Ferntree Gully
VICFerntree Gully is a stable suburb in VIC with 27,398 residents.
- SAL code
- 20917
- SA2
- 211011447
- Population
- 27,398
- LGA
- Knox
Ferntree Gully, VIC had 27,398 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 0.6% growth over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 40. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,918 a month. Around 76.3% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 42.6%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 88.2% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 86 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Ferntree Gully, VIC at a glance
Ferntree Gully is an established outer-east Melbourne suburb ~30 km from the CBD in the City of Knox, sitting at the foot of the Dandenong Ranges. Predominantly post-war and 70s/80s detached housing on standard quarter-acre blocks, with two railway stations and the Westfield Knox / Mountain Gate retail spine close at hand. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market and council pipeline context.
For homebuyers
Ferntree Gully suits buyers who want a settled, treed eastern-suburbs feel without paying inner-east prices. Stock is mostly 3- and 4-bedroom detached houses on standard lots, with a steady drip of townhouse infill near the main roads. Mountain Gate Shopping Centre (Woolworths, services) anchors the south of the suburb; Westfield Knox is a short drive up Burwood Highway for the bigger weekly shop and a movie. Two stations on the Belgrave line — Ferntree Gully and Upper Ferntree Gully — put the CBD ~45 minutes away by train, and EastLink is on the doorstep for Monash and the south-east employment belt. Schools include Mountain Gate Primary, Ferntree Gully North Primary, Fairhills High and St Joseph's College, with Kokoda Memorial Walk and the 1882-gazetted Dandenong Ranges National Park edge giving the suburb its weekend-walk identity. In short: an established outer-east family suburb with twin train stations, retail close by, and bushland on its eastern edge.
For investors
Ferntree Gully is a steady owner-occupier-led market with modest yields. Median house sale $931,500 against $630/week rent gives a 3.55% gross yield; units sit at $710,000 / $582 rent for 4.46% (Your Investment Property May 2026, CoreLogic). 12-month house growth +4.66% (quarterly +0.70%); units +4.41% (quarterly +2.16%). 352 house and 153 unit sales in the past 12 months — a deep, liquid market — with houses moving in 24 days and units in 21.
Strengths
- Deep transaction market — ~505 sales/yr across houses + units makes entry and exit straightforward.
- Fast leasing turnover (24 days houses, 21 days units; Your Investment Property May 2026) and a Melbourne-wide vacancy near multi-year lows (SQM March 2026, ~1.0% nationally).
- Two Belgrave-line stations plus EastLink access — commuter optionality the rest of the eastern fringe doesn't all share.
- Unit segment delivers a meaningfully better yield (4.46% vs 3.55% for houses) for cashflow-tilted strategies.
Trade-offs
- House yield of 3.55% is below most outer-Melbourne peers — this is a capital-stability play, not a cashflow play.
- 12-month house growth +4.66% (Your Investment Property May 2026) trails the headline Melbourne dwelling index — recent capital appreciation has been modest.
- Owner-occupier dominance and largely detached stock limit value-add density plays compared to inner-east subdivision suburbs.
What's coming
Knox Council's 2025-26 capital works program totals ~$58M, including $10M on local roads and bridges, $4.8M on footpaths and cycling paths, and $3.6M on drainage. Bluett Reserve (Ferntree Gully) is in the $1.3M playground renewal pool. Council is also progressing the Ringwood-to-Belgrave Railway Trail missing-link consultation through VicTrack/Metro Trains, with feedback collected to December 2025.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a comfortable, well-serviced outer-east suburb with twin stations and the Dandenongs at the back fence. For investors: a liquid, low-vacancy hold with modest yield and modest recent growth — stability over upside.
Population
?27,398
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
+0.6%
3yr: +2.2% · 10yr: +2.3%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,770/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
40
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?6/10
SA2 · middle-range
Unemployment
?5.9%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
9
7 primary, 2 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?22
10 long day, 8 OSHC
Parks & green space
?86
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?105
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?27
Knox · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on rental bond lodgements recorded by the state government.
Median House Sale Price
Source: Valuer-General Victoria (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from VIC police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Ferntree Gully - North (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Ferntree Gully suburb alone is ~27,398 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 13,461 to 14,538 over 24 years, averaging 0.3% per year.
Schools
10 in suburbSector
7 public · 3 private
Type
6 primary · 2 secondary · 1 K-12 · 1 special
Total enrolment
3,454
Avg per school
345
Government school catchment
Catchment data is not yet available for VIC.
Source when available: Victorian Department of Education / Vicmap School Zones.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 1.9%Almost entirely detached houses (88.2%), owner-occupied (76.3%), built for families (51% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
VIC 29%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
Source: VIC DTP Designated Bushfire Prone Area
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Flood risk
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Overlay (flood codes)
As of Apr 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
23 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRZ4 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 4Residential | 38.0% | 5.33 km² |
| NRZ1 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 1Residential | 25.8% | 3.61 km² |
| PPRZ | Public Park and Recreation ZoneRecreation | 5.0% | 0.69 km² |
| LDRZ | Low Density Residential ZoneResidential | 4.4% | 0.61 km² |
| TRZ2 | TRZ2Special use | 3.6% | 0.50 km² |
| UFZ | Urban Floodway ZoneWaterway | 3.5% | 0.49 km² |
| IN1Z | Industrial 1 ZoneIndustrial | 3.5% | 0.49 km² |
| CDZ1 | Comprehensive Development Zone Schedule 1Business | 3.1% | 0.44 km² |
| C2Z | Commercial 2 ZoneBusiness | 2.2% | 0.31 km² |
| PUZ2 | Public Use Zone Schedule 2Special use | 1.8% | 0.25 km² |
| C1Z | Commercial 1 ZoneBusiness | 1.4% | 0.20 km² |
| GRZ3 | General Residential Zone Schedule 3Residential | 1.4% | 0.20 km² |
| RLZ | Rural Living ZoneRural | 1.4% | 0.19 km² |
| NRZ5 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 5Residential | 1.3% | 0.18 km² |
| TRZ3 | TRZ3Special use | 0.8% | 0.12 km² |
| TRZ1 | TRZ1Special use | 0.8% | 0.11 km² |
| SUZ1 | Special Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.7% | 0.10 km² |
| NRZ7 | Neighbourhood Residential Zone Schedule 7Residential | 0.6% | 0.08 km² |
| PCRZ | Public Conservation and Resource ZoneEnvironmental | 0.2% | 0.03 km² |
| PUZ5 | Public Use Zone Schedule 5Special use | 0.2% | 0.02 km² |
| PUZ6 | Public Use Zone Schedule 6Special use | 0.2% | 0.02 km² |
| PUZ1 | Public Use Zone Schedule 1Special use | 0.1% | 0.02 km² |
| MUZ | Mixed Use ZoneResidential | 0.1% | 0.02 km² |
Source: VIC DTP Vicmap Planning Zones (ZONE_VIC/2026-04-29/08783d2926383881) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.