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

As of May 2026, Ferny Hills' population is estimated at around 9,087, reflecting an increase of 361 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 8,726. This change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 9,071 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2025 and address validation since the Census date. The suburb's population density is approximately 886 persons per square kilometer. Natural growth contributed about 51% to Ferny Hills' recent population gains. For projections up to 2032, AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area.

Beyond 2032, Queensland State Government's SA2 area projections from 2023 based on 2021 data are adopted, applying proportional growth weightings in line with ABS Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 using 2022 data for age cohorts. By 2041, Ferny Hills is projected to increase by around 610 persons, reflecting a total increase of approximately 6.5% over the 16-year period.

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

Ferny Hills has had approximately one residential property approval per year over the past five financial years, totalling eight homes. In FY-26 so far, there have been five approvals. The population decline in recent years suggests that new supply has kept pace with demand, offering buyers good choice while developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties averaging $510,000 in construction cost value.

Compared to Greater Brisbane, Ferny Hills has lower building activity, which generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. However, building activity has accelerated recently. Nationally, Ferny Hills' activity is also lower, indicating market maturity and possible development constraints. New building activity comprises 67% standalone homes and 33% townhouses or apartments, reflecting a growing mix to cater to different price points. This differs from the current housing mix of 95% houses, likely due to reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands. The area's estimated population per dwelling approval is 4480 people.

By 2041, Ferny Hills is projected to grow by 594 residents. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 17 projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects are Hills Quarter Everton Hills, Arana Hills Plaza Ambience Upgrade, Everton Rise, and Everton Hills Central. The following details those deemed 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 places Ferny Hills well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Ferny Hills has an educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate was 2.9% in the past year, showing a growth of 0.9%. As of December 2025, 5,206 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.3%, below Greater Brisbane's rate of 4.1%.

Workforce participation was 73.3%, close to Greater Brisbane's 69.6%. Notably, 27.2% of residents worked from home in the Census responses, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Education & training had a high concentration with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Conversely, manufacturing showed lower representation at 3.6% compared to the regional average of 6.4%. Employment opportunities locally might be limited as indicated by the working population versus resident population count. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 0.9%, labour force grew by 1.0%, resulting in a slight rise in unemployment to 3.7%. In comparison, Greater Brisbane recorded higher growth rates with employment increasing by 3.2% and labour force by 3.0%, while unemployment fell slightly to 4.0%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest potential future demand within Ferny Hills. National employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Ferny Hills' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

Ferny Hills' median income among taxpayers was $58,693 in the financial year ended June 2023. The suburb's average income stood at $69,509 during the same period. In comparison, Greater Brisbane had a median income of $58,236 and an average income of $72,799. Based on the Wage Price Index growth rate of 11.36% from July 2023 to March 2026, Ferny Hills' estimated median income would be approximately $65,361 and its average income around $77,405 by March 2026. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data for 2021, Ferny Hills ranked between the 74th and 81st percentiles nationally for household, family, and personal incomes. Income distribution showed that 33.2% of residents (3,016 people) earned between $1,500 to $2,999 per week, similar to the regional level where 33.3% fell into this bracket. Ferny Hills demonstrated affluence with 33.9% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings in the area. After accounting for housing costs, residents retained 86.8% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile nationally.

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

Ferny Hills' dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, comprised 95.1% houses and 4.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). 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 was $1,972, higher than Brisbane metro's $1,863. Median weekly rent was $448 compared to Brisbane metro's $380. Nationally, Ferny Hills' mortgage repayments were above the 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 account for 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, which is 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 also prevalent, with 33.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (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 serving buses. These are covered by two routes offering a total of 153 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is good, with residents living an average of 283 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards daily. Cars are the primary mode at 84%, while trains account for 11%. The area has 1.6 vehicles per dwelling on average, higher than the regional norm.

According to the 2021 Census, 27.2% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Buses run an average of 21 trips daily across all routes, equating to about four weekly trips per 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, according to AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

The level of common health conditions among the general population is somewhat typical but higher than the national average among older cohorts. Private health cover is found to be fairly high at approximately 55% of the total population (~4,975 people). The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 9.8 and 7.7% of residents respectively. 67.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.2% across Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among the working-age population are broadly typical. The area has 17.4% of residents aged 65 and over (1,581 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Brisbane. Health outcomes among 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, surveyed in 2016, showed a below-average cultural diversity level with 83.8% Australian-born residents, 92.7% citizens, and 93.8% using English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 48.4%. Notably, Judaism's representation was slightly higher than the Brisbane average (0.1% vs 0.1%).

The top three ancestry groups were English (29.7%), Australian (27.6%), and Irish (10.3%). Scottish ancestry was notably overrepresented at 9.6%, compared to 7.4% regionally, while Welsh was at 0.8% (vs 0.5%) and New Zealand at 1.0% (matching the regional figure).

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 cohort is notably over-represented in Ferny Hills at 14.8%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 10.0%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group grew from 5.8% to 7.5% of the population, and the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 11.1% to 12.4%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 age group declined from 9.2% to 7.7%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Ferny Hills. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 175%, reaching 550 people from 199, leading the demographic shift. Residents aged 65 and older are expected to represent 62% of the population growth. Conversely, the 5 to 14 and 0 to 4 age groups are anticipated to experience population declines.