Urban Centre · Area profile
Fernvale
6 km²
Daily life in Fernvale revolves around family and cars in a community that has grown by 155% since 2011. This is a much younger area than most, with a typical resident aged just 34 and a very high proportion of children. The neighborhood is dominated by large, detached family homes, which fits the trend of larger households and a high number of parents caring for children. It is a rapidly expanding place where many people have moved in recently.
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The population is noticeably younger than the national figure, with children under 15 making up 27.2% of the community. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people represent 6.5% of residents, which is well above the Australian average.
Most residents were born in Australia, and those with English or Australian ancestry are the most common. Only 12.6% of people were born overseas, a figure far below the national average.
English is the primary language for 93% of the community. Only 3.1% of residents use another language at home, which is far below the national figure.
More than half of residents (51.6%) report having no religion, a figure far above the national average. This is a significant increase from 2011, when only 23.5% felt this way.
While 49% of residents have completed Year 12, the proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher (11.5%) is far below the national figure.
Typical weekly household income is $1,759, which is about the same as the national figure. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen sharply since 2011.
About 32% of people have a long-term health condition, and 12% have a mental health condition, which is well above the national average.
Unpaid care is common here; 36.2% of people care for children, which is among the highest for similar areas. There is also a strong presence of former Defence Force members at 7%.
Homes are larger than usual, with an average of 3.0 people per household. This is consistent with the high number of couples with children (62%) and far fewer people living alone than in other areas.
The area is almost entirely made up of separate houses (98.8%), and 96.6% of homes have three or more bedrooms. Very few residents own their homes outright compared to the rest of the state.
Car use is essential, as 68.6% of people drive to work and only 0.4% use public transport. Only 1.7% of homes have no motor vehicle.
The community is very mobile, with 48.9% of people moving house in the last five years, which is well above the national average.
More adults are working or looking for work (63.9%) than in most similar areas, and full-time employment has risen since 2011.
Fernvale is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score far below the state average. Only 9% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school.