Fernvale sits 62 km from Brisbane CBD in Queensland, around 56 minutes by car. Census data records 3,629 residents with a median age of 35 and a median household income of $92,092 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The town grew 13.1% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $350 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,630. Fernvale is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. 1 school sits within the town boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Fernvale a good town?
Fernvale scores a B (50/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit.
Mixed results
1 school
Car-dependent
Walkability 22/100 · 61.8 km · 56 min drive to Brisbane
Median available
Median $835K
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 63/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 3/10 · median age 35 · 3,629 residents
Liveability Rating
50 / 100 · Ranked #526 in QLDEach bar is Fernvale's rank among QLD suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
Flood data for Queensland covers only the areas mapped there — a blank here is not an all-clear.
How do you rate the liveability in Fernvale?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
50 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataFernvale's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $835,000, roughly 17% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$835,000
Based on 127 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 30 days — median across 46 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 17 sales $800K
- 4 bed 99 sales $830K
- 5 bed 8 sales $935K
Land
$591,805
Based on only 5 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Fernvale are currently listed at around $850,000 on average. Based on 53 houses listed in the past six months.
$850K
53 houses listed in the last 6 months.
53 of the suburb's 1,185 dwellings (4.5%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Fernvale rent for around $680 a week on average, based on 15 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$680/wk
15 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
15 rentals advertised against an estimated 278 rented homes (5.4%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- All rentals
- $600/wk
- 16 bonds
- +67% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025110 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 27% of its income on the median rent in postcode 4306.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$680/week ($35,000 a year) on a $850,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Fernvale safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Fernvale sits in the moderate band, with 46 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 48% on the prior year.
46 offences
48.4% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2020–202415 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Schools
One school serve Fernvale, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 447 students in one school (avg 447)
Primary
Walkability
Fernvale is very car-dependent on foot — at 22/100, nearly all errands require a car. Within the town there are 1 supermarket, 2 parks and 5 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Fernvale.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 57%
- Premises covered
- 1,536
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
Somerset: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 8 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Fernvale is home to about 3,600 residents, with a median age of 35, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $92,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.6%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
3,629
Median Age
35
Median Household Income
$92,092/yr
Census Median Rent
$350/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,630/mo
Avg Household Size
3.0
Median Personal Income
$40,352/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.6%
Unoccupied Dwellings
6.9%
Total Dwellings
1,185
Owner-Occupier Rate
76.5%
Houses
99.1%
Rental Stress
19.8%
Mortgage Stress
21.2%
Work From Home
11.4%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 84.3%
- English Spoken at Home
- 93.0%
- Employment Rate
- 59.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 34.8%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
19 residents (0.5%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 3,372 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
4% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (71 of 1,607).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,063 a year through Somerset based on 2025 figures.
Building Approvals: Somerset
In the year to August 2026, 363 new dwellings were approved across Somerset. That mix is 337 houses and 26 units. Approvals are up 375.0% on the same period a year earlier.
New Homes Planned
New homes planned in this town: at least 1,678 homes
- Within 2 years 287 to 1,195 homes
- In 2 to 5 years 245 to 800 homes
- In 5 to 10 years 205 to 1,015 homes
- In 10 years or more at least 890 homes
- No timeframe set 51 to 160 homes
Land the Queensland Government's residential land supply study identifies for future housing (48 parcels), by when it expects lots to be registered. Yields are published in ranges, so these are too.
Aboriginal Cultural Heritage
The Aboriginal party for this area is Yuggera Ugarapul People.
Under Queensland's Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act 2003 the Aboriginal party for an area follows native title. A native title claim over this area is registered with the Federal Court.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6.8 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 20.4 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.64 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 4 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Raceview (Ipswich, South East Queensland) monitoring station, 23.9 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Ipswich, 19.4 km- Elevation
- 78 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 40.9 km
- Annual rainfall
- —
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the town 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- 3.6 kmOther Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and QuarryingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Manganese & compounds · Fluoride compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 4306, 534 of 43,217 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.7% (1,186 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.0%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 4306, 16,089 rooftop-solar systems totalling 111.2 MW have been installed since 2001. 1,479 went up in the last year.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$30,000 for new homes priced up to $750,000.
$30,000 for contracts signed on or after 20 November 2023, with no end date. IT DID NOT REVERT TO $15,000: the tier was due to end 30 June 2026 and the 2026-27 Queensland Budget (23 June 2026) continued it for contracts signed from 1 July 2026. This file carried a "due to revert" note until 2026-09-18 — it was never true, and a note predicting a change is not the same as a change. Cap is "less than $750,000" including land and contract variations — less than, not up to. New homes only: "There are no home owner grants for established homes."
Mortgage repayments
11 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 4306.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Queensland Revenue Office
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $750,000 may qualify for $30,000 — see what qualifies with Queensland Revenue Office.
At $835,000 this is $85,000 above the $750,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $30,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Queensland Revenue Office.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Shayne Neumann Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Shayne Neumann | 55.7% | 44.3% | +0.5 |
| 2022 | Shayne Neumann | 55.2% | 44.8% | -4.0 |
| 2019 | Shayne Kenneth Neumann | 51.2% | 48.8% | +6.9 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Jim McDonald Liberal National Party of Queensland
Next state election: 28 October 2028.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jim McDonald LNP | 69.2% |
| 2020 | Jim McDonald LNP | 61.5% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2017, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of Queensland.
Looking at a specific address in Fernvale?
Every figure above is a town 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 3,629 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 Fernvale to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other QLD suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Fernvale
Is Fernvale a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Fernvale is moderate (63/100, ranked against other QLD suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Fernvale?
Fernvale has no recorded bushfire history. These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Fernvale a good place to live?
Fernvale has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (50/100), ranked against other QLD suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Fernvale?
Fernvale, QLD had a population of 3,629 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Fernvale, QLD?
The postcode for Fernvale, QLD is 4306.
How far is Fernvale from Brisbane?
Fernvale is 62 km from Brisbane CBD by road, about 56 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Fernvale?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Fernvale was $92,092 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 Fernvale?
The median advertised rent in Fernvale is $680 a week for houses (15 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Fernvale?
The median age of residents in Fernvale was 35 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Fernvale?
There is 1 school inside the Fernvale boundary: 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Fernvale walkable?
Fernvale scores 22/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Fernvale?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Fernvale (Raceview (Ipswich, South East Queensland)) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.8 µg/m³ and PM10 of 20.4 µg/m³. That puts Fernvale below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Fernvale?
First-home buyers in QLD may be eligible for $30,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $750,000. The grant is administered by Queensland Revenue Office; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Fernvale belong to?
Fernvale sits within the Somerset local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Fernvale?
The average residential rates bill through Somerset is $1,063 a year (2025). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Fernvale?
Across Somerset, 363 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 375.0% 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 Fernvale in?
Fernvale sits within the federal Division of Blair, currently held by Shayne Neumann (Australian Labor Party).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2025–26
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2020–2024
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2024
- 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.
Was the information on this page useful to you?
Thanks! Anything we could improve?
We hate spam as much as you do — we'll never use your email for marketing, and we might not be able to reply to everyone.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙏
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.