Merewether

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

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Merewether is around 12,055. This reflects a growth of 267 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,788. The current resident population estimate of 12,021 by AreaSearch, based on ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses, indicates this increase. This results in a density ratio of 1,913 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Merewether's growth rate of 2.3% since the census is within 2.8 percentage points of the non-metro area's 5.1%, showing competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 86.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch uses NSW State Government's SA2 level projections released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median of Australia's regional areas, with Merewether expected to expand by 1,284 persons to reach a total of 13,339 by 2041. This reflects a gain of 10.5% over the 17-year period.

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 of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Merewether has recorded around 42 residential properties granted approval per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 211 homes were approved, with an additional 13 approved so far in FY-26. On average, 1.5 new residents arrive per new home over the past five financial years.

This indicates a balanced supply and demand market, supporting stable conditions. The average construction cost value of new dwellings is $725,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, $8.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's residential character. Compared to Rest of NSW, Merewether records about 64% of building activity per person, placing it among the 56th percentile nationally.

This level is below average nationally, indicating maturity and possible planning constraints. New building activity comprises 57.0% standalone homes and 43.0% medium and high-density housing, offering a mix of opportunities across price brackets. With around 276 people per dwelling approval, Merewether shows characteristics of a low density area. Future projections estimate Merewether adding 1,263 residents by 2041, aligning with existing development levels to maintain stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 36 projects that may impact the area. Notable ones include The Merewether Residences, Lake Macquarie Private Hospital Expansion, Lingard Private Hospital Expansion, and 44 Cadaga Road Dual Occupancy Development. Below is a list of those likely to be most relevant.

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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Merewether performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Merewether has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 1.3% in June 2025, lower than the Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.4%. Workforce participation in Merewether is high at 68.9%, compared to the Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Health care & social assistance employs 1.4 times more residents than the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing employs just 0.3% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 5.3%.

Employment opportunities seem limited locally, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 2.4% while labour force grew by 2.5%, keeping unemployment relatively stable at 2.4%. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and unemployment rise by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest potential future demand in Merewether. National employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with industry-specific growth rates varying significantly. 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

Merewether's income level is among the top percentile nationally based on latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. The median income among taxpayers in Merewether is $64,074 with an average income of $105,112, compared to Rest of NSW's figures of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. By September 2025, estimates based on a 12.61% Wage Price Index growth suggest median incomes will reach approximately $72,154 and averages will be around $118,367. The 2021 Census ranks Merewether's household, family, and personal incomes highly, between the 82nd and 85th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that 27.8% of locals (3,351 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, consistent with broader regional trends showing 29.9% in the same category. Higher earners make up a substantial presence, with 37.7% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. Housing accounts for 13.7% of income, and residents rank within the 84th percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Merewether displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Merewether, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 61.0% houses and 38.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 70.5% houses and 29.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Merewether was at 35.9%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (30.3%) or rented (33.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Merewether was $2,457, above Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. Weekly rent was recorded at $420, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Merewether's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

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

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

In Merewether, educational attainment exceeds broader benchmarks significantly. Among residents aged 15+, 44.1% possess university qualifications compared to 21.3% in the Rest of NSW and 26.1% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 29.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.5%) and graduate diplomas (3.8%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 28.4% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 10.6% and certificates at 17.8%.

Educational participation is notably 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. The three schools in Merewether have a combined enrollment of 728 students as of the latest data available. These schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas due to limited local school capacity (6.0 places per 100 residents vs 15.5 regionally). The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1077.

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

The analysis of public transport in Merewether shows that there are currently 96 active transport stops operating within the area. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 22 individual routes providing service to these locations. Collectively, these routes facilitate 1,616 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport in Merewether is rated as excellent, with residents typically located approximately 119 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are around 230 trips per day across all routes, which equates to roughly 16 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Merewether is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Merewether shows superior health outcomes for both younger and older age groups, with low prevalence rates for common health conditions. Approximately 68% of its total population of 8,238 has private health cover, compared to 55.6% in the Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues affect 8.4% of residents, while asthma impacts 7.5%.

Around 70.9% report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 64.9% in the Rest of NSW. The area has 16.0% of residents aged 65 and over (1,928 people), with seniors' health outcomes broadly matching those of 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 less culturally diverse, with 87.4% born in Australia, 93.3% being citizens, and 93.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity dominated as the main religion, comprising 49.5%. Judaism was overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% across Rest of NSW.

The top three ancestry groups were English (30.9%), Australian (27.5%), and Irish (10.4%). Notable differences existed in Welsh (0.9% vs regional 0.8%), French (0.7% vs 0.4%), and Macedonian (0.6% vs 0.8%) representation.

Merewether's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Merewether's median age is 38, which is lower than Rest of NSW's figure of 43 but equivalent to Australia's national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group constitutes 16.1% of Merewether's population, higher than Rest of NSW, while the 75-84 cohort makes up 4.7%, lower than Rest of NSW. According to the 2021 Census, Merewether's 25-34 age group grew from 13.9% to 16.1% of the population. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort declined from 13.3% to 11.7%, and the 5-14 group decreased from 12.1% to 11.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Merewether's age profile. The 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 30% (583 people), reaching 2,524 from 1,940. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 15-24 and 65-74 cohorts.