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

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

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For uncovered areas, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used. 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, representing 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 52 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 264 homes. As of FY-26, 9 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.5 new residents per year per dwelling constructed were noted between FY-21 and FY-25. New properties are being constructed at an average value of $725,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment.

This financial year has seen $9.6 million in commercial approvals, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Rest of NSW, Merewether-The Junction has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 59th percentile nationally, suggesting an established area with potential planning limitations. New building activity comprises 54.0% standalone homes and 46.0% attached dwellings, offering a blend of housing types across price ranges. With around 266 people per dwelling approval, Merewether-The Junction shows characteristics of a low density area.

Future projections indicate an addition of 1,553 residents by 2041, with existing development levels aligned with future requirements to maintain stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 37 projects likely impacting the region. Notable ones are The Merewether Residences, Lake Macquarie Private Hospital Expansion (commencing Q2 2021), Lingard Private Hospital Expansion (slated for completion in late 2022), and Gateshead LAHC General Housing Development (expected to start in early 2023). Below is a list of projects most likely to be relevant.

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

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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 strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 1.4% as of June 2025, compared to Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.4%. As of June 2025, 9,056 residents were employed with an unemployment rate of 2.3%, lower than Rest of NSW's rate. Workforce participation was 68.1%, higher than Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services are the main employment sectors in the area.

Health care & social assistance has particularly notable concentration, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 0.3% versus the regional average of 5.3%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census working population vs resident population count. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 2.4%, labour force increased by 2.5%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.1 percentage points. This compares to Rest of NSW where employment fell by 0.1%, labour force expanded by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest potential future demand within Merewether - The Junction. These projections estimate national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates between 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 ATO data released on June 30, 2022, Merewether - The Junction had a median income among taxpayers of $63,435 and an average income of $104,063. These figures place the area in the top percentile nationally, compared to $49,459 and $62,998 for Rest of NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% from June 2022 to September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $71,434 (median) and $117,185 (average). The 2021 Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes ranking between the 82nd and 85th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 27.3% of individuals earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week, mirroring the regional average of 29.9%. The area demonstrates affluence with 37.8% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. Housing accounts for 13.8% of income, with residents ranking in 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

Dwelling structure in Merewether-The Junction, as per the latest Census, consisted of 62.5% houses and 37.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro NSW had 70.5% houses and 29.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Merewether-The Junction was at 36.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.7% and rented ones at 32.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,500, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. Median weekly rent in the area was $420, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Merewether-The Junction's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,500 versus Australia's 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 constitute 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 account for the remaining 33.8%, with lone person households at 27.1% and group households comprising 6.9%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is 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 shows a significant advantage compared to broader benchmarks. As of 2016, 43.9% of residents aged 15 and over hold university qualifications, surpassing the Rest of NSW's 21.3% and the SA4 region's 26.1%. This high educational attainment is led by bachelor degrees at 29.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 28.4% of residents aged 15 and over holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas account for 10.8% and certificates for 17.6%.

Educational participation is notably 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. As of 2019, a robust network of 6 schools operates within Merewether - The Junction, educating approximately 1,873 students. These schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, as indicated by its ICSEA score of 1101.

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

The analysis shows 129 active public transport stops operating in Merewether-The Junction area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totalling 24 individual routes. Collectively, these routes provide 1,626 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 118 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 232 trips per day across all routes, equating 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 experiencing lower 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 a national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues affect 8.4% of residents, while arthritis impacts 7.5%.

About 70.6% report no medical ailments, higher than the rest of NSW's 64.9%. The area has 16.5% aged 65 and over (2,455 people), with seniors' health outcomes being above average and similar to the general population's profile.

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 was the predominant religion at 49.1%. Judaism was overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% regionally.

Top ancestry groups were English (31.0%), Australian (27.2%), and Irish (10.6%). Notable divergences included Welsh at 0.8% (vs 0.8% regionally), Scottish at 9.2% (vs 8.4%), and Macedonian at 0.6% (vs 0.8%).

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 lower than 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 proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 has grown from 13.4% to 15.7%, while the proportion of those aged 55 to 64 has declined from 13.0% to 11.3%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Merewether - The Junction's age structure. Notably, the 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 29%, reaching 3,010 people from its current total of 2,324. Conversely, the 15-24 and 65-74 cohorts are projected to experience population declines.