The Basin vs Ferny Creek

The Basin is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 45 in Ferny Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In The Basin, about half of households are couple families. In Ferny Creek, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Ferny Creek: a median of $1.19 million, against $865,000 in The Basin, and rent is higher there too. The Basin is closer to the city centre: 39.4 km, against 47.4 km. On these figures, The Basin tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

The Basin

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (13 vs 1)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • But Ferny Creek carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 52/100)

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

First-home buyers

The Basin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($865,000 vs $1,185,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

The Basin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($365/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

The Basin

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (52/100 vs 36/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (43 min vs 54 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (39.4 km vs 47.4 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • The Basin is more walkable (52/100 vs 36/100)
  • Ferny Creek carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 52/100)

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

Investors

Ferny Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (5.7% vs 3.8%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

The Basin Ferny Creek
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.

The Basin Ferny Creek
Walkability 52 / 36
The Basin — Walkability: 52/100 Ferny Creek — Walkability: 36/100
Safety 48 / 73
The Basin — Safety: 48/100 Ferny Creek — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 19 / 17
The Basin — Low fire risk: 19/100 Ferny Creek — Low fire risk: 17/100
Low flood risk 71 / 100
The Basin — Low flood risk: 71/100 Ferny Creek — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

The Basin has more residents (4,497 vs 1,524); Ferny Creek has higher household incomes ($124,436 vs $104,988).

The Basin Ferny Creek
Population 4,497
+66% vs other
 1,524
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.8% +0.4%
Median age 40 45
Median household income $104,988/yr $124,436/yr
+19% vs other
Median weekly rent $365/wk $400/wk
+10% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

The Basin Ferny Creek
0-4 5.7% / 5.0%
The Basin — 0-4: 5.7% Ferny Creek — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 13.6% / 12.4%
The Basin — 5-14: 13.6% Ferny Creek — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 6.1% / 6.4%
The Basin — 15-19: 6.1% Ferny Creek — 15-19: 6.4%
20-24 4.9% / 5.4%
The Basin — 20-24: 4.9% Ferny Creek — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 11.7% / 7.3%
The Basin — 25-34: 11.7% Ferny Creek — 25-34: 7.3%
35-44 13.3% / 12.3%
The Basin — 35-44: 13.3% Ferny Creek — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 14.7% / 17.1%
The Basin — 45-54: 14.7% Ferny Creek — 45-54: 17.1%
55-64 12.7% / 15.8%
The Basin — 55-64: 12.7% Ferny Creek — 55-64: 15.8%
65-74 9.7% / 11.4%
The Basin — 65-74: 9.7% Ferny Creek — 65-74: 11.4%
75-84 4.9% / 5.0%
The Basin — 75-84: 4.9% Ferny Creek — 75-84: 5.0%
85+ 2.6% / 1.0%
The Basin — 85+: 2.6% Ferny Creek — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

The Basin 53.9% couple families
The Basin — Couple Families: 53.9% The Basin — Lone Person: 26.6% The Basin — One Parent Families: 15.8% The Basin — Group Household: 2.6% The Basin — Other Families: 1.1%
Ferny Creek 60.6% couple families
Ferny Creek — Couple Families: 60.6% Ferny Creek — Lone Person: 28.4% Ferny Creek — One Parent Families: 8.5% Ferny Creek — Group Household: 1.4% Ferny Creek — Other Families: 1.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

The Basin 10.5% renting
The Basin — Owned Outright: 36.7% The Basin — Mortgage: 52.8% The Basin — Renting: 10.5%
Ferny Creek 5.8% renting
Ferny Creek — Owned Outright: 37.2% Ferny Creek — Mortgage: 57.0% Ferny Creek — Renting: 5.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

The Basin Ferny Creek
Bachelor Degree 11.7% / 19.6%
The Basin — Bachelor Degree: 11.7% Ferny Creek — Bachelor Degree: 19.6%
Certificate III & IV 16.9% / 11.5%
The Basin — Certificate III & IV: 16.9% Ferny Creek — Certificate III & IV: 11.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.7% / 9.9%
The Basin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7% Ferny Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 7.9%
The Basin — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Ferny Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 7.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 4.2%
The Basin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Ferny Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.6%).

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.

The Basin Ferny Creek
England 5.0% / 5.8%
The Basin — England: 5.0% Ferny Creek — England: 5.8%
Germany 2.0% / 1.0%
The Basin — Germany: 2.0% Ferny Creek — Germany: 1.0%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.7%
The Basin — New Zealand: 1.2% Ferny Creek — New Zealand: 1.7%
China 0.8% / 0.6%
The Basin — China: 0.8% Ferny Creek — China: 0.6%
Scotland 0.5% / 0.9%
The Basin — Scotland: 0.5% Ferny Creek — Scotland: 0.9%
Netherlands 0.8% / 0.5%
The Basin — Netherlands: 0.8% Ferny Creek — Netherlands: 0.5%
Malaysia — / 0.7%
The Basin — Malaysia: not among its largest Ferny Creek — Malaysia: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

The Basin 94.6% houses
The Basin — Houses: 94.6% The Basin — Townhouses: 4.8% The Basin — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Ferny Creek 99.8% houses
Ferny Creek — Houses: 99.8% Ferny Creek — Townhouses: 0.0% Ferny Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

The Basin Ferny Creek
Median house price $865,000 $1,185,000
Median unit price $718,000 —
Median land price — $970,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 26 sales
 36 days
from 12 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.

The Basin Ferny Creek
3 bed $826K / $958K
The Basin — 3 bed: $826K (42 sales) Ferny Creek — 3 bed: $958K (10 sales)

42 vs 10 sales

4 bed $945K / $1.24M
The Basin — 4 bed: $945K (31 sales) Ferny Creek — 4 bed: $1.24M (20 sales)

31 vs 20 sales

Zoning mix

Ferny Creek has more rural and farming land (55% vs 7%); The Basin has more land zoned for conservation (33% vs 0%).

The Basin Ferny Creek
Rural and farming 7% 55%
Parks and recreation 3% 40%
Residential 36% 0%
Environmental 33% 0%
Other and special use 15% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 5%
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

The Basin Ferny Creek
New dwellings approved 577
across Knox
 416
across Yarra Ranges
Approvals change year on year -14% -57%

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.

The Basin Ferny Creek
Houses 3.8%
$615/wk on $840K
 5.7%
$1,200/wk on $1.1M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

The Basin Ferny Creek
House price Higher than 56% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Income — Higher than 93% of VIC
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Affordability — Higher than 36% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 77% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC

Liveability

The Basin is more walkable (52 vs 36); Ferny Creek scores higher overall (70 vs 49).

The Basin Ferny Creek
Grade C A
Score 49/100 70/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

The Basin carries more flood risk (29 vs 0); The Basin carries more crime risk (52 vs 27).

The Basin Ferny Creek
Bushfire High
81/100
 High
83/100
Crime Moderate
52/100
 Low
27/100
Flood Low
29/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 15
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

The Basin Ferny Creek
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in The Basin

  • St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • The Basin Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Ferny Creek

  • Ferny Creek Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

The Basin Ferny Creek
Cafes & restaurants 4 1
Parks & reserves 13 1
Childcare 3 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 7
same for both

Mobility

Ferny Creek sits further from the CBD (47.4 km vs 39.4 km).

The Basin Ferny Creek
Walkability score 52/100 36/100
Distance to Melbourne 39.4 km 47.4 km
+20% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 43 min 54 min
Public transport score 74/100
Bus
 72/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 27.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 25.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 3154
 2.6%
postcode 3786
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 36
postcode 3154
 34
postcode 3786

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.

The Basin Ferny Creek
Car (driver) 66.7% / 53.7%
The Basin — Car (driver): 66.7% Ferny Creek — Car (driver): 53.7%
Worked from Home 26.5% / 40.0%
The Basin — Worked from Home: 26.5% Ferny Creek — Worked from Home: 40.0%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 3.3%
The Basin — Car (passenger): 3.3% Ferny Creek — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Walked Only 1.5% / 1.0%
The Basin — Walked Only: 1.5% Ferny Creek — Walked Only: 1.0%
Train 1.2% / 0.9%
The Basin — Train: 1.2% Ferny Creek — Train: 0.9%
Bus 0.5% / 1.1%
The Basin — Bus: 0.5% Ferny Creek — Bus: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.7%).

Setting

The Basin Ferny Creek
Elevation 158 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 551 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 26.7 km 26.4 km

NBN connectivity

The Basin Ferny Creek
Connectivity score 75/100 81/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
1,733 premises
 60%
656 premises

Climate

The Basin Ferny Creek
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)

The Basin Ferny Creek
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 15.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

The Basin Ferny Creek
Average residential rate $1,732/yr $2,161/yr
Council Knox Yarra Ranges

Federal electorate

The Basin Ferny Creek
Division Aston Casey
Member Mary Doyle Aaron Violi
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

The Basin Ferny Creek
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

The Basin

Large Blocks Outer Parks Quiet River

Ferny Creek

Acreage Outer Professionals

More comparisons

Other comparisons with The Basin

The Basin vs Boronia The Basin vs Kilsyth The Basin vs Montrose The Basin vs Mount Dandenong The Basin vs Sassafras The Basin vs Tremont

Other comparisons with Ferny Creek

Ferny Creek vs Upwey Ferny Creek vs Tecoma Ferny Creek vs Sassafras Ferny Creek vs Sherbrooke Ferny Creek vs Tremont
Full data on The Basin Full data on Ferny Creek
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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