Merewether - The Junction
Statistical Area - sa2

Merewether - The Junction has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

As of August 2025, Merewether - The Junction's population is approximately 14,845. This figure reflects a growth of 339 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 14,506. The increase is inferred from ABS estimates of 14,808 in June 2024 and an additional 52 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,047 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth rate of 2.3% since census is within 2.5 percentage points of the non-metro area (4.8%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 85.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median for locations outside capital cities, with the area expected to grow by 1,590 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, recording a total gain of 10.5% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Merewether - The Junction when compared nationally

Merewether-The Junction has seen approximately 66 new homes approved annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. Between FY20-FY25, around 331 dwellings were approved, with 6 approvals recorded so far in FY26. On average, each dwelling constructed over the past five financial years accommodates about 1.5 new residents per year.

This suggests a balance between supply and demand, contributing to stable market dynamics. The average construction cost of new properties is around $725,000, indicating a focus on premium segment development. In FY26, commercial approvals totalled approximately $9.6 million, reflecting moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to the rest of NSW, Merewether-The Junction has about two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks in the 59th percentile nationally, suggesting an established area with potential planning limitations.

New building activity comprises roughly 54% standalone homes and 46% attached dwellings, offering varied housing types across price ranges. With around 266 people per dwelling approval, it indicates a low-density area. By 2041, projections estimate Merewether-The Junction will add approximately 1,553 residents. Current construction levels are expected to meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially exceeding current forecasts.

Merewether - The Junction has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 38 projects that could impact the area. Notable ones include The Merewether Residences, Lingard Private Hospital Extension, Lake Macquarie Private Hospital Expansion, and Gateshead LAHC General Housing Development. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Merewether - The Junction performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Merewether-The Junction has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate was 1.4% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.4%.

As of June 2025, 9,056 residents were employed, and the unemployment rate was 2.3% lower than Rest of NSW's 3.7%. Workforce participation was high at 68.1%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services, with notable concentration in the former at 1.3 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing had lower representation at 0.3% versus the regional average of 5.3%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 2.4%, labour force by 2.5%, raising unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.1% and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. National unemployment was 4.5%, and national employment growth lagged at 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Merewether-The Junction's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.4% over five years and 15.1% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released on June 30, 2022, Merewether - The Junction had a median income among taxpayers of $63,435 with the average level standing at $104,063. This places it in the top percentile nationally, compared to levels of $49,459 and $62,998 across Rest of NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $70,159 (median) and $115,094 (average) as of March 31, 2025. From the Census conducted on August 10, 2021, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Merewether - The Junction, between the 82nd and 85th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 27.3% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week (4,052 individuals), mirroring the region where 29.9% occupy this bracket. The district demonstrates considerable affluence with 37.8% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Housing accounts for 13.8% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 84th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Merewether - The Junction displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Merewether-The Junction, as per the latest Census data, consisted of 62.5% houses and 37.5% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Non-Metro NSW's structure of 70.5% houses and 29.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Merewether-The Junction stood at 36.6%, with the remaining dwellings being mortgaged (30.7%) or rented (32.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,500, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $420, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Merewether-The Junction's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Merewether - The Junction features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 66.2% of all households, including 30.2% couples with children, 27.6% couples without children, and 7.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 33.8%, with lone person households at 27.1% and group households making up 6.9%. The median household size is 2.5 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Merewether - The Junction shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Merewether-The Junction is notably higher than broader benchmarks. 43.9% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in Rest of NSW and 26.1% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 29.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 28.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas at 10.8% and certificates at 17.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.1% in primary education, 8.4% in tertiary education, and 8.0% pursuing secondary education. Six schools operate within Merewether-The Junction, educating approximately 1,873 students. The area shows significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement (ICSEA: 1101). All six schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas.

Transport servicing is good compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

The transport analysis reveals that Merewether - The Junction has 129 active public transport stops operating within its area. These stops service a mix of bus routes totalling 24 individual routes. The combined weekly passenger trips from these routes amount to 1,626.

Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility with an average distance of 118 meters to the nearest stop. On average, there are 232 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 12 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Merewether - The Junction is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Merewether-The Junction shows better-than-average health results, with both younger and older age groups having a low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 73% of its total population (10,777 people) has private health cover, compared to 55.6% in the rest of NSW and 55.3% nationally. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 8.4% and 7.5% of residents respectively.

Around 70.6% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 64.9% in the rest of NSW. The area has a senior population (aged 65 and over) of 16.5%, numbering 2,455 people. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, mirroring those of the general population.

Merewether - The Junction ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Merewether-The Junction showed lower cultural diversity, with 87.4% born in Australia, 93.3% being citizens, and 93.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated, comprising 49.1%. Judaism was overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% regionally.

Top ancestry groups were English (31.0%), Australian (27.2%), Irish (10.6%). Welsh (0.8%) and Scottish (9.2%) were notably overrepresented, while Macedonian (0.6%) showed slight underrepresentation compared to regional averages.

Merewether - The Junction's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Merewether - The Junction is 39 years, which is significantly below Rest of NSW's average of 43 but essentially aligned with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Merewether - The Junction has a higher concentration of residents aged 25-34 (15.7%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (9.3%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 25 to 34 grew from 13.4% to 15.7%, while the 55 to 64 age group declined from 13.0% to 11.3%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Merewether - The Junction's age structure. Notably, the 25 to 34 age group is expected to grow by 29%, reaching a population of 3,010 from 2,324. Conversely, the 15 to 24 and 65 to 74 age groups are projected to experience population declines.