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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
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Ferny Creek has an estimated 1,526 residents. That puts 338 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
In the suburb of Ferny Creek, the resident count stands at approximately 1,526 as of Aug 2026, according to AreaSearch evaluations combining broader ABS demographic releases with address validations performed since the Census. When compared to the 2021 Census tally of 1,524 people, this indicates an addition of 2 people (0.1%). The figure stems from AreaSearch's evaluation of the ABS ERP update from June 2025 alongside 12 validated new addresses confirmed post-Census. With a population density of 338 persons per square kilometer, the locality provides generous personal space and scope for future expansion.
Overseas migration served as the core growth driver, accounting for roughly 64.0% of recent population additions. Demographic forecasting by AreaSearch for the suburb of Ferny Creek utilizes the 2024 ABS/Geoscience Australia SA2 series based on 2022. Where specific coverage is absent, 2023 VIC State Government Regional/LGA projections are adapted by aggregating LGA numbers to SA2 boundaries via weighted distribution, with age-bracket growth trajectories extended across all territories for the 2032 to 2041 horizon. These projections suggest lower quartile growth relative to national statistical divisions, with the suburb of Ferny Creek anticipated to add 41 persons by 2041 under SA2 aggregations, representing an overall expansion of 2.7% across the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Detail
Dwelling approvals within Ferny Creek have remained exceptionally quiet across recent times according to AreaSearch's review of ABS statistical data, with an estimated total of 4 homes approved across the previous 5 financial years. During FY-25 to date, records show 6 approvals. In light of recent demographic contraction, this level of building activity has remained relatively balanced from a purchaser's viewpoint, while construction values average $867,000 per dwelling, showing that residential developers are concentrating on the upper tier of the market. Per-capita building volumes in Ferny Creek track 64.0% below the broader metropolitan standard of Greater Melbourne.
Although building activity has shown recent improvement, this ongoing scarcity of new additions tends to support local market pricing and buyer interest. The below-average national volume reflects both the established status of the neighborhood and potential regulatory constraints. Furthermore, all recent approvals have been exclusively detached dwellings, preserving the traditional low-density residential profile tailored toward family living and open space, with roughly 305 people per dwelling approval underscoring its low-density nature.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Ferny Creek
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 29 current infrastructure and development projects close to Ferny Creek, worth an estimated $925 million. 7 are already under construction and 6 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, sports & recreation and transport & logistics. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Local capital works, major development schemes, and strategic planning exert substantial influence on community outcomes. AreaSearch has pinpointed 1 specific project anticipated to impact the local environment. Notable initiatives comprise the Six Senses Resort And Spa At Burnham Beeches, Angliss Hospital Expansion, Mountain Highway Logistics Hub, and the Dandenong Ranges Environmental Protection Program, with priority developments outlined in the accompanying schedule.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Angliss Hospital Expansion
A $112 million major redevelopment featuring a new four-storey, all-electric tower. The expansion delivers a 32-bed inpatient unit, four state-of-the-art operating theatres, a new central sterile supply department, and expanded outpatient and allied health services. Major structural works were completed in July 2025, and the project is currently in the fit-out and final construction phase to increase surgical capacity for the Knox and Yarra Ranges communities.
Boronia Station Upgrade & Plaza
Upgrade of Boronia Station and creation of a new landscaped plaza connecting to Dorset Road. Scope includes widened concourse, entrance canopies, relocated ticket and PSO offices, upgraded platform shelters and waiting room, new pedestrian crossing, improved pick-up/drop-off on Lupton Way, accessibility upgrades, enhanced lighting and CCTV. A new pocket park near Boronia Junction Shopping Centre is also included. Early works commenced in 2025 with geotechnical investigations along Lupton Way. Major works scheduled for early 2026 with the upgraded station, plaza and pocket park to open by end of 2026.Delivered by an alliance of Acciona, WSP and Metro Trains Melbourne under the Level Crossing Removal Project.
Ferntree Gully Village Creative Placemaking Plan
Community-driven arts and cultural development project transforming public spaces in Ferntree Gully Village through murals, sculptures, lightbox galleries, and parklet upgrades to enhance safety, community connection, and local pride.
Kings Park Masterplan
Knox City Council's long-term master plan to upgrade Kings Park, a key sporting and recreation precinct. Stage 1 delivers a fully fenced dog park featuring two distinct off-leash zones, sealed path circuits, picnic seating, drinking fountains, and site drainage improvements. Future stages for parkland enhancement remain subject to council planning and annual capital works budgeting.
Bluett Reserve Playground Upgrade
As part of the 2025-26 capital works program, Knox City Council is investing in the renewal of local playgrounds, including the one at Bluett Reserve in Ferntree Gully. The project aims to improve the recreational facilities for the local community.
Mountain Highway Logistics Hub
Staged development of a major industrial logistics estate on a 16.8 hectare site formerly occupied by GlaxoSmithKline for over 50 years, featuring four separate warehouses totalling up to 50,000 sqm. Stage 1 comprises a purpose-built national head office and distribution centre for CoolDrive Auto Parts, consolidating three Melbourne facilities into one site with automation systems, dedicated dangerous goods and refrigerant stores, and a workshop for the Blanchard Racing Team Supercars program. The development includes a new access road and signalised intersection to Mountain Highway, estate signage, and directional signage.Construction began in July 2025 following a sod-turning ceremony, with the CoolDrive facility targeted for completion around October 2026 and practical completion of Stage 1 expected by late 2026. Future stages will add smaller warehouses of approximately 10,000 sqm each. All warehouses will operate 24/7 once complete, with Stage 1 expected to accommodate up to 225 staff.
1-13 Erica Avenue Mixed-Use Development
Mixed-use development comprising 58 apartments across 5 storeys, with an ALDI supermarket and 2 retail shops at ground level with basement car parking. Designed by Select Architects and Peter Brown Architects, the project is located in the heart of the Boronia Activity Centre, directly opposite Boronia Junction Shopping Centre and approximately 50 metres from Boronia Train Station. A planning permit has been granted by Knox City Council, however construction has not commenced as rising building and land costs have stalled the project.
Ferntree Gully Community Housing
A 79-unit medium density development consisting of 41 one-bedroom units, 38 two-bedroom units, and 6 three-bedroom units, located on the site of the old Ferntree Gully Primary School. Part of the Nation Building and Economic Stimulus Project, jointly funded by Federal and State Governments. Residents are involved in a community vegetable garden and linked with local community activities through partnerships with Mountain District Learning Centre.
897 residents of Ferny Creek are employed, from a labour force of 921. Unemployment sits at 2.6%, with participation at 71.8%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.5% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 1,153, about 76% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
The local labour market in Ferny Creek is characterized by advanced qualifications, prominent professional services participation, an unemployment rate of only 2.6%, and an estimated annual job expansion of 2.3% per AreaSearch statistical allocations. By March 2026, employed locals reached 897 residents, accompanied by an unemployment figure 2.2% under the 4.8% recorded for Greater Melbourne, alongside a participation rate matching the regional benchmark of 70.1%. Census records show 39.1% of workers performed their roles from home, a metric partly influenced by pandemic lockdown conditions. The primary sectors employing local residents include education & training, health care & social assistance, and construction.
Concentration in education & training is pronounced, showing a representation 1.5 times the wider metropolitan proportion. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing exhibits low participation, engaging 2.5% of workers locally relative to 5.2% across Greater Melbourne. Comparison between resident counts and local workplace figures indicates that this largely residential setting provides modest employment options within its borders. Aggregated data from broader statistical areas, as analyzed by AreaSearch using SALM and ABS figures, indicates that over the past twelve months, employment grew by 2.3 percent while the labour force expanded by 2.6 percent, leading to an unemployment increase of 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Melbourne experienced employment growth of 2.1 percent, a labour force growth of 2.3 percent, and an unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Mar-26 provide additional context regarding potential future demand in Ferny Creek. These projections, which span five and ten-year periods, have been compared with the local employment profile to estimate growth trajectories. Although national employment is projected to grow by 6.6 percent over five years and 13.7 percent over ten years, expansion rates vary considerably across different industry sectors. When these sector-specific forecasts are applied to Ferny Creek's employment composition, local employment is expected to rise by 6.5 percent over five years and 13.5 percent over ten years (note that this represents a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not incorporate localized population projections).
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Ferny Creek is $2,393 a week (about $124,000 a year), with median personal income at $875 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $53,490 a year against an average of $74,504. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
ATO taxpayer records for financial year 2023 compiled by AreaSearch indicate that median earnings in the suburb of Ferny Creek reached $53,490, alongside a mean of $74,504, placing the area high nationally against Greater Melbourne figures of $57,688 (median) and $75,164 (average). Indexed against a 9.62% rise in the Wage Price Index since financial year 2023, March 2026 earnings are modeled at approximately $58,636 for the median and $81,671 for the average. Census 2021 metrics place weekly household earnings in the 87th percentile ($2,393 weekly). The weekly wage band of $1,500 - 2,999 captures 29.9% of residents (456 people), aligning with the 32.8% regional proportion.
Moreover, 37.9% generate weekly earnings above $3,000, underscoring affluent segments that underpin local commerce. Net of shelter costs, households keep 87.1% of earnings, while the SEIFA income measure assigns the locality to the 9th decile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Ferny Creek had 531 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 100% detached houses and 0% apartments. 57% are owned with a mortgage, 6% rented and 37% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $400 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month. Rent absorbs 16.7% of household income here and mortgage repayments 20.9%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
The local housing stock at the most recent Census consisted entirely of standalone dwellings, with detached houses accounting for 100.0% and no representation of semi-detached, apartment, or other dwelling types, whereas Greater Melbourne registered 67.9% houses and 32.1% alternative formats. Outright property ownership reached 37.2%, comfortably above metropolitan levels, alongside 57.0% of homes under a mortgage and 5.8% occupied by tenants. Median monthly mortgage commitments stood at $2,167 compared to $2,000 across Greater Melbourne and $1,863 nationally, while weekly median rental payments were $400, exceeding regional ($390) and national ($375) benchmarks.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Ferny Creek counted 531 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.7 people each. 42% are couples with children, more than in 82% of areas nationally, against 31% couples without children. 19% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.6 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families constitute the clear majority of local living arrangements at 79.5%, consisting of couples with children at 41.5%, couples without children at 31.3%, and single parent households at 6.0%. Non-family living situations account for 20.5%, comprising solo occupants at 19.3% and shared group homes at 0.9%. The typical household size sits at 2.7 people, compared to 2.6 across Greater Melbourne.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
42.0% of adults in Ferny Creek hold a university qualification, including 25.9% with a bachelor degree and 10.5% with postgraduate qualifications, higher than 94% of areas nationally. A further 18.1% hold a vocational qualification. 1 school serves the area, with 163 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 1,104 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Tertiary attainment in Ferny Creek is elevated, with 42.0% of the population aged 15+ possessing higher education credentials, compared with 23.8% across the SA3 area and 30.4% nationwide. Bachelor degrees comprise 25.9% of adult qualifications, alongside postgraduate degrees at 10.5% and graduate diplomas at 5.6%. Vocational and technical qualifications are also well represented, with 31.2% of persons aged 15+ holding trade credentials, distributed between advanced diplomas (13.1%) and certificates (18.1%). Active participation in study is prominent, with 27.7% of local residents attending an educational institution. This cohort comprises 9.7% engaged in primary schooling, 8.3% attending secondary programs, and 5.1% undertaking tertiary studies.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Ferny Creek reaches 10 stops on 8 routes, timetabled for about 1,200 services a week. The typical home sits about 450 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 2.0 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Public transit infrastructure in Ferny Creek consists of 10 bus stops across 8 transit lines, combining to deliver 1,154 weekly passenger trips. Commuter accessibility is moderate, with dwellings positioned an average of 447 meters from transit facilities. The locality functions as a commuter origin, with vehicle travel dominant at 94% and private car ownership averaging 2.0 per dwelling, exceeding metropolitan standards. A significant 39.1% of workers conducted business from home during the 2021 Census, subject to prevailing COVID-19 settings. Network operations generate 164 daily passenger trips across all routes, translating to roughly 115 weekly services for each individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
67.4% of residents in Ferny Creek report no long-term health condition. 4.8% need daily assistance with core activities, and 56.3% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 4.0 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health indicators across Ferny Creek demonstrate favorable conditions under AreaSearch reviews of chronic illnesses and mortality, with youth and senior age brackets recording minimal incidence of standard ailments, accompanied by high private healthcare enrollment covering roughly 56% of the population (~858 people). Asthma and mental health conditions represent the most prevalent diagnoses locally, affecting 8.2% and 8.7% of the populace respectively, while 67.4% reported an absence of medical conditions, compared to 72.6% regionally. Working-age residents display standard health metrics. Those aged 65 and over make up 21.6% of residents (329 people), exceeding the Greater Melbourne share of 15.1%, with older cohorts achieving especially favorable comparative health standings nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Ferny Creek is largely Australian-born, at 81.5% of residents, with 6.4% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (29.7%) and Australian (26.4%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity measures for Ferny Creek sit below broader metropolitan norms, with 81.5% of inhabitants born in Australia, 90.5% holding citizenship, and 93.6% speaking solely English in domestic settings. Christianity represents the leading faith at 31.6% of the community. Judaism forms the most notable distinct group at 0.6% of the population, against 1.0% across Greater Melbourne. English heritage leads local ancestry reporting at 29.7% of residents, exceeding the 20.1% regional mark, followed by Australian ancestry at 26.4% (against 18.4% regionally) and Irish at 9.4%. Other ancestral backgrounds showing relative concentration include Dutch at 2.9% (versus 1.2% regionally), Polish at 1.1% (versus 0.8%), and Hungarian at 0.7% (versus 0.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Ferny Creek is 45, older than 80% of areas nationally. 18.3% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The age composition in Ferny Creek skews older than metropolitan benchmarks. In updates through to August 2026, mature adults and early retirees (45 - 64) constitute 31.9% of the population, compared to 22.3% across Greater Melbourne, while younger adults (25 - 44) account for 18.0% against a regional benchmark of 32.1%. The median age remains 45 as at August 2026, matching the 2021 Census figure while sitting 8 years above Greater Melbourne's Census median of 37 and higher than the national Census figure of 38. The 65+ demographic has grown from 17.5% at the Census to 21.6%, and is projected to deliver the greatest nominal increase by 2041, rising by 72 (22%) to 402, whereas child, youth, and early-to-mid career groups are forecast to contract.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Ferny Creek
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Oct 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Oct 2026 this month headline measures · Sep 2026 baseline |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Oct 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, Local governments Daily | May 2026 5 months ago all 2 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated May 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 7 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Sep 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Sep 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 12 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (1,524 at the 2021 Census → 1,526 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL20918). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.