Merewether Heights

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

The population of Merewether Heights, as estimated by AreaSearch using ABS updates and new addresses validated since the 2021 Census, is around 1,522 as of November 2025. This represents an increase of 27 people from the 2021 Census figure of 1,495. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of a resident population of 1,520 based on the latest ERP data release by ABS in June 2024 and two additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,871 persons per square kilometer, placing Merewether Heights in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 86.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth for the suburb.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 utilises 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. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Merewether Heights is expected to experience population growth just below the median of Australia's regional areas. By 2041, the suburb is projected to expand by 163 persons, reflecting a total increase of 10.4% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Merewether Heights, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Merewether Heights had 3 new dwelling approvals annually on average over the past five years, totalling 18. This low development level is typical of rural areas with modest housing needs and limited construction activity due to local demand and infrastructure capacity. Yearly growth figures may vary significantly with such low approval numbers.

The area's development levels are substantially lower than Rest of NSW and below national averages. New developments consist of 50% detached dwellings and 50% medium to high-density housing, marking a significant shift from the current 97% houses pattern. This change likely reflects diminishing developable land availability and evolving lifestyle preferences and affordability needs. The area has approximately 303 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. By 2041, Merewether Heights is projected to add 158 residents according to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Development pace is keeping up with projected growth, but increasing competition among buyers is expected as population expands.

Future projections show Merewether Heights adding 158 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Development is keeping reasonable pace with projected growth, though buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 0 projects that may impact the area. Key projects include The Merewether Residences, The Merewether Residences, Adamstown Renewal Corridor, and Broadmeadow Place Strategy, with the following list detailing those 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.

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

Merewether Heights has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 1.6% as of June 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 2.2% over the past year.

This is based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. In comparison to Rest of NSW's unemployment rate of 3.7%, Merewether Heights' rate was 2.1% lower at June 2025, with a workforce participation rate of 66.1%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. The area shows strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 2.3 times the regional level.

However, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 0.0% of Merewether Heights' workforce compared to Rest of NSW's 5.3%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.2%, while the labour force grew by 2.5%, causing a rise in unemployment rate of 0.3 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment fell by 0.1%, labour force expanded by 0.3%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates vary significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Merewether Heights' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.6% over ten years. These projections are illustrative extrapolations based on current employment patterns and do not account for localized population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Merewether Heights had a median income among taxpayers of $67,388. The average income stood at $110,549. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Rest of NSW's median and average incomes of $49,459 and $62,998 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes would be approximately $75,886 (median) and $124,489 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows household, family and personal incomes in Merewether Heights rank highly nationally, between the 88th and 97th percentiles. Income distribution data indicates that the $4000+ bracket dominates with 31.3% of residents (476 people), differing from metropolitan region patterns where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 29.9%. The locality demonstrates considerable affluence with 49.1% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 88.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Merewether Heights is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Merewether Heights' dwellings, as per the latest Census, were 97.3% houses and 2.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). Non-Metro NSW had 70.5% houses and 29.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Merewether Heights was 43.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 47.1% and rented at 9.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,600, above Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,962. Median weekly rent in Merewether Heights was $580, higher than Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,600 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Merewether Heights features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 81.1% of all households, including 47.6% couples with children, 25.7% couples without children, and 7.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 18.9%, with lone person households at 16.5% and group households comprising 2.5%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Merewether Heights demonstrates exceptional educational outcomes, ranking among the top 5% of areas nationally based on AreaSearch's comprehensive analysis of qualification and performance metrics

Merewether Heights has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above. Specifically, 46.7% hold university qualifications, surpassing the broader benchmarks of 21.3% in Rest of NSW and 26.1% in the SA4 region. This advantage is particularly evident in bachelor degrees (31.6%), postgraduate qualifications (10.7%), and graduate diplomas (4.4%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 28.7% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (12.0%) and certificates (16.7%).

Educational participation is high, with 34.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (13.1%), secondary education (10.2%), and tertiary education (5.1%). Merewether Heights Public School serves the area, with an enrollment of 302 students as of a recent report. The school focuses exclusively on primary education, with an Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA) score of 1126, indicating significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement. Secondary educational options are available in nearby areas. School capacity is higher than typical residential needs, with 19.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 15.5, suggesting that Merewether Heights serves as an educational hub for the broader region.

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

Transport analysis indicates 15 operational transport stops within Merewether Heights, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 11 distinct routes, offering a total of 197 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is deemed excellent, with residents typically situated 127 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 28 trips per day across all routes, equating to roughly 13 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Merewether Heights is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Merewether Heights shows better-than-average health outcomes, with lower prevalence of common health conditions among its general population compared to national averages. However, older, at-risk cohorts have higher prevalence rates. Approximately 70% of Merewether Heights' total population (1,072 people) has private health cover, significantly higher than the Rest of NSW's 55.6%.

Nationally, this figure stands at 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 7.7% and 6.8% of residents respectively. Conversely, 71.6% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 64.9% in Rest of NSW. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 19.6% (298 people), compared to the Rest of NSW's 16.7%. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those of the broader population.

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

Merewether Heights had a lower cultural diversity than average, with 90.3% of its residents born in Australia, 96.3% being citizens, and 94.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Merewether Heights, making up 47.9% of the population, similar to the 47.7% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were English (32.1%), Australian (26.9%), and Irish (10.0%).

Notably, Welsh (0.9%) was overrepresented compared to the regional average of 0.8%, Scottish (9.5%) also exceeded the regional figure of 8.4%, and Macedonian (0.5%) was slightly underrepresented compared to the regional average of 0.8%.

Merewether Heights hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Merewether Heights is 40 years, which is slightly below Rest of NSW's average of 43 but above Australia's median of 38. The proportion of residents aged 5-14 years old is notably higher at 18.1% compared to the Rest of NSW average, while those aged 65-74 years are under-represented at 6.7%. This concentration of 5-14 year-olds is significantly higher than the national average of 12.2%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 has increased from 6.7% to 9.2%, while those aged 55 to 64 have decreased from 9.3% to 7.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 suggest substantial demographic changes in Merewether Heights, with the 35 to 44 age cohort projected to expand by 39 people (an 18% increase) from 219 to 259. Conversely, the 65 to 74 and 55 to 64 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.