Merriwa (NSW)

Merriwa 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 for Merriwa (NSW) statistical area (Lv2) is around 1,880 people. This reflects an increase of 55 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,825 people. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of 1,848 residents as of Jun 2024, based on examination of ABS' latest ERP data release and an additional 28 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of approximately 1.0 persons per square kilometer. Merriwa's growth rate of 3.0% since the census is within 2.7 percentage points of the non-metro area (5.7%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Natural growth contributed approximately 51.0% 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, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are utilised. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the Merriwa (NSW) (SA2) is expected to grow by 195 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 8.4% 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 16 dwelling approvals over five years ending in December 2019. This results in an average of three new dwellings approved annually, reflecting the rural nature of the area 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 and relativity statistics.

Merriwa's development levels are substantially lower than Rest of NSW and below national averages. All approved developments were detached dwellings, suited for families seeking rural lifestyle and space. With an estimated 525 people per dwelling approval, the area has a quiet, low activity development environment. AreaSearch quarterly estimates indicate Merriwa will gain 158 residents by 2041 if current trends continue.

If development rates remain constant, 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 to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects that may impact this region: Merriwa Town Centre Masterplan, Merriwa Energy Hub, Goulburn River Solar Farm And Battery, and McCullys Gap BESS. The following details those likely to be most relevant.

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 has a balanced workforce comprising white and blue collar jobs across various sectors, with an unemployment rate of 5.1% as per AreaSearch's statistical area data aggregation. As of September 2025802 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.3% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Merriwa stands at 52.7%, lower than Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries for employment among residents include agriculture, forestry & fishing, education & training, and health care & social assistance. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is particularly prominent, with an employment share 5.0 times the regional level. Conversely, health care & social assistance has lower representation at 8.4% compared to the regional average of 16.9%.

Local employment opportunities appear limited, as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population figures. Between September 2024 and September 2025, Merriwa's labour force decreased by 3.1%, with employment decreasing by 3.0%, while unemployment remained largely unchanged. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced a 0.5% employment decline and a 0.1% labour force decline, with a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. State-level data as of 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, losing 2,260 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate stands at 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and a 13.7% increase over ten years. Applying these projections to Merriwa's employment mix suggests local employment could grow by 4.7% over five years and 10.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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 taxpayer income is $41,343 and average is $58,515. This is lower than the national average. Rest of NSW has a median income of $52,390 and average of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since FY2023, current estimates for Merriwa are approximately $45,006 (median) and $63,699 (average) as of September 2025. Census data indicates household, family, and personal incomes in Merriwa fall between the 10th and 13th percentiles nationally. The $1,500 - $2,999 income band captures 27.7% (520 individuals) of Merriwa's community, similar to the broader area at 29.9%. Housing costs are modest, with 88.0% of income retained. However, 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

Merriwa's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, was 95.8% houses and 4.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro NSW's 89.7% houses and 10.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Merriwa stood at 45.7%, with mortgaged dwellings 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 $1,538. Median weekly rent in Merriwa was $245, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $290. Nationally, Merriwa's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,235 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 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, which matches the average for the Rest of NSW.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 13.6%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 11.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.3%) and graduate diplomas (0.9%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 40.3% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (8.2%) and certificates (32.1%).

Educational participation is high, with 30.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 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 8 different routes that together offer 80 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents on average located 376 meters from the nearest stop.

The service frequency averages 11 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

Health performance in Merriwa is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data indicates significant health issues in Merriwa. Both younger and older age groups have high prevalence rates for common conditions. Approximately half (around 942 people) of Merriwa's total population has private health cover, lower than Rest of NSW's 58.5% and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 9.9%) and asthma (9.8%). However, 62.6% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than Rest of NSW's 65.4%. Merriwa has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 26.0% (488 people), compared to 18.9% in Rest of NSW. Senior health outcomes present challenges similar to the general population's health profile.

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. Christianity was the predominant religion in Merriwa, accounting for 76.5% of the population, compared to 63.9% across the Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (36.8%), English (31.1%), and Irish (8.7%).

Notably, some ethnic groups had different representations in Merriwa compared to the regional average: Australian Aboriginal was higher at 5.1% (vs 6.6%), Scottish was slightly higher at 8.0% (vs 7.3%), and Welsh was marginally higher at 0.5% (vs 0.3%).

Merriwa hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Merriwa's median age is 45 years, 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 higher proportion of people aged 65-74 (14.0% locally) and a lower proportion of those aged 25-34 (9.6%). Between 2021 and the present, the proportion of people aged 15 to 24 has increased from 9.8% to 10.8%, while the proportion of those aged 5 to 14 has decreased from 14.5% to 13.4%. The proportion of people aged 55 to 64 has also dropped, from 13.7% to 12.6%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Merriwa's age profile. The number of people aged 75 to 84 is projected to increase by 65 (43%) from 152 to 218. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above are expected to account for 64% of total population growth, reflecting Merriwa's aging demographic profile. Conversely, population declines are projected for the age cohorts of 5 to 14 and 15 to 24.