Ferny Creek

Ferny Creek is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, Ferny Creek's population is estimated at around 1,513, a decrease of 11 people since the 2021 Census which reported 1,524 residents. This decrease was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 1,504 residents following examination of ABS data released in June 2024 and validation of 12 new addresses since the Census date. The population density is approximately 335 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed around 64% to Ferny Creek's recent population growth. AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022.

For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusted using weighted aggregation to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. Ferny Creek is projected to grow by 57 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 3.0%.

The level of residential development activity in Ferny Creek is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Ferny Creek has seen around 2 residential properties granted approval per year over the past 5 financial years ending FY-26. This totals an estimated 10 homes. As of FY-26, 2 approvals have been recorded.

The average construction cost value for new homes is $859,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Ferny Creek records significantly lower building activity, at 66.0% below the regional average per person. This limited supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. However, building activity has accelerated in recent years. Recent development has been entirely comprised of detached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 430 people. Looking ahead, Ferny Creek is expected to grow by 45 residents through to 2041, with current development rates comfortably meeting demand and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Ferny Creek has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 49thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a single project likely affecting this region: Six Senses Resort And Spa At Burnham Beeches, Angliss Hospital Expansion, Mountain Highway Logistics Hub, and Dandenong Ranges Environmental Protection Program are key projects, with the following list focusing on those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Ferny Creek performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Ferny Creek has a highly educated workforce. Professional services are well represented. The unemployment rate was 2.3% in the past year.

Employment grew by an estimated 1.3%. As of September 2025863 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.4%, below Greater Melbourne's 4.7%. Workforce participation was similar to Greater Melbourne's 71.0%. A high 39.1% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns.

Key industries for employment were education & training, health care & social assistance, and construction. Education & training showed notable concentration, with levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing had lower representation at 2.5% compared to the regional average of 5.2%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 1.3%, labour force grew by 0.8%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0% and an unemployment increase of 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% expansion over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Ferny Creek's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 6.5% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Ferny Creek suburb's income level is high nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. Median income among taxpayers is $53,490 and average income stands at $74,504. Greater Melbourne's figures are $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $57,903 (median) and $80,651 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household incomes rank at the 87th percentile ($2,393 weekly). Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 29.9% of residents (452 people), mirroring regional levels where 32.8% occupy this bracket. Ferny Creek demonstrates affluence with 37.9% earning over $3,000 per week. After housing costs, residents retain 87.1% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Ferny Creek is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Ferny Creek's dwellings, as per the latest Census, were entirely houses (100.0%) with no other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, or 'other' dwellings. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's 67.9% houses and 32.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ferny Creek stood at 37.2%, higher than Melbourne metro's level. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (57.0%) or rented (5.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Ferny Creek was $2,167, above Melbourne metro's average of $2,000. The median weekly rent figure in Ferny Creek was $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $390. Nationally, Ferny Creek's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher than the national figure of $375.

Ferny Creek features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 79.5% of all households, including 41.5% couples with children, 31.3% couples without children, and 6.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 20.5%, with lone person households at 19.3% and group households making up 0.9%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Melbourne average of 2.6.

Educational achievement in Ferny Creek places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Ferny Creek's educational attainment is notably higher than broader averages. Among residents aged 15 and above, 42.0% have university qualifications, compared to 23.8% in the SA3 area and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 10.5% and graduate diplomas at 5.6%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 31.2% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (13.1%) and certificates (18.1%).

Educational participation is high in Ferny Creek, with 27.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.7% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 5.1% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Ferny Creek has ten active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by seven different routes that together facilitate 885 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as moderate, with residents typically living 447 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outside Ferny Creek, with cars being the primary mode of transportation at 94%. On average, there are 2.0 vehicles per dwelling, exceeding the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, 39.1% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

The service frequency across all routes averages 126 trips per day, equating to approximately 88 weekly trips per stop.

Ferny Creek's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

AreaSearch's assessment of Ferny Creek shows strong health metrics across various indicators.

Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were found to be low for both young and old age cohorts. Private health cover is high, with approximately 56% of the total population (~851 people) having it. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues (8.7%) and asthma (8.2%). A significant portion of residents, 67.4%, reported being completely clear of medical ailments compared to Greater Melbourne's 72.6%. Health outcomes among working-age individuals in Ferny Creek are broadly typical. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 21.4% (323 people) compared to Greater Melbourne's 15.1%. Notably, health outcomes among seniors in Ferny Creek rank nationally even higher than those of the general population.

Ferny Creek ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Ferny Creek, as per the census conducted on 27 June 2016, had a cultural diversity index of below average. The population was predominantly born in Australia, with 81.5%. Citizenship stood at 90.5%, and English was spoken exclusively at home by 93.6% of residents.

Christianity was the primary religion, practiced by 31.6% of Ferny Creek's population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, with 0.6% versus 1.0%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (29.7%), Australian (26.4%), and Irish (9.4%). These figures were substantially higher than their respective regional averages of 20.1%, 18.4%, and 5.3%. Other ethnicities with notable divergences included Hungarian (0.7% vs 0.3%), Dutch (2.9% vs 1.2%), and Polish (1.1% vs 0.8%).

Ferny Creek hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Ferny Creek is 45 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Melbourne's average of 37 years and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Melbourne, Ferny Creek has a higher proportion of residents aged 55-64 (15.1%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (5.3%). According to the 2021 Census, the 75-84 age group in Ferny Creek grew from 5.0% to 7.7% of the population. Meanwhile, the 25-34 age group decreased from 7.4% to 5.3%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Ferny Creek's age structure. Notably, the 85+ age group is projected to grow by 175%, reaching 79 people from its current number of 28. The combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 74% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 25-34 and 0-4 age groups are projected to decrease in numbers.