Merriwa (NSW)

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Merriwa (NSW) is around 1,880. This reflects an increase of 55 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,825 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 1,848 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and an additional 30 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1.0 persons per square kilometer. Merriwa's growth rate of 3.0% since census positions it within 2.9 percentage points of the Rest of NSW (5.9%). Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth contributing approximately 51.0% 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. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb of Merriwa (NSW) is expected to grow by 189 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 8.1% in total over the 17 years.

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

Merriwa had minimal construction activity from 2013 to 2017 with only 16 dwelling approvals, averaging three new dwellings annually. This reflects its rural nature where development is driven by local housing needs rather than broad market demand. The small number of approvals means individual projects can significantly impact annual growth statistics.

Compared to Rest of NSW and national averages, Merriwa had substantially lower development levels during this period. All approved constructions were detached dwellings, suited for families seeking rural lifestyles. With an estimated 525 people per dwelling approval, Merriwa's development environment was quiet and low activity. AreaSearch quarterly estimates indicate a population growth of 153 residents by 2041.

If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Merriwa has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects expected to impact the region. Notable ones are the Merriwa Town Centre Masterplan, Merriwa Energy Hub, Goulburn River Solar Farm And Battery, and McCullys Gap BESS. Relevant details about these projects follow.

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

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AreaSearch assessment indicates Merriwa faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Merriwa's workforce is balanced between white and blue-collar jobs, with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 5.0% as of September 2025, according to AreaSearch data aggregation. In this month, 811 residents were employed, which is 1.2% above Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Merriwa was lower at 56.6%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%. A moderate 16.9% of residents worked from home, based on Census responses. Key industries for employment among residents were agriculture, forestry & fishing, education & training, and health care & social assistance. Merriwa had a high specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share five times the regional level.

Conversely, health care & social assistance showed lower representation at 8.4% compared to the regional average of 16.9%. The area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the Census working population count versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Merriwa's labour force decreased by 2.7%, with employment decreasing by 2.8%, while unemployment remained essentially unchanged. 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 suggested that national employment would expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differed significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Merriwa's employment mix indicated that local employment should increase by 4.7% over five years and 10.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Merriwa's median income among taxpayers is $41,343. The average income is $58,515. This is below the national average. Rest of NSW has a median income of $52,390 and an average of $65,215. By September 2025, based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86%, Merriwa's estimated median income will be approximately $45,006 and the average will be around $63,699. Census data indicates household, family, and personal incomes in Merriwa fall between the 10th and 13th percentiles nationally. In terms of income distribution, 27.7% of Merriwa residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually (520 individuals), which is similar to the broader area where this cohort represents 29.9%. Despite modest housing costs allowing for 88.0% income retention, total disposable income ranks at just the 18th percentile nationally.

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

As of the latest Census in Merriwa, 95.8% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 4.2% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Non-Metro NSW's figures of 82.6% houses and 17.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Merriwa stood at 45.7%, with mortgaged properties at 28.0% and rented ones at 26.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,235, lower than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Merriwa was recorded at $245, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, Merriwa's median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,235 is significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and its median weekly rent of $245 is substantially below the national figure of $375.

Merriwa features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households comprise 67.3% of all households, including 24.8% couples with children, 31.1% couples without children, and 10.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 32.7%, with lone person households at 30.4% and group households comprising 2.1% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, matching the Rest of NSW average.

Merriwa faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area has lower university qualification rates than NSW's average. As of 2016, the area had a rate of 13.6% compared to NSW's 32.2%. This difference presents both challenges and opportunities for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees were most common among qualifications, with 11.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 1.3% and graduate diplomas at 0.9%.

Vocational credentials were prominent, with 40.3% of residents aged 15 and above holding them. Advanced diplomas accounted for 8.2% and certificates for 32.1%. Educational participation was high, with 30.2% of residents enrolled in formal education as of 2019. This included 13.3% in primary education, 9.6% in secondary education, and 2.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Merriwa has 63 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by eight different routes that collectively offer 80 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these stops is considered good, with residents typically located 376 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 86%, while 11% walk. On average, there are 1.6 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 16.9% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 11 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

Health performance in Merriwa is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a slightly higher degree among older age cohorts

Merriwa faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high, with common health conditions prevalent across all age groups but more so among older cohorts.

Approximately 50% of Merriwa's total population (~942 people) has private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 9.9% and 9.8% of residents respectively. Conversely, 62.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW's 63.3%. Health outcomes among the working-age population are typical. However, Merriwa has a higher proportion of seniors (26.5%, or 498 people) compared to the Rest of NSW average (23.4%). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

The latest Census data sees Merriwa placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Merriwa's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 88.0% of its population being Australian citizens, 92.5% born in Australia, and 97.9% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Merriwa is Christianity, comprising 76.5% of the population, compared to 55.9% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (36.8%), English (31.1%), and Irish (8.7%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal representation was higher at 5.1%, matching regional averages for Scottish (8.0%) and Welsh (0.5%) groups.

Merriwa hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Merriwa's median age is 45 years, which is slightly higher than Rest of NSW's median age of 43 years and considerably older than the national norm of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of NSW average, Merriwa has a notably over-represented cohort of 65-74 year-olds (14.2% locally) while 25-34 year-olds are under-represented (9.8%). Between 2021 and present, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 7.2% to 8.4% of the population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 14.5% to 13.3%, and the 55 to 64 group has decreased from 13.7% to 12.5%. Demographic modeling suggests that Merriwa's age profile will significantly evolve by 2041. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to increase notably, with an expansion of 62 people (39%) from 157 to 220. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are projected to account for 62% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 15 to 24 cohorts.