Is Ferntree Gully a nice place to live?

Ferntree Gully sits at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, with native bushland, the Kokoda Track 1000 Steps and a retail strip on Burwood Highway. The community is made up largely of couples with children, who account for 45.9% of families, and most homes are owner-occupied. Everyday life centres on the village shops on Burwood Highway, the Belgrave line station, cafés, local sporting clubs and the walking tracks into the national park, and the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk, commonly known as the 1000 Steps, is set for a $600,000 upgrade to replace sections of the steps and handrails.

Is it expensive to live in Ferntree Gully?

On the figures for Ferntree Gully, a typical local household earned $1,770 a week at the last Census. With house rent at $650 a week and unit rent at $550 a week, renting a house would take about 37% of that weekly household income and renting a unit about 31%, which are sizeable shares of a typical local income. Buying sits further beyond local incomes: the median house price of $900,000 is about 9.8 times a typical local annual household income, and the median unit price of $693,500 is about 7.5 times annual income, so on these figures purchasing—especially a house—sits well above what a typical local household earned. Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Is Ferntree Gully a good place to invest?

House values in Ferntree Gully climbed a strong 10.4% over the past 12 months, while house rents rose a modest 4.8%. For houses, capital growth outpaced rental income over that period. Unit values increased a solid 7.2% over the same 12 months, with unit rents up a modest 3.8%. Growth in house values exceeded unit value growth, and house rents rose slightly more than unit rents. This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

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Ferntree Gully suburb profile

Ferntree Gully sits in Melbourne's outer east at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, framed by native bushland and direct access to the Dandenong Ranges National Park. The suburb is known for walking tracks such as the 1000 Steps Kokoda Track memorial and picnic reserves. A village-style retail strip along Burwood Highway and a station on the Belgrave line provide everyday shops and rail links.

Street scenes are leafy, with a mix of interwar cottages, postwar brick homes and more recent suburban builds on gently sloping blocks. Community life centres on cafés and local sporting clubs, weekend bushwalks in the park and regular neighbourhood amenities, while road connections keep the area tied into the wider metropolitan network.

Ferntree Gully property market performance

Current median dwelling price$796,750Past 3 months

Property growth+8.8%Past 12 months

Ferntree Gully's median house price is $900,000, up 10.4% over 12 months, a sharp rise, while the median unit price is $693,500, up 7.2% over 12 months, a solid rise. House values rose more strongly than unit values, and units typically spent 15 days on market, so they sold more quickly than houses.

In Ferntree Gully house rents rose 4.8% over 12 months, and house values ran ahead of rents.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	$900K	$694K
Change in value Past 12 months	10.4%	7.2%
Sold Past 3 months	65	29
Median days on market Past 12 months	23	15
Average rent Past 12 months	$650	$550
Change in rent Past 12 months	4.8%	3.8%

5 year median price trend for houses and units

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Ferntree Gully demographics

Ferntree Gully is a community where couples with children are the largest family group and most homes are owner-occupied.

Couples with children make up 45.9% of families and homes with a mortgage account for 43.7% of homes. At the 2021 Census, 27,398 people lived in Ferntree Gully.

Ferntree Gully and Victoria

	Suburb	VIC
Median age years	40	38
Median household income weekly	$1,770	$1,759
Couples with children share of families	45.9%	45.5%
Couples without children share of families	35.0%	37.6%
One-parent families share of families	17.6%	15.2%
Homes owned outright share of homes	34.5%	33.2%
Homes with a mortgage share of homes	43.7%	37.3%
Homes rented share of homes	21.7%	29.5%

Source: ABS 2021 Census. Shares of homes exclude other and not-stated tenure.

Ferntree Gully infrastructure, key developments and investment opportunities

Ferntree Gully's Kokoda Track Memorial Walk, commonly known as the 1000 Steps, is set for a $600,000 upgrade in 2026, with works to replace sections of the steps and handrails. In 2026 Ferntree Gully Library was also awarded Living Libraries funding for two new study/meeting pods, with installation expected in the months after the announcement.

Suburbs near Ferntree Gully

Some popular suburbs near Ferntree Gully include:

How does Ferntree Gully compare to nearby suburbs?

Median house prices: Ferntree Gully’s median house price is 7.8% higher than Upper Ferntree Gully’s.
Median unit prices: Ferntree Gully’s median unit price is 7.8% higher than Boronia’s.
House price growth: Over the past 12 months, house prices in Ferntree Gully have grown 11.9% higher than in Upper Ferntree Gully.
Unit price growth: Property prices in nearby Boronia have risen 0.2% more than in Ferntree Gully over the past year.
Selling speed for houses: Properties in Ferntree Gully are selling 11.5% faster than in Upper Ferntree Gully.
Selling speed for units: Properties in Ferntree Gully are selling 6.3% faster than in Boronia.
Investment considerations: In Ferntree Gully, the rental yield for house is 2.2% higher than the Melbourne average, while the rental yield for units is 7.6% lower.
House price growth: Over the past 12 months, house prices in Ferntree Gully have grown 7.5% lower than the average rate of growth across Melbourne.
Unit price growth:Over the past 12 months, unit prices in Ferntree Gully have grown 19.7% higher than the average rate of growth for units across Melbourne.

Common questions about Ferntree Gully

Is Ferntree Gully a nice place to live?
Ferntree Gully sits at the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, with native bushland, the Kokoda Track 1000 Steps and a retail strip on Burwood Highway.

The community is made up largely of couples with children, who account for 45.9% of families, and most homes are owner-occupied. Everyday life centres on the village shops on Burwood Highway, the Belgrave line station, cafés, local sporting clubs and the walking tracks into the national park, and the Kokoda Track Memorial Walk, commonly known as the 1000 Steps, is set for a $600,000 upgrade to replace sections of the steps and handrails.
Is it expensive to live in Ferntree Gully?
On the figures for Ferntree Gully, a typical local household earned $1,770 a week at the last Census. With house rent at $650 a week and unit rent at $550 a week, renting a house would take about 37% of that weekly household income and renting a unit about 31%, which are sizeable shares of a typical local income.

Buying sits further beyond local incomes: the median house price of $900,000 is about 9.8 times a typical local annual household income, and the median unit price of $693,500 is about 7.5 times annual income, so on these figures purchasing—especially a house—sits well above what a typical local household earned.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.
Is Ferntree Gully a good place to invest?
House values in Ferntree Gully climbed a strong 10.4% over the past 12 months, while house rents rose a modest 4.8%. For houses, capital growth outpaced rental income over that period.

Unit values increased a solid 7.2% over the same 12 months, with unit rents up a modest 3.8%. Growth in house values exceeded unit value growth, and house rents rose slightly more than unit rents.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

Choose the right real estate agents in Ferntree Gully

Choosing the right real estate agent in Ferntree Gully can have a big impact on your sale. While there are 128 real estate agents working in the suburb, but just 5 of them were responsible for 30.1% of all property sales over the past year, showing a strong footprint and track record in the area.

Commission rates typically range from 1.71% to 2.57%, depending on the agent and what’s included. Comparing both performance and fee structures can help you find someone who's well-suited to your needs, and set them up for a successful result.