Merrylands - Holroyd
Statistical Area - sa2

Merrylands - Holroyd lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Merrylands-Holroyd's population is approximately 27,186 as of August 2025. This figure represents an increase of 3,380 people, a 14.2% rise from the 2021 Census which reported a population of 23,806. The change is inferred from ABS estimates of 25,855 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 5,492 persons per square kilometer, placing Merrylands-Holroyd in the top 10% of locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's growth exceeded both state (6.4%) and SA3 averages, marking it as a regional growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 65.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a 2022 base year. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with a 2021 base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future trends indicate significant population growth, with Merrylands-Holroyd expected to expand by 8,358 persons by 2041, representing a total gain of 25.7%.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Merrylands - Holroyd among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Merrylands - Holroyd has averaged approximately 403 new dwelling approvals per year. Development approval data is produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a financial year basis, with 2,019 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25 inclusive. As of FY-26, there have been 26 approvals so far. On average, about 0.9 new residents per year are attributed to each dwelling constructed in the past five financial years.

This suggests that supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing greater buyer choice and supporting potential population growth above projections. The average construction value of new homes is $370,000, which is below the regional average, indicating more affordable housing options for buyers. In FY-26, there have been $17.7 million in commercial approvals, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Sydney, Merrylands - Holroyd has 136.0% more construction activity per person, offering buyers greater choice. However, building activity has slowed in recent years. This is substantially higher than the national average, indicating strong developer confidence in the location. New building activity shows 13.0% detached dwellings and 87.0% townhouses or apartments, focusing on higher-density living to create more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers.

This represents a notable shift from the area's existing housing composition of 41.0% houses, indicating decreasing availability of developable sites and reflecting changing lifestyles and demand for diverse, affordable housing options. With around 241 people per dwelling approval, Merrylands - Holroyd shows a developing market with population forecasts indicating a gain of 6,979 residents through to 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current projections.

Merrylands - Holroyd has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

A total of 46 infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Notable among these are the mixed-use development at 239 Merrylands Road, The Gladstone Village - Amber (Stage 2), The Gladstone Village - Stage 3, and Central Quarter Merrylands. The following list specifies those considered most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Merrylands - Holroyd face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Merrylands-Holroyd has a well-educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 11.2%.

This rate has shown stability over the past year. There are 11,092 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 7.0% higher than Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation in Merrylands-Holroyd lags significantly at 46.3% compared to Greater Sydney's 60.0%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

Retail trade is particularly strong with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services are under-represented at 7.5% compared to Greater Sydney's 11.5%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data. Over a 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 0.1% while labour force grew by 3.2%, resulting in a rise of 2.7 percentage points in the unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Sydney experienced employment growth of 2.6% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.3 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs) with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, which lagged behind national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Merrylands-Holroyd's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.5%% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Merrylands - Holroyd had a median taxpayer income of $42,697 and an average income of $53,411. This is lower than the national average, with Greater Sydney having a median income of $56,994 and an average of $80,856. By March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $47,223 (median) and $59,073 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. Census data indicates household income ranks at the 33rd percentile ($1,461 weekly) and personal income at the 16th percentile. The $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 31.3% of the community (8,509 individuals), similar to the broader area where this cohort represents 30.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 77.4% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 24th percentile.

Merrylands - Holroyd features a more urban dwelling mix with significant apartment living, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Merrylands-Holroyd's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 41.4% houses and 58.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Sydney metro had 62.1% houses and 37.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Merrylands-Holroyd was at 21.4%, with the rest being mortgaged (26.1%) or rented (52.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, lower than Sydney metro's average of $2,167. Weekly rent median was $400, matching Sydney metro's figure. Nationally, Merrylands-Holroyd's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,000 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were also higher at $400 against the national figure of $375.

Merrylands - Holroyd features high concentrations of group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 70.0% of all households, including 37.5% couples with children, 17.2% couples without children, and 13.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 30.0%, with lone person households at 24.2% and group households comprising 5.8%. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Sydney average of 3.1.

Merrylands - Holroyd shows below-average educational performance compared to national benchmarks, though pockets of achievement exist

Educational qualifications in Merrylands - Holroyd show 29.8% of residents aged 15+ have university degrees, compared to the SA4 region's 39.1%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.1%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Vocational credentials are held by 27.1% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.6% and certificates at 15.5%. Current educational participation is high, at 34.6%, including 10.3% in primary education, 8.1% in secondary education, and 6.9% pursuing tertiary education.

Merrylands - Holroyd has a network of 6 schools educating approximately 2,461 students, with typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 969) and balanced educational opportunities. The mix includes 4 primary and 2 K-12 schools. School places per 100 residents are at 9.1, below the regional average of 13.2, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Merrylands-Holroyd has 117 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 54 individual routes, facilitating 5,289 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 141 meters to the nearest stop.

Service frequency stands at 755 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 45 weekly trips per stop.

Merrylands - Holroyd's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Merrylands-Holroyd shows excellent health outcomes, particularly for younger age groups with low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover stands at approximately 47% (~12,777 people), lower than the national average of 55.3%.

Key medical conditions include arthritis (5.3%) and diabetes (5.0%), while 79.2% reported no medical ailments compared to Greater Sydney's 77.0%. The area has 12.7% residents aged 65 and over (3,452 people), less than Greater Sydney's 13.9%. Health outcomes for seniors are above average but require more attention than the broader population.

Merrylands - Holroyd is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Merrylands-Holroyd is one of the most culturally diverse areas in Australia, with 56.3% of its population born overseas and 70.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the dominant religion in Merrylands-Holroyd, comprising 44.4% of people in the area, but Islam is notably overrepresented at 29.6%, compared to 29.1% across Greater Sydney. The top three ancestry groups are Other (36.3%), Lebanese (15.1%), and Australian (10.3%).

Notably, Croatian (1.3%) and Serbian (0.6%) ethnicities are overrepresented in Merrylands-Holroyd compared to the regional averages of 0.9% and 0.3%, respectively.

Merrylands - Holroyd's young demographic places it in the bottom 15% of areas nationwide

Merrylands - Holroyd has a median age of 33, which is younger than Greater Sydney's figure of 37 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Sydney, Merrylands - Holroyd has a higher percentage of residents aged 0-4 (8.3%) but fewer residents aged 45-54 (10.8%). Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the population aged 75-84 has increased from 3.6% to 4.2%. Conversely, the percentage of residents aged 25-34 has decreased from 19.5% to 18.3%. By 2041, Merrylands - Holroyd's population is projected to see substantial demographic changes. The 45-54 age group is expected to grow significantly by 42%, adding 1,240 residents to reach a total of 4,190. Meanwhile, the 35-44 age group is projected to grow modestly by 3% (an increase of 123 people).