridge — Postgraduate Degree: 6.9% Fernbank — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%
Bachelor Degree 5.6% / 2.6%
Perry Bridge — Bachelor Degree: 5.6% Fernbank — Bachelor Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.1%
Perry Bridge — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Fernbank — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

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

Zoning mix

Perry Bridge Fernbank
Rural and farming 86%
same for both
Parks and recreation 14% 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

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

Ranking within VIC

Perry Bridge Fernbank
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 32% of VIC Higher than 46% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 6% of VIC Higher than 23% of VIC
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 8% of VIC —
NBN connectivity Higher than 22% of VIC Higher than 16% of VIC

Liveability

Perry Bridge 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

Perry Bridge carries more flood risk (70 vs 0); Fernbank carries more bushfire risk (90 vs 22).

Perry Bridge Fernbank
Bushfire Low
22/100
 High
90/100
Crime High
97/100
 High
71/100
Flood High
70/100
 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

Perry Bridge 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

Perry Bridge Fernbank
Parks & reserves 8 5
Waterways 5 3

Mobility

Fernbank sits further from the CBD (257.9 km vs 251.2 km).

Perry Bridge Fernbank
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Melbourne 251.2 km 257.9 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 187 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.

Perry Bridge Fernbank
Car (driver) 66.7% / 75.0%
Perry Bridge — Car (driver): 66.7% Fernbank — Car (driver): 75.0%
Worked from Home 33.3% / 20.8%
Perry Bridge — Worked from Home: 33.3% Fernbank — Worked from Home: 20.8%
Car (passenger) — / 4.2%
Perry Bridge — Car (passenger): not among its largest Fernbank — Car (passenger): 4.2%

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

Setting

Perry Bridge Fernbank
Elevation 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 83 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 25.1 km 33.1 km

NBN connectivity

Perry Bridge Fernbank
Connectivity score 23/100 19/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
35 premises
 0%
49 premises

Climate

Perry Bridge 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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Perry Bridge

Retirees Rural

Fernbank

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Perry Bridge

Perry Bridge vs Stratford Perry Bridge vs Munro Perry Bridge vs Clydebank Perry Bridge vs Meerlieu

Other comparisons with Fernbank

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