Fairy Meadow vs Fernhill.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $1,250,000 and $1,275,000. Fairy Meadow edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
Fairy Meadow (median $1,250,000) is roughly 2% cheaper to buy into than Fernhill ($1,275,000). Over the past year, Fernhill (+20.9%) ran 16.7 percentage points ahead of Fairy Meadow (+4.2%) on house-price growth.
Fairy Meadow scores higher on walkability (22/100 vs 4/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Fairy Meadow (1056) sits above Fernhill (1019). Fairy Meadow skews owner-occupied (56%), Fernhill runs more rental-dense (45% owner).
For buyers
Fairy Meadow is the lower entry point at $1,250,000 median, 2% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Investors face a yield-versus-growth split: Fairy Meadow delivers the better gross yield (3.12% vs 3.06%), but Fernhill has run faster on capital growth this year. The right pick depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow or capital appreciation.
For families
Fairy Meadow edges out on average school ICSEA (1056 vs 1019).
Common questions
Is Fairy Meadow or Fernhill cheaper to buy in?
Fairy Meadow has the lower median house price at $1,250,000, roughly 2% below Fernhill ($1,275,000). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Fairy Meadow or Fernhill?
Over the past 12 months, Fernhill grew +20.9% vs +4.2% in Fairy Meadow, a gap of 16.7 percentage points. Twelve-month growth can swing year to year, so weight long-run trends from the individual suburb profiles before making a buy decision.
Does Fairy Meadow or Fernhill have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Fairy Meadow scores 1056 vs 1019 in Fernhill. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.
Which is more walkable, Fairy Meadow or Fernhill?
Fairy Meadow scores 22/100 on walkability vs 4/100. Above 70 is considered very walkable (most errands on foot), 50-69 is walkable for some errands, below 50 typically requires a car for daily life.
Which suburb has higher rental yield, Fairy Meadow or Fernhill?
Gross rental yield on houses is 3.12% in Fairy Meadow vs 3.06% in Fernhill. Gross yield equals annual rent divided by purchase price. Net yield (after strata, rates, insurance, agent fees and maintenance) typically runs 1.5-2 percentage points lower.
The numbers behind the take
Price & Market
Rental
Lifestyle & Demographics
Risk & Hazard
Schools
Climate
Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).
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