Merimbula - Tura Beach

Population growth drivers in Merimbula - Tura Beach are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Merimbula - Tura Beach's population is around 11,915 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 402 people (3.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,513 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,616 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 82 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 122 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Over the past decade, Merimbula - Tura Beach has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a 1.0% compound annual growth rate, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, which contributed approximately 62.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch is utilising the NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, as released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are also applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Looking at population projections moving forward, an above-median population growth for non-metropolitan areas nationally is projected, with the area expected to grow by 1,781 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 12.4% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Merimbula - Tura Beach when compared nationally

Merimbula - Tura Beach has experienced around 50 dwellings receiving development approval per year, totalling 253 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 17 approvals have been recorded. Given an average of 1.4 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), the market shows a good balance between supply and demand, supporting stable conditions, while new dwellings are developed at an average value of $387,000. There have also been $12.6 million in commercial approvals this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

Compared to the Rest of NSW, Merimbula - Tura Beach shows approximately 75% of the construction activity per person while it places among the 71st percentile of areas assessed nationally, though construction activity has intensified recently. New building activity shows 49.0% detached dwellings and 51.0% medium and high-density housing. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This marks a significant departure from existing housing patterns (currently 75.0% houses), suggesting diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. The location has approximately 206 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market.

Looking ahead, Merimbula - Tura Beach is expected to grow by 1,482 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Merimbula - Tura Beach has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 32ndth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 14 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Templo Merimbula, Club Sapphire Hotel and Conference Centre, Lakewood Lifestyle Village, and Supercheap Auto and BCF Merimbula, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment performance in Merimbula - Tura Beach exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Merimbula - Tura Beach features a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, and an unemployment rate of just 2.3%. As of December 2025, 5,085 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 1.7% below Regional NSW's rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation lags significantly (51.6% compared to Regional NSW's 61.3%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 14.3% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade. The area shows particularly strong specialization in accommodation & food, with an employment share of 1.7 times the regional level. Conversely, mining shows lower representation at 0.2% versus the regional average of 2.5%. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, the 12-month period saw the labour force decrease by 4.4% alongside a 4.1% employment decline, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.3 percentage points. This contrasts with Regional NSW, where employment contracted by 1.2%, the labour force fell by 0.8%, and unemployment rose 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Merimbula - Tura Beach. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Merimbula - Tura Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.3% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

The Merimbula - Tura Beach SA2's income level is lower than the national average according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Merimbula - Tura Beach SA2's median income among taxpayers is $47,467 and the average income stands at $59,532, compared to figures for Regional NSW of $52,390 and $65,215 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $51,673 (median) and $64,807 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Merimbula - Tura Beach all fall between the 15th and 24th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 28.7% of the community (3,419 individuals), consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 29.9% in the same category. After housing, 86.0% of income remains, though this ranks at only the 18th percentile nationally and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 4th decile.

Merimbula - Tura Beach is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure within Merimbula - Tura Beach, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 74.7% houses and 25.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional NSW's 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Merimbula - Tura Beach was well beyond that of Regional NSW, at 51.3%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (26.3%) or rented (22.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Regional NSW average at $1,600, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $340, compared to Regional NSW's $1,733 and $330. Nationally, Merimbula - Tura Beach's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are less than the national figure of $375.

Merimbula - Tura Beach features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 64.9% of all households, comprising 19.4% couples with children, 37.3% couples without children, and 7.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 35.1%, with lone person households at 32.5% and group households comprising 2.5% of the total. The median household size of 2.1 people is smaller than the Regional NSW average of 2.4.

Merimbula - Tura Beach shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

Educational qualifications in Merimbula - Tura Beach trail regional benchmarks, with 23.2% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 32.2% in NSW. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 15.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.5%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 40.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.3%) and certificates (29.0%).

A substantial 22.1% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 8.2% in primary education, 6.9% in secondary education, and 2.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 202 active transport stops operating within Merimbula - Tura Beach, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 40 individual routes, collectively providing 456 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 166 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 92%, with 6% walking. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. Some 14.3% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 65 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 2 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Health outcomes in Merimbula - Tura Beach are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

Health indicators suggest below-average outcomes in Merimbula - Tura Beach, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 49% of the total population (~5,826 people). This compares to 51.9% across Regional NSW, while the national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 12.6% and 8.4% of residents, respectively, while 59.9% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% across Regional NSW. Working-age residents show an above-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 34.1% of residents aged 65 and over (4,063 people), which is higher than the 23.4% in Regional NSW, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

Merimbula - Tura Beach is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Merimbula - Tura Beach was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 84.5% of its population born in Australia, 91.1% being citizens, and 96.0% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Merimbula - Tura Beach is Christianity, which makes up 48.0% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Judaism, which comprises 0.1% of the population, compared to 0.1% across Regional NSW.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Merimbula - Tura Beach are English, comprising 34.5% of the population, Australian, comprising 29.0% of the population, and Irish, comprising 9.4% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Dutch is notably overrepresented at 1.6% of Merimbula - Tura Beach (vs 1.0% regionally), Scottish at 8.7% (vs 8.0%) and Welsh at 0.6% (vs 0.5%).

Merimbula - Tura Beach ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

With a median age of 53, Merimbula - Tura Beach is considerably higher than the Regional NSW figure of 43 and similarly substantially exceeds the national norm of 38. Relative to Regional NSW, Merimbula - Tura Beach has a higher concentration of 65 - 74 residents (17.7%) but fewer 5 - 14 year-olds (8.8%). This 65 - 74 concentration is well above the national 9.5%. Since the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 8.7% to 10.2% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 10.9% to 12.1%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 16.3% to 14.1% and the 65 to 74 group dropped from 18.7% to 17.7%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Merimbula - Tura Beach's age structure. Leading the demographic shift, the 85+ group will grow by 87% (453 people), reaching 973 from 519. Meanwhile, the 65 to 74 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.