Merewether

Merewether has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

As of Feb 2026, the population of Merewether is estimated at around 11,831. This reflects an increase since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,788 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 11,791 following examination of ABS data released in June 2024 and validation of 45 new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,877 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 86.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Considering projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of locations outside capital cities is expected for Merewether. The suburb is projected to expand by 1,285 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 12.6% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Merewether recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Based on AreaSearch analysis using ABS building approval numbers from statistical area data, Merewether averaged approximately 33 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 165 homes. As of FY26, six approvals have been recorded. Between FY21 and FY25, an average of 1.9 people moved to the area per year for each dwelling built, indicating a balanced supply-demand market with stable conditions. New dwellings are developed at an average cost of $725,000, targeting the premium market with high-end developments.

This financial year has seen $6.2 million in commercial approvals, reflecting Merewether's residential character. Compared to Rest of NSW, Merewether records roughly half the building activity per person and ranks among the 46th percentile nationally, suggesting limited buyer choices and supporting demand for existing homes. This level is below the national average, indicating an established area with potential planning limitations. New development consists of 56% detached dwellings and 44% attached dwellings, offering a mix of housing types across price ranges.

With around 364 people per approval, Merewether indicates a mature market. By 2041, the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate projects Merewether's population to grow by 1,486 residents. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

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

Area infrastructure significantly impacts local performance. AreaSearch identified 35 projects potentially affecting the area. Notable ones include Lingard Private Hospital Expansion, Lake Macquarie Private Hospital Expansion, The Merewether Residences, and 44 Cadaga Road Dual Occupancy Development. Below is a list detailing those most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Merewether rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Merewether has a highly educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate was 1.5% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 3.1%. As of September 2025, 7,477 residents were employed, and the unemployment rate was 2.3% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation was at 76.1%, higher than Rest of NSW's 61.5%. According to Census responses, 32.4% of residents worked from home, although Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors were health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Health care & social assistance had employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average, while agriculture, forestry & fishing showed lower representation at 0.3% compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparing working population and resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 3.1%, and labour force increased by 3.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decline of 0.1%, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Merewether's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 15.2% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2023 shows income in Merewether is high nationally. The median income is $64,074 and the average is $105,112. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's median income of $52,390 and average income of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% from July 2023 to September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $69,751 (median) and $114,425 (average). From the Census conducted in August 2021, household, family, and personal incomes rank high nationally, between the 82nd and 85th percentiles. Income distribution shows 27.8% of Merewether's population earns between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, similar to the metropolitan region at 29.9%. A substantial proportion, 37.7%, earns above $3,000 weekly, indicating strong economic capacity. Housing accounts for 13.7% of income, while strong earnings place residents in the 84th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile nationally.

Merewether displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The latest Census data shows that in Merewether, 61.0% of dwellings are houses, with the remaining 38.9% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is compared to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Merewether stands at 35.9%, with mortgaged properties at 30.3% and rented dwellings at 33.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area is $2,457, which is higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent in Merewether is $420, compared to Non-Metro NSW's figure of $330. Nationally, mortgage repayments in Merewether are significantly higher at $2,457 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents are substantially above the national figure of $375.

Merewether features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 65.6% of all households, including 29.3% couples with children, 27.8% couples without children, and 7.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 34.4%, with lone person households at 27.2% and group households comprising 7.1%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the average in the Rest of NSW.

Merewether shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Merewether is notably high, with 44.1% of residents aged 15 years and over holding university qualifications. This compares to 21.3% in the Rest of NSW and 26.1% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 29.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 28.4% of residents aged 15 years and over holding such qualifications – including advanced diplomas (10.6%) and certificates (17.8%).

Educational participation is high, with 30.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.8% in primary education, 8.7% in tertiary education, and 7.9% pursuing secondary education.

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

Merewether has 105 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are serviced by 22 different routes, providing a total of 1,669 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents' homes to the nearest transport stop is 119 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility. In this primarily residential area, most commuting is outward-bound. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport, used by 89% of residents, while walking and cycling account for 4% and 3% respectively. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a high proportion of residents, 32.4%, work from home, which may be reflective of COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 238 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 15 weekly trips per individual stop. A map accompanies this analysis, showing the 100 nearest stops to the location centrepoint.

Merewether's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Merewether. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low across both young and old age cohorts. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 68% of the total population (8085 people), compared to 51.9% across Rest of NSW, and 55.7% nationally.

The most common medical conditions were mental health issues affecting 8.4% of residents, and asthma impacting 7.5%. 70.9% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.3% across Rest of NSW. Under-65 population showed better than average health outcomes. The area has 16.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1892 people), lower than the 23.4% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors were above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Merewether's population was found to be below average in cultural diversity, with 87.4% born in Australia, 93.3% being citizens, and 93.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 49.5% of Merewether's population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented, making up 0.2%, compared to 0.1% in the Rest of NSW.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (30.9%), Australian (27.5%), and Irish (10.4%). Other ethnic groups with notable divergences included Welsh at 0.9% (vs regional 0.5%), French at 0.7% (vs 0.4%), and Macedonian at 0.6% (vs 0.4%).

Merewether's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

Merewether's median age is 38, which is lower than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 but matches the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group comprises 16.5% of Merewether's population, higher than Rest of NSW, while the 75-84 cohort makes up 4.9%, lower than Rest of NSW. Post-2021 Census, the 25-34 age group increased from 13.9% to 16.5%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort decreased from 13.3% to 11.6%, and the 5-14 group fell from 12.1% to 10.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Merewether's age profile. The 25-34 group is set to grow by 29% (567 people), reaching 2,520 from 1,952. Meanwhile, population declines are forecast for the 65-74 and 55-64 cohorts.