Upwey vs Ferny Creek

Upwey is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 45 in Ferny Creek. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Ferny Creek: a median of $1.19 million, against $916,000 in Upwey. On these figures, Upwey 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

Upwey

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (7 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Upwey

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($603,500 vs $970,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($916,000 vs $1,185,000)

Weighs house 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

Upwey

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 36/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (47 min vs 54 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (42.7 km vs 47.4 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Upwey

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 36/100)

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 3.5%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Upwey 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.

Upwey 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.

Upwey Ferny Creek
Walkability 80 / 36
Upwey — Walkability: 80/100 Ferny Creek — Walkability: 36/100
Safety 67 / 73
Upwey — Safety: 67/100 Ferny Creek — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 35 / 17
Upwey — Low fire risk: 35/100 Ferny Creek — Low fire risk: 17/100
Low flood risk 60 / 100
Upwey — Low flood risk: 60/100 Ferny Creek — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Upwey has more residents (6,818 vs 1,524); Ferny Creek has higher household incomes ($124,436 vs $112,892).

Upwey Ferny Creek
Population 6,818
+78% vs other
 1,524
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.5% +0.4%
Median age 41 45
Median household income $112,892/yr $124,436/yr
+10% vs other
Median weekly rent $390/wk $400/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Upwey Ferny Creek
0-4 5.8% / 5.0%
Upwey — 0-4: 5.8% Ferny Creek — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 13.5% / 12.4%
Upwey — 5-14: 13.5% Ferny Creek — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 6.2% / 6.4%
Upwey — 15-19: 6.2% Ferny Creek — 15-19: 6.4%
20-24 5.3% / 5.4%
Upwey — 20-24: 5.3% Ferny Creek — 20-24: 5.4%
25-34 10.9% / 7.3%
Upwey — 25-34: 10.9% Ferny Creek — 25-34: 7.3%
35-44 14.1% / 12.3%
Upwey — 35-44: 14.1% Ferny Creek — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 15.3% / 17.1%
Upwey — 45-54: 15.3% Ferny Creek — 45-54: 17.1%
55-64 14.2% / 15.8%
Upwey — 55-64: 14.2% Ferny Creek — 55-64: 15.8%
65-74 10.6% / 11.4%
Upwey — 65-74: 10.6% Ferny Creek — 65-74: 11.4%
75-84 3.3% / 5.0%
Upwey — 75-84: 3.3% Ferny Creek — 75-84: 5.0%
85+ 0.8% / 1.0%
Upwey — 85+: 0.8% Ferny Creek — 85+: 1.0%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

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%
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.

Upwey 9.8% renting
Upwey — Owned Outright: 35.8% Upwey — Mortgage: 54.5% Upwey — Renting: 9.8%
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.

Upwey Ferny Creek
Bachelor Degree 16.0% / 19.6%
Upwey — Bachelor Degree: 16.0% Ferny Creek — Bachelor Degree: 19.6%
Certificate III & IV 15.4% / 11.5%
Upwey — Certificate III & IV: 15.4% Ferny Creek — Certificate III & IV: 11.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.8% / 9.9%
Upwey — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.8% Ferny Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.9%
Postgraduate Degree 5.3% / 7.9%
Upwey — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3% Ferny Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 7.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.3% / 4.2%
Upwey — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3% 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.

Upwey Ferny Creek
England 5.2% / 5.8%
Upwey — England: 5.2% Ferny Creek — England: 5.8%
New Zealand 1.5% / 1.7%
Upwey — New Zealand: 1.5% Ferny Creek — New Zealand: 1.7%
Germany 0.8% / 1.0%
Upwey — Germany: 0.8% Ferny Creek — Germany: 1.0%
Netherlands 0.9% / 0.5%
Upwey — Netherlands: 0.9% Ferny Creek — Netherlands: 0.5%
Scotland 0.5% / 0.9%
Upwey — Scotland: 0.5% Ferny Creek — Scotland: 0.9%
South Africa 0.6% / 0.4%
Upwey — South Africa: 0.6% Ferny Creek — South Africa: 0.4%
Malaysia — / 0.7%
Upwey — 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.

Upwey 98.4% houses
Upwey — Houses: 98.4% Upwey — Flats / Apartments: 1.2% Upwey — Townhouses: 0.4%
Ferny Creek 99.8% houses
Ferny Creek — Houses: 99.8% Ferny Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.2% Ferny Creek — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Upwey Ferny Creek
Median house price $916,000 $1,185,000
Median unit price $592,750 —
Median land price $603,500 $970,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 16 days
from 47 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.

Upwey Ferny Creek
3 bed $864K / $958K
Upwey — 3 bed: $864K (45 sales) Ferny Creek — 3 bed: $958K (10 sales)

45 vs 10 sales

4 bed $1.08M / $1.24M
Upwey — 4 bed: $1.08M (48 sales) Ferny Creek — 4 bed: $1.24M (20 sales)

48 vs 20 sales

Zoning mix

Ferny Creek has more rural and farming land (55% vs 11%).

Upwey Ferny Creek
Residential 69% 0%
Rural and farming 11% 55%
Parks and recreation 12% 40%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 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

Upwey Ferny Creek
New dwellings approved 416
across Yarra Ranges
same for both
Approvals change year on year -57%
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.

Upwey Ferny Creek
Houses 3.5%
$710/wk on $1.05M
 5.7%
$1,200/wk on $1.1M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within VIC

Upwey Ferny Creek
House price Higher than 59% of VIC Higher than 83% of VIC
Income Higher than 86% of VIC Higher than 93% of VIC
Schools Higher than 75% of VIC —
Walkability Higher than 93% of VIC Higher than 84% of VIC
Affordability Higher than 74% of VIC Higher than 36% of VIC
EV adoption Higher than 79% of VIC Higher than 97% of VIC
NBN connectivity Higher than 90% of VIC Higher than 91% of VIC
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 37% of VIC Higher than 100% of VIC

Liveability

Upwey is more walkable (80 vs 36); Ferny Creek scores higher overall (70 vs 64).

Upwey Ferny Creek
Grade B A
Score 64/100 70/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Upwey carries more flood risk (40 vs 0); Ferny Creek carries more bushfire risk (83 vs 65).

Upwey Ferny Creek
Bushfire Moderate
65/100
 High
83/100
Crime Low
33/100
 Low
27/100
Flood Moderate
40/100
 None
0/100
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

Upwey Ferny Creek
Inside the suburb 3 1
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 1
same for both

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

Schools in Ferny Creek

  • Ferny Creek Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Upwey Ferny Creek
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 12 1
Parks & reserves 7 1
Childcare 6 1
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 13 7

Mobility

Ferny Creek sits further from the CBD (47.4 km vs 42.7 km).

Upwey Ferny Creek
Walkability score 80/100 36/100
Distance to Melbourne 42.7 km 47.4 km
+11% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 47 min 54 min
Public transport score 89/100
Rail · Bus
 72/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 26.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 25.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 3158
 2.6%
postcode 3786
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 30
postcode 3158
 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.

Upwey Ferny Creek
Car (driver) 59.3% / 53.7%
Upwey — Car (driver): 59.3% Ferny Creek — Car (driver): 53.7%
Worked from Home 33.2% / 40.0%
Upwey — Worked from Home: 33.2% Ferny Creek — Worked from Home: 40.0%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 3.3%
Upwey — Car (passenger): 3.2% Ferny Creek — Car (passenger): 3.3%
Train 2.5% / 0.9%
Upwey — Train: 2.5% Ferny Creek — Train: 0.9%
Walked Only 1.4% / 1.0%
Upwey — Walked Only: 1.4% Ferny Creek — Walked Only: 1.0%
Bus 0.2% / 1.1%
Upwey — Bus: 0.2% Ferny Creek — Bus: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (59.3%).

Setting

Upwey Ferny Creek
Elevation 236 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 551 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 24.2 km 26.4 km

NBN connectivity

Upwey Ferny Creek
Connectivity score 80/100 81/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 51%
2,840 premises
 60%
656 premises

Climate

Upwey 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)

Upwey Ferny Creek
PM2.5 6.3 µg/m³ —
PM10 20.8 µg/m³ 15.5 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.98 pphm —

Council rates

Upwey Ferny Creek
Average residential rate $2,161/yr
same for both
Council Yarra Ranges
same for both

Federal electorate

Upwey Ferny Creek
Division Casey
same for both
Member Aaron Violi
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Upwey

Easy Commute Large Blocks Outer Parks Trains Transport Hub

Ferny Creek

Acreage Outer Professionals

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Upwey

Upwey vs Lysterfield Upwey vs Upper Ferntree Gully Upwey vs Tecoma Upwey vs Tremont

Other comparisons with Ferny Creek

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