Fern Hill VIC 3458
Located in Victoria, Fern Hill sits 82 km from Melbourne CBD, around 1 hour 10 minutes by car. The locality has 125 residents, a median age of 49, and a median household income of $107,224 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. Population grew 20.2% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $231 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,252. The area shows high bushfire risk. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 125. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
How do you rate the liveability in Fern Hill?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
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Is Fern Hill safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Fern Hill sits in the low band, with 1 incidents recorded in 2026.
1 offences
Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Fern Hill killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2021–2025.
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
Walkability
Fern Hill is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Fern Hill.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 53
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Hepburn: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Fern Hill is home to 125 residents, with a median age of 49, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $107,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
125
Median Age
49
Median Household Income
$107,224/yr
Census Median Rent
$231/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,252/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$57,824/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
23.1%
Total Dwellings
39
Owner-Occupier Rate
100.0%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
11.2%
Mortgage Stress
25.2%
Work From Home
24.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 61.6%
- English Spoken at Home
- 76.0%
- Employment Rate
- 53.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 41.6%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,748 a year through Hepburn based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 51%
- Environmental 48%
- Infrastructure and transport 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Hepburn
In the year to August 2026, 104 new dwellings were approved across Hepburn. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are down 5.9% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Registered Aboriginal Party for this area is Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation (appointed 2008).
Registered Aboriginal Parties are appointed by the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Council under the Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006 as the primary guardians, keepers and knowledge holders of Aboriginal cultural heritage for their area. They are the body to contact about cultural heritage here.
Climate & Setting
from Macedon Forestry, 13.9 kmModerate rainfall.
- Elevation
- 650 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 778 mm
- 74 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the locality centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 4.7 kmOther Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and QuarryingTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
EV adoption
In postcode 3458, 38 of 2,445 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.0% (48 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 3458, 648 rooftop-solar systems totalling 4.5 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,295 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 48 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
The separate First Home Buyer Duty Reduction (stamp-duty concession) runs alongside this grant.
0 first-home grants were paid in postcode 3458 in 2025-26. The most was 16, in 2008-09.
Grants on new and established homes; established homes stopped qualifying in mid-2013.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Catherine King Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Catherine King | 60.7% | 39.3% | -2.3 |
| 2022 | Catherine King | 63.0% | 37.0% | -2.7 |
| 2019 | Catherine King | 61.0% | 39.0% | -3.6 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Mary-Anne Thomas Australian Labor Party - Victorian Branch
Next state election: 28 November 2026.
| Year | Winner | Won with | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Mary-Anne Thomas ALP | 59.5% | 59.5% | 40.5% |
| 2018 | Mary-Anne Thomas ALP | 50.6% | 63.2% | 36.8% |
| 2014 | Mary-Anne Thomas ALP | 53.8% | 53.8% | 46.2% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Victorian Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0.
Looking at a specific address in Fern Hill?
Every figure above is a locality average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 125 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Fern Hill to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other VIC suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Fern Hill
Is Fern Hill a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Fern Hill is low (15/100, ranked against other VIC suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Fern Hill?
Fern Hill has a high recorded bushfire history (87/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a low share of it (22/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Fern Hill?
Fern Hill, VIC had a population of 125 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Fern Hill, VIC?
The postcode for Fern Hill, VIC is 3458.
How far is Fern Hill from Melbourne?
Fern Hill is 82 km from Melbourne CBD by road, about 68 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Fern Hill?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Fern Hill was $107,224 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Fern Hill?
There are too few current rental listings in Fern Hill for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $231, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Fern Hill?
The median age of residents in Fern Hill was 49 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Fern Hill at risk of bushfire?
Fern Hill has a high recorded bushfire history (87/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
What is the weather like in Fern Hill?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Fern Hill, Macedon Forestry (13.9 km away), 778 mm of rain a year over 74 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Fern Hill?
First-home buyers in VIC may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office Victoria; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Fern Hill belong to?
Fern Hill sits within the Hepburn local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Fern Hill?
The average residential rates bill through Hepburn is $1,748 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Fern Hill?
Across Hepburn, 104 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 5.9% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Fern Hill in?
Fern Hill sits within the federal Division of Ballarat, currently held by Catherine King (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2022
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.