Merrylands - Holroyd

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Merrylands - Holroyd's population is around 28,173 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 4,367 people (18.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 23,806 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 25,810 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 1,545 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 5,691 persons per square kilometer, which lies in the top 10% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch, making land in the area a highly sought resource. Merrylands - Holroyd's 18.3% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the state (7.8%) and Greater Sydney, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 65.6% 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. As we examine future population trends, a significant population increase in the top quartile of national statistical areas is forecast, with the area expected to expand by 8,358 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, recording a gain of 21.3% in total over the 17 years.

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

Merrylands - Holroyd has averaged around 403 new dwelling approvals per year, with 2,019 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 71 so far in FY-26. At an average of just 0.9 new residents per year arriving per new home over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new construction is matching or outpacing demand, offering buyers more options and enabling population growth that could exceed current expectations, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $211,000—below the regional average—suggesting more affordable housing options for buyers. Additionally, $17.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, suggesting balanced commercial development activity.

When measured against Greater Sydney, Merrylands - Holroyd has 136.0% more new home approvals (per person), which should provide buyers with ample choice, though building activity has slowed in recent years. This activity is well above average nationally, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. New building activity shows 13.0% detached dwellings and 87.0% townhouses or apartments. This skew toward compact living offers affordable entry pathways and attracts downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This represents a considerable change from the current housing mix (currently 41.0% houses), reflecting reduced availability of development sites and addressing shifting lifestyle demands and affordability requirements. With around 241 people per dwelling approval, Merrylands - Holroyd shows a developing market.

Population forecasts indicate Merrylands - Holroyd will gain 5,992 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Merrylands - Holroyd has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 10% nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 48 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include The Gladstone Village - Stage 3, Central Quarter Merrylands, Evolve Housing Merrylands Social and Affordable Housing, and Cardinal Gilroy Village Redevelopment - 45 Barcom Street, 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 drivers in Merrylands - Holroyd are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Merrylands - Holroyd possesses a well-educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of 10.3%, and 4.1% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 11,428 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 6.2% above Greater Sydney's rate of 4.2%, showing room for improvement, and workforce participation lags significantly (61.7% compared to Greater Sydney's 70.2%). Based on Census responses, a high 34.3% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in retail trade, with employment levels at 1.2 times the regional average. Meanwhile, professional & technical services have a limited presence with 7.5% employment compared to 11.5% regionally. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 4.1% and the labour force increased by 4.3%, resulting in unemployment rising by 0.2 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Sydney, where employment rose by 2.2%, the labour force grew by 2.3%, and unemployment rose marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Merrylands - Holroyd. 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 Merrylands - Holroyd's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.5% 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 Merrylands - Holroyd SA2's income level is below the national average according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Merrylands - Holroyd SA2's median income among taxpayers is $46,722 and the average income stands at $55,771, which compares to Greater Sydney's figures of $60,817 and $83,003 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $50,862 (median) and $60,712 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household income ranks at the 33rd percentile ($1,461 weekly), while personal income sits at the 15th percentile. The data shows the predominant cohort spans 31.3% of locals (8,818 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, reflecting patterns seen in the surrounding region where 30.9% similarly occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 77.4% of income remaining, 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

Dwelling structure within Merrylands - Holroyd, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 41.4% houses and 58.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Sydney metro's 55.9% houses and 44.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Merrylands - Holroyd lagged that of Sydney metro, at 21.4%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (26.1%) or rented (52.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well below the Sydney metro average at $2,000, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $400, compared to Sydney metro's $2,427 and $470. Nationally, Merrylands - Holroyd's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceed the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 70.0% of all households, comprising 37.5% couples with children, 17.2% couples without children, and 13.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 30.0%, with lone person households at 24.2% and group households comprising 5.8% of the total. The median household size of 2.9 people is larger than the Greater Sydney average of 2.7.

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

Educational qualifications in Merrylands - Holroyd trail regional benchmarks, with 29.8% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 39.1% in the SA4 region. This gap highlights the potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 20.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.1%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 27.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.6%) and certificates (15.5%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 34.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.3% in primary education, 8.1% in secondary education, and 6.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 124 active transport stops operating within Merrylands - Holroyd comprising a mix of train and buses. These stops are serviced by 53 individual routes, collectively providing 5,857 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 142 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward - the car remains the dominant mode at 71%, with 18% by train and 6% by bus. Vehicle ownership averages 1.1 per dwelling. A high 34.3% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 836 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 47 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map shows the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Merrylands - Holroyd's residents are extremely healthy with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Merrylands - Holroyd, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Younger cohorts in particular see very low prevalence of common health conditions, while the rate of private health cover is low at approximately 47% of the total population (~13,354 people). This compares to 59.9% across Greater Sydney and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and diabetes, impacting 5.3% and 5.0% of residents, respectively, while 79.2% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 74.6% across Greater Sydney. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 13.2% of residents aged 65 and over (3,707 people), which is lower than the 15.4% in Greater Sydney, though ranking lower nationally 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 among the most culturally diverse areas in the country, with 56.3% of its population born overseas and 70.1% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Merrylands - Holroyd is Christianity, which makes up 44.4% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Islam, which comprises 29.6% of the population, substantially higher than the Greater Sydney average of 6.8%.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Merrylands - Holroyd are Other, comprising 36.3% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 16.0%, Lebanese, comprising 15.1% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 2.6%, and Australian, comprising 10.3% of the population, which is notably lower than the regional average of 17.8%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Croatian is notably overrepresented at 1.3% of Merrylands - Holroyd (vs 0.7% regionally), Serbian at 0.6% (vs 0.5%) and Samoan at 0.7% (vs 0.5%).

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

With a median age of 33, Merrylands - Holroyd is materially younger than the Greater Sydney figure of 37 and is substantially under Australia's 38 years. Relative to Greater Sydney, Merrylands - Holroyd has a higher concentration of 0 - 4 residents (8.2%) but fewer 45 - 54 year-olds (10.9%). Since the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 3.6% to 4.5% of the population. Conversely, the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 19.5% to 17.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Merrylands - Holroyd. The 45 to 54 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 36%, adding 1,119 residents to reach 4,190. On the other hand, the 35 to 44 group will contract by 64 residents.