Ferny Hills

Ferny Hills 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 Ferny Hills is estimated at around 9,006 as of February 2026. This reflects an increase of 280 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,726. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 8,997 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 878 persons per square kilometer. Population growth for Ferny Hills was primarily driven by natural growth contributing approximately 51.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. However, these state projections do not provide age category splits, so AreaSearch applies proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections for each age cohort, released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Future population trends suggest a population increase just below the median of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, with Ferny Hills expected to grow by 786 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 12.6% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Ferny Hills according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Ferny Hills has averaged approximately one new home approval per year over the past five financial years, totalling nine homes. As of FY26, four approvals have been recorded. This results in an average of 58.3 new residents per year for every home built between FY21 and FY25.

The supply of new homes is substantially lagging behind demand, indicating heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. Developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties, as evidenced by an average construction cost value of $510,000 per new home. Compared to Greater Brisbane, Ferny Hills has significantly less development activity, which typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. However, building activity has accelerated in recent years. Nationally, the level of development is also lower than the national average, suggesting market maturity and possible development constraints. New developments consist of 67% detached dwellings and 33% medium to high-density housing, with a growing mix of townhouses and apartments providing options across different price points.

This marks a considerable change from the current housing mix, which is predominantly houses (95%). The estimated population density in Ferny Hills is 3701 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Ferny Hills' population is forecasted to grow by 1130 residents by 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

Ferny Hills has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects potentially impacting this region. Notable projects are Hills Quarter Everton Hills, Arana Hills Plaza Ambience Upgrade, Everton Rise, and Everton Hills Central. The following list details projects likely 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.

Employment conditions in Ferny Hills demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Ferny Hills has a well-educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate was 3.0% as of September 2025, which is lower than Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.0%. Employment growth in the area was estimated at 4.7% over the past year based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, 5,427 residents were in work and the unemployment rate was 1.0% below Greater Brisbane's rate. Workforce participation in Ferny Hills was 78.2%, compared to Greater Brisbane's 70.7%. According to Census responses, 27.2% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The leading employment industries among residents were health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services.

Ferny Hills had a particular specialization in education & training, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. Manufacturing was under-represented, with only 3.6% of Ferny Hills's workforce compared to Greater Brisbane's 6.4%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. During the year to September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.7% and labour force increased by 5.1%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points in Ferny Hills. In comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded employment growth of 3.8%, labour force growth of 3.3%, with unemployment falling 0.5 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offered further insight into potential future demand within Ferny Hills. These projections estimated that national employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Ferny Hills's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not take into account localised population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ended June 2023 shows Ferny Hills' median income at $58,693 and average income at $69,509. Greater Brisbane had a median of $58,236 and an average of $72,799 in the same period. By September 2025, adjusting for a 9.91% Wage Price Index growth since June 2023, Ferny Hills' estimated median income is approximately $64,509 and average income is $76,397. The 2021 Census ranks Ferny Hills between the 74th and 81st percentiles nationally for household, family, and personal incomes. In Ferny Hills, 33.2% of individuals earn between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, consistent with the region's 33.3%. High earners (above $3,000/week) make up 33.9%, indicating strong economic capacity. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of income, reflecting robust purchasing power. Ferny Hills' SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Ferny Hills' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 95.1% houses and 4.9% other dwellings. In comparison, Brisbane metro had 73.5% houses and 26.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Ferny Hills was at 33.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 52.5% and rented ones at 13.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,972, higher than Brisbane metro's $1,863. The median weekly rent figure was $448, compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, Ferny Hills' mortgage repayments were above the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially higher than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households comprise 81.4% of all households, including 40.7% couples with children, 28.6% couples without children, and 11.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 18.6%, with lone person households at 16.4% and group households comprising 2.0%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Brisbane average of 2.6.

Ferny Hills shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's university qualification rate is 33.7%, higher than the SA4 region average of 24.9% and Queensland's state average of 25.7%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 22.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.3%). Vocational credentials are held by 33.9% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.7% and certificates at 22.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 29.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.3% in primary education, 8.4% in secondary education, and 5.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Ferny Hills has 32 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by two routes that together provide 153 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically living 283 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to Ferny Hills being primarily residential. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 84%, while train usage stands at 11%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.6 per dwelling, which is above the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, 27.2%, work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 21 trips per day, equating to approximately four weekly trips per individual stop.

Ferny Hills's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with the level of common health conditions among the general population somewhat typical, though higher than the nation's average among older cohorts

Ferny Hills' health metrics are close to national benchmarks.

Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are somewhat typical, but slightly higher than average for older cohorts. Approximately 55% (~4930 people) of Ferny Hills residents have private health cover, which is high compared to the national average. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues (9.8%) and asthma (7.7%). About 67.3% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 69.2% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among working-age residents are typical. Ferny Hills has a higher proportion of seniors (17.4%, or 1567 people) than Greater Brisbane (15.2%). Health outcomes for seniors present some challenges but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

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

Ferny Hills' cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 83.8% of its population born in Australia, 92.7% being citizens, and 93.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Ferny Hills, comprising 48.4% of the population. However, Judaism was notably overrepresented, making up 0.1% compared to the same percentage across Greater Brisbane.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (29.7%), Australian (27.6%), and Irish (10.3%). Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Scottish was overrepresented at 9.6%, Welsh at 0.8%, and New Zealand at 1.0%.

Ferny Hills's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Ferny Hills is 40 years, which is higher than Greater Brisbane's average of 36 years and slightly exceeds the national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Brisbane, the 45-54 age group is notably over-represented in Ferny Hills at 14.8%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 9.6%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 5.8% to 7.5% of the population, while the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 9.2% to 7.7%, and the 25 to 34 age group has dropped from 10.7% to 9.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Ferny Hills, with the 85+ age group expected to grow by 182% (from 198 to 558 people). Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 54% of population growth. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 age groups are expected to experience population declines.