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

The population of the Ferny Creek statistical area (Lv2) is estimated to be around 1,512 as of November 2025. This represents a decrease of 12 people from the 2021 Census figure of 1,524 people. The current estimate is based on AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and analysis of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024. This results in a population density ratio of 335 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 64.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023 are used with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation methods. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. According to these trends, the Ferny Creek (SA2) is expected to grow by 60 persons by 2041, reflecting an increase of 3.1% over the 17-year period.

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 recorded around 2 residential properties granted approval per year over the past 5 financial years, totalling 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.

Compared to Greater Melbourne, Ferny Creek has markedly lower building activity, with 66.0% fewer approvals per person. This limited supply supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings, though recent years have seen an acceleration in building activity. The area's development is dominated by detached dwellings, preserving its low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. As of the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Ferny Creek has an estimated population of 430 people per dwelling approval. Looking ahead, Ferny Creek is expected to grow by 47 residents through to 2041, with current development rates comfortably meeting demand.

Looking ahead, Ferny Creek is expected to grow by 47 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Ferny Creek has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

The performance of an area can significantly influenced by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. A total of one project has been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Notable projects include Six Senses Resort And Spa At Burnham Beeches, Angliss Hospital Expansion, Mountain Highway Logistics Hub, and Dandenong Ranges Environmental Protection Program, with the following list providing details on those most likely to be 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 with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 2.3% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 1.3% over the past year.

This is based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. There are 862 residents currently employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.4%, which is below Greater Melbourne's rate of 4.7%. Workforce participation in Ferny Creek is 67.8%, compared to Greater Melbourne's 64.1%. The key industries of employment among Ferny Creek residents are education & training, health care & social assistance, and construction.

Employment levels in education & training are particularly notable, at 1.5 times the regional average. Conversely, transport, postal & warehousing shows lower representation at 2.5% compared to the regional average of 5.2%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 1.3%, while labour force increased by 0.8%. This caused the unemployment rate to fall by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Melbourne recorded employment growth of 3.0% during this period, with labour force growth of 3.3%. However, unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points. Providing broader context, state-level data from 25-Nov shows Victoria's employment grew by 1.13% year-on-year, adding 41,950 jobs. The state unemployment rate was at 4.7%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. Victoria's employment growth outpaced the national average of 0.14%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer further insight into potential future demand within Ferny Creek. National employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Ferny Creek's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

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

The suburb of Ferny Creek has a high national income level according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year ending June 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Ferny Creek is $53,490, and the average income stands at $74,504. In comparison, Greater Melbourne's figures are $57,688 and $75,164 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.25% since June 2023, current estimates for Ferny Creek would be approximately $57,903 (median) and $80,651 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household incomes in Ferny Creek rank at the 87th percentile with a weekly income of $2,393. The distribution data shows that 29.9% of residents (452 people) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 weekly income bracket, which is similar to the regional level where 32.8% occupy this bracket. Ferny Creek demonstrates considerable affluence with 37.9% earning over $3,000 per week. After housing costs, residents retain 87.1% of their 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 dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, were entirely houses with no other dwellings. This contrasts with Melbourne metro's 93.8% houses and 6.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ferny Creek stood at 37.2%, similar to Melbourne metro, with mortgaged dwellings at 57.0% and rented ones at 5.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Melbourne metro's $1,950 average. Median weekly rent in Ferny Creek was $400, compared to Melbourne metro's $380. 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 fairly typical 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 comprising 0.9%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which aligns with the Greater Melbourne average.

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+, 42.0% have university qualifications, compared to 23.8% in the SA3 area and 30.4% nationally (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census 2021). Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.5%) and graduate diplomas (5.6%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 31.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 13.1%, while certificates make up 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 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census 2021).

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. Seven different routes service these stops, collectively facilitating 885 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport in Ferny Creek is rated as moderate, with residents typically located 447 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 126 daily trips across all routes, equating to approximately 88 weekly trips per individual stop.

Ferny Creek's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Health data shows Ferny Creek residents have relatively positive health outcomes, with common conditions similar across young and old age groups. Approximately 56% (~850 people) have private health cover, higher than Greater Melbourne's 53.1%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues (8.7%) and asthma (8.2%). 67.4% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 66.9% in Greater Melbourne. Ferny Creek has 20.9% of residents aged 65 and over (316 people), higher than Greater Melbourne's 19.4%. Seniors' health outcomes are strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

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 data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census 2016, exhibited below-average cultural diversity. 81.5% of its residents were born in Australia, with 90.5% being citizens and 93.6% speaking English exclusively at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 31.6% of Ferny Creek's population.

Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to Greater Melbourne, comprising 0.6% versus 0.1%. The top three ancestry groups based on parental country of birth were English (29.7%), Australian (26.4%), and Irish (9.4%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences in representation: Hungarian at 0.7% compared to the regional average of 0.3%, Dutch at 2.9% versus 3.2%, and Polish at 1.1% against a regional average of 0.7%.

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 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 (5.5%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 75-84 has increased from 5.0% to 7.3%, while the 25-34 age group has declined from 7.4% to 5.5%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Ferny Creek's age structure. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 194% (from 27 to 80 people), leading the demographic shift. Notably, combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 81% of total population growth, reflecting Ferny Creek's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 25-34 and 65-74 age groups are projected to decrease in number.