Fern Bay
NSW 2295 · Port Stephens
4,046 (2021) → 4,453 est. (2025) · Moderate Growth
Part of the Port Stephens local government area (est. 79,727 residents)
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Fern Bay is a moderate growth suburb in Port Stephens, NSW 2295, about 126km from Sydney CBD. Its median house price of $971K is around the same as the NSW average. The suburb has 1 school, a transport score of 26/100, and is right by the coast. Fern Bay has an overall score of 39/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 92/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
Housing tenure
- Owned
- Mortgage
- Rented
Commute to work
- Car
- Public transport
- Walk/cycle
- Work from home
Top countries of birth: England (3.98%), New Zealand (1.24%), Philippines (0.59%), South Africa (0.49%), Ireland (0.4%)
Top languages: Afrikaans (0.37%), Spanish (0.37%), Mandarin (0.3%), Korean (0.27%), Cantonese (0.25%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Property
Median price history
Source: NSW Valuer General · Updated Q4 2025
Residential Safety
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.
Source: BOCSAR · Updated 2025
Schools
Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 1033 (above the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- Fern Bay Public SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1004
Nearby (within 10km)
- Stockton Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 6kmICSEA 989
- St Peter's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 6.3kmICSEA 1045
- Mayfield East Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 6.9kmICSEA 1039
- Carrington Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 7kmICSEA 986
- St Dominic's CentreCombined · Catholic · 7.3kmICSEA 996
- San Clemente High SchoolSecondary · Catholic · 7.4kmICSEA 1039
- Tighes Hill Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 7.6kmICSEA 1110
- St Columban's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 7.6kmICSEA 1034
- Hunter Christian SchoolCombined · Independent · 7.6kmICSEA 1053
- Newcastle Grammar Bolton Street CampusSecondary · Independent · 7.8km
- Newcastle Grammar SchoolCombined · Independent · 7.9kmICSEA 1172
- Newcastle East Public SchoolPrimary · Government · 8.1kmICSEA 1114
Source: ACARA 2023
Transport
Source: TfNSW GTFS
Liveability
Amenities within 2–3km
Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap
Population & Growth
Moderate GrowthSource: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI
Nearby suburbs in Port Stephens
Compare Fern Bay with another suburb
Compare two suburbs
Frequently asked questions about Fern Bay
Is Fern Bay safe?
Fern Bay has a residential safety score of 92/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 2,941 per 100,000 across all categories.
What are property prices in Fern Bay?
In Fern Bay, the median house price is $971K and the median unit price is $678K. Median weekly house rent is $760.
How far is Fern Bay from Sydney CBD?
Fern Bay is about 125.5 km from Sydney CBD.
What schools are in Fern Bay?
Fern Bay has 1 school, with an average ICSEA of 1004 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Fern Bay?
Fern Bay has a transport score of 26/100 and 18 bus stops.