Tarrawanna vs Fernhill

Fernhill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 48 in Tarrawanna. In both, most homes are detached houses. In Tarrawanna, most households own their home. In Fernhill, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Fernhill tends to suit renters.

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

Tarrawanna

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 80/100)

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

First-home buyers

Tarrawanna

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (34% vs 45%)
  • has cheaper units ($800,000 vs $940,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fernhill

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($190/wk vs $340/wk)
  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (52% vs 31%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Fernhill

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (81/100 vs 34/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Tarrawanna carries lower crime risk (29/100 vs 80/100)
  • Fernhill is more walkable (81/100 vs 34/100)

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

Where they sit

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

Tarrawanna Fernhill
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.

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Walkability 34 / 81
Tarrawanna — Walkability: 34/100 Fernhill — Walkability: 81/100
Safety 71 / 20
Tarrawanna — Safety: 71/100 Fernhill — Safety: 20/100
Low fire risk 14 / 100
Tarrawanna — Low fire risk: 14/100 Fernhill — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Tarrawanna has more residents (2,184 vs 987); Tarrawanna rents higher ($340/wk vs $190/wk).

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Population 2,184
+55% vs other
 987
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.6% —
Median age 48 45
Median household income $75,348/yr
+24% vs other
 $57,564/yr
Median weekly rent $340/wk
+44% vs other
 $190/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tarrawanna Fernhill
0-4 4.3% / 6.7%
Tarrawanna — 0-4: 4.3% Fernhill — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 11.2% / 9.4%
Tarrawanna — 5-14: 11.2% Fernhill — 5-14: 9.4%
15-19 4.9% / 5.3%
Tarrawanna — 15-19: 4.9% Fernhill — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 4.9% / 6.4%
Tarrawanna — 20-24: 4.9% Fernhill — 20-24: 6.4%
25-34 9.6% / 9.8%
Tarrawanna — 25-34: 9.6% Fernhill — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 10.6% / 12.0%
Tarrawanna — 35-44: 10.6% Fernhill — 35-44: 12.0%
45-54 12.5% / 12.4%
Tarrawanna — 45-54: 12.5% Fernhill — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 12.8% / 12.6%
Tarrawanna — 55-64: 12.8% Fernhill — 55-64: 12.6%
65-74 9.9% / 15.3%
Tarrawanna — 65-74: 9.9% Fernhill — 65-74: 15.3%
75-84 11.8% / 8.5%
Tarrawanna — 75-84: 11.8% Fernhill — 75-84: 8.5%
85+ 7.4% / 2.6%
Tarrawanna — 85+: 7.4% Fernhill — 85+: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tarrawanna 41.6% lone person
Tarrawanna — Lone Person: 41.6% Tarrawanna — Couple Families: 39.4% Tarrawanna — One Parent Families: 13.4% Tarrawanna — Group Household: 3.8% Tarrawanna — Other Families: 1.9%
Fernhill 46.7% lone person
Fernhill — Lone Person: 46.7% Fernhill — Couple Families: 27.8% Fernhill — One Parent Families: 19.5% Fernhill — Group Household: 4.2% Fernhill — Other Families: 1.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Tarrawanna 31.1% renting
Tarrawanna — Owned Outright: 40.9% Tarrawanna — Mortgage: 28.0% Tarrawanna — Renting: 31.1%
Fernhill 52.4% renting
Fernhill — Owned Outright: 25.1% Fernhill — Mortgage: 22.6% Fernhill — Renting: 52.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Tarrawanna Fernhill
England 3.6% / 3.5%
Tarrawanna — England: 3.6% Fernhill — England: 3.5%
Italy 2.5% / 1.9%
Tarrawanna — Italy: 2.5% Fernhill — Italy: 1.9%
New Zealand 1.4% / 0.9%
Tarrawanna — New Zealand: 1.4% Fernhill — New Zealand: 0.9%
Scotland 1.0% / 0.9%
Tarrawanna — Scotland: 1.0% Fernhill — Scotland: 0.9%
India 0.9% / 0.9%
Tarrawanna — India: 0.9% Fernhill — India: 0.9%

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

Qualifications

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

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Certificate III & IV 16.1% / 16.1%
Tarrawanna — Certificate III & IV: 16.1% Fernhill — Certificate III & IV: 16.1%
Bachelor Degree 11.8% / 10.2%
Tarrawanna — Bachelor Degree: 11.8% Fernhill — Bachelor Degree: 10.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.2% / 7.0%
Tarrawanna — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2% Fernhill — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Postgraduate Degree 4.5% / 4.3%
Tarrawanna — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5% Fernhill — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 1.9%
Tarrawanna — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Fernhill — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tarrawanna 61.9% houses
Tarrawanna — Houses: 61.9% Tarrawanna — Townhouses: 29.6% Tarrawanna — Flats / Apartments: 8.5%
Fernhill 65.1% houses
Fernhill — Houses: 65.1% Fernhill — Townhouses: 23.8% Fernhill — Flats / Apartments: 11.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Median house price $1,287,500 $1,292,500
Median unit price $800,000 $940,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 18 days
from 6 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.

Tarrawanna Fernhill
3 bed $1.11M / $1.2M
Tarrawanna — 3 bed: $1.11M (19 sales) Fernhill — 3 bed: $1.2M (9 sales)

19 vs 9 sales

4 bed $1.54M / $1.41M
Tarrawanna — 4 bed: $1.54M (8 sales) Fernhill — 4 bed: $1.41M (5 sales)

8 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Tarrawanna has more land zoned for conservation (68% vs 0%); Fernhill has more industrially zoned land (12% vs 0%).

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Residential 27% 84%
Environmental 68% 0%
Industrial 0% 12%
Parks and recreation 4%
same for both
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

Tarrawanna Fernhill
New dwellings approved 1,476
across Wollongong
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
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.

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Houses 2.9%
$750/wk on $1.35M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Tarrawanna Fernhill
House price Higher than 71% of NSW Higher than 64% of NSW
Income Higher than 43% of NSW Higher than 17% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 76% of NSW Higher than 92% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 20% of NSW Higher than 14% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 75% of NSW Higher than 86% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of NSW Higher than 99% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 17% of NSW —

Liveability

Fernhill is more walkable (81 vs 34); Fernhill scores higher overall (51 vs 38).

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Grade C B
Score 38/100 51/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Tarrawanna carries more bushfire risk (86 vs 0); Fernhill carries more crime risk (80 vs 29).

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Bushfire High
86/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
29/100
 High
80/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
UOW Wollongong, 5.9 km
 1
UOW Wollongong, 4.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.7% 2.1%

Schools in Tarrawanna

  • Tarrawanna Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Fernhill

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Parks & reserves 2 1
Childcare 1 0
Waterways 3 0

Mobility

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Walkability score 34/100 81/100
Distance to Sydney 79.2 km 78.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 82 min 81 min
Public transport score 76/100
Bus
 42/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 30.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 9.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 3.5 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 2518
 1.3%
postcode 2519
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 2518
 30
postcode 2519

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.

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Car (driver) 58.0% / 57.1%
Tarrawanna — Car (driver): 58.0% Fernhill — Car (driver): 57.1%
Worked from Home 34.0% / 34.4%
Tarrawanna — Worked from Home: 34.0% Fernhill — Worked from Home: 34.4%
Car (passenger) 2.9% / 2.7%
Tarrawanna — Car (passenger): 2.9% Fernhill — Car (passenger): 2.7%
Walked Only 1.7% / 2.7%
Tarrawanna — Walked Only: 1.7% Fernhill — Walked Only: 2.7%
Train 0.8% / 1.7%
Tarrawanna — Train: 0.8% Fernhill — Train: 1.7%
Bus 1.5% / —
Tarrawanna — Bus: 1.5% Fernhill — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (58.0%).

Setting

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Elevation 98 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.2 km
3.4 km to a named beach
 2.0 km
2.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Connectivity score 100/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
968 premises
 100%
508 premises

Climate

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Annual rainfall 1,038 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Tarrawanna Fernhill
PM2.5 6.2 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.2 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.66 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Wollongong
same for both

Federal electorate

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Division Cunningham
same for both
Member Alison Byrnes
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Tarrawanna Fernhill
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Tarrawanna

Retirees River Townhouses

Fernhill

Coastal Parks Quiet Retirees Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tarrawanna

Tarrawanna vs Corrimal Tarrawanna vs Balgownie Tarrawanna vs Mount Keira

Other comparisons with Fernhill

Fernhill vs Fairy Meadow Fernhill vs Corrimal Fernhill vs Balgownie Fernhill vs Towradgi
Full data on Tarrawanna Full data on Fernhill
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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