Median house price
$1.34M
+12% change
NSW · Wollongong Council
Fernhill, 2519
Est. population · Jun 2025
1,001
Growth (1 yr)
+0.6%
Growth (5 yr)
+2.1%
Median age
45
Median income
$1,107/wk
Employment rate
43.3%
Median house price · October to December 2025
$1,338,000
Languages at home
16%non-English
Most common: Italian, Turkish, Samoan
2021 Census · usual residence
Desirability score
- Education hub
- Excellent transport
- High desirability
Suburb profile
In Wollongong Council, Fernhill is a settled smaller community where everyday shopping leans on neighbouring suburbs. Established families and long-term residents give the suburb a settled feel, with a strong presence of young families throughout. Local schools rate highly against similar suburbs.
Everyday cafés are limited locally, with the wider metro area covering the bigger food and entertainment trips. Green space punches above what many metro suburbs offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield.
Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.
The overall desirability read is below average, pulled by softer community and employment compared with similar metro suburbs, though growth momentum remain brighter spots. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
At a glance
Fernhill snapshot
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median rent
$725/wk
Houses $825 · Units $550
Population (ERP)
1,001
+0.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
6.7%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#100
among Metro Sydney · Mature
Safety
42nd
percentile in state (higher = safer)
Pop. growth
53rd
percentile in NSW
Advantage (IRSAD)
3/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
67th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
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
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
- Desirability score
- 33.7/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 4920th in Australia
- State rank
- 1575th in NSW
- Peer rank
- #100 among Metro Sydney · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #785 among Metro Sydney suburbs
- Data confidence
- 89%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
- Flats / units (January to March 2026)
- $550
- Houses (January to March 2026)
- $825
- All types (January to March 2026)
- $725
- Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
- 140
- Median house price (October to December 2025)
- $1,338,000
- Median price change
- +11.9%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
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 · January to March 2026; October to December 2025 · Updated · Quarterly releases
Population
Estimated resident population
1,001(June 2025)
+0.6% annual · +2.1% over 5 years · 53th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
- Annual growth
- +0.6%
- 5-year growth
- +2.1%
- Change in 1 year
- +6
- Change in 5 years
- +21
- Growth rank in NSW
- 53th 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 (~1,000), extrapolated at +0.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
- Population
- 987
- Median age
- 45
- Median household income / week
- $1,107
- Dwelling vacancy
- 6.7%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 30 of 450
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,167
- Employment rate
- 43.3%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 276 / 101 / 44
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 increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
- Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
- 60
- Against the person
- 13
- Against property
- 23
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 59.9
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 76 residents
- State safety percentile
- 41.7th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +9.4%
Most common offence types
- Fraud68
- Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment70
- Malicious Damage To Property81
- Steal From Retail Store61
- Transport Regulatory Offences163
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
Schools & preschools
- Schools within 2 km
- 9
- Median school ICSEA (9 schools)
- 1,046
- Median ICSEA percentile
- 67th
School list
- Tarrawanna Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 982 · 38th percentile · LBOTE 20% · 164 students · Top SEA quarter 15% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
- Wollongong Flexible SchoolSpecial · Independent · ICSEA 895 · 10th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 71 students · Top SEA quarter 6% · 0.5 km awayView on My School →
- Fairy Meadow Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1002 · 48th percentile · LBOTE 26% · 342 students · Top SEA quarter 18% · 0.8 km awayView on My School →
- Towradgi Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1031 · 60th percentile · LBOTE 34% · 134 students · Top SEA quarter 22% · 1.3 km awayView on My School →
- Good Samaritan Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1081 · 79th percentile · LBOTE 20% · 335 students · Top SEA quarter 31% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
- Balgownie Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1076 · 77th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 329 students · Top SEA quarter 32% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →
- Corrimal East Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1046 · 67th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 297 students · Top SEA quarter 26% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
- Mount Ousley Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1079 · 78th percentile · LBOTE 30% · 193 students · Top SEA quarter 32% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
- St Columbkille's Catholic Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1073 · 76th percentile · LBOTE 14% · 339 students · Top SEA quarter 27% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · 2025 · Updated · Annual release
Public transport
13 public transport stops in this suburb
- Caldwell Av At Charles Rd
- Princes Hwy Opp Hope St
- Princes Hwy Opp Hope St
- Pringle Rd Before Douglas Rd
- Pringle Rd Before Wallace 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
6 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
Local character & venue list
Local character
- Limited walkable amenities nearby
- Great for outdoor family life — 3 parks mapped in suburb
- Reasonable bus and transport access — 13 public transport stops
- Walkability proxy
- 20/100
- Cafés per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Food & drink per 1,000 residents
- 0
- Parks per 1,000 residents
- 3.04
Sport & outdoors(3)
- Park (2)
- Phil Miller ParkPark
Transport(3)
3 bus stops
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.
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
Parks & reserves
1 parks and public open space in this suburb
- Phil Miller ParkPark
Data sources & freshness
- Parks & reserves — State government + ABS LGA boundaries · current · Updated
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 3
- Parks (OSM)
- 3
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated
Health access
- Nearest hospital
- Victoria Street Private Hospital (4.2 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)
- 29
- Participants per 1,000 residents
- 29.0
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
- 25° / 17°
- Rainfall
- 321 mm · ~40 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
- Usual max / min
- 22° / 14°
- Rainfall
- 359 mm · ~45 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
- Usual max / min
- 17° / 8°
- Rainfall
- 263 mm · ~33 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
- Usual max / min
- 21° / 12°
- Rainfall
- 242 mm · ~30 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.
2026· 4 proposals
May 2026
- Subdivision97 MEADOW STREET FERNHILL 2519Determined
April 2026
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Residential Accommodation53 DOUGLAS ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure29 WRIGHT STREET FERNHILL 2519Determined
February 2026
- Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure112/1317855Determined
2025· 10 proposals
December 2025
- Subdivision112/139965Determined
November 2025
- Subdivision25 WALLACE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
- Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (attached)118 MEADOW STREET FERNHILL 2519Determined
August 2025
- Temporary building, structure or use; Market112/-/DP1013114Determined
- Demolition; Subdivision; Medium Density Housing; Erection of a new structure10 PRINGLE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
May 2025
- Subdivision25 WALLACE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
- Shed; Erection of a new structure36 WALLACE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
March 2025
- Dual occupancy; Demolition; Erection of a new structure27 WALLACE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
- Place of public worship; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Hours of operation and trading2 DOUGLAS ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
January 2025
- Erection of a new structure; Vehicle Sales or Hire Premises112/-/DP1295331Determined
2024· 6 proposals
August 2024
- Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)27 WALLACE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Withdrawn
May 2024
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure55 DOUGLAS ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
April 2024
- Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure33 CHARLES ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
- Subdivision112/-/1231824Determined
January 2024
- Dual occupancy; Demolition; Subdivision; Erection of a new structure1 ANGUS STREET FERNHILL 2519Determined
- Dual occupancy; Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached)4 DOUGLAS ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
2023· 9 proposals
December 2023
- Secondary dwelling; Erection of a new structure29 DOUGLAS ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
- Demolition; Industrial development47 PRINGLE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
November 2023
- Demolition; Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Carport; Driveways and hard stand spaces; Garage, carport or carparking space; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external); Residential Accommodation2 WALLACE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
September 2023
- Demolition15 PRINGLE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
August 2023
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs; Demolition; Alterations and additions to residential development55 DOUGLAS ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces29 WRIGHT STREET FERNHILL 2519Determined
June 2023
- Pools / decks / fencing; Alterations and additions to residential development; Garages, carports and car parking spaces29 WRIGHT STREET FERNHILL 2519Determined
May 2023
- Alterations and additions to residential development39 WALLACE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
February 2023
- Dual occupancy; Demolition3 MADDEN STREET FERNHILL 2519Determined
2022· 6 proposals
November 2022
- Pools / decks / fencing; Garages, carports and car parking spaces; Other70 WALLACE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
September 2022
- Industrial development51 PRINGLE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
August 2022
- Balconies, decks, patios, terraces or verandahs28 DOUGLAS ROAD FERNHILL 2519Withdrawn
July 2022
- Demolition; Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision of land21 PRINGLE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
June 2022
- Alterations and additions to residential development33 CHARLES ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
March 2022
- Demolition16 WALLACE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
2021· 5 proposals
December 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development74 WALLACE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
October 2021
- Garages, carports and car parking spaces40 BRUCE ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
- Subdivision of land26 CHARLES ROAD FERNHILL 2519Determined
August 2021
- Alterations and additions to residential development3 ANGUS STREET FERNHILL 2519Determined
- Business premises8 Angus StreetDetermined
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 · 2026 · Updated · Daily feed (from Oct 2018)
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
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
- Cunningham
- Member of Parliament
- Alison BYRNES (Australian Labor Party)
- Results from
- 2025 federal election
- Electorate enrolment (2025)
- 132,139
- Turnout (2025)
- 92.4%
- Swing since 2022 (2025)
- +2.5 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 32.5%Labor 67.5%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 2.1 km away).
Coalition 30.3%Labor 69.7%
2.2 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.3 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
- TarrawannaLabor 70.6% · Coalition 29.4% TPP (2025)0.5 km away
- Fairy MeadowLabor 71.3% · Coalition 28.7% TPP (2025)0.6 km away
- Balgownie CentralLabor 63.9% · Coalition 36.1% TPP (2025)1.1 km away
- CorrimalLabor 69.2% · Coalition 30.8% TPP (2025)1.2 km away
- TowradgiLabor 68.4% · Coalition 31.6% TPP (2025)1.2 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)
- 3/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 2/10
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 Wollongong Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.