The numbers, in plain English
To rent in Ferntree Gully without housing stress, a household income of about $95,000/year keeps the rent of $550/week at or below 30% of gross income — the standard affordability benchmark. That rent is our modelled median (no bond data published for Ferntree Gully yet). Check your income →
To buy the median home ($900,000) with a 20% deposit of $180k, repayments at 6.2% over 30 years come to about $4,410/month — comfortable on roughly $176,000/year under the same 30% rule. Saving that deposit at $1,500/month takes about 10.0 years, before stamp duty of $49k. Run your own loan →
That price is the real median of 344 house sales in Ferntree Gully, published by the state land authority — not an estimate.
Compared to the rest of Victoria, Ferntree Gully is more expensive to buy than 91% of the state's suburbs (state median $330k) and pricier to rent than 77% (state median $445/week). It sits roughly 29 km from the Melbourne CBD as the crow flies.
For investors, the median rent against the median price gives a gross rental yield of about 3.2% before costs. Net yield calculator →
Modelled medians, not valuations — every formula above is documented on our methodology page.
Affordability by income
$60k income
Rent (550/wk)
Over budget
Budget: $346/wk
Buy ($900k)
Repayments are a stretch
$4,317/mo · deposit in ~20yr
$90k income
Rent (550/wk)
Over budget
Budget: $519/wk
Buy ($900k)
Repayments are a stretch
$4,317/mo · deposit in ~13.4yr
$120k income
Rent (550/wk)
Affordable
Budget: $692/wk
Buy ($900k)
Repayments are a stretch
$4,317/mo · deposit in ~10yr
Based on 30% gross income rule for rent; 6% p.a. / 30-year P&I loan at 20% deposit for purchase; 15% savings rate for deposit timeline.
Upfront buying costs
| Purchase price | $900k |
| 20% deposit (no LMI) | $180k |
| Stamp duty (Victoria) | $49k |
| Stamp duty (first home buyer) | Same — check eligibility |
| Conveyancing (est.) | $1,500 – $3,000 |
| Building inspection (est.) | $400 – $700 |
| Total upfront (est.) | $232k |
Who lives here & what's nearby
Real figures for Ferntree Gully — measured, not modelled.
How Ferntree Gully compares
- Households here earn about 41% more than the typical Victoria suburb.
- Younger than average — a median age of 40 vs 46 statewide.
Demographics from the ABS 2021 Census; distances and school counts from OpenStreetMap. Comparisons are against the median suburb in Victoria. Suburb-level price trends aren't shown because no open source publishes them reliably yet — see our data sources.
Neighbourhood at a Glance
Indicative scores based on ABS Census data modelling. Always conduct your own research.
Government schemes that may apply
First Home Guarantee (FHBG)
Buy with as little as 5% deposit, no LMI. Up to 35,000 places/year nationwide.
Learn more →First Home Owner Grant (FHOG)
Victoria offers a grant for eligible first home buyers purchasing new builds. Amounts vary.
Learn more →First Home Super Saver (FHSS)
Save up to $50k inside super (taxed at 15% instead of marginal rate), then withdraw for a deposit.
Learn more →Stamp duty concessions
Most states offer full or partial stamp duty exemptions for first home buyers. VIC has its own thresholds.
Learn more →Similar suburbs in Victoria
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Rent data for Ferntree Gully sourced from the ABS 2021 Census, scaled by rental CPI to current values. Calculations use 30% gross income rule, 20% deposit, 6% p.a. loan rate over 30 years. Not financial advice.