Ferny Hills vs LawntonTwo Brisbane suburbs compared for a home loan
Ferny Hills (QLD 4055) is approximately 16 km north-west of the Brisbane CBD, along Samford Road beside Samford Conservation Park. Lawnton (QLD 4501) is approximately 25 km north of the Brisbane CBD, between the North Pine River and the South Pine River. At the 2021 Census, Ferny Hills had 8,726 residents with a median age of 40, and Lawnton had 5,905 residents with a median age of 37.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 0% of occupied dwellings in Ferny Hills and 6% in Lawnton, while 14% of Ferny Hills households rented compared with 41% in Lawnton. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
QLD 4055 · Hills District
Ferny Hills
Ferny Hills is a Hills District suburb where three-bedroom houses were 1,665 of 3,068 occupied homes and the median age reached 40 in 2021.
City of Moreton Bay. Approximately 16 km north-west of the Brisbane CBD, along Samford Road beside Samford Conservation Park.
Read the full Ferny Hills guideQLD 4501 · Pine Rivers
Lawnton
Lawnton is a Moreton Bay rail suburb bounded by two rivers where median household income of $1,371 was the lowest in this group.
City of Moreton Bay. Approximately 25 km north of the Brisbane CBD, between the North Pine River and the South Pine River.
Read the full Lawnton guide
What buying in Ferny Hills and Lawnton would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Ferny Hills and Lawnton.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Ferny Hills to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Lawnton to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Ferny Hills and Lawnton: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Ferny Hills | Lawnton |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 8,726 | 5,905 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 40 | 37 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,271 | $1,371 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $448 | $320 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,972 | $1,517 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 14% | 41% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 51% | 36% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 33% | 21% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 95% | 69% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 5% | 25% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 0% | 6% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 6% | 21% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 39% | 22% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 3% | 5% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Ferny Hills and Lawnton
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Ferny Hills
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Extensions on sloping lots are often funded as staged construction loans against an as-if-complete valuation.
- Variations agreed with a builder after loan approval are not automatically funded and create a gap.
- Bushfire hazard mapping beside Samford Conservation Park should be confirmed for the specific address.
- Flood and overland flow exposure needs a City of Moreton Bay flood check property report.
- Long held houses can carry unapproved decks, carports and conversions, so inspection matters.
Lawnton
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Median household income of $1,371 against the national $1,746 makes assessed serviceability the binding constraint.
- Minimum internal floor area rules affect the 93 one-bedroom dwellings and four studios recorded at the Census.
- Two river boundaries make an address specific flood check property report essential before signing.
- Body corporate levies on the 707 attached dwellings count as a committed expense in the assessment.
- Median weekly rent of $320 sat below the national $375, which matters to an investor's arithmetic.
Housing stock in Ferny Hills and Lawnton compared
Ferny Hills
- Three-bedroom detached houses
- At the 2021 Census, 1,665 of 3,068 occupied private dwellings had three bedrooms.
- Larger family houses
- Dwellings with four bedrooms numbered 896 and those with five or more numbered 296.
- Limited attached housing
- Townhouses numbered 147, or 4.8 per cent, and only four flats or apartments were recorded.
Lawnton
- Older detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,604 at the 2021 Census, 69.3 per cent of occupied homes.
- Townhouses
- Semi-detached and townhouse dwellings numbered 567, or 24.5 per cent, about double the national 12.6 per cent.
- A small apartment stock
- Flats and apartments numbered 140, or 6.1 per cent, the highest share among these six suburbs.
Official sale price and rent figures for Ferny Hills and Lawnton
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Ferny Hills
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Ferny Hills, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Lawnton
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Lawnton, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Ferny Hills and Lawnton
Ferny Hills
Transport
- Ferny Grove station (train)
- Keperra station (train)
- Translink bus services (bus)
- Samford Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Ferny Hills State School (primary, government)
- Patricks Road State School (primary, government)
Amenities
- Samford Conservation Park
- Ferny Fair
- Ferny Hills State School
- Patricks Road State School
Lawnton
Transport
- Lawnton station (train)
- Petrie station (train)
- Gympie Road buses (bus)
- Gympie Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Lawnton State School (primary, government)
- Pine Rivers Special School (special, government)
Amenities
- Pine Rivers Showgrounds
- Leis Park
- Lawnton Swimming Pool
- Lawnton Cemetery
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the Queensland education department.
Compare Ferny Hills or Lawnton with another suburb
Change either suburb, or add a third.
Related comparisons
Request a free assessment: Ferny Hills or Lawnton
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Ferny Hills and Lawnton, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.