Merewether - The Junction

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 14,853 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 347 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 14,506. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 14,808 in June 2024 and an additional 53 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,048 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 85.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered, 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 the years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends indicate 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 annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 10.4% 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 home approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 264 homes. In FY26, 21 approvals have been recorded so far. On average, 1.5 new residents are expected per dwelling constructed annually between FY21 and FY25. New properties are being constructed at an average value of $565,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment.

This financial year has seen $9.6 million in commercial approvals, showing 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 places among the 58th percentile nationally, suggesting an established area with potential planning limitations. Building activity shows 54% standalone homes and 46% attached dwellings, offering choices across price ranges. With around 266 people per dwelling approval, it indicates a low density area.

Future projections estimate Merewether-The Junction to add 1,545 residents by 2041, with existing development levels aligned with future requirements, maintaining 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 36 projects likely to impact the region. Notable initiatives include Lingard Private Hospital Expansion, Lake Macquarie Private Hospital Expansion, The Merewether Residences, and 44 Cadaga Road Dual Occupancy Development. Below is a list of those most 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. The unemployment rate was 1.6% as of September 2025, lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.1%.

As of that date, 9,071 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.3%, and workforce participation at 74.0%, higher than the Rest of NSW average of 61.5%. According to Census responses, 33.1% of residents worked from home. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Health care & social assistance employment levels are at 1.3 times the regional average, while agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 0.3%.

The area offers limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, employment increased by 3.1% alongside labour force increasing by 3.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment fall by 0.5%, labour force contract by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 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 employment should increase by 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 the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2023, Merewether - The Junction SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $66,815 with the average level standing at $109,444. This ranks in the top percentile nationally, compared to levels of $52,390 and $65,215 across Rest of NSW respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% from financial year ended June 2023 to September 2025, current estimates would be approximately $72,735 (median) and $119,141 (average). From the Census conducted in August 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 within the $1,500 to $2,999 bracket, mirroring the region where 29.9% occupy this bracket. The district demonstrates considerable affluence with 37.8% earning over $3,000 per week. Housing accounts for 13.8% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 83rd 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 a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Merewether-The Junction, as per the latest Census data, 62.5% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 37.5% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments and other types. This differs from Non-Metro NSW where 82.6% were houses and 17.4% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Merewether-The Junction stood 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 $1,733. Weekly rent in Merewether-The Junction was recorded at $420 compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,500 versus 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 constitute 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, 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 with 43.9% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the 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 prominent, with 28.4% of residents 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, including 9.1% in primary education, 8.4% in tertiary education, and 8.0% pursuing secondary education.

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.

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

Merewether-The Junction has 138 operational public transport stops. These are served by 24 routes, offering 1,679 weekly passenger trips. Residential accessibility to these stops is excellent, with an average distance of 118 meters to the nearest stop. The area is predominantly residential, with outward commuting being common. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 89%, followed by walking (4%) and cycling (3%). On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 33.1% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 239 trips daily across all routes, equating to about 12 weekly trips per stop. The provided map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Merewether - The Junction's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population and nearer the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis shows strong health performance in Merewether - The Junction, with low prevalence of common health conditions among the general population, near national averages for older, at-risk cohorts. Private health cover is exceptionally high at 75% (11,184 people), compared to 51.9% in Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common conditions, affecting 8.4 and 7.5% respectively, with 70.6% reporting no medical ailments, higher than Rest of NSW's 63.3%.

Under-65 residents show better-than-average health outcomes. The area has 16.5% seniors (2,456 people), lower than Rest of NSW's 23.0%, with above-average senior health outcomes but ranking lower nationally than the broader population.

Merewether - The Junction is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for 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 dominant religion, comprising 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%). Welsh, Scottish, and Macedonian groups showed notable divergences in representation: Welsh at 0.8% vs regional 0.5%, Scottish at 9.2% vs 8.0%, and Macedonian at 0.6% vs 0.4%.

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 increased from 13.4% to 15.7%, while the proportion of residents 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 number of residents aged 25 to 34 is expected to grow by 29%, reaching 3,010 from 2,325. Conversely, the population of residents aged 15 to 24 and 65 to 74 is projected to decline.