Upper Ferntree Gully vs Upwey

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Upper Ferntree Gully, about half of households are couple families. In Upwey, most households are couple families.

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

Upwey

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 2)
  • carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 68/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Upper Ferntree Gully has cheaper units ($523,000 vs $592,750)
  • Upwey has cheaper land ($603,500 vs $697,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

Upwey

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (33/100 vs 68/100)

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

Investors

Upper Ferntree Gully

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.3% vs 3.5%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
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.

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Walkability 73 / 80
Upper Ferntree Gully — Walkability: 73/100 Upwey — Walkability: 80/100
Safety 32 / 67
Upper Ferntree Gully — Safety: 32/100 Upwey — Safety: 67/100
Low fire risk 15 / 35
Upper Ferntree Gully — Low fire risk: 15/100 Upwey — Low fire risk: 35/100
Low flood risk 59 / 60
Upper Ferntree Gully — Low flood risk: 59/100 Upwey — Low flood risk: 60/100

Demographics

Upwey has more residents (6,818 vs 3,417).

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Population 3,417 6,818
+100% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.0% +2.5%
Median age 41
same for both
Median household income $106,028/yr $112,892/yr
+6% vs other
Median weekly rent $369/wk $390/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
0-4 5.5% / 5.8%
Upper Ferntree Gully — 0-4: 5.5% Upwey — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 11.6% / 13.5%
Upper Ferntree Gully — 5-14: 11.6% Upwey — 5-14: 13.5%
15-19 5.9% / 6.2%
Upper Ferntree Gully — 15-19: 5.9% Upwey — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 5.4% / 5.3%
Upper Ferntree Gully — 20-24: 5.4% Upwey — 20-24: 5.3%
25-34 12.0% / 10.9%
Upper Ferntree Gully — 25-34: 12.0% Upwey — 25-34: 10.9%
35-44 12.8% / 14.1%
Upper Ferntree Gully — 35-44: 12.8% Upwey — 35-44: 14.1%
45-54 14.0% / 15.3%
Upper Ferntree Gully — 45-54: 14.0% Upwey — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 14.2% / 14.2%
Upper Ferntree Gully — 55-64: 14.2% Upwey — 55-64: 14.2%
65-74 10.1% / 10.6%
Upper Ferntree Gully — 65-74: 10.1% Upwey — 65-74: 10.6%
75-84 5.4% / 3.3%
Upper Ferntree Gully — 75-84: 5.4% Upwey — 75-84: 3.3%
85+ 2.8% / 0.8%
Upper Ferntree Gully — 85+: 2.8% Upwey — 85+: 0.8%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Upper Ferntree Gully 48.8% couple families
Upper Ferntree Gully — Couple Families: 48.8% Upper Ferntree Gully — Lone Person: 31.0% Upper Ferntree Gully — One Parent Families: 15.7% Upper Ferntree Gully — Group Household: 3.0% Upper Ferntree Gully — Other Families: 1.5%
Upwey 56.0% couple families
Upwey — Couple Families: 56.0% Upwey — Lone Person: 23.5% Upwey — One Parent Families: 16.9% Upwey — Group Household: 2.8% Upwey — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Upper Ferntree Gully 14.3% renting
Upper Ferntree Gully — Owned Outright: 37.1% Upper Ferntree Gully — Mortgage: 48.6% Upper Ferntree Gully — Renting: 14.3%
Upwey 9.8% renting
Upwey — Owned Outright: 35.8% Upwey — Mortgage: 54.5% Upwey — Renting: 9.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Certificate III & IV 15.9% / 15.4%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Certificate III & IV: 15.9% Upwey — Certificate III & IV: 15.4%
Bachelor Degree 13.8% / 16.0%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Bachelor Degree: 13.8% Upwey — Bachelor Degree: 16.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 9.8%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% Upwey — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8%
Postgraduate Degree 5.0% / 5.3%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Postgraduate Degree: 5.0% Upwey — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 3.3%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Upwey — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).

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.

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
England 5.0% / 5.2%
Upper Ferntree Gully — England: 5.0% Upwey — England: 5.2%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.5%
Upper Ferntree Gully — New Zealand: 1.3% Upwey — New Zealand: 1.5%
Germany 1.0% / 0.8%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Germany: 1.0% Upwey — Germany: 0.8%
India 1.0% / 0.6%
Upper Ferntree Gully — India: 1.0% Upwey — India: 0.6%
Netherlands 0.6% / 0.9%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Netherlands: 0.6% Upwey — Netherlands: 0.9%
South Africa 0.7% / 0.6%
Upper Ferntree Gully — South Africa: 0.7% Upwey — South Africa: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Upper Ferntree Gully 96.1% houses
Upper Ferntree Gully — Houses: 96.1% Upper Ferntree Gully — Flats / Apartments: 2.4% Upper Ferntree Gully — Townhouses: 1.5%
Upwey 98.4% houses
Upwey — Houses: 98.4% Upwey — Flats / Apartments: 1.2% Upwey — Townhouses: 0.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Median house price $905,000 $916,000
Median unit price $523,000 $592,750
Median land price $697,500 $603,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 32 sales
 16 days
from 47 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.

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
3 bed $848K / $864K
Upper Ferntree Gully — 3 bed: $848K (38 sales) Upwey — 3 bed: $864K (45 sales)

38 vs 45 sales

4 bed $942K / $1.08M
Upper Ferntree Gully — 4 bed: $942K (40 sales) Upwey — 4 bed: $1.08M (48 sales)

40 vs 48 sales

5 bed $1.26M / $1.19M
Upper Ferntree Gully — 5 bed: $1.26M (8 sales) Upwey — 5 bed: $1.19M (10 sales)

8 vs 10 sales

Zoning mix

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Residential 60% 69%
Rural and farming 13% 11%
Infrastructure and transport 13% 7%
Parks and recreation 11% 12%
Commercial 3% 0%
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

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
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.

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Houses 4.3%
$750/wk on $910K
 3.5%
$710/wk on $1.05M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
House price Higher than 55% of VIC Higher than 59% of VIC
Income Higher than 78% of VIC Higher than 86% of VIC
Schools — Higher than 75% of VIC
Walkability Higher than 91% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 73% of VIC Higher than 74% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 81% of VIC Higher than 79% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of VIC Higher than 90% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 85% of VIC Higher than 37% of VIC

Liveability

Upwey scores higher overall (64 vs 46).

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Grade C B
Score 46/100 64/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Upper Ferntree Gully carries more crime risk (68 vs 33); Upper Ferntree Gully carries more bushfire risk (85 vs 65).

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Bushfire High
85/100
 Moderate
65/100
Crime Moderate
68/100
 Low
33/100
Flood Moderate
41/100
 Moderate
40/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Upper Ferntree Gully

  • Upper Ferntree Gully Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Upwey

  • Upwey Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Upwey South Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Upwey High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 9 12
Parks & reserves 4 7
Childcare 2 6
GPs 2 1
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 2
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 11 13

Mobility

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Walkability score 73/100 80/100
Distance to Melbourne 41.5 km 42.7 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 44 min 47 min
Public transport score 93/100
Rail · Bus
 89/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 53.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 26.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 3156
 1.1%
postcode 3158
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 37
postcode 3156
 30
postcode 3158

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.

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Car (driver) 60.7% / 59.3%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Car (driver): 60.7% Upwey — Car (driver): 59.3%
Worked from Home 30.9% / 33.2%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Worked from Home: 30.9% Upwey — Worked from Home: 33.2%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 3.2%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Car (passenger): 3.2% Upwey — Car (passenger): 3.2%
Train 3.0% / 2.5%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Train: 3.0% Upwey — Train: 2.5%
Walked Only 1.4% / 1.4%
Upper Ferntree Gully — Walked Only: 1.4% Upwey — Walked Only: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.7%).

Setting

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Elevation 161 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 236 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 23.1 km 24.2 km

NBN connectivity

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Connectivity score 75/100 80/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 2%
1,537 premises
 51%
2,840 premises

Climate

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
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)

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.98 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Average residential rate $1,732/yr $2,161/yr
Council Knox Yarra Ranges

Federal electorate

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Division Aston Casey
Member Mary Doyle Aaron Violi
Party Australian Labor Party Liberal

First Home Owner Grant

Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $750,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Upper Ferntree Gully

Easy Commute Large Blocks Outer River Transport Hub

Upwey

Easy Commute Large Blocks Outer Parks Trains Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Upper Ferntree Gully

Upper Ferntree Gully vs Ferntree Gully Upper Ferntree Gully vs Lysterfield Upper Ferntree Gully vs Tremont

Other comparisons with Upwey

Upwey vs Lysterfield Upwey vs Tecoma Upwey vs Ferny Creek Upwey vs Tremont
Full data on Upper Ferntree Gully Full data on Upwey
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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