Median house price
$570k
-18% change
NSW · Bellingen Council
Fernbrook, 2453
Est. population · Jun 2025
132
Growth (1 yr)
0.0%
Growth (5 yr)
-0.8%
Median age
58
Median income
$1,271/wk
Employment rate
57.5%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$570,000
Languages at home
Mostly English at home
2021 Census · usual residence
- Excellent transport
Suburb profile
In Bellingen Council, Fernbrook keeps a rural calm, a smaller community with room to breathe and a strong local rhythm. An older demographic makes it especially popular with retirees, with families and grandchildren still a visible part of community life. The town centre holds its own, with enough local flavour to make staying close to home appealing.
Open space is thinner than in many comparable suburbs, so residents often travel a little further for a longer park day. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here, with buses covering longer trips across the wider area. The local market is more attainable than many surrounding suburbs.
Crime trends have improved of late compared with the previous period. The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
At a glance
Fernbrook snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
—
No data available
Population (ERP)
132
0.0% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
17.2%
Census unoccupied dwellings
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Safety
16th
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
19th
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Housing
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $570,000
- Median price change
- -18.3%
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- DCJ rent and sales tables — NSW Department of Communities and Justice · October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
132(June 2025)
0.0% annual · -0.8% over 5 years · 19th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- 0.0%
- 5-year growth
- -0.8%
- Change in 1 year
- 0
- Change in 5 years
- -1
- Growth rank in NSW
- 19th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~150), extrapolated at -0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 131
- Median age
- 58
- Median household income / week
- $1,271
- Dwelling vacancy
- 17.2%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 11 of 64
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,107
- Employment rate
- 57.5%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 50 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
- Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries
Community & culture
No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 5
- Against the person
- 2
- Against property
- 2
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 37.9
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 66 residents
- State safety percentile
- 16.3th (lower crime is better)
- Decrease (daily rate)
- -16.4%
Most common offence types
- Arson12
- Break And Enter Dwelling12
- Domestic Violence Related Assault13
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment13
- Malicious Damage To Property15
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Public transport
16 public transport stops in this suburb
- 4563 Waterfall Way
- 4680 Waterfall Way
- 4690 Waterfall Way
- Deer Vale Rd Opp Borra Creek Rd
- Waterfall Way At Fernbrook Loop Rd
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Public transport stop coverage
Data sources & freshness
- Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0) — Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed
Amenities
No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Dorrigo Multi-Purpose Service (9.3 km)
- Nearest hospital type
- Hospital
- Nearest hospital emergency
- Emergency department
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · current · Updated
NDIS participation
- NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
- 4
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 30.3
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Data sources & freshness
- NDIS participants by SA2 — National Disability Insurance Agency · 2026-Q1 · Updated · Quarterly SA2 counts allocated to suburb boundaries
Weather
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
- Usual max / min
- 26° / 19°
- Rainfall
- 504 mm · ~63 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 15°
- Rainfall
- 522 mm · ~65 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 18° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 199 mm · ~25 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 23° / 13°
- Rainfall
- 270 mm · ~34 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Temperature and humidity comfort
Data sources & freshness
- Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated
Future & Planning
Planning & development
Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).
5 planning-related records
2025· 3 proposals
December 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Agriculture5522 WATERFALL WAY FERNBROOK 2453Determined
August 2025
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia5070 WATERFALL WAY FERNBROOK 2453Determined
- Erection of a new structure; Agriculture5522 WATERFALL WAY FERNBROOK 2453Determined
2023· 1 proposal
May 2023
- Farm buildings; Change of use201 FERNBROOK LOOP ROAD FERNBROOK 2453Determined
2021· 1 proposal
October 2021
- Farm buildings5522 WATERFALL WAY FERNBROOK 2453Determined
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Online DA development application register — NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure · 2020–2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Roadworks & transport
1 active roadworks / incidents
- Check signage. Exercise caution. Reduce your speed. Reduced to one lane past downslope landslip - Use Caution.Johnsens Road, Johnsens Road08 Mar 2025 – 06 Jul 2027
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
- Federal electorate
- Cowper
- Member of Parliament
- Pat CONAGHAN (The Nationals)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 131,639
- Turnout (2025)
- 90.8%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +0.5 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 59.1%Labor 40.9%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 38.8 km away).
Coalition 49.6%Labor 50.4%
9.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.2 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- DorrigoLabor 45.0% · Coalition 55.0% TPP (2025)8.1 km away
- ThoraLabor 62.4% · Coalition 37.6% TPP (2025)17.1 km away
- GlenifferLabor 57.1% · Coalition 42.9% TPP (2025)25.1 km away
- BellingenLabor 68.5% · Coalition 31.5% TPP (2025)28.3 km away
- Bellingen NorthLabor 69.1% · Coalition 30.9% TPP (2025)29.7 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
Data sources & freshness
- Federal election results — Australian Electoral Commission · Updated · 2025 election with by-election overlays
Socio-economic
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 5/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 5/10
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
More in Bellingen Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.